Piano Pedagogy Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow Workshops

Each registrant for the main conference will have the opportunity to attend three workshops presented by leading experts. You may indicate your preference for workshops on the registration form. Each of the workshops on this page will be presented twice during the conference.

photo Marvin Blickenstaff
Pedagogy 101: Reviewing the Basics

Many teachers have not had the advantage of formal piano pedagogy courses. This workshop will cover the fundamentals of teaching reading, rhythm, and technique and is open to new teachers as well as veterans.

Marvin Blickenstaff was named Fellow of the Royal Toronto Conservatory in 2007 and was chosen to receive the 2009 MTNA Achievement Award. For the past ten years he has served as President of the Frances Clark Center for Keyboard Pedagogy. He teaches at The New School for Music Study (Kingston, NJ) and in his home studio.

For more information:
http://www.music.sc.edu/ea/keyboard/ppf/10.1/10.1.PPFHolland.html

photo Vanessa Cornett-Murtada
Music and the Brain

How does the brain process music, and how do students learn, remember and emotionally connect to their pieces? Discover the latest research on the amazing human brain and explore practical tips for more effective teaching and performance anxiety management.

Vanessa Cornett-Murtada is a licensed hypnotherapist and the Director of Keyboard Studies at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN, where she teaches piano and graduate courses in piano pedagogy and literature.

For more information:
http://www.stthomas.edu/music/research/faculty/cornettmurtada.html

photo Pete Jutras
Let's Play A Game! Lessons and Practice Tips from the World of Gaming.

This fun, interactive session will explore the psychology of game play, with an emphasis on how we can use this approach to improve our teaching, help students improve their practicing, and experience more enjoyment from piano study. The workshop will include discussion of the well-documented "Flow" theory of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.

Pete Jutras, Ph.D., NCTM, is Assistant Professor of Piano and the Piano Pedagogy Specialist at the University of Georgia. Editor-in-Chief of Clavier Companion, Jutras is a frequent presenter at state, national, and international conferences.

For more information:
http://www.music.uga.edu/areas/view_person.php?id=pjutras

photo Tomoko Kanamaru
Can Perfect Pitch be Taught? Introduction to the Eguchi Method

Developed by Japanese master pedagogue, Kazuko Eguchi, the Eguchi Method has proven that anyone under the age of six can acquire perfect pitch. This session offers an opportunity to become familiar with this unique training. Eguchi's daughter, Ayako Eguchi, Ph.D, will be present for further discussion.

Tomoko Kanamaru, highly sought after as a solo pianist and collaborative artist, is chair of piano instruction at The College of New Jersey. She has given master classes throughout the US including the Yamaha Piano Camp in Washington, and has co-edited/published over thirty volumes of pedagogical music.

For more information:
http://www.tcnj.edu/~music/faculty/Kanamaru.html

photo Thomas Parente
Incorporating Dalcroze Eurhythmics into Adult Instruction

This session will explore how common issues of rhythm may be understood, addressed and remedied in the adult learner. Participants will learn a number of strategies that may be used to solve their student's rhythmic challenges.

Thomas J. Parente is Associate Professor of Piano at Westminster Choir College of Rider University, where he coordinates secondary piano. His How to Teach Group Piano Successfully through Flow is a training text for teachers of class piano. He is a co-author of Experiencing Choral Music and The Choral Rehearsal, for which he contributed chapters on the usage of eurhythmics in the choral environment.

For more information:
http://www.tomparente.net

photo Robert Vandall
Toccatas, Tarantellas, and Technique: Building Physical and Rhythmic Skills to Perform Like a Virtuoso!

This session will explore many levels of virtuosic student repertoire and how to build the technique to perform this literature with ease and excitement.

Robert Vandall and his wife Karen operate an independent studio in New Philadelphia, OH. He earned degrees from Baldwin-Wallace College and the University of Illinois. Many of his more than 400 piano compositions are on required student repertoire lists.