Look to the Future . . .

Technology On Center Stage
In cooperation with the NCKP Committee on Technology, Timothy Hester will present an "informance" in which MIDI and reproducing technologies are actively used to enhance artistry and effectiveness in practice, performance, and pedagogy.

Timothy Hester is Assistant Professor of Piano at the University of Houston Moores School of Music where he also teaches sight reading, collaborative keyboard, and serves as Director of Keyboard Collaborative Arts. Named Outstanding Faculty member of the Year in 2003 by the Moores Society, Professor Hester is a graduate of the Juilliard School and the University of Houston where he studied with Adele Marcus and Albert Hirsh, respectively. He is currently Chief Artistic Consultant for Rehearsalnet.com.

Multimedia Piano Performance
In this mini recital, pianists Shana Kirk and George F. Litterst will take you boldly where few audiences have gone before. Known for their inventive use of new technologies in the field of music making and music education, this duo piano team will present classical and contemporary music in four-hand and two-keyboard arrangements. Their performance will make inventive use of embedded keyboard technologies, the computer, and coordinated multimedia displays.

Shana Kirk is a music technology consultant and independent piano teacher in Denver, CO. She has written technology articles and media reviews for publications including AMT and Keyboard Companion, and enjoys looking for new ways to combine technology with teaching and performance.

George Litterst is a nationally-known music educator, clinician, author, performer, and music software developer. He works extensively with the Disklavier™ piano and is co-author of the intelligent accompaniment software program, Home Concert Xtreme, and the electronic music blackboard, Classroom Maestro.

Technology Hubs
The "Technology Hub" concept was designed by the NCKP Committee on Technology to provide participants with an opportunity to learn from experts in the field of music technology in the teaching studio. Small groups insure your experience will be interactive and hands-on. Sessions are planned for both novices and those who have already begun using technology. The Thursday Hub schedule will be repeated on Friday.

Adding Technology to Your Studio in Five Easy Steps
This presentation is for the teacher who wishes to start using technology in the private lesson. Often it is difficult to decide where to begin, and this presentation will show you how to make those decisions easier.

Planning a Computer Lab Curriculum
Planned for the private piano teacher who has a computer lab in place, this session will help you decide what to include in a computer/MIDI lab program and how to structure students' lab time as part of an "extended lesson" format.

Technology Potpourri
Explore what is in Paul Sheftel's studio, discover which tools he puts to most frequent use, learn how he overcomes his technology phobias, and find out how he learns to use technology without spending too much time.

Video in the Modern Piano Studio
Digital video cameras are now affordable and easy to use. Join this session to learn how you can use video to document your students' progress, motivate your students and help them to evaluate their own work.

Good Things Come in Three's: Technology Support for Small Group Teaching
This session will focus on a three-student semi-private teaching environment and the technology used to support students' individual needs.

Creative Keyboard Camp: How to Spend a Summer Vacation
Keeping students motivated during the summer months is our topic of discussion. Organization of skill sets with considerable imagination can assure a truly successful program an energy boost for everyone.

Using Technology to Learn and Perform Piano Concerti
Experience the virtual orchestra, an orchestra that is willing to play with you at any time of the day or night and which follows your tempo and responds to your dynamics.

Multimedia in Concert Performance
Modern tools make it easy to add visual elements to a performance and thus engage the imagination of an audience. Students can also use these tools and deepen their musical understanding by assembling the elements of their multimedia presentation. Join us as we examine both the aesthetic and technical issues.

NCKP Committee on Technology
George Litterst (Committee Chair) is a nationally-known music educator, clinician, author, performer, and music software developer. He works extensively with the Disklavier™ piano and is co-author of the intelligent accompaniment software program, Home Concert 2000.

Michelle Gordon, past-president of the Massachusetts MTA, is a private piano instructor, a church musician, choral accompanist, and licensed Kindermusik educator. She has written for Keyboard Companion and presented Technology Symposium sessions at the MTNA national conference.

Kathy Maskell, currently Massachusetts MTA State President, is the founding director of MusicWorks, Inc., a music education facility with an enrollment of 400 students. Kathy is adjunct professor of class piano at Regis College in Weston MA, and serves as music director at Eliot Presbyterian Church, Lowell, MA.

Paul Sheftel's materials published by Alfred and Carl Fischer are used throughout the country. His MIDI orchestrations include the complete Bastien Piano Method and Carl Fischer's Music Pathways. Currently he teaches pedagogy at the Juilliard School as well as maintaining a private studio in New York City.