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Welcome to the National Piano Foundation
(NPF) website, a special communications venue for group piano
teachers. NPF is the educational arm of the Piano Manufacturers
Association International. A primary part of NPF's mission is to
contribute to the professional well being of the teaching community,
and this website fully supports that mission.
If you are reading this, you may have received an e-mail alerting
you that new information has been posted to this site. If you are
a first-time visitor to this site, remember to enroll on our database
so that you, too, will be sent an e-mail informing you when there's
new information.
The National Piano Foundation is indebted to Dr. Martha (Marty) Baker-Jordan for researching and preparing the following four documents. Dr. Baker-Jordan is Professor Emeritus of California State University, Fullerton, CA. She has made significant contributions to the fields of piano pedagogy and group piano and continues to contribute to our profession through her retirement.
MTNA and NPF will co-sponsor these sessions at the 2009 MTNA Conference in Atlanta:
The Blank Slate: First-Year Piano Technique
Ted Cooper, clinician
This session will focus on the skills, habits and attitudes necessary to establish a solid technical foundation with first- and second-graders. Film clips from group and private lessons will illustrate teaching strategies that establish and maintain interest in piano technique.
Ted Cooper, teacher and composer, is recipient of the MTNA/NPF Group Teaching Award and teaches at Levine School of Music (Washington, D.C). His recent compositions, Around the World on 88 Keys (Books I/II) and Mysterious Shadows are published by Alfred.
When Teaching Becomes More Fun – Group Piano for Middle School Students
Michael Stegner
The most exciting and productive group piano experiences can come after students have played for a few years. Film clips will illustrate concepts and curricula that keep kids enthusiastic about piano lessons during the middle school years.
Michael Stegner, a graduate of the University of Miami Jazz Piano Program, owns Creative Music Adventures, a music school of 100 students in the Seattle area. A performer, clinician and composer, he is also an education clinician for Roland.
The Power of Positive Group Piano Experiences for Advancing Students
Mitzi Kolar
This session will illustrate the power of group lessons with students who have attained late intermediate to early advanced level of performance and musicianship skills. Film clips will illustrate a comprehensive lesson plan in action.
J. Mitzi Kolar, (NCTM), Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in Music, San Diego State University, chairs the keyboard division and directs the graduate pedagogy program. She teaches performance, pedagogy, class piano and research. Kolar co-authored Celebrate Piano!, published by Frederick Harris.
Group Piano Today: Common Concerns Addressed, Valid Questions Answered and Effective Teaching Observed
Debra Perez
Film clips will show typical classroom scenarios that illustrate effective group teaching which addresses diverse skills levels and how to develop technique and solo repertoire in groups. Experienced and less-experienced group teachers will be empowered by these strategies.
Debra Perez, supervisor of two Texas music schools with 27 teachers and 600 students, has created a mentoring pedagogy program for new teachers that includes group teacher training. She is a national teacher trainer for the Recreational Music Making project.
Join our database of group piano teachers by clicking enroll and
completing the registration. Your information is kept confidential
and you will be notified by e-mail when new information is posted
on this site. Click here to Enroll.
The goal of this part of the NPF website is to be a comprehensive resource center for group piano teachers. Although we have listed some resources in the past, it hasn't been an extensive list. Therefore, we are requesting from you any of the following that you believe would be useful for both novice and experienced group piano teachers:
- Activities
- Articles
- Bibliographies
- Books
- Dissertations
- Ensembles
- Games
- Methods/texts
- Software
- Videos
We do make an effort to not promote a brand of piano or a particular method, but we do want to inform teachers about what resources are available to them. Please click below to see examples of some resources that have already been posted:
NPF Video: Getting Started in Group Teaching
Filmed at the November 2001 Group Piano Seminar
Available from NPF (5960 W. Parker Rd., Suite 278, #233, Plano, TX 75093-7792)
Cost: $35.00 (includes shipping and handling)
Please send your resource ideas to Brenda Dillon (brenda@dondillon.com).
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