What to Expect at The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025

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From the Inclusive Teaching Track and Keyboard Lab Presentations

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The Committees of The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 work to research, compile, or otherwise address issues of ongoing significance to our participants and the piano teaching public in meaningful and substantive ways. As we eagerly anticipate NCKP 2025, we asked our committee chairs to give us a sneak peek into their respective tracks. Keep reading to see what you can expect from the Inclusive Teaching Track and from the Keyboard Lab Presentations! Please note that the schedule of The Piano Conference: NCKP is subject to change. The most up-to-date listing can be found here.

Inclusive Teaching

By Derek Kealii Polischuk, Chair

Online: Saturday, June 7, 2pm-2:30pm

In-Person: Saturday, July 26, 10:30am-12:30pm

The Inclusive Teaching Committee is passionate about expanding the boundaries of inclusivity and accessibility in piano teaching and is excited to share these topics with the broader piano teaching community at The Piano Conference. This track will present a diverse array of topics related to teaching students with special needs. 

Jacob Womack, a father of two children with autism and a teacher of music classes and piano to students with autism, will share his insights and provide practical teaching strategies for working with students with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Sungyeon Ahn, an organizer of the Celebrating the Spectrum Piano Festival at Michigan State, will present strategies for organizing events for students with special needs. Participants will gain practical insights on how to organize accessible events that empower students and create a welcoming environment.

Scott Price will demonstrate specialized vocabulary and concise, detailed teaching strategies to help students with autism create expressive performances in a session titled Absolutely! Pathways to Expression and Artistry for Special Learners. Olivia Colomaio will present adaptive pedagogy for dyslexic students, including nontraditional score reading, rhythm study, and annotation strategies. 

A panel of five leaders in the piano teaching and special needs field will answer questions and discuss issues related to studio management, teaching techniques, repertoire, and performance situations. This year’s programming will be particularly accessible to all teachers as presenters will give key takeaways that piano teachers will be able to take directly to their studios in the upcoming year.

Keyboard Labs

By Sara Ernst, Director of Teacher Engagement

A unique aspect of The Piano Conference is an on-site keyboard lab, which allows presenters to guide attendees through hands-on playing activities. The lab itself will have a multi-keyboard setup using the latest Yamaha technologies. The program features labs on a wide variety of topics such as improvisation, lead sheets, composition, and collaboration. 

Keyboard Lab Presentations at The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025

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. Early-bird registration is available until May 8, 2025, at 11:59 PM Pacific. Subscribers receive an additional 10% off; log into PianoInspires.com and go to ‘My Discounts’  to find your discount code. Learn more and register for The Piano Conference by clicking here.

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