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Five Ways to Improve Your Website

Written By Clinton Pratt

Don’t miss Clinton Pratt’s presentation at NCKP 2023: The Piano Conference, From Solo to School, on July 26, 2023 from 1:30-2:20PM. Register for NCKP 2023 before May 1, 2023 to receive the early bird discount!

1. Have a clear call-to-action.

Don’t confuse prospective clients with too many things to do. Should they call you? Email you? Fill out the form? Book a lesson? Go to your Facebook page? Have one thing you want them to do, make that clear, and put it on every page.

 2. Less is more!

French Designer Antoine de Saint-Exupery said “a designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” Don’t overwhelm potential clients with too many things to read and look at. Have only 3-4 pages, with minimal text on each page.

3. Photos of happy students making music.

Photos of pianos and cozy waiting rooms are great, but people want to see other people! They want to know that your students are having a good time, so show smiling faces of happy customers.

4. “About” page: not a lengthy academic bio!

Honestly, most people don’t care about your credentials and lengthy resume. They just want to know that you’ll give them a good experience.

A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.

Antoine de Saint-Exupery

On your about page, instead of a long boring biography, tell a story that people can relate to. Keep it personal, write in first person, and focus on what they will get.

5. Reviews!

Social proof and credibility are important! If people see lots of positive reviews about your studio, they are much more likely to take the next step.

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An Inspirational Force of Nature | Honoring Michelle Conda

Written By Andrea McAlister

Michelle Conda is a recipient of the 2023 Frances Clark Center Lifetime Achievement Award. Her extensive contributions to the field of piano pedagogy are extraordinary and exemplify outstanding dedication to the field of music and piano teaching. The Frances Clark Center Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest honor and is presented on behalf of the Frances Clark Center to individuals who have made substantial and enduring contributions to the field of piano pedagogy and to the work of the Center.

Join us at NCKP 2023: The Piano Conference in Lombard, Illinois for a Gala champagne reception and awards ceremony on Friday, July 28 from 6-8:30pm to celebrate our 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award winners.

Thank you to Andrea McAlister, former student of Michelle Conda and member of the NCKP 2023 Executive Committee, for this post.

Michelle and former students at NCKP: 2011


There are moments in your life that, unbeknownst to you at the time, radically transform your future.

For me, that moment was during my sophomore year at the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. A search was underway for Assistant Professor of Piano Pedagogy, and I was asked to play for one candidate’s masterclass. Although I was filled with nerves—I was, after all, performing for the candidate, the entire piano faculty, graduate students, the search committee, and a handful of deans—that day’s candidate, Dr. Michelle Conda, had an energy and passion for teaching that was palpable. She made me feel like there was nothing more important than the music we were creating together; I was the most important person in the room, not all those who were clearly evaluating her every word. I left the masterclass with no doubt that she would be offered the position.

Michelle Conda

I had the privilege of studying with Michelle Conda for many years after her appointment, and I can say with all honesty that I would not be where I am today had it not been for her. I knew from an early age that teaching would be my career, but a whole new world of pedagogy opened up to me under the guidance of Michelle. Watching her teach was an inspiration, and I will forever be grateful that she helped me find my own pedagogical voice. She nurtured my love of teaching, created opportunities for me to grow as a teacher and person, and invited me to join a broader pedagogical community of innovative and creative leaders. In her thirty years at CCM, Michelle has transformed the pedagogy program and created a space where the art of teaching is amplified and elevated, a Herculean feat in any performance-dominated environment. It was her tenacity that led to the creation of the piano pedagogy cognate at CCM, which I and many after me have received.

Michelle is truly an inspirational force of nature, and her influence will be felt for years to come through the many students who have also had the privilege of calling her professor and friend.

One could go on and on about Michelle’s powerful presence in the classroom, but you can’t reference Michelle without speaking of her incredible zest for life. Her energy is infectious, and you can’t help but be drawn to her humor, creativity, and enthusiasm. She is not just your teacher; she is your biggest cheerleader, the first to stand and applaud your successes, and the best advocate one could ask for. She makes every person she meets feel seen and respected, just as she made me feel at that masterclass so many years ago. It has been an honor and joy to continue working together as friends and colleagues. Some of my dearest professional memories involve collaborations with Michelle, and I look forward to our work together in the future. Michelle is truly an inspirational force of nature, and her influence will be felt for years to come through the many students who have also had the privilege of calling her professor and friend.

The GP3 committee at Oberlin: 2018

We believe passionately that piano teachers change the world through their dedication to students and communities. Our Power of a Piano Teacher campaign shares personal tributes to document the extraordinary contributions of piano teachers. We welcome you to celebrate your teacher and share your tribute with us by making a donation to the Frances Clark Center. Together, we will further amplify the meaningful work of our noble profession.

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A Quick Look at Creative Music Making: What Pianists Should Know

Written By Bradley Sowash

Special thanks to the Bradley Sowash, member of the NCKP 2023 Creative Music Making committee, for this post.

Why is creative music making an important topic for pianists today?

Today’s students benefit from instruction in reading and generating music. Why? Because students that read well, play by ear, and/or create music can play a wider range of styles, are motivated by personal expression, and from revisiting fully-notated classics to winging it on pop songs with friends, versatile pianists are more likely to continue to enjoy playing as adults.

What is something you wish every pianist knew about creative music making?

Any piano teacher with a basic understanding of music theory and willingness to explore alongside their students can integrate creative music making into their curriculum.

What are three tips you would give a pianist interested in creative music making?

  1. Talent is overrated. Just like traditional musical skills, creative music making is developed through study and practice. 
  2. While off-page skills may intimidate seasoned adult musicians due to omissions in their training, many students enjoy improvising, composing, and/or playing by ear uninhibitedly. Start your students early and it becomes a fearless, natural way to make music. 
  3. Choosing one’s own notes and rhythms does not need to be difficult. While master composers and improvisers often deal with complex musical ideas and techniques, anyone can improvise with just a scale and a few chords or perhaps even less with guidance.

What is one free resource about creative music making that you would recommend?

Many of the planners and presenters for the Creative Music Making track publish free blog posts and how-to videos online. Take advantage of those that match your experience level and interests.

What makes the Creative Music Making track at NCKP 2023 special? Why should people attend?

Interest in teaching creative music making has changed and grown significantly in the past 20 years. When thought-leaders first began advocating for teaching off-page skills alongside a traditional curriculum, it was a new and not always welcome idea for many educators. Today, teacher attitudes about this topic have shifted from less about “why?” to more about “how?” Learning tips, strategies, and observing demonstrations firsthand from fellow teachers experienced in this area are some of the best opportunities that NCKP provides.

What are you most excited for at NCKP 2023?

Speaking personally, my favorite part of attending NCKP is reconnecting with friends and colleagues as well as fostering new relationships. Since many piano teachers work alone most of the time, it’s great to feel viscerally part of a large community of dedicated music educators.

Interested in learning more about creative music making for pianists? Attend NCKP 2023: The Piano Conference! View the NCKP 2023 schedules to explore all wellness track sessions: online and in-person. Register before May 1, 2023 for early bird pricing.

QUICK LINKS FOR NCKP 2023: THE PIANO CONFErENCE
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Für Elise: Beethoven’s Infamous Composition

Written By Curtis Pavey
Ludwig van Beethoven

THIS WEEK IN PIANO HISTORY, Beethoven composed his infamous bagatelle Für Elise WoO 59 on April 27, 1810. The short piece is built around a recurring theme that is unceasingly popular with pianists of all ages.

One of the central questions regarding this piece is to whom it was written. Scholarship remains unclear about the identity of “Elise.” The autograph manuscript of the work is lost and there is speculation that perhaps the title was originally Für Therese.1 Other scholars, such as Klaus Martin Kopitz, suggest that ‘Elise’ was in fact the singer Elisabeth Röckel.2 She was a close friend throughout Beethoven’s life and was married to Austrian composer Johann Nepomuk Hummel. Röckel’s close relationship is obvious based on her visit to Beethoven just a few days before his death on March 26, 1827.3 Whether Röckel is the true dedicatee of Für Elise remains unproven, but she is certainly a likely candidate.

Beethoven through the years.

Für Elise is classified as a bagatelle in the form of a rondo. The repeating opening theme comes back three times, creating an ABACA form. Although the first section is manageable technically, the second and third sections pose significant challenges to the performer with thirty-second notes in the B section as well as repeated notes, arpeggios, and a chromatic scale in the C section. Besides the popularity of the opening theme, the work remains popular perhaps due to its moody nature and dramatic changes from melancholy to joy to mystery and back. Listen to this recording by pianist Lang Lang.

The piece is listed on the Royal Conservatory of Music’s 2022 Piano Syllabus as a Level 7 selection and is comparable in difficulty to the easier Bach inventions and other late-intermediate sonatinas. One of the challenges in approaching this work is carefully choosing a tempo that is manageable in the more virtuosic sections of the work, but is also not dragging at the beginning. Interested to learn more about Für Elise? Check out this article written and edited by Marvin Blickenstaff on the work, which provides teaching tips, a practice plan, and more!

A Fond Farewell (Für Elise)

OTHER RESOURCE YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

Sources
  1. Joseph Kerman, Alan Tyson, Scott G. Burnham, Douglas Johnson, and William Drabkin, “Beethoven, Ludwig van,” Grove Music Online, 2001, Accessed 20 Mar. 2023, oxfordmusiconline-com.uc.idm.oclc.org/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000040026. 
  2. Klaus Martin Kopitz, “Beethoven’s ‘Elise ‘ Elisabeth Röckel: A Forgotten Love Story and a Famous Piano Piece.” Musical Times (Winter, 2020), 9.
  3. Ibid.

Kerman, Joseph, Alan Tyson, Scott G. Burnham, Douglas Johnson, and William Drabkin. “Beethoven, Ludwig van.” Grove Music Online. 2001; Accessed 20 Mar. 2023. oxfordmusiconline-com.uc.idm.oclc.org/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000040026. 


Kopitz, Klaus Martin. “Beethoven’s ‘Elise ‘ Elisabeth Röckel: A Forgotten Love Story and a Famous Piano Piece.” Musical Times Winter, 2020, 9-26.

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A Quick Look at Independent Music Teaching: What Pianists Should Know

Written By Jason Sifford

Special thanks to Jason Sifford, chair of the NCKP 2023 Independent Music Teaching committee, for this post.

Why is independent teaching important for pianists today?

Today’s emerging professionals and young parents are the first to be born in the 2000’s. This generation enters a world unlike any before, and understanding and embracing the unique challenges and opportunities of today is essential for keeping the arts thriving for future generations.

What is something you wish every pianist knew about independent music teaching?

Every era has its challenges. Just as the world of Claude Debussy would’ve been unrecognizable to Johann Sebastian Bach, the world we live in today would be impossible for pianists and composers in the 20th century to comprehend. Change is scary, but it has always been with us.

What are three tips you would give a pianist interested in independent teaching?

First, be yourself. Whether you’re 20 or 80, you have an important place in today’s world.
Second, broaden your social network. Learn from those from different backgrounds and with different worldviews.
Third, above all—listen. Listening never ages, and it’s never been more important.

What is one free resource about teaching independently that you would recommend?

The resources that Piano Inspires has to offer are second to none. No other organization is as committed to supporting the future of piano teaching than the people at the Frances Clark Center.

What makes your track at NCKP 2023 special? Why should people attend?

We’ve made a conscious effort to tackle big-picture issues. You’ve heard about ornaments in Bach for years. You’ve seen all the webcam recommendations. Now let’s start a conversation about the issues that we face as individuals, as a profession, and as an art form.

What are you most excited for at NCKP 2023?

This year, we finally get to be in a room with each other! There is no substitute for shared experiences and shared spaces, and it’s time to reconnect with each other and rebuild our community.

Interested in learning more about independent music teaching for pianists? Attend NCKP 2023: The Piano Conference! View the NCKP 2023 schedules to explore all independent music teaching track sessions: online and in-person. Register before May 1, 2023 for early bird pricing.

QUICK LINKS FOR NCKP 2023: THE PIANO CONFErENCE
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A Quick Look at Wellness: What Pianists Should Know

Written By Laura Amoriello, Jessica Johnson, Carina Joly, Brenda Wristen, Vanessa Cornett, Lesley McAllister, Paola Savvidou, Linda Cockey

Special thanks to the NCKP 2023: The Piano Conference Wellness Committee for their contributions to this post.

Why is wellness an important topic for pianists today?

It is known that few pianists go through life without encountering an injury or illness, whether directly related to playing or not. Therefore, it is very important that there is an awareness of how we can help prevent injuries and find ways to cope with the unexpected things that can happen.

What is something you wish every pianist knew about wellness?

That we focus on finding ways to find balance in ourselves and our students in this post-pandemic world that incorporates both the physical and psychological aspects of playing. Our sessions will incorporate a mixture of both along with a basic introduction to mindfulness, contemplative and movement techniques that can be used in and out of the studio. 

What are top tips you would give a pianist interested in cultivating wellness at the piano?

  1. Playing the piano is both physically and psychologically demanding. Therefore, the more one knows about this topic, the more one can apply new techniques to their playing and teaching that reduces the risk of injury.
  2. Producing beautiful sounds requires a balance between the technical and the emotional. 
  3. For lifelong music-making, one needs an awareness of what healthy piano playing consists of.
  4. One small adjustment in one’s playing to reduce tension can make a world of difference to one’s overall sound.

What is one free resource about wellness that you would recommend?

MTNA’s Essential Learning Skills are in four parts and provide basic information for anyone who would like to learn more about our topic. Everyone has free access, regardless of whether they are a MTNA member.

What makes the Wellness track at NCKP 2023 special? Why should people attend?

Members of our committee are practitioners and pedagogues in this area who have ground-breaking techniques and fresh ideas they have used in their studios. These techniques have been proven to be useful teaching tools. 

What are you most excited for at NCKP 2023?

It is an opportunity to connect to colleagues again and learn from their ideas. And, it is a face-to-face conference!

Interested in learning more about wellness for pianists? Attend NCKP 2023: The Piano Conference! View the NCKP 2023 schedules to explore all wellness track sessions: online and in-person. Register before May 1, 2023 for early bird pricing.

QUICK LINKS FOR NCKP 2023: THE PIANO CONFErENCE
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Nina Simone: Remembering a Trailblazer

Written By Curtis Pavey
Nina Simone

THIS WEEK IN PIANO HISTORY, we remember pianist Nina Simone who died on April 21, 2003. Simone, born as Eunice Kathleen Waymon on February 21, 1933 in Tryon, North Carolina, was a jazz singer, pianist, and civil rights leader.

Simone began playing piano at the age of three, learning at first by ear.1 Her initial piano studies began with an Englishwoman named Muriel Mazzanovich and continued after her high school graduation at The Juilliard School. At this time, Simone planned to become a famous classical pianist and applied to study at the Curtis Institute of Music. The rejection from the Institute sent her into turmoil as she believed racism to be the central reason behind the rejection, but it made her realize a different path forward.2 Simone began singing and playing piano at the Midtown Bar & Grill in Atlantic City, New Jersey as a way to make a modest income and, at this time, took on her stage name (“Nina Simone”) after actress Simone Signoret.3

Nina Simone through the years.

Simone’s career developed at first through engagements in different bars and nightclubs throughout the East Coast. She performed at the Town Hall in New York City in 1959 and later at Carnegie Hall in 1964. These concerts helped establish Simone as a major performer and recording artist. They were recorded and include some of her best known singles including “You Can Have Him” and “Mississippi Goddam.” 

“Mississippi Goddam” is a form of protest music that Simone penned after the murder of civil rights activist Medgar Evers as well as the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama in which four young African American girls died.4 In speaking about the song, Simone shared that, “Nightclubs were dirty, making records was dirty, popular music was dirty and to mix all that with politics seemed senseless and demeaning. And until songs like ‘Mississippi Goddam’ just burst out of me, I had musical problems as well. How can you take the memory of a man like [Civil Rights activist] Medgar Evers and reduce all that he was to three and a half minutes and a simple tune? That was the musical side of it I shied away from; I didn’t like ‘protest music’ because a lot of it was so simple and unimaginative it stripped the dignity away from the people it was trying to celebrate. But the Alabama church bombing and the murder of Medgar Evers stopped that argument and with ‘Mississippi Goddam,’ I realized there was no turning back.”5 Listen to “Mississippi Goddam” in this recording.

Nina Simone performing “Mississippi Goddam.”

Simone is known for producing dozens of recordings throughout her life. Her first album, Little Girl Blue recorded with the Bethlehem label, included hits such as “My Baby Cares for Me,” later recorded by the likes of Nat King Cole.6 Simone continued to record with others such as Colpix Records, Phillips, and the RCA label. Some of her most important albums include I Put a Spell on You (1965), Wild is the Wind (1966), Silk and Soul (1967), Black Gold (1970), Baltimore (1978), and her last studio album, Single Woman (1993).

Nina Simone performing “You Can Have Him.”

Her song “You Can Have Him,” written by Irving Berlin, was included in her concert recording on September 12, 1959 at Town Hall New York City. The song opens with a stunning introductory arpeggio up and down the piano before Simone casually utters “you can have him.” The song features Simone’s rich vocals set against sensitive chords throughout the piano. “Four Women,” a song Simone penned from her album Wild Is the Wind (1966) profiles four different African American women.7 Simone’s recording features her on piano in addition to the sounds of a flute, drums, and more. Listen to a recording of the song below.

Nina Simone performing “Four Women.”

Simone states in her biography I Put a Spell on You, “Critics started to talk about what sort of music I was playing and tried to find a neat slot to file it away in. It was difficult for them because I was playing popular songs in a classical style with a classical piano technique influenced by cocktail jazz. On top of that I included spirituals and children’s song in my performances, and those sorts of songs were automatically identified with the folk movement. So, saying what sort of music I played gave the critics problems because there was something from everything in there, but it also meant I was appreciated across the board—by jazz, folk, pop and blues fans as well as admirers of classical music.”8

Simone’s legacy as a trailblazing pianist and singer resulted in four Grammy nominations and induction into the Grammy Hall of Fame (2000), the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2018), and the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame (2021). Simone additionally received honorary degrees from Amherst College and Malcolm X College, as well as the Curtis Institute of Music just two days before her death. Simone’s life ended in Carry-le-Rouet in Southern France where she died in 2003 after previously spending time in Liberia, Barbados, Switzerland, and more.9 In the final decade of her life, she sold over one million albums.10 In honor of Nina Simone’s incredible life and work, Awadagin Pratt founded the Nina Simone Piano Competition. Read more about the competition in the article below written by Artina McCain.

Opportunities for African American Pianists: Awadagin Pratt on the Nina Simone Piano Competition

OTHER RESOURCE YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

Sources
  1. “Biography,” The Official Home of Nina Simone, Accessed March 31, 2023. ninasimone.com/biography/.
  2. Ibid.
  3. Ibid.
  4. Mark Anthony Neal, “Simone, Nina,” Grove Music Online, 31 Jan. 2014; Accessed 31 Mar. 2023, oxfordmusiconline-com.uc.idm.oclc.org/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-1002258277.
  5. “Biography,” The Official Home of Nina Simone, Accessed March 31, 2023. ninasimone.com/biography/.
  6. Mark Anthony Neal, “Simone, Nina,” Grove Music Online, 31 Jan. 2014; Accessed 31 Mar. 2023, oxfordmusiconline-com.uc.idm.oclc.org/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-1002258277.
  7. Ibid.
  8. “Biography,” The Official Home of Nina Simone, Accessed March 31, 2023. ninasimone.com/biography/.
  9. Ibid.
  10. Ibid.

Neal, Mark Anthony. “Simone, Nina.” Grove Music Online. 31 Jan. 2014; Accessed 31 Mar. 2023. oxfordmusiconline-com.uc.idm.oclc.org/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-1002258277.

The Official Home of Nina Simone. “Biography.” Accessed March 31, 2023. ninasimone.com/biography/ 

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What to Expect at NCKP: The Piano Conference

Written By Trevor Thornton

Thanks to Trevor Thornton, member of the New Professionals Committee for NCKP 2023: The Piano Conference, for this post!

Trevor Thornton assisting Lara Downes at NCKP 2019.

So, it’s your first NCKP. You are probably curious about what to expect. I remember the feeling well. My first NCKP changed my life, and it might change yours too. NCKP has a gift for you regardless of the stage of your career, whether you are a piano performance major searching for your role in the field, an experienced teacher looking for friendships and inspiration, or a seasoned veteran who wants to leave your mark on the future of the profession. Each person will have different takeaways, but I believe we will all share these four in common:

New Performance Ideas

If you are looking for inspiration in your performance career, you can expect to gain many ideas from the presentations and performances at NCKP 2023. Several presentations this year are lecture recitals that will reveal the music of underrepresented composers. Take note! You might find yourself with an entirely new recital program by the end of the conference. There will also be performances including both solo recitals and Piano Stories on Stage. Each concert can be both inspiring and instructive, a place to learn how the performers of today shape their careers.

New Teaching Ideas

It is impossible to leave NCKP without picking up hundreds of teaching ideas—some brand new and some helpful reminders. If you are a student or a recent graduate, you will be drinking from a firehose of new information and perspectives. My advice? Try to absorb as much as you can, and decide what to implement or research further after the conference. One danger for us younger professionals is to pre-judge new information before understanding it, so make an effort to learn about as many approaches to teaching as possible!

New Connections

Marvin Blickenstaff talks about creating moments of expressive music making in each lesson. He calls them “Purple Moments.” For me, the Purple Moments of NCKP are the conversations with new and old conference friends and the moments of connection with like-minded colleagues. Pianists and piano teachers frequently work in isolation, making it even more important to create opportunities to deepen relationships with people who face similar challenges. You might find someone who has helpful answers to some of your professional questions! You might even meet a future employer or mentor.

Inspiration

Inspiration is subjective, but I believe it is impossible to leave NCKP without a spark of it. It is incredibly stimulating to hear seasoned professionals discuss their teaching, research, and practice habits. There is a contagious level of dedication in the air at NCKP. You will meet highly experienced teachers who are as passionate as ever about improving their craft. Best-case scenario, even the way you feel about your students will change as you listen to other devoted teachers speak. To paraphrase Jane Magrath’s acceptance speech for her NCKP Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019: our students are lights that illuminate our paths, showing us the next steps in our careers. That beautiful imagery has been with me in many lessons since. I trust you will encounter similarly transformative ways of thinking at NCKP 2023. I hope to see you there!

Register for NCKP 2023!

QUICK LINKS FOR NCKP 2023: THE PIANO CONFERENCE
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A Quick Look at Business and Entrepreneurship: What Pianists Should Know

Written By Andy Villemez, Clinton Pratt

Special thanks to the NCKP 2023: The Piano Conference Business and Entrepreneurship Committee for their contributions to this post.
Join them for their webinar, “The Hidden Landscape of Business and Entrepreneurship,” on Wednesday, April 19th, 2023 at 11:00AM ET. Registration is free!

Why are business and entrepreneurship important topics for pianists today?

Developing business and entrepreneurship skills is crucial for pianists who want to create their own opportunities, build financial stability, collaborate with other musicians and industry professionals, and foster creativity and innovation in their work. By understanding business principles, pianists can find new sources of revenue beyond traditional pathways. Entrepreneurship skills can also help pianists to build a unique brand, develop a following through social media and online marketing, and reach a wider audience. Business and entrepreneurship skills are essential for channeling your expertise into something with a sustainable impact.

What is something you wish every pianist knew about business and entrepreneurship?

Business and entrepreneurship skills are needed for every kind of career. Whether you’d like to open a single or multi-teacher studio, work in higher education, start a recital series, publish your own materials, start a non-profit, or follow another path, building skills in business and entrepreneurship will help you achieve your goals and better serve your community.

What are three tips you would give a pianist interested in business and entrepreneurship?

  1. Find a community of peers who are interested in you.
  2. Know and leverage your strengths.
  3. Being proactive is way more important than being perfect.

What is one free resource about business and entrepreneurship that you would recommend?

David Cutler, author of The Savvy Musician and The Savvy Music Teacher has an excellent blog. If you’ve read his books or heard him speak, you know he will stretch your mind and inspire you to new ideas! Topics include Entrepreneurship, Career Models, and Creative Performance.

What makes the Business and Entrepreneurship track at NCKP 2023 special? Why should people attend?

Instead of focusing on aspects of teaching piano, our aim is to cultivate successful business owners! Many piano teachers lack entrepreneurial skills, or they are not convinced such skills are important. In addition, we don’t get much training in these areas. But without such skills, you can only go so far. We want piano teachers to be successful business owners and continue to expand their reach as far as they can dream! 

What are you most excited for at NCKP 2023?

We are excited to reconnect with friends and colleagues, and make new ones, too! It is so energizing, inspiring, and invigorating to be with other like-minded people who are all focused on bettering themselves, our profession, and humanity as a whole!

Interested in learning more about business and entrepreneurship for pianists? Attend NCKP 2023: The Piano Conference! View the NCKP 2023 schedules to explore all business and entrepreneurship track sessions: online and in-person.

QUICK LINKS FOR NCKP 2023: THE PIANO CONFErENCE
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The Birth of Argentina’s Musical Advocate: Alberto Ginastera

Written By Curtis Pavey
A portrait of Ginastera

THIS WEEK IN PIANO HISTORY, we celebrate the birth of Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera, born on April 11, 1916. Ginastera has been described as an important composer in the history of Argentina, with an impact on the collection and dissemination of folk music similar to that of Bartók in Hungary.1

Ginastera was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He began his official musical studies at the age of seven and studied at both the Conservatorio Williams, where he received a gold medal in composition, and the Conservatorio Nacional de Música.2 His early musical influences included Athos Palma, José Gil, José André, and later in life, Aaron Copland, with whom he studied at Tanglewood. Ginastera began to rise to national prominence as a composer in Argentina after his suite Panambí was conducted by Juan José Castro.3 From here, a range of commissions and teaching opportunities gradually solidified his name as one of the most important composers from Latin America.

Ginastera through the years.

Ginastera’s teaching career was extensive and included a variety of universities in Argentina including the Conservatorio Nacional, Liceo Militar General San Martín, the Conservatorio de Música y Arte Escénico in La Plata, and the Facultad de Artes y Ciencias Musicales at the Universidad Católica Argentina where he served as a dean for five years. Additionally, he was named the founding director of the Centro Latinoamericano de Altos Estudios Musicales (CLAEM) at the Instituto Torcuato di Tella in Buenos Aires. At various times, political challenges brought on by the Perón administration required him to leave or resign posts in Argentina.4 During the first of these challenges from the Argentine government in 1945, Ginastera fled to the United States where he stayed for over two years on a Guggenheim grant.5 After his return to Argentina, Ginastera again suffered due to the political influence of the Perón administration who made him resign temporarily from the faculty of the Conservatorio de Música y Arte Escénico in La Plata.6

Although well known for his ballets, operas, and symphonic works, Ginastera is perhaps equally well known for his impressive oeuvre of piano works which contains three sonatas, three concerti, the Danzas Argentinas, Op. 2, the Suite de Danzas Criollas, Op.15, and other works for solo piano. A popular work for advanced pianists, the Danzas Argentinas, Op. 2 contains three short dances that recall references to the guitar, the pampas (Argentine plain regions), and the varied dance genres of his home country. His Suite de Danzas Criollas, Op.15 contains five different dances that monopolize the full range and coloristic possibilities of the piano. Listen to this recording, by our very own, pianist Alejandro Cremaschi. Ginastera’s Piano Sonata No. 1, Op. 22, from 1952, is another of his most popular piano works. The piece includes evocations to Argentine dances and the guitar within a four movement structure.

Pianist Alejandro Cremaschi performs Ginastera’s Suite de Danzas Criollas, Op. 15.
A video highlighting Nissman’s personal connection to Ginastera.

One of the most prominent proponents of Ginastera’s music is concert pianist Barbara Nissman, who met Ginastera while he was Composer-In-Residence at the University of Michigan.7 During his time in Michigan, Nissman performed his first piano concerto and Ginastera invited her to perform it again during his sixtieth birthday in Geneva, Switzerland. Nissman has since gone on to record and perform all of Ginastera’s piano music, including the two numbered piano concertos as well as the Concierto Argentino, which she was given exclusive rights to perform.8 Interested in learning more about Nissman’s relationship with Ginastera? Watch this video highlighting her personal connection to Ginastera.

Ginastera’s life took a dramatic turn late in his life causing him to separate from his wife, and later he married the cellist Aurora Nátola.9 He moved to Geneva where he spent the remainder of his days and died at the age of 67. Ginastera’s life achievements were recognized by honorary doctorates from Yale University and Temple University as well as the UNESCO International Music Council Music Prize, which he received in 1981.10

Interested in learning more about Ginastera? Learn about him and his pedagogical works in our new course: Exploring Latin American Piano Music: A Cultural Journey with Elementary through Early-Advanced Pieces.

Exploring Latin American Piano Music: A Cultural Journey with Elementary through Early-Advanced Pieces
OTHER RESOURCES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:
Sources
  1. Marilou Carlin, “Celebrating Music of Alberto Ginastera,” News & Features (blog), University of Michigan, November 21, 2011, arts.umich.edu/news-features/music-of-alberto-ginastera/.
  2. Deborah Schwartz-Kates, “Ginastera, Albertom” Grove Music Online, 2001, Accessed 20 Mar. 2023, oxfordmusiconline-com.uc.idm.oclc.org/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000011159.
  3. Ibid.
  4. Ibid.
  5. Ibid.
  6. Ibid.
  7. Marilou Carlin, “Celebrating Music of Alberto Ginastera,” News & Features (blog), University of Michigan, November 21, 2011, arts.umich.edu/news-features/music-of-alberto-ginastera/.
  8. Ibid.
  9. Deborah Schwartz-Kates, “Ginastera, Albertom” Grove Music Online, 2001, Accessed 20 Mar. 2023, oxfordmusiconline-com.uc.idm.oclc.org/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000011159.
  10. Ibid.

Carlin, Marilou. “Celebrating Music of Alberto Ginastera.” News & Features (blog). University of Michigan, November 21, 2011. arts.umich.edu/news-features/music-of-alberto-ginastera/.

Schwartz-Kates, Deborah. “Ginastera, Alberto.” Grove Music Online. 2001; Accessed 20 Mar. 2023. oxfordmusiconline-com.uc.idm.oclc.org/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000011159.

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This Week in Piano History: Happy 150th, Sergei!

Written By Curtis Pavey
A portrait of Rachmaninoff

THIS WEEK IN PIANO HISTORY, we celebrate the birth of composer, pianist, and conductor Sergei Rachmaninoff, born on April 1, 1873. Despite his enduring fame as a composer, Rachmaninoff was largely known in his day as one of the greatest pianists of the twentieth century, touring around the world.

Rachmaninoff was most likely born in Oneg in the Novgorod region in the Russian Empire.1 He spent much of his childhood here, initially learning to play piano with his mother and then with pianist Anna Ornatskaya. A series of financial issues led the family to move to St. Petersburg, where he studied at the Conservatory with Vladimir Demyansky.2 Tragedy struck the Rachmaninoff family again when his sister died. A series of family problems related to the tragedy resulted in Rachmaninoff’s failure of his classes at the Conservatory.3 This led him to move to Moscow to study at the Moscow Conservatory where he studied with Nikolay Zverev. During this time, Rachmaninoff was able to intensely practice and study. As a result, he received the Gold Medal from the Moscow Conservatory in recognition of his outstanding works as a student.

Rachmainoff through the years.

In January 1895, Rachmaninoff began work on his first symphony, which was conducted by Glazunov in a concert in late 1896. The premiere performance did not go well, sending Rachmaninoff into a three-year period of inability to write any major compositions.4 During this time, Rachmaninoff pursued a new career as a conductor. He began conducting in 1897 at the Moscow Private Russian Opera, leading numerous performances of a varied assortment of Western operas.5 With time and the help of Dr. Nikolay Dahl, a specialist in hypnosis at the time, Rachmaninoff again turned to composition, composing his Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor between 1900 and 1901.6 The success of this performance helped Rachmaninoff regain his footing as a composer.

Seong-jin Cho, Hannu Lintu, and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra performing Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18.
Rachmaninoff’s hands.

In 1917, Rachmaninoff and his family said goodbye to Russia for good, fleeing the country after its gradual descent into turmoil following World War I.7 Rachmaninoff initially settled in Stockholm and Copenhagen briefly, before moving to the United States in 1918. From then on Rachmaninoff spent time in New York, Los Angeles, and in an estate on Lake Lucerne which he named Senar.8 Throughout this time, Rachmaninoff revised a number of his works including the Sonata No. 2 in B-flat Major. In 1943, his health began to rapidly deteriorate and he was diagnosed with cancer, dying on March 28,1943 in Los Angeles, just days before his sixtieth birthday.

Pianist Yuja Wang performs Rachmaninoff’s Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat Major, Op. 36.

Rachmaninoff’s works for the piano have built him enduring fame both in Russia and around the world. One of Rachmaninoff’s most popular works for early-advanced pianists is his Prelude in C-sharp Minor, Op. 3, No. 2, written very early in his life. This work became an annoyance to Rachmaninoff who struggled to understand the undying popularity of this work when compared to some of his other more mature compositions. Perhaps his most well-known work of all is his Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, which was composed in 1908 for extensive tours in the United States the following year. The work established Rachmaninoff as a master of lyrical writing, motivic unity, as well as piano pyrotechnics.9

Yuchan Lim, Marin Alsop, and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra perform Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 30.

Interested in learning more about Rachmaninoff? Read this article by Laura Janota about Wael Farouk and the Rachmaninoff piano oeuvre.

Wael Farouk and the Rachmaninoff piano oeuvre
OTHER RESOURCES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:
Sources
  1. Geoffrey Norris, “Rachmaninoff [Rakhmaninov, Rachmaninov], Serge,” Grove Music Online, 2001, Accessed 20 Mar. 2023, oxfordmusiconline-com.uc.idm.oclc.org/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000050146.
  2. Ibid.
  3. Ibid.
  4. Ibid.
  5. Ibid.
  6. Ibid.
  7. Ibid.
  8. Ibid.
  9. Ibid.

Norris, Geoffrey. “Rachmaninoff [Rakhmaninov, Rachmaninov], Serge.” Grove Music Online. 2001; Accessed 20 Mar. 2023. oxfordmusiconline-com.uc.idm.oclc.org/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000050146.

Dr. Curtis Pavey is a pianist, harpsichordist, and educator. A performer of works from the 16th through the 21st centuries, he feels equally at home performing or teaching at the piano and the harpsichord. He is currently based in the Cincinnati area and maintains a private piano studio.
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What’s New at NCKP This Year

Written By Anna Beth Rucker

We are excited to welcome you this summer to NCKP: The Piano Conference as we celebrate 25 years of excellence in piano teaching, learning and performing. We stand on a rich legacy of piano educators who for more than two decades have cultivated the conference to provide relevant and needed resources to piano teachers. This year is no exception! Read on to see what’s new at NCKP: The Piano Conference.

1. Online and in-person sessions and experiences

NCKP 2023 includes two unique-but-unified events: an online event in June and an in-person event in July. We are desperate to be together in person after too many years apart, so we are thrilled to again be offering an in-person event in Lombard, IL. We are looking forward to hearing live music, running into you in the elevator, chatting with presenters about their topics after sessions, trying out new products in the exhibit hall, and experiencing all of the unique benefits that come with attending a physical event. Additionally, our online event in 2021 was an enormous success, and based on your incredible feedback about its accessibility and flexibility, we knew it was important to keep this option open in 2023. This enables a wider range of attendees to experience the conference, both here in North America and abroad. These NCKP events are on different dates to provide attendees with a tailored and excellent program. Additionally, the online and in-person events are uniquely programmed with no repeated sessions. For the full NCKP 2023 experience, we encourage you to attend both!

2. Committee tracks every day for an all-inclusive experience

NCKP committees curate content that encompasses fifteen different focused topics related to piano teaching, learning, and performing. Rather than a single, in-person preconference day, we have reenvisioned the NCKP schedule to be an all-inclusive, four-day experience with both committee track and general session blocks every day. This is true for both the online and in-person portions of the event. All attendees, regardless of modality, will have the opportunity to experience sessions from all fifteen of our special-topic committees.

NCKP 2023 Committees:
  • Business and Entrepreneurship
  • Collaborative Performance
  • Creative Music Making
  • Diversity
  • Inclusive Teaching
  • Independent Music Teachers
  • Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula
  • New Professionals
  • Performance Practice
  • Research
  • Teacher Education in Higher Ed
  • Teaching Adults
  • Technology
  • Wellness
  • Young Musicians: Birth to Age 9

3. Social events and celebrations

While planning NCKP 2023, we prioritized scheduling various social events, meet-up hours, and parties to make sure there is time for connection and celebration. This is dual purpose. First, the last few years have been extremely isolating and we need to reconnect with each other. NCKP is as much about belonging as it is about teaching, learning, and performing. Second, this year marks the 25th anniversary of NCKP! We invite you to celebrate the legacy of this incredible conference by bringing your fanciest party attire and joining us online and in Lombard.

4. Designated exhibit hall time

The NCKP exhibit hall provides a strategic opportunity for you to explore the newest resources for pianists, from technology to publications and pianos. This year, you will have opportunities to visit the exhibit hall without missing out on any programming. Browse, purchase, and prepare your studio for the upcoming year with ease!

5. Community-sourced concerts

It’s hard to say which of these updates to NCKP we are most excited about, but this one might be it. This year, in addition to the concerts of our conference artists, we will feature performers from our community in our Celebration Performance. We encourage those interested to submit a performance video by April 10, 2023. This concert will be a transformative experience as we experience the artistry from within our community as a celebration of NCKP’s 25th Anniversary.

We hope you will join us to enjoy these updates, as well as all of the long-standing aspects of NCKP that make it so special, including teaching demonstrations, hundreds of curated sessions, a vibrant exhibit hall, world-class concerts, engaging PEDx presentations, and a welcoming community. Make sure to register for NCKP 2023. We look forward to seeing you this summer!

QUICK LINKS FOR NCKP 2023: THE PIANO CONFErENCE
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The Benefits of NCKP: The Piano Conference and Why You Should Attend

Written By Marvin Blickenstaff

Register for NCKP: 2023! Click here to register.

Marvin Blickenstaff at NCKP 2019.

The list of sessions for the upcoming NCKP 2023: The Piano Conference has been posted, and it looks to be a best-ever conference. I wouldn’t miss it. If memory serves me correctly, I have attended every NCKP since its founding by Richard Chronister some 25 years ago. The memories of those conferences remain vivid in my mind, and I am a better piano teacher for having attended those events. The presentations have been informative and inspiring. The performances have been spine-tingling. And the teaching demonstrations have changed my teaching in many ways. I am confident that those who have attended would agree that NCKP is the best of its kind. 

Every piano teacher who can possibly manage to attend this summer’s outstanding program should do so. The variety of sessions offers something for everyone, whether you are a teacher just beginning your career or are a seasoned professional. We all need the stimulation of meeting with like-minded professionals, hearing inspiring performances, learning from the best in our field, and having our horizons widened through outstanding lecture presentations. We often feel isolated in our own studios, and NCKP offers the opportunity to dialogue with teachers from around the country and profit from that professional connection.

I guarantee that you will find your time at NCKP well worth the effort. You will come away from the conference with a new perspective on the importance of your role in the lives of your students. You will approach your teaching with renewed vigor and ideas on how to improve your work with your students. You will be inspired by the performances you hear and the information gleaned from the lecture presentations. You will learn!

A bit of advice: attend each session with equipment for taking notes. There will be so much information shared that you cannot retain it all in your memory. Take notes. You need those notes to remind you of what you have experienced. A Conference Proceedings will be published, but your notes are the most important documentation of what you have experienced.

I look forward to seeing you this summer at NCKP in Chicago. You’ll find me sitting in the front row (with my pen and notepad!)

I guarantee that you will find your time at NCKP well worth the effort. You will come away from the conference with a new perspective on the importance of your role in the lives of your students.

Marvin Blickenstaff
QUICK LINKS FOR NCKP 2023: THE PIANO CONFErENCE
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E-Posters: Why You Should Submit and Tips for Success

Written By Robin Heinsen

With gratitude we welcome one of our NCKP 2021: The Piano Conference Research E-Poster Award Winners, Robin S. Heinsen, to our Discovery page. Heinsen is Assistant Professor of Music Education at Miami University, and has provided helpful insight into her experience as an NCKP poster presenter. We hope it will inspire you to join us this summer for NCKP 2023, and to submit your own e-poster proposals by April 15, 2023 at 11:59pm PT.

View Robin S. Heinsen and Robert Duke’s winning research poster, “I play the piano because I like the piano: A national survey of school music teachers.”

How did you decide on your proposal topic?

Our pathway to NCKP: The Piano Conference is probably different from most other presenters because we are not pianists—we are music education professors who became curious about how school music teachers use the piano in their classrooms and wondered whether there were relationships between how teachers learned to play the piano and how they use it in their teaching. We had previously shared our findings in music education circles, and subsequently sought out this conference as an opportunity to share with the piano pedagogy community. We all have a stake in what our students learn and retain from university class piano.

What would be your top three tips on writing a successful e-poster proposal?

First, ask a great question! What are you curious about, what do you wonder about, and how can you design a project that can help answer that question? 

Once you’ve done that, practice condensing your research question, potential findings, and implications into only a few sentences to ensure your own thinking is clear about what you want to propose and why it matters. 

Then, once you start writing, make sure a reader can extract that information from your proposal so the significance of your work stays prominent instead of getting buried. This may be best accomplished by asking someone else to read your proposal and then tell you about the project they think you are describing. 

What was it like using the Kubify platform?

From what we remember, it was a pretty intuitive interface. It was easy to navigate, customize, and upload materials into the platform, and it integrated well with the NCKP conference page. We had never used it before this event, but we found it to be straightforward with little to no learning curve.

We had many great conversations with participants who were interested to learn more about our findings and eager to share ideas and collaborate.

What advice would you give to someone building their e-poster? Any tips, tricks, or recommendations for effectively communicating their research through the software?

We approached our e-poster as if it was a slide deck (such as in PowerPoint or Keynote) and each square was a “slide” that contributed one piece of information. We titled the squares with short questions so that the reader knew what to look for as they clicked on each one. We frequently utilized charts and graphs to make it easier to visualize the data and answer the title questions, and avoided extensive prose or paragraphs of text when possible. Our introduction and conclusion were larger boxes that bookended the smaller content slides.

Why would you recommend presenting an e-poster at NCKP?

As non-pianists, we were hesitant to enter this space and initiate these conversations, but we felt extremely welcomed and enjoyed our time at the conference. We had many great conversations with participants who were interested to learn more about our findings and eager to share ideas and collaborate. It was an important reminder that all of our work can benefit from interdisciplinary dialogue.

Inspired? Submit your e-poster proposals for NCKP 2023 by April 15, 2023 at 11:59pm PT.

OTHER RESOURCES YOU MIGHT ENJOY
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This Week in Piano History: Beethoven’s Viennese Debut

Written By Curtis Pavey
A portrait of young Beethoven

THIS WEEK IN PIANO HISTORY, we celebrate Beethoven’s debut as a pianist in Vienna on March 29, 1795. At just twenty-four years old, Beethoven’s performance marked the beginning of a lifelong musical relationship with the residents of Vienna.

On the left is the Burgtheater in Vienna, where Beethoven performed his debut. On the right is Vienna, ca. 1800.

Beethoven came to Vienna in November 1792 to study with Haydn. His journey to Vienna was funded by the elector in Bonn who arranged for his visit to help Beethoven develop his skill as a composer. Upon arriving in Vienna, Beethoven studied with Haydn through 1794, when Haydn left for a trip to London and during his absence for the next year and a half, Beethoven studied composition with Johann Georg Albrechtsberger.1 Scholarship suggests that Albrechtsberger was a much more effective teacher for Beethoven, helping him to develop mastery in a variety of contrapuntal exercises that would serve Beethoven well throughout the rest of his life.2 During this time, Beethoven was not merely composing, he frequently performed in private concerts for the wealthy aristocracy of Vienna.3

Beethoven’s public debut on March 29, 1795 was the beginning of a three-day set of performances Beethoven gave in Vienna. Scholarship is unclear over the exact piece performed on March 29th at a charity concert, but it was most likely Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major, Op. 19.4 The concerto, written in three movements, is written for the identical orchestral forces of Mozart’s last piano concerto, K. 595, also in the key of B-flat major.5 The first movement, the longest, is in traditional concerto-sonata form. The fugal cadenza commonly performed in the first movement was actually composed in 1808 or 1809, so Beethoven likely improvised his own cadenza for this concert.6 The second movement is intimate and features moments of tenderness between the piano and orchestra, including moments where the piano accompanies solo instruments. The final movement is sprightly and vigorous with an impressive display of double thirds in the closing moments of the piece.

Krystian Zimermann performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major, Op. 19 with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

The performance must have been a success, as Beethoven continued to perform for the following two days after his initial debut. On the second day, Beethoven performed his own improvisation at yet another charity concert, while on the third day, he performed a Mozart concerto at a performance of La clemenza di Tito that the widowed Constanze Mozart organized.

During the remainder of the year, Beethoven had additional success as a composer and as a performer. In the fall of 1795, Beethoven’s Piano Trios, Op. 1 were published in Vienna and dedicated to Prince Carl von Lichnowsky. Upon hearing the three trios, Haydn advised Beethoven not to publish the third trio, in C Minor, as he was concerned about how the Viennese public would react to it; Beethoven did not agree with his teacher’s advice.7 Besides this, Beethoven performed once again in December 1795. At this concert organized by Haydn, Beethoven performed another concerto, most likely his Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15.8

Examples of two fortepianos. On the left is a 1775 model by Johann Andreas Stein found in the Musikinstrumentenmuseum in Berlin. On the right is a copy after Walter & Sohn, c. 1805, made by Paul McNulty.

Interested in learning more about Beethoven’s piano works? Read this article below by Beethoven-scholar Peter Takács:

The Beethoven Piano Sonatas: Frequently Asked Questions
OTHER RESOURCES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:
Sources
  1. Joseph Kerman, Alan Tyson, Scott G. Burnham, Douglas Johnson, and William Drabkin, “Beethoven, Ludwig van,” Grove Music Online. 2001; Accessed 28 Feb. 2023, oxfordmusiconline-com.uc.idm.oclc.org/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000040026.
  2. Ibid.
  3. Ibid.
  4. Ibid.
  5. Michael Thomas Roeder, A History of the Concerto (Portland, Oregon: Amadeus Press, 1994), 180.
  6. Ibid., 181.
  7. Joseph Kerman, Alan Tyson, Scott G. Burnham, Douglas Johnson, and William Drabkin, “Beethoven, Ludwig van,” Grove Music Online. 2001; Accessed 28 Feb. 2023, oxfordmusiconline-com.uc.idm.oclc.org/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000040026.
  8. Ibid.

Kerman, Joseph, Alan Tyson, Scott G. Burnham, Douglas Johnson, and William Drabkin. “Beethoven, Ludwig van.” Grove Music Online. 2001; Accessed 28 Feb. 2023. oxfordmusiconline-com.uc.idm.oclc.org/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000040026. 


Roeder, Michael Thomas. A History of the Concerto. Portland, Oregon: Amadeus Press, 1994.

Dr. Curtis Pavey is a pianist, harpsichordist, and educator. A performer of works from the 16th through the 21st centuries, he feels equally at home performing or teaching at the piano and the harpsichord. He is currently based in the Cincinnati area and maintains a private piano studio.
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