Teaching with Piano Inspires Kids: Five Ways It Comes to Life at the New School for Music Study

1. Structuring Curriculum Through Themed Issues

Piano Inspires Kids (PIK) guides how we coordinate instruction across group classes. Each themed issue informs our planning, with short readings that spark activities and longer-term projects that deepen learning over time. In this way, technique, theory, repertoire, and creative work remain connected and meaningful.

At the same time, PIK helps us stay aligned as a faculty while maintaining the flexibility to draw on our individual expertise and perspectives. The ready-made lesson plans are especially valuable, offering a strong and engaging starting point that can be readily expanded with additional activities.

2. Integrating Skills Within Each Group Class 

Each class is designed so that technical work, musical analysis, and repertoire study unfold within a connected sequence of activities, with PIK serving as a key resource in determining that structure. A typical group class might include a brief written or analytical task, performance work, and a focused exploration drawn from a PIK article. Recently, students explored the concept of proprioception (“How Your Hands Know the Keyboard”), locating intervals, chord shapes, and patterns without visual reference, and then immediately applying this awareness to repertoire that requires coordinated movement across the keyboard. Classes concluded with students performing their pieces with their eyes closed, a powerful strategy they now understand from both a musical and scientific perspective.

3. Extending Learning Through Multi-Week Projects

PIK materials support projects that unfold over several weeks, moving from introduction to exploration and implementation. For example, in the Spring 2025 issue, students prepared for the Composition Contest by creating short works for pre-made video clips, developing musical ideas around timing, register, narrative, and texture. Teachers guided reflection on the role of music in film, and for students in the Program for Excellence in Piano Study, the process culminated in a lecture-recital at the Princeton Public Library, where they premiered their work for a live audience.

The Play section is a consistent highlight, offering students imaginative repertoire written specifically for each issue. Beyond learning the pieces, students engage with the music more deeply by reading about the composers, listening to performances by professional pianists, such as Curtis Pavey’s recording of Cloches dans la nuit by Dennis Alexander, and exploring practice strategies that support effective learning. Short practice videos on the PIK YouTube channel @pianoinspireskids further reinforces these ideas.

Students are encouraged to submit their performances, compositions, and/or written responses for publication and online features.

4. Guiding Reflection Through Targeted Prompts

At NSMS, fostering students’ reflective processes is central to our curriculum. PIK supports this work by directing attention to specific musical elements in ways that are both engaging and purposeful. In the Spring 2026 issue, the question “How do you keep your repertoire fresh before a performance?” invited students to revisit their pieces with curiosity, exploring new approaches to sustain interest and momentum.

As part of this process, students shared and discussed their practice strategies, then incorporated these ideas into a collective “practice toolkit,” expanding both their awareness and their approach to independent work.

5. Connecting Students to a Global Musical Community

PIK connects students to a broader musical world beyond NSMS. They enjoy reading responses from renowned pianists on engaging topics, while also getting to know peers who are featured in the magazine. Contributions from musicians of all ages and levels help students see themselves as part of an active, global community.

PIK also provides meaningful opportunities for recognition and connection. Students take pride in celebrating one another, whether through features in the magazine or performances shared on the PIK YouTube channel, fostering a sense of belonging and shared purpose.