April 2023 MTNA e-Journal

An Overview of Piano Sight-Reading Research Over the Last Decade: What Does it Tell Us, and Can it Be Taught?
By John Tarbet and Jenny Jieun Park

This paper presents a report on the findings of 19 research articles on piano sight-reading published since 2010. Results from this growing body of research suggest that multiple teachable activities such as accompanying, rhythm and chunking contribute to the development of sight-reading ability in pianists. A meta-analysis of sight-reading studies conducted by Jennifer Mishra is used as a framework to further analyze the 19 piano sight-reading studies. Findings from this analysis highlight that improvisation and ear training, the two factors from the Mishra study with the highest correlation to sight-reading, have not been examined by recent experimental studies. Based on the overview of this recent research, a list of pedagogical suggestions is presented for piano teachers who wish to encourage the development of their students’ sight-reading ability. [View]

Fostering Creativity in Applied Lessons: Foundations and Applications
By Andy Villemez, Kate Acone, NCTM and Todd VanKekerix, NCTM

Creativity generates musical innovation and confident performers, and music lessons provide an optimal environment for nurturing students’ creative potential. To empower creative and independent students, this article proposes three principles of developing creativity through active collaboration, well-defined constraints, and listening and copying. Each principle is introduced through a theoretical framework followed by methods for practical applications. [View]

Poster Sessions

The Forgotten French Woman: The Pedagogical Piano Works of Germaine Tailleferre
By Jenna Klein, NCTM [View]

A Heart in the Highlands: Helen Hopekirk’s Celtic Piano Music for the Studio and Stage
By Hannah Roberts, NCTM [View]

Uncovering an Innovative Approach: Heinrich Neuhaus’ Secrets of Tone Production Applied to Tchaikovsky’s”Album for the Young,“ Op. 39
By Polina Golubkova and Megan Rich, NCTM [View]

Current Research

The Influences of Folk Song and Folk Instruments in Chinese Piano Music
By Yangmingting Fang [View]

Martin Bresnick’s Piano Compositions: An Analysis and Performance Guide
By Helena Aung [View]