Piano Pedagogy Playlist

A school day in five piano miniatures: a beautiful September morning, a little studying, some blues on the playground, one kid who’s much too cool- and a daydream about the summer just past. I perform five selections...

Music becomes meaningful when it helps us explore something human. For younger students, the challenge of learning something new might be enough to maintain interest. But eventually they need to figure out that music...

When one of your students encounters a piece titled “Toccata” for the first time, how do you explain what that means? I think a lot of us describe a toccata as a quick, running of our fingers over the keys, kind of like...

This week, I return to the music of Italian composer Giulio Pietropaolo with three selections from his collection "Dreaming": "Up and Down", "Lost", and "Quiet". Each piece begins with self-imposed constraints- a...

This week, I present music of Amy Ferguson, a pianist, teacher, composer, and arranger whose self-published pieces grow from the practical needs of her own studio. Ferguson recently received wider recognition when her...

Getting something right once is not the same thing as making it a habit. In this episode, I explore how fundamental skills become musical reflexes through two pieces by Dennis Alexander: Gentle Breezes and Sweet...

For the Season One finale of The Piano Pedagogy Playlist, we’re doubling up on Chris Norton’s A Year in Twelve Keysand exploring both the June and July movements before taking a short summer break. First, we’ll hear...

This week, we’re taking a musical trip around the world with Wynn-Anne Rossi’s newly released series Dancing With the World. Designed as a four-volume collection spanning multiple levels, the series explores traditional...

School’s almost out, summer is calling, and this week on The Piano Pedagogy Playlist we’re packing up the car and heading out on a musical road trip. Join me for a journey from Chicago through the Great Smoky Mountains...

Last week, the piano world lost the American pianist, composer, teacher, and author Seymour Bernstein at the age of 99. In this special episode of The Piano Pedagogy Playlist, I reflect on Bernstein’s extraordinary life...

On the first Monday of each month, The Piano Pedagogy Playlist features a piece from Chris Caine’s A Year in Twelve Keys—a collection that explores all twelve key signatures using only the notes within each key. For...

Today’s episode is for a very specific student. The one who’s deeply immersed in video games and gaming culture… who loves music—but doesn’t think they love piano. Maybe they’ve even decided they’re a little too cool...

Students often fall in love with pieces like Clair de lune long before they have the technique to play them well. And as teachers, that puts us in a tricky spot. We don’t want to dampen that enthusiasm—but we also know...

Method books give us structure and sequence, but they don’t always provide enough reinforcement—or enough variety—to keep students fully engaged. That’s where supplemental repertoire can make a meaningful difference. In...

Spring rain provides the inspiration for this week’s episode of The Piano Pedagogy Playlist, as I explore two contemporary piano pieces that capture its sound, motion, and atmosphere in very different ways. I begin with...