How Do I Teach Creativity?
See prizes page for educational information about each award.
Some of the best sources of information and music relating to creative teaching can be found in the keyboard magazines listed below. Check your local library or contact each magazine directly to subscribe. Ask about various special rates and/or free introductory issue. See also Piano-Education.org.
Piano Magazine
Rhinegold Publishing Ltd.
241 Shaftesbury Ave.
London WC2H 8TF
Tel: +44 (0)20 7333 1720
Fax: +44 (0)20 7333 1769
Piano magazine is a unique bi-monthly publication for pianists and serious enthusiasts alike. Regular performers' symposium issues focus on the output of a particular composer. Editor, Jeremy Siepmann, brings together the opinions, tips and insights of some of the world's greatest concert pianists as well as many eminent writers. Nowhere else will you find such a concentration of knowledge that will spark off ideas, help you reassess your own interpretations and enhance your enjoyment of the repertoire.
Clavier Companion
CLAVIER COMPANION magazine is published by The Frances Clark Center for Keyboard Pedagogy, a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to the support of keyboard pedagogy in all its varied aspects. The work of the Center is based on the unique philosophy of music educator, Frances Clark (1905-1998). The Center currently has three divisions: The New School for Music Study, Keyboard Companion magazine, and the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy.
Magazines that you can play
Piano Today
(Sadly, Piano Today has just announced that it will cease publication. Contact them regarding back issues.)
Piano Today
PO Box 58838
Boulder CO 80322-8838
E-mail contact: PianoToday@aol.com
Phone: 1-800-759-3036
Sheet Music Magazine
Sheet Music Magazine
PO Box 58629
Boulder CO 80321-8629
Phone: 1-800-759-3036
Consult your local library for back issues of Piano and Keyboard Magazine, another valuable educational resource.
Suggestions for Winning Strategies
The beauty of this festival is that students are completely free to choose what repertory they would like to play, which determines eligibility for prize(s). Judges have the discretion to award more than one prize to a student. Look over the list of prizes and decide how your choice of repertory can maximize your prize-winning potential. Most versatile? -- play as much variety as possible. Eggs all in one basket? -- play only repertory suited to one prize category.Also, ask yourself which prizes are less likely to be heavily contested. This is, of course, impossible to predict with certainty, but students and teachers can take an educated guess!
For more information on teaching creatively, see the Prizes Explanation and Educational Information pages.
Click here for tips on improvisation by Houle.