John Mortensen
Six Rainy Day Activities for Learning Baroque Improvisation

In this session, attendees will discover basic principles of historic improvisation through a series of "rainy day activities." These include learning simple figuration patterns typical of Bach and his sons, assembling basic chord progressions to use as a basis for improvisation, and learning the arpeggiated fantasia style.

Debra Perez
Teaching Adult Beginners in Groups: How to Create Enjoyable Musical Experiences in Every Class

This interactive session will demonstrate how to incorporate Musical Wellness Exercises, Backing Tracks, Improvisation, Creativity, Ensembles, Chord Charts, Laughter and Encouragement in your adult classes. Sample lesson plans will be included to help you meet the needs of adult students who want to learn to play in a stress-free environment.

Pamela Pike
Serious Learning – Serious Fun! Strategies for Making Music with Older Adults

Many older adults pursue piano study for the first time or return to formal piano instruction upon retirement. Teaching piano to a student over the age of 50 may present different challenges than working with younger adults or children. During this interactive session we will explore visual, aural, and cognitive changes that result from healthy aging. We’ll discover specific effective instructional strategies and play music that enables older adults to make music and learn effectively.

Clinton Pratt
Let’s Make Something Up! A Universal Approach to Improvisation

Don’t be afraid of improvisation! Video examples, audience participation, and demonstrations will inspire you to improvise all students—young, old, beginners, and advanced. Come get lots of ideas to improvise in pentatonic, major, minor, modes, whole tone, and even the Japanese scale! Learn how to get students to just sit down and make something up, and find out how to use improvisation to improve their theory, rhythm, pulse, phrasing, sight reading, confidence and even practicing!

Laura Silva
The Power of Piano Ensembles: Building Collaboration, Musicianship and Community

This interactive workshop will explore an innovative piano ensembles project that was developed in Caracas, Venezuela and has since been replicated in the United States. Based on the presenter’s work in “El Sistema”, this session will discuss the manifold musical benefits of ensemble experience for pianists of all levels and the powerfully transformative psychosocial aspect of such programs. Participants will engage in a simulation ensemble rehearsal and will perform colorful arrangements of orchestral masterpieces. 

Janet Tschida
Elementary Level Chording for Sing-Alongs and Accompanying

Learn how to quickly structure easy, impressive sounding chording arrangements for your elementary level students (equivalent to Faber Level 1 and up) so that they can experience the thrill of accompanying instrumentalists and playing for sing-alongs early in their music study. Additional benefits include developing aural skills, understanding chordal harmonization, thinking form, and weaving melodic motifs during the elementary level of piano instruction (repertoire will primarily be traditional and sacred tunes).