How to Get It “All” Done: The Admin Side
Presented by Rosemarie Penner
Getting to “everything” during lessons is only part of running a studio. How often do you stay up late for that “one last thing”? Learn tips to cut admin time in half while keeping a professional approach. With in-session activities to help set you up, you can get it“all” done!
Shall We Dance?
Presented by George Litterst and Stella Sick
The waltz has inspired composers since the time when the dance came into vogue. Just how radical was this dance form at its inception? What artistic and even nefarious uses have been made of this musical genre? Let us dance together through 200+ years of stirring waltzes for the piano!
Hitting the Wall: Tips to Help Students Break Through When Progress Stalls
Presented by Thomas Lanners
Even the most conscientious and diligent music students will eventually reach points when, despite their best efforts, their progress seems to slow or even stall completely. We as teachers must understand that this will naturally occur, developing tactics to help students persevere and overcome such periods of seemingly limited progress.
Primary Recordings: Who Made Them, and What Can We Learn from Them?
Presented by Chris Madden
This presentation examines primary recordings, a term used to describe composers’ recordings of their own piano compositions. Primary recordings often deviate from composers’ printed scores, providing a wealth of new interpretive possibilities for modern musicians. After attending this session, teachers will develop a more informed approach to interpreting piano literature.
Developing Practice Autonomy: Strategies to Generate Self-Sufficient Music Students
Presented by Pamela D. Pike
Intermediate students who develop autonomy and problem-solving skills practice more effectively between lessons and become self-sufficient amateur musicians over time. Learn how to help intermediate students become more independent by recognizing their personal power to solve musical problems, attributing their success to their own skills, and learning new repertoire individually.
Breaking the Mold: Studio Projects that Cultivate Musical Leaders
Presented by Heather Lanners
“You have brains in your head and feet in your shoes, you can steer yourself in any direction you choose!” – Dr. Seuss
The conventional road to success does not work for every student. Heather will introduce six innovative studio projects that help break the mold of what our students are capable of.
A Window Into Essential Piano Technique at the Intermediate Level: Louise Farrenc’s 25 Progressive Etudes, op. 50
Presented by Kathryn Sherman
Louise Farrenc’s 25 Progressive Etudes, op. 50, succinctly and beautifully highlight many essential technical skills for the intermediate pianist. This workshop seeks to familiarize pianists with this wonderfully useful and musically palatable set of pieces through an examination of numerous etudes from technical and musical standpoints.
Piano Proverbs: How to Get Your Teaching to Stick
Presented by Anna Beth Rucker and Irem Ozay
The repeating cycle: you teach, your student forgets. Discover how to make your most repeated phrases STICK, using principles from New York Times best-selling book, Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die.
Insight Into SightReading: What the Science of Phonics and Literacy Can Teach Us About Musical Literacy
Presented by Sue Ruby
Research shows that children who don’t learn to read by third grade remain poor readers for life. Could this also be true of music students? Science has proven virtually ALL students can learn to read if taught with phonics! Applying phonics to music sightreading will revolutionize your teaching approach.
Improving Literacy and Reading Comprehension Through Music Instruction
Presented by Teresa Campbell
Research shows us that explicit instruction in the prosodic elements of language (pitch, rhythm, volume, and emphasis) improves outcomes in reading comprehension and overall literacy and that music instruction increases prosodic awareness. This session will discuss the research and ways to incorporate instruction in prosody into your music lessons.
Get to the Root of the Problem and Watch Your Students Grow
Presented by Sally Ritchie
Dig a little deeper to get to the root of the problem to identify and weed out practice and progress frustration barriers, set up the learning process for students to be successful in a shorter period of time, and nurture them through plateaus to help students blossom.
Beginner Boot Camp: Giving Students a Head Start
Presented by Karen Koch
A boot camp allows beginners to grasp basic foundational concepts with off-the-bench, improvisational, and rote activities. Boot camp lasts only as long as it takes each student to learn a checklist of specific concepts, typically in three to six lessons. Then they are “in shape” to fly through their first “real” piano book.
Learn from the Great Maestros of the World: Which Maestro are You?
Presented by Paula Manwaring
Practice Myth Busters: Creative Ideas to Reignite the Practice Routine
Presented by Davis Dorrough and Olivia Ellis
The sky’s the limit when it comes to finding new and creative ways to practice, and sometimes the smallest of ideas get the best results! Join this session to debunk common practice myths and discover tiny but mighty habits that will help your students master the practice room.
Graceful Goodbyes
Presented by Heather Koss-Huisman
Do you have students you dread teaching? Are you tired from teaching long or awkward hours? Not all students are a perfect match for your studio. Learn how to build a dream schedule and tactfully and compassionately say goodbye to those students and families who don’t fit in it.
Teach Them to Believe!
Presented by Lynn Worcester Jones
We are uniquely positioned to cultivate self-efficacy beliefs—the belief in one’s ability to perform tasks successfully. Come join this session to explore self-efficacy and strategies to teach your students to believe they can succeed.
How to Choose and Use Sight Reading Apps to Enhance Student Learning Experiences
Presented by Anna Beth Rucker and Irem Ozay
So many apps, so little time… but, don’t worry, be app-y! Discover six leading sightreading apps (their pros, cons, and features), why you should use them, and how to implement them into your studio today.
How to Integrate Rote Teaching
Presented by Jenna Klein
Rote teaching is a powerful learning tool that holds musical and technical benefits, builds confidence, and keyboard topography skills. This presentation will outline rote teaching benefits, tips, strategies, and resources, favorite “go-to” rote pieces, and provide a “how-to guide” to help teachers integrate rote teaching into their studios.
Hindsight IS 2020: What technologies will stay in our teaching toolbox?
Presented by Shana Kirk
2020 was a heck of a ride, but piano teachers adapted with amazing nimbleness. Amidst new online teaching practices, video recitals, web-based enrichments, and new ways of collaborating and socializing, what did we LEARN that will stay in our teaching toolbox? Join this session to explore some ideas!
Composing Outside the Box
Presented by Jennifer Foxx
We can teach our students how to compose logically, but without imagination and creativity, students won’t experience what is REALLY possible! Jennifer shares some out of the box composition ideas for your lessons.
Live exhibitor showcases, prizes, shopping, discounts and FUN! Watch for details this winter.
Teresa Campbell
Teresa Campbell is a musician, advocate, and experienced instructor specializing in working with immigrant students and students with traumatic backgrounds. She has taught violin and orchestra to children and adults, English as a Second Language to adults, provided GED coaching to adults.
Davis Dorrough
Davis recently became a full-time online piano teacher after teaching for nearly a decade in a commercial studio space. He has given presentations for Music Ed Connect, MTNA, NCKP, and many others. Davis is also passionate about sharing teaching ideas and resources at creativepianoteacher.com.
Olivia Ellis
Olivia Ellis is Associate Professor of Music at Bryan College in Tennessee where she teaches piano, pedagogy, and music theory. She loves making music with students of all ages and especially enjoys creating innovative piano ensemble programs. Follow her blog and find more teaching tips at creativepianoteacher.com.
Heather Koss-Huisman
Heather Koss-Huisman teaches piano in British Columbia, Canada. She is a Group Piano Teaching Specialist with MTNA, holds a Bachelor of Music Degree from Wilfrid Laurier University and an Associates degree in Piano Performance from the Western Board of Music. She is a recipient of the Steinway Top Teacher Award.
Jennifer Foxx
Jennifer Foxx runs a successful piano studio in Arizona and is passionate in helping her colleagues in their own journey as well. When she isn’t teaching, Jennifer enjoys blogging and creating digital resources online at MusicEducatorResources.com.
Dr. Lynn Worcester Jones
Dr. Lynn Worcester Jones, NCTM serves as Assistant Professor, Keyboard Area Coordinator at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga where she teaches piano, piano literature, piano pedagogy, piano ensemble, and musicianship lab. She holds degrees from The University of Oklahoma, Baylor University, and California State University, Fullerton.
Jenna Klein
Jenna Klein is a PhD Piano Pedagogy doctoral candidate at the University of Oklahoma where she studies piano with Dr. Jane Magrath and piano pedagogy with Dr. Barbara Fast. Currently, she teaches Applied Piano at Southern Nazarene University. Jenna has presented for local, state, regional, and national conferences.
Shana Kirk
Shana Kirk is a Colorado-based pianist, teacher, and technology consultant. Exploring the convergence of technology and pedagogy, Shana frequently appears on programs across the US and Canada, serves as Director of Digital Operations for the Frances Clark Center for Keyboard Pedagogy, and co-authors Tech Connect for American Music Teacher.
Karen Koch
Karen is a private piano teacher in St. Louis, MO and the original founder of the Music Educators’ Marketplace, now merged with Keys to Imagination. A nationally certified MTNA teacher, Karen is active as a judge, has published articles in educational and professional journals including the pedagogy textbook, Creative Piano Teaching, and has written My Own Music History.
Heather Lanners
Canadian pianist Heather Shea Lanners has performed throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and China. Associate Professor of Piano at the Greenwood School of Music at Oklahoma State University, Ms. Lanners holds degrees from the University of Western Ontario, the École Normale de Musique and the Eastman School of Music.
Thomas Lanners
Thomas Lanners, Oklahoma State University Professor of Piano, is active as a solo and collaborative pianist, recording artist, author and clinician throughout the U.S. and abroad. He has presented numerous sessions at Music Teachers National Association conferences, and at many others worldwide. He holds graduate degrees from the Eastman School.
George Litterst
George Litterst is a nationally known music educator, clinician, author, performer, and music software developer. A classically-trained pianist, he is co-author of the intelligent music display app, SuperScore, as well as Classroom Maestro, Internet MIDI, and Home Concert Xtreme from TimeWarp Technologies. He currently maintains a private in-person/ online studio.
Chris Madden
Chris Madden is Assistant Professor of Piano Pedagogy at the UMKC Conservatory, where he teaches piano pedagogy, applied piano, and oversees the keyboard skills curriculum. He regularly presents for national, state, and local organizations, and his articles have appeared in American Music Teacher and The Piano Magazine.
Paula Manwaring
Paula Manwaring, NCTM is a music educator, composer, outside editor, and the author of Minimusic; group theory program for young beginners. She has enjoyed teaching piano for the past 40 years and maintains her independent piano studio in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Irem Ozay
Irem Ozay (B.S. Music Therapy; M.M. Piano Performance and Pedagogy) has taught hundreds of students from preschool to collegiate level in private and group lessons since beginning her pedagogy journey at age fourteen.
Rosemarie Penner
Rosemarie Penner is an educator, writer & composer. She has a teaching degree & teaching diploma in piano pedagogy. Over a decade of teaching has taught Rosemarie we never really stop learning. At The Unfinished Lesson, she shows how to get balance for your life & creativity for your studio.
Pamela D. Pike
Pamela D. Pike is the Spillman Professor of Piano Pedagogy at LSU. Pike has extensive experience teaching piano to students of all ages and presents widely on pedagogical topics. Pike has authored book chapters, articles, and the books Dynamic Group-Piano Teaching, The Adult Music Student, and How to Play Piano.
Sally Ritchie
Known for making lessons fun and exciting with games, Sally teaches has been teaching piano for over 50 years. She is an active author and clinician and holds a patent on an entire line of games to teach and reinforce music theory.
Wynn-Anne Rossi
Wynn-Anne Rossi is a renowned composer with vibrant educational outreach Best known for her numerous piano publications, her writing repertoire also includes works for vocal, band, and orchestra. She has a passion for international styles ranging from Latin and American jazz to Baltic dance music. She also specializes in teaching composition to all ages, all levels.
Anna Beth Rucker
Anna Beth Rucker (B.M. Piano Performance and Pedagogy, M.M. Piano Pedagogy) is Manager of Operations and Corporate Relations for the Frances Clark Center, Associate Director of NCKP: The Piano Conference, and an independent piano teacher.
Sue Ruby
Sue Ruby, NCTM, co-owns K & S Conservatory of Music and teaches at MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis. She is co-founder of the Association of Professional Piano Instructors (APPI) and Fridays in the Valley Chamber Music Series. She holds a MM in Piano Pedagogy from Columbus State University (GA)
Dr. Kathryn Sherman
Dr. Kathryn Sherman, NCTM, directs the undergraduate and graduate programs in piano pedagogy at The Crane School of Music SUNY Potsdam. She also teaches functional keyboard courses and co-directs the biennial Crane Piano Pedagogy Conference. She has presented sessions at various national conferences, including MTNA, GP3, and NCKP.
Dr. Stella Sick
Dr. Stella Sick holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music and the University of Minnesota. She has been the Managing Director of the International Piano-e-Competition in Minnesota since 2004. A member of the Royal Conservatory College of Examiners and an active performer, Stella teaches at Hamline University.