8:30 a.m. –
Conference Check-In and Registration / Conference Hospitality

​9:00 – 10:30 a.m.
Incorporating Creativity Into Every Lesson (Hal Leonard Publishers Showcase) 
Jeremy Siskind
While many teachers plan to include activities like improvisation, composition, and non-classical repertoire in their lessons, many inevitably run out of time. In this Hal Leonard showcase, pianist-composer Jeremy Siskind will share sneaky and successful ways to teach the whole student. Along the way, he will share resources that can help save teachers time and help your students become more creative learners. 

10:35  – 11:00 a.m.    
A Voice From La Belle Epoque: Cecile Chaminade’s Pieces Romantique, op. 55     
Bonnie Choi, Kevin Nitsch, Nazareth College        
Lecture-recital which include a discussion and performance of only original piano duet, Pièces Romantiques.

25 Indigenous Composers in 25 Minutes     
Alexander Marrero, Classical Piano Lessons

11:05  –  11:15 a.m.   
Short Break/Snacks  

11:20  – 12:20 p.m.  
5 Things Every Piano Teacher Needs To Know About Jazz (But Is Afraid To Ask)
Almost every “traditional” piano teacher will be asked to teach jazz at some point in their career, yet few receive any real jazz training. Noted pedagogue and real-life jazz pianist Jeremy Siskind offers his 5 “Need to Know” Jazz Essentials to give you creative confidence in any teaching scenario and help you enliven all of your teaching. From the details of swing feel, to decoding the nuances of chord symbols, learn how you can guide your students towards expressive improvisation. Bring concerns, leave with confidence!

12:20  –  1:10 p.m.   
Lunch

1:10  –  1:40 p.m.   
NYSMTA Members General Business Meeting  

1:45 – 2:30 p.m.    
NYSMTA/MTNA Commissioned Composer 2022     
Hwaen Ch’uqi, Rochester, New York
Duo Q’inti: Hwaen Ch’uqi and Dr. Emi Okumura
Mr. Ch’uqi is truly honored and excited to supply a new work for NYSMTA. The title is “Suite in the Baroque Manner” and scored for two pianos, four hands. 

​2:35  – 3:30 p.m.    
Finding Your Students’ “Emotional Rhythm”—The 6 Most Effective Exercises From The Whiteside Tradition
“Emotional rhythm” is a phrase coined by pedagogical legend Abby Whiteside, who believed that a good teacher should be able to get even their most “musically-challenged” students to play with natural expression by tapping into their core musicality. Jeremy Siskind, a Whiteside grand-student, will share six of Whiteside’s most effective activities to help transform a student’s musical experience. 

​3:35  –  3:45 p.m.    
Short Break/Snacks  

​3:55  – 4:30 p.m.    
Teaching the Child Singer in the Private Studio Voice     
Dana Lentini, Born 2 Sing Kids  
This interactive session explores the piano recital format and examines the various musical, social, and pedagogical factors influence how repertoire is chosen for performance.

4:30 – 5:15.p.m.    
Lightning Talks

Strategies for Learning Music
Jenny Jieun Park, Teachers College, Columbia University

Think-pair-share makes studio classes more participatory, memorable, and actionable
Kevin Lee Sun, Eastman School of Music
 
Six Strategies for Effective Learning in Instrumental Music         
Dr. Andrew Marino, Hoff-Barthelson Music School          

The Music of Joanne Shenandoah 
Alexander Marrero, Classical Piano Lessons

Ornamentation and Improvisation in a Classical Sonata- Allegro Movement     
Tyler Ramos, Eastman School of Music     

5:15 – 6:15 p.m.    
NYSMTA Conference Artist Recital 
Jeremy Siskind, piano
Pianist-composer JEREMY SISKIND is “a genuine visionary” (Indianapolis Star) who “seems to defy all boundaries” (JazzInk) with music “rich in texture and nuance” (Downbeat). A top finisher in several national and international jazz piano competitions, Siskind is a two-time laureate of the American Pianists Association and the winner of the Nottingham International Jazz Piano Competition. Since making his professional debut juxtaposing Debussy’s Etudes with jazz standards at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Hall, Siskind has established himself as one of the nation’s most innovative and virtuosic modern pianists.