Blog

This session came recommended to me, so I decided to check out what was going on! Pete Jutras oversaw the panel discussion by teaching legends Scott McBride-Smith, Ingrid Clarfield, and Randall Faber. Various questions were presented to the teachers and they each had a chance to respond. What do you know now that you wish […]

The acclaimed Anderson & Roe Piano Duo gave the piano duo masterclass this morning. The first duet pair was twin sisters playing Spanish Dances, Op. 12: Moderato by Moszkowski. l Anderson & Roe commented on the good ensemble between the two girls, then asked if they enjoyed playing the piece. They said it sounded a […]

A sunny, but cool crisp morning made it easier to get up on this final full day of the conference. As in each of the previous two days, the morning began with a selection of showcases by various music publishers. Schott featured Hans-Gunter Heumann sharing about his new Classical Piano Method. The series features many […]

One of the treats of this conference is having the prolific composer Mark Hayes here (his first time at the national convention) to present a workshop on creating transitions and flow in worship at the piano. He has over 1,000 published works! On a personal note, I grew up on Mark Hayes’ piano arrangements of […]

After a lovely al fresco lunch with some dear colleagues, I joined a packed house at the Hal Leonard Showcase. Composer/pianist Jeremy Siskind started off the session with an overview of Jazz Etude Inspirations, County Ragtime Festival, and Classical Pop. Editor and recording artist, William Westney joined the session via video to share about the […]

Ingrid Clarfield began by greeting the audience and, after asking for applause on her coordinating outfit, said that she really doesn’t like the term “masterclass.” Instead, she prefers to think of it as a 3-part sharing experience. First, the students are sharing their interpretation of the pieces. Second, she will be sharing her ideas about […]