The National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy 2001
Thursday-Saturday, July 19-21, 2001
Hyatt Regency Oak Brook
Oak Brook, Illinois
Pre-Conference Seminar, July 18, 2001

Over 650 people from throughout the US and abroad attended the July 2001 meeting of the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy.

Keynote Speakers

Robert A. Duke
Eleven Years of Piano and I Can't Get a Date: Requisites for a Meaningful Musical Life
Robert A. Duke is University Distinguished Teaching Professor and E. William Doty Professor of Fine Arts at The University of Texas where he teachers music and educational psychology.

Robert Freeman
On the Future of Music in America
Robert Freeman, Dean of the College of Fine Arts at The University of Texas, holds degrees from Harvard and Princeton Universities. Prior to his appointment as Director of the Eastman School of Music in 1972, he was a professor at MIT. From 1996-1999, he served as president of the New England Conservatory.

Timothy Gerber
Inspired but Unheralded: Those Who Can, Teach!
Timothy Gerber teaches in the School of Music at The Ohio State University. A graduate of Oberlin College and Temple University, Dr. Gerber has served for 16 years as the principal writer of educational materials for the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. He is a co-author of the popular high school text, Music! Its Role and Importance in Our Lives.

Teaching Demonstrations

Six teaching demonstrations focused on what effective teachers do to create extraordinary results with every student - beginners to advanced, young children to adults. Through short, carefully selected demonstrations, both live and on videotape, participants observed exceptional teaching in action in a variety of ability levels and lesson formats. Live teaching demonstrations included an elementary private lesson taught by Elvina Pearce, an intermediate private lesson taught by Marvin Blickenstaff, and a collegiate piano major taught by Nelita True. The videotape lessons included an elementary group lesson by Ted Cooper, an intermediate group lesson utilizing technology taught by Susan Ogilvy, and an advanced high school lesson taught by Ingrid Clarfield. Following each lesson, nationally known piano pedagogues interacted with the demonstration teacher and facilitated a discussion of how and why the teaching yielded extraordinary results.

Breakout Sessions

Small group discussions gave participants the opportunity to further explore aspects of extraordinary teaching and consider how their observations could help them improve the effectiveness of their own teaching. Discussion leaders guided these truly interactive sessions, giving every registrant the opportunity to participate.

Music, Music, Music!

Each morning and afternoon session began with a mini-recital by pre-college students performing age-appropriate repertoire. Performances included elementary through advanced music and highlighted the results of extraordinary teaching, regardless of the student's age or level.

Thursday evening's recital featured brilliant performances by national winners of the 2001 MTNA Baldwin Junior High School, Yamaha High School, and Steinway and Sons Collegiate Artist piano competitions - an outstanding showcase of young talent.

Nelita True, Conference Artist, performed on Friday evening. Dr. True is Chair of the piano faculty at the Eastman School of Music. She frequently serves on juries of international competitions and has performed across the US and Europe as well as Indonesia, Mexico, Iceland, New Zealand, Brazil, Australia, Canada, Russia and China. Her recordings of over 100 works are available on Advance, Mark, Educo and Academy labels.

Workshops

Participants explored some of the best ideas for updating teaching tools and techniques.

James Byo
Lesson Techniques that Motivate Students, Inform Parents, and Inspire Teachers
James Byo is Professor of Music Education at Louisiana State University where he teaches graduate and undergraduate course in instrumental music, pedagogy, and research. He serves as editor of the MENC publication, Update: Application of Research in Music Education.

Yat-Yee Chong
Utilizing Movement to Improve Musicianship
Yat-Yee Chong holds degrees in performance and pedagogy, and the Dalcroze Eurhythmics Certificate. She recently combined several of her musical interests, including elements of Eurhythmics into an interactive lecture-recital.

R. Fred Kern
Does Your Teaching Suffer from SSDD (Same Song, Different Day?)--Creavivity and Improvisation at the Beginning and Beyond
Fred Kern is a Professor of Music at the University of North Texas. Widely known as a clinician, author, teacher, composer, and arranger, he has published five texts and two methods on piano instruction. He holds the Doctor of Arts in Piano Performance and Pedagogy.

Barbara English Maris
Working with Adult Early-Level Piano Students
Dr. Maris, pianists, pedagogue, clinician, author and editor, taught piano and directed graduate degree programs in piano pedagogy at The Catholic University of America for twenty years before becoming Professor Emerita in 2000.

Tony Caramia
Teaching Jazz Piano
Tony Caramia is Professor of Piano at the Eastman School of Music where he is Director of Piano Pedagogy Studies and Coordinator of the Class PianoProgram. An active performer is is a Keyboard Clinician and Consultant for the Hal Leonard publishing Corporation.

The Digital Dames (Barb Davis, Judy Hyland, Marj Kling, Lynn Kroeger and Debbie Laird)
Increasing Studio Effectiveness with Today's Technology
The Digital Dames are independent teachers from the Quad Cities who perform ensemble music on five digital pianos. They have performed in schools, churches, and shopping malls as well as at Monster Concerts and at state and national conventions.

Kenneth Guilmartin
Early Childhood Music: Meeting the Challenge, Discovering the Joy
Ken Guilmartin conceived and led the development of the Music Togetherä early childhood music and movement program for the Center for Music and Young Children which he founded in 1985. He is a leading advocate of developmentally appropriate practice and adult inclusion in early childhood music.

Phyllis Alpert Lehrer
Research Findings on Developing Reading Skills
Phyllis Lehrer is known internationally as a performer, teacher, clinician and author. She is Professor of Piano at Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton NJ.

Lifetime Achievement Award

The final evening of the conference celebrated the life and work of Richard Chronister, co-founder of the original National Conference on Piano Pedagogy. The program included a Lifetime Achievement Award, memories of Richard by those who knew him best, and a screening of a videotape of one of his lectures on the future of piano teaching.

Pre-Conference Seminar

Toward a Pedagogy for the New Millennium
Wednesday, July 18, 2:00-6:00 and 7:00-9:00PM

This seminar for college and university pedagogy teachers and students examined the role and future of keyboard pedagogy in the 21st century. The afternoon session explored the benefits of collaborating with our colleagues in music education, music therapy, educational psychology, web-based education, artist teachers and administrators. Breakout sessions provided small-group interaction with experts in each of these fields. There were sessions on curriculum, intern teaching, and administration. The evening session focused on curriculum and degree issues in bachelor's master's, doctoral and non-degree programs.