FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 22, 2015
Written by Sam Holland
The Frances Clark Center for Keyboard Pedagogy, and the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy, wish to extend our sincere best wishes to Dr. Edwin Gordon who has been diagnosed with acute leukemia. Dr. Gordon was to have presented the opening keynote address at the 2015 conference and is resting comfortably and attending to his health.
Scott Price, President of the Board of Trustees of the Frances Clark Center for Keyboard Pedagogy expressed the following: “Edwin Gordon is a true legend in the field of music education and the full impact his work is only beginning to be felt in the piano teaching community. I am very saddened that Dr. Gordon’s health prevents him from being with us at this time, but am heartened that he has asked us to have his keynote address read at the conference. While nothing can replace his presence at our event, I am pleased that we will have him with us in thoughts and words. Please join me in sending best wishes to Dr. Gordon and his family.”
Edwin E. Gordon is known throughout the world as a preeminent researcher, teacher, author, editor, and lecturer in the field of music education. Since 1997 he has been Distinguished Professor in Residence at the University of South Carolina, following his retirement as the Carl E. Seashore Professor of Research in Music Education at Temple University in Philadelphia. In addition to advising Ph.D. candidates in music education, Dr. Gordon has devoted many years to teaching music to preschool children. Through extensive research, Professor Gordon has made major contributions to the study of music aptitudes, stages and types of audiation, music learning theory, and rhythm in movement and music, to name just a few areas. Before devoting his life to the field of music education, he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in string bass performance from the Eastman School of Music and played string bass with the Gene Krupa band. He went on to earn a Ph.D. from the University of Iowa in 1958. Professor Gordon and his work have been portrayed nationally and internationally on the NBC Today Show, in the New York Times, in USA Today, and in a variety of European and Asian publications. (from GIA Publications, Inc.)
The National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy will be held at the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center Hotel, Chicago, July 30 through August 3rd. Pre-conference seminars will take place on July 29th. Approximately 700 piano teachers from across the United States and throughout the world will meet to learn about and discuss issues in piano teaching including teaching students with special needs, music creativity, music technology, and other core subjects germane to the discipline.