Black Knight Inn Red Deer, Alberta September 30 & October 1, 2016

23rd ANNUAL CONFERENCE INFORMATION APTA is returning to Red Deer for our annual conference and we are looking forward to engaging both teachers and students with our fantastic line up of clinicians, including our headliner, Peter Mack! Our 23rd Conference title has three key words that invite us to fresh perspectives, deeper learning and more enjoyment overall: “Explore, Evolve, Engage!” Please come and be a part of these exciting two days of learning, networking and inspiration. Enclosed is the registration form with additional information. A reminder that the early bird deadline is August 15, 2016.

CLINICIAN AND SESSION DETAILS…

PETER MACK was born in Ireland, where he had his early training with Frank Heneghan at the Dublin College of Music. Subsequent study was at Trinity College, Dublin, and with Bela Siki at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music and at the University of Washington where he earned his doctorate in piano performance. Mack has performed throughout the United States and Europe, as well as in Australia and the former Soviet Union. He is the winner of the New Orleans, Young Keyboard Artists, and Pacific International piano competitions. His prize in the Sherman–Clay competition included a Steinway grand piano. Mack is well known for his extensive repertoire, having performed twenty–five concertos with orchestras. He is equally in demand as a performer, clinician, convention artist, and teacher, and his pupils are frequent winners of local, national, and international competitions.

“Mack is one of those lucky ones, born with a completely balanced set of talents. He has perfect piano hands, his technique is all but infallible, he has boundless temperament, style and taste, and above all, he communicates directly…. In all capacities he is indefatigable….” Los Angeles Times JANET GIECK grew up surrounded by rural Saskatchewan culture and landscape, a fact that has profoundly affected her musical output. After completing music degrees from Prairie Bible College (Three Hills, AB) and the Royal Conservatory of Music, she has had her compositions performed at many concerts, New Music Festivals and on CBC radio. Her pedagogical compositions are now listed on many different syllabi across the country. Passionate about Canadian music, Janet was the centre coordinator for the Saskatoon branch of Contemporary Showcase until 2015. She is a member of the Alliance for Canadian New Music Projects, the Saskatchewan Registered Music Teachers' Association, and the composer's collective Red Leaf Pianoworks. Currently, Janet works as a member of the fine arts department at Millar College of the Bible in Pambrun, SK where she lives with her husband and three children. She is also in demand as a piano teacher, adjudicator and clinician.

Explore Evolve

Engage

KAREN KING is a third generation piano teacher completing research focused on motivation in piano students. She is a graduate student with the University of Ottawa currently working towards an M.A. in piano pedagogy. She is the proud recipient of the 2012 CFMTA Memorial Pedagogy Award and winner of the 2015 CFMTA National Essay Competition, and holds degrees from the University of Saskatchewan, the Royal Conservatory of Music, and Trinity College London. Karen is looking forward to exploring doctoral studies at the University of Calgary in the Department of Education where she will continue her research.

MICHÈLE WHEATLEY-BROWN is an accomplished pianist, adjudicator, and examiner for the Royal Conservatory of Music. She is one of six licensed Andover Educators in Canada, committed to teaching musicians to play with ease and freedom. She stresses the importance of evidence-based technique to reduce playing related injury and pain. Michèle presents Andover workshops and master-classes throughout Western Canada. Founding Artistic Director of a highly successful classical concert series in High River, Michèle has a passion for making music a vital part of community life. Michèle holds a M.A. (Music) and Graduate Certificate in Piano Pedagogy Research from the University of Ottawa; B.Mus., B. Ed (Music, French) from the University of Toronto and an A.R.C.T. from the Royal Conservatory of Toronto. She trained as an Andover Educator at Portland State University.

Session #1 – Lower the Rear End of the Elephant Slowly Onto the Keys – Peter Mack Our job as teachers is simple: Know what to tell them and try to do it in a way that they will remember. In this talk, Peter Mack shares some of his most memorable metaphors that help students technically, artistically, and intellectually. Find out exactly how the hippopotamus helps you count, when the little fishies swim in the Sea of Chopin, and why the roof of the handy hen house had better not collapse!

Session #2 – What Every Pianist Needs to Know about their Body: An Introduction – Michèle Wheatley-Brown This workshop will introduce you to What Every Pianist Needs to Know about the Body, an internationally recognized curriculum taught at schools such as Oberlin and the New England Conservatory of Music. You will learn how the body is designed to move as you play the piano with a greater sense of poise and balance. You will take back practical and impactful teaching activities to share with your students.

Session #3 – The Art of the Phrase – Peter Mack It’s easy to teach our students to play more musically once we understand the basic principles of phrasing. In this entertaining and illuminating talk, Peter teaches us how to recognize the basic phrase types, and how best to interpret them. Everyone can sound better when they understand the art of the phrase!

Session #4 – Deciphering Dropouts: Piano Student Motivation and Retention – Karen King The topic of piano student drop-outs is often discussed but without a significant amount of scientific study to uphold popular opinion. Based on a study of 55 students and their parents using Self-Determination Theory, this session will produce an understanding of factors around motivation and why students leave piano lessons. Practical applications will be presented to give parents and piano teachers concrete tools for creating thriving students.

Session #5 – Inspiring Creativity Through Composition – Janet Gieck In this interactive workshop, we will examine the importance of including creativity in the music lesson. We will also discuss some suggestions for getting a student started on the composition journey and review some resources and games for developing the skills involved in composition.

Session #6 – Teaching Demonstration – Peter Mack Peter will demonstrate his unique approach to teaching and polishing pieces by working with some volunteer students in this session. Be prepared to take home some of his practical ideas and suggestions for use with your own students.

Session #7 - Not Only Für Elise: Gorgeous Unknown Compositions by Well-Known Composers – Peter Mack Everyone is familiar with “Für Elise”, and rightly so. However, in this session, we will explore pieces (all by well-known major composers, most of them of mid-level difficulty) that are equally amazing, but far less familiar. Sections from over forty works are performed, and there is an extensive handout in which the difficulty for each piece is assessed, along with its publishing information. It’s a fast-moving, fun talk. Nothing in the lecture lasts too long, so if you don’t like a work that’s being played, don’t worry! It will end soon, and there’ll be something different coming along right away!

See you in Red Deer!