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What to Expect at The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025

Written By Sara Ernst, Jason Sifford, Janet Tschida, Jeremy Siskind

From the Creative Music Making, Independent Studio Teachers, and Young Musicians Committee Chairs

The committees of The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 contribute to the program of the conference by curating topic-based tracks from the call for proposals. These unique scheduling blocks allow attendees to explore a series of presentations that have been thematically grouped for a deep learning experience. As we eagerly anticipate NCKP 2025, we asked our committee chairs to give us a sneak peek into their respective tracks of conference programming. Keep reading to see what you can expect in the Creative Music Making, Independent Music Teachers, and Young Musicians tracks! Please note that the schedule of The Piano Conference: NCKP is subject to change. The most up-to-date listing can be found here.

Creative Music Making

By Jeremy Siskind, Chair

It happens every time you attend a conference: You leave inspired and motivated to incorporate improvisation into your lessons. But once you get home and start teaching, the reality of the limitation of a 30- or 45-minute lesson sets in.

“Integrating Improvisation into Piano Lessons” is a guided experience designed to help you combat the “30-minute lesson malaise.” These sessions will guide you through three different approaches real teachers use to combat time constraints and achieve the goal of fostering creativity in their studio. The three approaches are: 1) integrating improvisation consistently across lessons, 2) dedicating specific times for improvisation, such as an “Improv Week,” and 3) starting each lesson with a jam session.

The three presenters will first lead a hands-on experiential session in The Piano Conference’s keyboard lab in which attendees will play the role of students, receiving a lesson in improvisation. Then, all the participants will gather together to hear the teachers describe their approaches, reflect on best practices, and explore how they use improvisation to foster creativity and help students develop pianistic skills.

Independent Music Teachers

The Studio Track

By Jason Sifford, Chair 

The work of a music teacher is complicated. On any given day, we may wear the hats of artists, historians, coaches, employees, business owners, psychologists, and mentors. Each of us has their own unique combination of skills, interests, and experiences that make us the teacher we are. What we do have in common, however, is that we each spend our most valuable time with our students, helping them to become the kinds of musicians they wish to be. That’s why this year we’re proud to offer attendees something we like to call “The Studio Track!”

Hosted by the Independent Music Teachers committee, this year’s track brings you a variety of sessions to help you establish a musically productive studio culture. We’ll explore studio models and understand the changing ways in which teachers are going about their work in the 21st century. We’ll tackle the world of lead sheets and chord charts in an engaging group class in the keyboard lab. We’ll learn how cutting-edge thinking on habit formation can help students become expert practicers. And for those of us who work with students on the quiet side, we’ll find ways to connect with our more timid students in a world that too often promotes and rewards extroversion.

Regardless of the repertoire, genre, or studio model you work in, we hope you’ll join us in the important work of helping students think of themselves as confident and capable musicians, embracing their artistic souls regardless of wherever else their lives may lead.

Young Musicians—Birth to Age Nine

Connecting the Dots: Holistic Learning from Day 1

By Janet Tschida, Chair 

Implementing a holistic approach to cultivating musicianship in young students can be transformative! Children who learn to listen with their whole bodies develop a lifelong love of music-making. The Young Musicians Committee desires to support The Piano Conference’s  flourishing community of piano instructors by intersecting with holistic music specialists. Accordingly, theYoung Musicians track will feature specialists in Dalcroze, Kodály, Music Learning Theory, and more, who will help us “connect the dots” in developing our students’ inner musician!

During the online event in June, Kodály specialist Megan Hall will present “‘I Know that Song!” At this session, we will learn how traditional melodies can ignite a passion for singing and playing the piano, develop aural skills, and encourage music reading. Hall will share the benefits of teaching through the lens of folk music along with practical tools for applying the power of a folk song in the piano studio.

After Hall’s session, Christina Whitlock’s presentation “The Paradox of Play: Taking Fun Seriously” will challenge us to question what it means to “play” our instrument and how that often contrasts with the traditional lesson experience. In this light-hearted exploration into the art of serious play, Whitlock will help us understand why we learn more effectively through play than any other process, and how true play involves a consistent approach throughout the lesson, not one isolated activity.

“Let’s Get Moving! Eurythmics Applications in the Private Studio” will be our first main conference session in July. Dalcroze specialist Katie Ostrosky will introduce us to the Dalcrozian mindset—students learn through experience, discovery, and use of the whole body. As our students learn to engage their whole body with purposeful movement, they will develop a heightened sense of rhythm, expressiveness, and joy in their music. Come ready to move!

On our second day, Music Learning Theory specialist Scarlette Kerr will demonstrate how piano technique is a natural extension of what musicians embody through movement and rhythmic audiation during her session “‘Musiking’ with the Mind and Body.” Building on Kerr’s presentation, Michael Clark will share his fun and innovative, five-part strategy for making technical instruction effective and engaging through Exercises, Rote pieces, Imagery, Cues, and Activities (“ERICA”). To demonstrate how we can apply the pedagogical principles of ERICA to any aspect of piano technique. Clark will illustrate ERICA with a sampling of pianistic techniques.

We invite you to network with like-minded professionals at our Young Musicians social event, “Connecting the Dots: An Interactive Resource Share.” Finding resources to transition from early childhood music and movement to study on an instrument can be challenging. During this interactive resource share, we will unwind from the day by engaging in activities that develop our students’ inner musician including fun folk dances, movement activities, folk songs sung in canon, and more! Attendees will be given a description of activities and recommended resource list. 

Join us for The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 as we gather together in person and online. The Piano Conference seeks to explore the challenges and opportunities facing our international community at this inflection point for the profession. Full conference registration includes four days of engagement, including the summit, concerts, keynotes, PEDx presentations, and more, as well as access to the online event and online event archives. Student, Single-Day, and Online-Only registration options are also available. Save an additional 10% on Early-Bird registration now through Saturday, March 8, 2025 at 11:59 PM Pacific. Use discount code 10EARLY at checkout. Early-bird registration is available until May 1, 2025, at 11:59 PM Pacific. Learn more and register by clicking here.

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Teaching Demonstration (NCKP Rebroadcast)
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The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 Schedule Announcement

Written By Piano Inspires

We are pleased to announce the schedule of The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025!

Returning to the Westin Chicago Lombard Hotel (Lombard, IL), The Piano Conference features a new, innovative in-person summit. This opening one-day summit engages the full community and provides a gathering for all to collectively share, dialogue, and exchange ideas. The Piano Conference continues with three additional days of selected conference sessions as well as keynotes, concerts, and curated PEDx. The conference will also include an online event on June 7-8, 2025 to facilitate broad and international access.

View the In-Person Conference Schedule here.

View the Online Conference Schedule here.

It’s not too late to be on the program! You can still participate by presenting Collegiate Connections projects, E-posters, Performances, and Teaching Demonstrations.

Join us for The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 as we gather together in person and online. The Piano Conference seeks to explore the challenges and opportunities facing our international community at this inflection point for the profession. Full conference registration includes four days of engagement, including the summit, concerts, keynotes, PEDx presentations, and more, as well as access to the online event and online event archives. Student, Single-Day, and Online-Only registration options are also available. Save an additional 10% on Early-Bird registration now through Saturday, March 8, 2025 at 11:59 PM Pacific. Use discount code 10EARLY at checkout. Early-bird registration is available until May 1, 2025, at 11:59 PM Pacific. Learn more and register by clicking here.

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Piano Inspires Podcast: Gail Berenson

Written By Gail Berenson, Alejandro Cremaschi

To celebrate the latest episode of the Piano Inspires Podcast featuring Gail Berenson, we are sharing an excerpted transcript of her conversation with Alejandro Cremaschi. Want to learn more about Berenson? Check out the latest installment of the Piano Inspires Podcast. To learn more, visit pianoinspires.com. Listen to our latest episode with Berenson on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or our website!

Gail Berenson

Gail Berenson: This was back in the mid 80s and there was no such thing.

Alejandro Cremaschi: Nothing. I think this topic in general was kind of either ignored or avoided or dismissed.

GB: Yeah, I mean, if you injured yourself, many people would drop out because they didn’t know how to fix it, or they didn’t know how to get past it. And if you were injured, I know Alice [Brandfonbrener] had done research on musicians in orchestras, and they were afraid to say anything to the conductor for fear they’d be fired. So taking that course was a monumental thing, and I came back and I said, “I’d like to initiate a new course.” So I went through all the development things of setting a new course in place, and in 1989 we offered the first course.

It was at that time, or maybe it was a little bit earlier, but it was at that time that other organizations were initiating wellness committees. The National Flute Association, they had a wellness committee. Richard Chronister came to me and said, “Would you put a committee together for [then] NCPP?” [now The Piano Conference: NCKP] at that time. That was 1989. Linda Cockey was one of the people that I called on. I mean, it was a huge committee. I mean, Corolla Grandia, who was from the UK, came in to be a part of that committee. I mean, you know, we’re only meeting once every other year, but, of course, we would do all this correspondence. And it was fantastic. It was sort of like birthing a baby, you know, it really was. 

AC: It’s like putting this topic that nobody was actually discussing in the first role.

GB: Right. And then it sort of grew from there. That was the first one that I was involved in. And then in 2012 I went to some ISME Conferences, the International Society for Music Education, and one of the members of the forum that I was a part of, this was the first committee that dealt with applied instruction and one-on-one instruction because everything else was music ed related. There was a person on that committee who was very interested in musicians’ health. And she said, “Would you start something for us here?” So I did, and that committee was the Committee on Musicians Health and Wellness Special Interest Group. It’s been going, well, since 2012. And then in 2015 College Music Society decided to start. 

I’m finding that that field has expanded so much because we always thought it started out dealing with how to recover from an injury. And then it was okay, how do we prevent an injury from coming? Okay, and then it was well, what about all the other aspects of wellness [and] performance anxiety.

AC: Which are so interconnected in the end. I mean, you can’t really treat an injury. Injuries can be also devastating psychologically. 

GB: Absolutely.

AC: So we have to treat the whole person.

GB: Then the other is an issue of vision. It turns out that music teachers are the first to find out that some students, children especially, have issues with vision, where the notes bounce around—it’s a muscle imbalance. It’s not, I mean, they can go to an optometrist and be tested. They have 20-20 vision, and the optometrist says, “You’re good to go.” But they’re getting headaches, and they can’t see the notes, and they keep bobbing their [heads] trying to find a way to read. And it impacts how they read everything. It’s not just music.

AC: Yeah, this is also important, such important work and, yeah, just getting that information out.

If you enjoyed this excerpt from Piano Inspires Podcast’s latest episode, listen to the entire episode with Gail Berenson on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or our website!

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Reflections on the Frances Clark Center 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients
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Gail Berenson, The Power of Mentorship in Shaping Pianists and Educators | S2 E21

Written By Piano Inspires

In this episode of The Piano Inspires Podcast, Dr. Gail Berenson reflects on the transformative role of mentorship in piano education. She shares personal stories about the teachers who shaped her journey, the importance of guiding the next generation, and how collaborative learning creates lasting impact. With insights on pedagogy, musical growth, and lifelong learning, Gail offers an inspiring look at the relationships that define a pianist’s path.

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Breaking Stereotypes: Indigenous Composers Defining New Musical Frontiers

Written By Connor Chee

We would like to thank Connor Chee for this insightful article on Indigenous composers. To read the full article, click here. The Frances Clark Center is excited to share our latest publication: Weaving Sounds: Elementary Piano Pieces by Native and Indigenous Composers, compiled and edited by Connor Chee and Renata Yazzie. Learn more and get your copy today by clicking here.

Connor Chee.

The autumn 2024 Piano Magazine article, “Breaking Stereotypes,” explored the deeply ingrained misconceptions surrounding Indigenous music and how important it is to approach these traditions with an open mind. For many, Indigenous music conjures images of static, ancient traditions—locked in time and space, unchanged by modern influences. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. Indigenous music, like any art form, is dynamic, evolving, and as complex as the many cultures from which it originates.

Today, Indigenous composers are redefining what it means to create music, blending traditional elements with contemporary sounds, working across genres, and in some cases, pushing the boundaries of what music itself can be.

Here, a group of composers who are challenging the stereotypes surrounding Indigenous music are introduced. Each of them brings a unique perspective to the musical landscape, crafting works that defy simplistic categorization. The works of these seven composers are proof that Indigenous music is not confined to the past but is very much alive and thriving in the present. Their work speaks to the diversity of modern Indigenous music and serves as a reminder that Indigenous composers should be given the freedom to explore new ideas, without being pigeonholed by expectations.

Raven Chacon (Diné)

Perhaps no one epitomizes breaking musical barriers quite like Raven Chacon. In 2022, he became the first Native composer to win the Pulitzer Prize in music for his piece Voiceless Mass, a powerful and avant-garde work that challenges our understanding of what music is supposed to be. Chacon is known for his experimental approach, working across media such as noise music, chamber music, and visual art installations. His music does not always reference his Navajo heritage directly, but rather embodies the spirit of innovation and exploration that drives his work as a composer.

In Voiceless Mass, Chacon utilizes silence as a compositional tool, creating tension and unsettling spaces where the absence of sound carries as much weight as the sounds themselves. The piece, composed for organ and ensemble, explores ideas of representation and marginalization— who has a voice and who does not. Chacon’s music defies the notion that Indigenous composers must focus solely on traditional elements, offering instead a modern and avant-garde take on composition that breaks free from expectation.

"His [Chanon's] music does not always reference his Navajo heritage directly, but rather embodies the spirit of innovation and exploration that drives his work as a composer." - C. Chee

Jessica McMann/V. Jessica Sparvier-Wells (Cree)

Jessica McMann, who is in the process of reclaiming her birth name and will soon be known as Virginia Jessica Sparvier-Wells, is a composer and flutist whose work artfully merges classical music with Indigenous traditions. Her compositions and performances are deeply connected to land, Indigenous identity, history, and language, reflecting a rich engagement with her Cree heritage. She often weaves Cree language and cultural elements into her music, enriching her classical training with a distinct cultural voice. McMann’s creative practice extends beyond traditional composition, focusing on land-based creation, where the themes of connection, disconnection, and home emerge as central to her work. This approach emphasizes the powerful ties between music, place, and identity, as she explores the intersections between the personal and the cultural, grounding her soundscapes in both the physical and spiritual aspects of Indigenous life.

Her work is a reminder that Indigenous composers are not bound by one medium or cultural tradition. McMann’s compositions break away from the stereotype that Indigenous music exists in a vacuum, disconnected from Western classical music or contemporary soundscapes. Instead, she skillfully weaves her cultural heritage into her music, making it clear that these two worlds can coexist and enrich one another.

Jeremy Dutcher (Wolastoqiyik)

Jeremy Dutcher is an artist whose work defies easy classification. A classically trained tenor and performer, Dutcher’s album Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa won the Polaris Music Prize for its blend of classical and Indigenous Wolastoqiyik music. He recorded the album after a research project on archival recordings of traditional Wolastoqiyik songs at the Canadian Museum of History, many of which are no longer being passed down to the tribe’s youth. What makes Dutcher’s work on this album particularly powerful is how it incorporates archival recordings of traditional Wolastoqiyik songs, reworking them into new, contemporary forms that include their traditional singing style.

By bringing the voices of his ancestors into the present, Dutcher’s music is a dialogue between the past and the future. His songs are a testament to the idea that Indigenous music is not static or locked in the past but is a living, evolving tradition. Dutcher shows that Indigenous musicians can both honor their heritage and innovate within it, creating music that is as forward-thinking as it is deeply rooted in cultural memory.

We hope you enjoyed this excerpt from Connor Chee’s article, “Breaking Stereotypes: Indigenous Composers Defining New Musical Frontiers.” Read the entire article by clicking here, and learn about Indigenous composers, including Beverley McKiver (Anishinaabe), Brent Michael Davids (Mohican/Munsee Lenape), Jerod Tate (Chickasaw), Dawn Avery (Mohawk), and Sonny-Ray Day Rider (Blackfoot).

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Breaking Stereotypes: Indigenous Composers Defining New Musical Frontiers
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Piano Inspires Podcast: Courtney Crappell

Written By Courtney Crappell, Jennifer Snow

To celebrate the latest episode of the Piano Inspires Podcast featuring Courtney Crappell, we are sharing an excerpted transcript of his conversation with Jennifer Snow. Want to learn more about Crappell? Check out the latest installment of the Piano Inspires Podcast. To learn more, visit pianoinspires.com. Listen to our latest episode with Crappell on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or our website!

Courtney Crappell

Jennifer Snow: What is your thought—as somebody who’s running an institution of higher learning—about the role of musicians in the world today? With the level of disruption and change we see, what are we preparing people for?

Courtney Crappell: I love that question. When I look at what we’ve been doing in academia or even as piano teachers, I think that our view has been much too narrow. I think a lot of people are figuring this out now, because the impact we can have is so much larger than where we’ve thought it would be, and that’s really exciting. 

So let me be more specific, I guess, about that. If your kid is going to go to university and say, “Oh, I’m going to major in music.” And you’re like, “Okay, well, that’s going to be hard. How are you going to have a career?” And thoughts, you know, really, people have a binary impression of what you do with that.

JS: Right.

CC: You’re going to perform, and if that doesn’t work out, or maybe, you know, if it is your passion, you’re going to teach. And it’s this this-or-that mentality. Of course, we, who’ve been in it, know there’s a lot of other pathways there, but we haven’t done a good job of letting the rest of the world know that. Really, we have such an opportunity to let more people know of the impact of the arts. So I feel like we really, I mean the teaching-performing, binary approach, we’ve been looking through the peephole in the door, and it’s time to open the whole door. 

When I talk to groups of parents with their students who are auditioning, I say the arts are all around you. They’re in the phones, the sounds your phones make. They’re in the clothes you’re wearing. They’re on the billboards you see on the side of the road. They’re everywhere. Employers are looking for creatives to hire, and I do believe that this understanding that the arts are part of the lives, rather than this optional add-on at the end of the day, “All right, we’re focused on your STEM preparation for a career. Now, let’s go tack on some piano lessons, because you gotta.” 

Two, the piano lessons are the fuel for creativity in the STEM fields. You know, as recently in Boston I was talking to an MIT faculty member [who is] retired now, but she was part of—the center doesn’t exist anymore—the Center for Advanced Visual Studies. And it was a group of people who believed that the marriage of technology and the arts was going to unlock significant secrets, you know, was going to lead to discoveries that couldn’t happen, or even just fuel the discoveries in specific disciplines. It’s fascinating to see work like that, because you think, MIT, well, we don’t really question the value of MIT, right? Like there’s IP coming out. We take it for granted these days, but look at music, theater and the arts at MIT. It’s the fuel for that. 

So where are we going? I mean, institutions like mine. I’m at a public state university, and I think there’s some degree plans that we’ve really not been focused on as academic faculty in the arts, specifically the liberal arts, Bachelor of Arts degrees, which are intended to prepare people for a broad variety of pathways. And you know, maybe this prediction won’t come true, but I think that the Bachelor of Arts degree is going to become a large focus for us, and more so than the Bachelor of Music degrees, which are performance-based. There’s not enough room in the degree plans. We continue to try to make them more modern and relevant to help these students be successful. So, you know, we’ve done things like, “All right, do your Bachelor of Music, but you should also do an arts entrepreneurship program, because you’re going to need that.” 

Well, what if you did a Bachelor of Arts degree, and you just build this into a broader portfolio? Whether it’s, you know, college prep programs at high schools for the arts or undergraduate degrees that are launch pads into other careers, we know these pathways exist because people have those jobs. You know, I talked to scientists who trained as musicians, lawyers who were actors. The list goes on and on and on. We know that happens, and we’ll talk about that when we’re promoting the value of the arts, study in the arts; but we, I don’t think we’ve put our money where our mouth is to say, let’s really invest in that. Let’s commit to those programs. So I feel like we’re on the cusp. Like I said, we just need to open the door, and there’s concerns about shrinking budgets or low recruiting numbers, those problems won’t exist if people understand the value. So that’s where I think we’re heading.

JS: That’s exciting.

If you enjoyed this excerpt from Piano Inspires Podcast’s latest episode, listen to the entire episode with Courtney Crappell on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or our website!

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Twenty-First Century Pedagogy: A Whole New World Again
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Courtney Crappell, Embracing Innovation and Growth in Piano Education | S2 E20

Written By Piano Inspires

In this episode of The Piano Inspires Podcast, Jennifer Snow is joined by Courtney Crappell who discusses the evolving world of piano education and the power of lifelong learning. He shares how starting piano later in life shaped his approach to teaching, the importance of breaking down complex skills, and how embracing different musical traditions can transform the way we learn and teach. Tune in for a thought-provoking discussion on innovation, adaptability, and inspiring students in new ways.

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This Month in Piano History – February 2025

Written By Curtis Pavey

February is a month of reflection and celebration as we observe Black History Month and Valentine’s Day. It is also a time of remembrance and commemoration as we recall many important composers and pianists. Read below to discover more about a famous pianist and showman, the lives of two different composers, and a celebrated American who received the Gershwin Prize.

Liberace.

February 4 – Liberace Day

Liberace, born as Władziu Valentino Liberace, passed away on February 4, 1987 at age 67. February 4th is celebrated as “Liberace Day” to remember his work and impact. A remarkable pianist and TV personality, Liberace inspired millions of people with his exciting performances featuring his legendary showmanship. His career began to take off after a performance with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at age twenty, as well as due to many performances of jazz and other musical styles at nightclubs.1 It did not take long for him to become a worldwide sensation with massive record sales and performances in important venues around the globe.2 Curious to hear a performance of Liberace? Watch this video featuring Khachaturian’s Sabre Dance.

Liberace performs Khachaturian’s Sabre Dance.

February 10, 1816 – Birth of Albert Ellmenreich

Albert Ellmenreich, the composer of the popular intermediate work Spinning Song, was born on February 10, 1816 in Karlsruhe, Germany. Although not much is known about his life, we do know that he regularly performed on stage as an actor, musician, and dancer. Do you have a student who wants to learn the Spinning Song? Check out this video by Julie Knerr who provides valuable pedagogical tips to help prepare a successful performance:

Ellmenreich: Spinning Song

February 16, 1987 – The Death of Kabalevsky

Kabalevsky Toccatina, Op. 27, No. 12

On February 16, we remember Dmitry Borisovich Kabalevsky, a remarkable composer of works for both the developing musician and the concert pianist. A graduate and later professor of the Moscow Conservatory, Kabalevsky began writing music for children early in his career.3 He is known as a pedagogical composer for his imaginative character pieces that span all levels of the pianist’s repertoire. One of his many popular pieces, “Toccatina” from Thirty Pieces for Children, Op. 27, has been a staple of early-intermediate repertoire. In the video below, watch as Elvina Pearce shares pedagogical wisdom from her experience teaching this piece:

February 25, 2009 – Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song Awardee

On February 25, 2009, Stevie Wonder was announced as the winner of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Born on May 13, 1950, Stevie Wonder has captivated listeners worldwide with his incredible talent. Wonder became blind shortly after his birth and has led an exceptional life as a concert artist and musician.4 Want to see an early recording of Wonder singing and performing at the piano? Watch the video below to see him in action as he performs “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing” from 1974:

Stevie Wonder performs “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing.”
NOTES
  1. Martha Woodward and Robert Skinner, “Liberace,” Grove Music Online, 2001, Accessed 4 Feb. 2025, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000047008.
  2. Woodward and Skinner, “Liberace,” Grove Music Online.
  3. Dina Grigor′yevna Daragan, “Kabalevsky, Dmitry Borisovich,” Grove Music Online, 2001; Accessed 4 Feb. 2025, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000014573.
  4. David Brackett, “Wonder, Stevie,” Grove Music Online, 31 Jan. 2014; Accessed 4 Feb. 2025, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-1002259424.
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Kabalevsky: Running Along, Op. 39, No. 6
SourceS

Brackett, David. “Wonder, Stevie.” Grove Music Online. 31 Jan. 2014; Accessed 4 Feb. 2025. https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-1002259424. 

Daragan, Dina Grigor′yevna. “Kabalevsky, Dmitry Borisovich.” Grove Music Online. 2001; Accessed 4 Feb. 2025. https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000014573. 

Woodward, Martha, and Robert Skinner. “Liberace.” Grove Music Online. 2001; Accessed 4 Feb. 2025. https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000047008. 

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Celebrate the Power of a Piano Lesson This Valentine’s Day

Written By Heather Smith, Piano Inspires
A teacher from the New School for Music Study with a student at the piano.

Music has the power to transform lives, and it all starts with a single lesson. This Valentine’s Day, show your love for music and the teachers who make it possible by donating the value of one piano lesson to the Power of a Piano Lesson campaign.

At The Frances Clark Center, we believe in the transformative potential of music education. Piano teachers are at the heart of our mission, inspiring students to develop a lifelong love of music while building skills that reach far beyond the keys.

What can one piano lesson do?
By donating the cost of just one lesson, you will:

  • Empower educators with innovative teaching resources and professional development.
  • Provide high-quality programs that support pianists and teachers around the world.
  • Foster a global community that connects and inspires through music education.

Your gift of one piano lesson can make a lasting impact.

Whether you are a teacher, a student, a pianist, or someone who values the power of music, your donation helps sustain programs that nurture the next generation of musicians and educators.

This Valentine’s Day, let’s celebrate music and the educators who make it all possible. Your support helps shape the future of piano education—one lesson at a time.

Give the gift. Share your love. Make a difference.

Donate here

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The Power of a Piano Teacher
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Piano Inspires Podcast: Barbara Fast

Written By Barbara Fast, Pamela Pike

To celebrate the latest episode of the Piano Inspires Podcast featuring Barbara Fast, we are sharing an excerpted transcript of her conversation with Pamela Pike. Want to learn more about Fast? Check out the latest installment of the Piano Inspires Podcast. To learn more, visit pianoinspires.com. Listen to our latest episode with Fast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or our website!

Barbara Fast

Pamela Pike: I’m going to ask a pointed question, because I think it might be interesting to our listeners. I didn’t mention this in the bio, but you are one of the co-founders of GP3 [Group Piano/Piano Pedagogy Forum], and if I know this story correctly, that idea developed and blossomed while you were a Ph.D. student. 

Barbara Fast: Yes.

PP: So talk about the beginnings. Obviously, you saw a need. You saw an opening. But what does it take to take something from an idea in a restaurant, to something that twenty however many years later is just this really important conference that we have?

BF: Well, I credit Michelle Conda, and it was a restaurant in Norman. [I was a] doctoral student. She said, “Barbara, have you ever thought of running a conference?” And really, related to group piano and piano pedagogy, and what was behind it all, we would come to a conference. We were new in our jobs or trying to figure out jobs, and we would all get together over lunch and dinner, and we were just talking about, “well, how are you doing this? How are you doing that?” We were sharing ideas on group teaching and on teaching piano pedagogy, and we said, “We’re spending all our time at a conference talking about this. Why don’t we just run a conference on it?” And then, she and I thought about who else to pull together and who would work well on it. We got a group of four, and that started it all. It was held at CCM for a number of years. 

And then I do have to credit, it was a ton of work running a conference, [for] the four of us, [and] putting on this conference every two years. And finally, MTNA got involved. And I’m very aware, had MTNA not gotten involved—particularly Brian Shepard, I worked so closely with him over the years, he’s an amazing organizer—had we not had that connection with MTNA, I don’t think we could have survived. The workload of it, we couldn’t have kept it going. But obviously, the idea [that we] worked on was we would just get together and brainstorm. You know, just brainstorm, who should we bring in? And we felt pretty free to just be crazy about, and not feel like we had to do the same old, same old. And then we would bring in really interesting speakers. So, yeah, that’s been a really fun thing to be involved with.

PP: What did you learn from that experience?

BF: Okay, this is one thing I tell my doctoral students. We had a group of four working together, generating ideas. I think it’s really [about paying] attention. You’ve got to work with people who don’t necessarily all have the same strengths, but who get along. You have to get along. But you do not all want to have the same strengths. You want to have various strengths, because that is what’s going to make the thing work on it. And I’ve noticed, I love working with people and groups, and every partnership I’ve ever had, the reason it’s worked is because we get along really well, but the strengths aren’t necessarily matched, and someone has a strength that someone else does not, and that makes it go.

PP: Yeah, that’s so important, and I’m so glad you brought that up, because again, when you look at the finished product, and you know, you see whether it’s a performance, a collaborative performance, or a collaborative venture, like, you know, GP3, or anything, if you’ve done your job well, it looks effortless. But we all know the work that went into it and learning to navigate different personalities and how we work together and build on one another’s strengths and weaknesses, I think must be important.

BF: Yeah, no. I think that’s a really key thing to making [and] helping things work.

If you enjoyed this excerpt from Piano Inspires Podcast’s latest episode, listen to the entire episode with Barbara Fast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or our website!

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Engaging the Brain: Practice Tips from an Interview with Spencer Myer
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Barbara Fast, Exploring Passion, Pedagogy, and the Art of Teaching Piano | S2 E19

Written By Piano Inspires

In this episode of The Piano Inspires Podcast, host Pamela Pike is joined by Dr. Barbara Fast, who shares her journey from a musically rich childhood to becoming a leader in piano pedagogy. She reflects on the experiences that shaped her teaching philosophy, the importance of mentorship, and how educators can inspire students through engaging and meaningful lessons. She also discusses her role in developing group piano programs and the impact of collaboration in the field. Join us for an insightful conversation filled with wisdom, stories, and a passion for music education.

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Publications Launch Party: Weaving Sounds: Elementary Piano Pieces by Native and Indigenous Composers

Written By Piano Inspires
Webinar with Connor Chee and Renata Yazzie

Weaving Sounds is a collection of beginner piano repertoire written by the vibrant and diverse voices of Native and Indigenous composers from the Diné, Mohawk, Anishinaabe, Cree, Blackfoot, Jicarilla Apache, Choctaw, and Mohican communities. Each piece is a unique expression of the composers’ cultural roots and personal artistry, offering a tapestry of sounds that are both accessible to beginners and deeply meaningful. The pieces are presented in order of progressive difficulty and include information about the composers and their communities.

Celebrate the launch of this engaging and important publication with composers/editors Connor Chee and Renata Yazzie. Hear firsthand about this book’s creative and collaborative process, and get exclusive sneak peaks of the score. Time for Q&A is also included.

Air date: January 15, 2025

The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 Innovation Summit: Designing the Future of Piano Education

Written By Andrea Mcalister

Join us for The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 as we gather together in person and online. The Piano Conference seeks to explore the challenges and opportunities facing our international community at this inflection point for the profession.  Full conference registration includes four days of engagement, including the summit, concerts, keynotes, PEDx presentations, and more, as well as access to the online event and online event archives. Student, Single-Day, and Online-Only registration options are also available. Save an additional 10% on Early-Bird registration now through Saturday, March 1, 2025 at 11:59 PM Pacific. Use discount code 10EARLY at checkout. Early-bird registration is available until May 1, 2025, at 11:59 PM Pacific. Learn more and register by clicking here.

The Piano Conference keynote presentation.

The Inaugural NCKP 2025 Innovation Summit: Designing the Future of Piano Education represents an exciting opportunity for our community to reflect on and shape the evolving landscape of piano teaching and learning. Held on Wednesday, July 23, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., this event will convene a diverse group of professionals committed to advancing piano education in a rapidly changing world. We invite you to join us for this transformative event and add your voice to the shared vision of the future of piano education.

Gathering for Collaborative Change

Designed as a collaborative and forward-thinking gathering, the Summit invites participants to explore innovative teaching models, address current challenges, and chart a course for the future of the field. The Summit’s comprehensive approach aims to foster critical discussion, encourage the exchange of ideas, and inspire meaningful action.

At the heart of the NCKP Summit is the opportunity for participants to come together to share insights, experiences, and ideas. The day will begin with a keynote presentation by pianist, educator, and composer Randy Faber who will set the tone for the activities and discussions that follow. Participants will then engage in interactive workshops and open dialogue designed to promote reflection, encourage the exchange of perspectives, and define the piano educator of the twenty-first century. By drawing on the diverse expertise within the group, the Summit aims to generate actionable strategies that reflect the collective wisdom of the piano education community.

Bradley Sowash and a pianist perform together during The Piano Conference.
Attendees review the schedule.

Generating Bold Ideas for Actionable Change

A central focus of the NCKP Summit is the development of transformative ideas that can lead to meaningful, innovative change in piano education. Participants will engage in exercises designed to encourage expansive thinking and creative problem-solving, with a clear emphasis on translating ideas into action.

Through activities such as brainstorming sessions and collaborative vision-building, attendees will be challenged to identify bold goals for the future of piano teaching and learning. By the end of the day, attendees will leave with an inspired outlook and a roadmap for implementing innovative practices in their own teaching and professional communities.

Who Should Attend?

Anyone who is passionate about the future of piano education is invited to attend! The Summit is designed to benefit a wide range of professionals in the field of piano education, including university faculty, independent studio teachers, and those in the early stages of their careers. By bringing together a diverse range of perspectives, we can create a vision that reflects the varied experiences and needs of the entire community.

Conference attendees discover innovative ideas during a group piano workshop.
Artina McCain presents at The Piano Conference.
Attendees discuss ideas in small groups.

Registering for the Summit

The Summit is held on the first day of NCKP 2025, and participation is included in your full NCKP registration. To ensure the success of this interactive event, an accurate participant list is essential. Please indicate your participation in the Summit on the NCKP registration form and rank your preferred cohorts: Higher Education, Teaching Practices, or New Professionals. If you have already registered for the full conference but have not confirmed your Summit attendance, please visit this link to update your registration—no additional fees apply. Alternatively, you may register for the Summit only at the single-day rate of $199. Additionally, we ask that you complete our Pre-Summit Survey.

Attending the Summit

We encourage you to arrive at the conference hotel on Tuesday, July 22nd. On-site check-in will begin at 8:00 am on Wednesday, July 23rd, and the Summit will start promptly at 9:00 am. To ensure every participant gains the full value of the event, it is essential to be present for the entire day’s activities. The Summit will conclude at 5:00 pm.

Shaping the Future of Piano Education

The NCKP Summit represents more than an academic gathering; it is a collaborative effort to define the principles and practices that will guide piano education in the years to come. Participants will leave with a renewed sense of purpose, equipped with ideas and tools to implement meaningful change in their own communities.

As the field of piano education continues to evolve, the NCKP Summit is essential for fostering dialogue, innovation, and collective action. This inaugural meeting marks the beginning of an ongoing conversation about the role of educators and their collective responsibility to meet the evolving challenges of the future. By coming together, we can shape a vision for piano education that addresses both current needs and anticipates the demands of tomorrow’s musical landscape.

Registration is now open. To secure your place and learn more about the program, click here.

More questions? Visit our Summit FAQs page. 

We are pleased to offer multiple opportunities for participation in The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025! The deadline to submit is Monday, March 31, 2025, at 11:59 PM Pacific. We seek programming in a variety of formats and are currently accepting submissions of collegiate projects, e-posters, performances, and teaching demonstrations.

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Teaching Demonstration (NCKP Rebroadcast)
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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 provides helpful insights based on her experience as an NCKP poster presenter. We invite you to submit e-posters, teaching demonstrations, performance videos, and Collegiate Connections projects to our Call for Participation for The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 by Monday, March 31, 2025, at 11:59 PM PDT. 

How did you decide on your proposal topic?

Our pathway to The Piano Conference: NCKP 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 conference page. We had never used it before this event, but we found it to be straightforward with little to no learning curve.

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 The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025?

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.

We are pleased to offer multiple opportunities for participation in The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025! The deadline to submit is Monday, March 31, 2025, at 11:59 PM Pacific. We seek programming in a variety of formats and are currently accepting submissions of Collegiate Connections projects, e-posters, performances, and teaching demonstrations.

MORE ON THE PIANO CONFERENCE: NCKP
Teaching Demonstration (NCKP Rebroadcast)
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Celebrating Black History Month

Written By Piano Inspires, Artina McCain

From February 1-28, we celebrate Black History Month, a time to honor and reflect upon the remarkable music and contributions of Black people. In this Discovery Page post, we have curated a collection of Piano Inspires resources to help everyone discover something new. From our international webinar series, to articles in Piano Magazine and Piano Inspires Kids, to our online course, Unsung Heroes in Piano Pedagogy: 20 Pieces by Black Composers to Use in Your Studio Now, there is so much to discover! We hope these resources will provide useful tips and ideas to help you incorporate music by Black composers into your recital programs, lesson plans, and more.

Courses:

Unsung Heroes in Piano Pedagogy: 20 Pieces by Black Composers to Use in Your Studio Now is a fully online course exploring classical piano music by Black composers from elementary to early advanced levels. This course is designed to help remedy the lack of inclusion of piano music by Black composers in the standard teaching repertoire, and the music heard on the public concert stage.

Unsung Heroes in Piano Pedagogy: 20 Pieces by Black Composers to Use in Your Studio Now

Inspiring Artistry Video Series:

Pinto: Run! Run! from Memories of Childhood
Capers: Portraits in Jazz: No. 3 “Sweet Mister Jelly Roll” and No. 7 “Billie’s Song”
White: Images, Thirteen Expressions for Intermediate Piano

From the Artist Bench Series:

Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson: Scherzo and Toccata
The Piano Music of George Walker
Price: Piano Sonata in E Minor
Bonds: Troubled Water
Adams: Etude No. 1 in G Minor, from Twenty-Six Etudes for Solo Piano
Singleton: Mutations, Cinque, In My Own Skin
William Chapman Nyaho performs at NCKP 2023: The Piano Conference
Artina McCain presents at NCKP 2023: The Piano Conference.
Pianists Asia Passmore and Kasey Stokes.

Magazine Article: Awadagin Pratt: Pianist, Conductor, Music Education Advocate by Artina McCain

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing concert pianist, conductor, and professor at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, Awadagin Pratt. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Awadagin Pratt has received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Johns Hopkins, an honorary doctorate from Illinois Wesleyan University, and an Avery Fisher Grant. In November 2009, Pratt was one of four artists selected to perform at a music event at the White House that included student workshops hosted by the First Lady, Michelle Obama. He also performed in concert for guests including President Obama. He has played numerous recitals throughout the United States and internationally, including four tours of Japan. We had a great chat about his historic career, the competition his foundation will sponsor, and—BBQ!

Artina McCain

Tell me about your early exposure to music.

Awadagin Pratt

My father listened to classical music in our home. He was a nuclear physicist, but he loved music and actually played the organ as a child. He would often record from the radio to the old reel-to-reel tape machines. It was the only music in the house, and I liked it. My parents started me with piano lessons when I was six, but when we moved to Brazil for a year, I stopped taking lessons. I restarted piano lessons when I was eight and then began taking violin lessons when I was nine.

Read more of Artina McCain’s interview with Awadagin Pratt by clicking here.

Awadagin Pratt: Pianist, Conductor, Music Education Advocate

Teacher Education Webinar Series:

Music by Black Composers from Outside the USA
Piano Music by Black Composers: Music for all Skill Levels
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