News

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 […]

Rick Beyer, author of The Greatest Music Stories Never Told, took the stage and had the audience laughing right away at his self-deprecating comments regarding his own musical prowess. He continued by regaling the audience with the story of Heinrich Steinway and his surprising childhood and path into adulthood. Ivan Vaughan may be the most […]

In 1839 Franz Liszt did something for the very first time. He played a solo piano recital. It was almost unheard of at the time because up until then people played music together. What did he play on his solo recital? * His own arrangement of the William Tell Overture * Improvisations on a Bellini […]

One of my favorite aspects of attending the conference is meeting and reconnecting with teachers from across the country. We had a dinner get-together tonight at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen. The food was delicious… [Gumbo Ya Ya and French Quarter Salad] …and the fellowship was even better!