NCKP Research Presentation Proposals

Proposals are now being accepted for the 2011 NCKP Conference. Please hit the liink above for more information. Students - let's have a record number of proposals submitted this year! There are awards for the best presentations and posters, so let's see all that great research you have done!

Yamaha's design exhibit in 2008

When Yamaha put on the design exhibit in Milan in 2008, there were some concept keyboards that were very interesting. Follow the link to view them. I'm particularly interested in the notebook with keyboard attached.

Click here for more photos.

Handouts from NCKP Technology sessions

For those who were not able to attend NCKP, or were not able to attend all of the technology sessions, you can find the handouts from the sessions on the conference page or by going to http://www.francesclarkcenter.org/NationalConferenceHandouts.html. Thanks to George Litterst and all the presenters for providing these electronically!

Mei-Ting Sun at NCKP

Mei-Ting Sun performing on the Yamaha Disklavier. He was in New York City, while the piano in Chicago played. Amazing technology, and an amazing performer.

Virtual Teaching

One of the most exciting sessions of the conference was teaching demonstration of Distance Learning via Technology. Using the Yamaha Disklavier (Click for info), students played in one location while the teachers taught from another. The first student played live in Chicago, and Paul Sheftel taught her from New York. It is amazing technology, aided also by Timewarp Technologies and their Internet MIDI program (Click for info). See the videos below for George Litterst's introduction and a short snippet of the teaching. You will notice that when one person plays one piano, the other piano plays exactly as they do, including pedal movement. Listen for the audience's reaction to get a feel for how amazing this technology is.

Jose Antonio Bowen NCKP Keynote

Jose Bowen's keynote address encouraged the audience to think about technology and how it is affecting piano teaching. How can we create a presence locally and globally, and do we need to have a global presence? We need to think about what we do well and focus on that, whether in our own town or around the world. He is a dynamic speaker and I'm sure the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University must be thrilled to have him as their Dean. At the end of his address, he demonstrated making the music relevant to people from different cultures by playing Autumn Leaves in different styles. Check out the video below.

Research Posters at NCKP

Research poster sessions at NCKP offer researchers the opportunity to showcase their projects and results. This year there were many sight-reading studies done, emphasizing this essential skill and the constant struggle to help students become better.