Discovery Blog
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Reader Poll: Are Books Better than Digital Scores?
Have your students ever dreamed of composing music for movies? Now’s your chance! With our 2025 Piano Inspires Kids Composition Contest, young pianists can take on the exciting role of a movie soundtrack composer.
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Follow us on Instagram!
See more inspiring content on our Instagram page @pianoinspireskids! Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or music enthusiast, @pianoinspireskids offers a vibrant collection of tips, performances, and educational content that will ignite a love for the piano in kids of all ages. Join the community today and be part of a movement that’s inspiring pianists around the world! Like…
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101 Years of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue!
Rhapsody in Blue, George Gershwin’s composition for solo piano and jazz band, celebrated the 100th anniversary of its premiere on February 12, 2024, with concerts around the world, in cities including New York City, Paris, Munich, Vienna, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Memphis, and San Francisco. It will celebrate its 101st birthday this year! Did you know…
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New Issue! Winter 2025: Music & Nature
Explore the connections between music and nature with the Winter 2025 Issue of Piano Inspires Kids. Special thanks to Skyela Marie, age 11, for designing the Music and Nature cover, titled Music at the Pond. The Musical Sounds of Nature Have you ever listened to the steady sound of raindrops or the song-like melody of…
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The “Inclusiano”: Student-Built Keyboard Designed for Disabilities
In the News: Lego League Wins First Place for an Inspiring, Inclusive Innovation ÉQUIPE FRANCOBOTIQUE, a French-speaking First Lego League team from Aurora, Ontario, Canada, has used universal design to create the “Inclusiano” (inclusive + piano combined), a new low-cost, durable, portable, and inclusive piano! This group of seven students in grades 4 to 6…
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Musical Athletes
Guess what, budding virtuosos? Some elite athletes are also accomplished musicians! Musical training boosts coordination and motor skills, so perhaps this is the secret weapon to their success! Let’s take a look at a few famous sports stars who love jamming on the piano. Nathan Aké First up is Nathan Aké—a world famous professional soccer…
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Spark Your Creativity with Variation Form
Explore variation form with Beethoven’s Six Variations on a Swiss Song WoO 64. Listen to Alfred Brendel’s Performance.
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Announcing: 2025 Movie Soundtrack Composition Contest
Have your students ever dreamed of composing music for movies? Now’s your chance! With our 2025 Piano Inspires Kids Composition Contest, young pianists can take on the exciting role of a movie soundtrack composer.
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The Perfect Gift for Young Pianists
Transform Lives with Piano Inspires Kids! We invite you to join us in spreading the joy of music to students and teachers who could benefit greatly from Piano Inspires Kids. Piano Inspires Kids is an engaging, quarterly publication written with piano students in mind. With a wide variety of topics for piano students to explore…
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What is the Left Pedal on the Piano?
Q: What is the left pedal and why use it? A: The left pedal can help pianists create beautifully expressive sound…
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Student Spotlight! Meet DeeDee, a finalist in the 2024 EPTA UK National Piano Competition!
Current Favorites Art, walking my grandmother’s dogs, playing Scherzo-valse by Chabrier What do you enjoy most about playing the piano? Everything. It’s my life so of course I enjoy it. What is the most challenging thing about playing the piano for you? Recording! Unlike a concert or a competition, I feel like I have to…
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A Closer Look at Scale Fingerings
Most pianists learn to play scales, but it can be difficult to remember so many fingerings! While every scale has a slightly different pattern, we can rely on a few rules for every scale: Sounds simple, right? Not necessarily! Scale playing can be both mentally and technically challenging. Let’s take a look at the Group…
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Florence Price’s Award-Winning Sonata
Florence Price’s Piano Sonata in E Minor won the Wanamaker composition prize in 1932, and Price was the first African American woman to win this prestigious award! The word “Afro Romantic” was created to describe her compositional style, which was a combination of African American and Romantic styles. What is a Sonata? A sonata is…
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Practice Improvisation at the Piano
Designed to spark creativity in young pianists, this series encourages students to explore the piano in fun and imaginative ways, focusing on improvisation, listening, and creating at the keyboard. Black Key Improv, Modal Improv, and more.
