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Crane School of Music to Host Piano Pedagogy Conference on Sept. 17

September 6, 2022

SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music Welcomes Guest Clinician Marvin Blickenstaff for 2022 Crane Piano Pedagogy Conference 

SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music will welcome music teachers for an exciting day of free workshops during the 2022 Crane Piano Pedagogy Conference on Saturday, Sept. 17.   

The Crane Piano Pedagogy Conference will feature guest clinician Marvin Blickenstaff, a private piano teacher and co-director of the Program for Excellence in Piano Study at the New School for Music Study. He will be joined by Dr. Tracy Lipke-Perry, assistant professor of keyboard at The Crane School of Music. 

The Crane Piano Pedagogy Conference is open to all music teachers at no charge, and will take place from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., on Saturday, Sept. 17, at The Crane School of Music. For more information, visit www.potsdam.edu/cppc. 

The conference will highlight various educational strategies for piano teachers of pre-college students. Topics include exploring how the laws of nature can guide musical interpretations, discovering ways to prevent student burnout and pedagogical repertoire composed by notable women from the age of women’s suffrage. The conference will culminate in a masterclass for North Country pre-college pianists.  

About the presenters: 

Clinician Marvin BlickenstaffThe featured clinician, Marvin Blickenstaff, will present two workshops during the conference. In his sessions, he will examine how the role of gravity, inertia, breath and heartbeat can influence musical interpretations, and will explore ways to prevent burnout by capitalizing on students’ initial excitement for music. 

Throughout his distinguished career, Blickenstaff has been a leader in music education at the piano. His contributions to the piano teaching profession have been recognized by the Music Teachers National Association, the online Piano Pedagogy Forum, the Royal Conservatory of Music and the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy. Most recently, he was inducted into the Steinway & Sons Teacher Hall of Fame.  

Assistant Professor of keyboard Dr. Tracy Lipke-PerryIn addition, Assistant Professor of Keyboard Dr. Tracy Lipke-Perry will present a workshop exploring the enduring influence of several notable first ladies from the age of women’s suffrage, highlighting their achievements as pedagogues, advocates and composers. The Crane School of Music faculty member utilizes her degrees in piano performance and neurophysiology in her eclectic career as a versatile performer, enthusiastic teaching artist and researcher.  

Conference attendees will also enjoy a mini-recital featuring the works of women composers, performed by Crane piano majors.   

For more information about the Crane Piano Pedagogy Conference or piano study at Crane, visit www.potsdam.edu/cppc. 

About The Crane School of Music: 

Founded in 1886, SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music has a long legacy of excellence in music education and performance. Life at Crane includes an incredible array of more than 300 recitals, lectures and concerts presented by faculty, students and guests each year. The Crane School of Music is the State University of New York’s only All-Steinway institution and was one of the first Yamaha Institutions of Excellence. For more information, please visit www.potsdam.edu/crane. 

For Media Inquiries

Alexandra Jacobs Wilke

jacobsam@potsdam.edu 315-267-2918

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