The National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy is just around the corner. This biennial conference, which was put on by The Francis Clark Center for Keyboard Pedagogy, is always held in Lombard, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.
The 2015 event was my first NCKP experience, and I was hooked. Since I’m only a 3-4 hour drive away, I plan on attending every one from now on!
After my first Piano Pantry reader’s dinner at MTNA in Baltimore, I was excited to get the chance to offer something again at NCKP. This time, I’m honored to team up with Tim Topham, who’s making the trek all the way from Australia for this great conference.
Let me share how I first came to meet Tim.
In the summer of 2015, I was looking for help in teaching pop music and chord improvisation for two main reasons: I had a teenage boy with whom I really needed to do more in this area, and I was offering a summer “Keys to Worship” group class for adults on playing the keyboard in a worship setting.
While I was already comfortable playing off chord charts, I wanted a little guidance on the best way to teach others the same skills. This is when I found Tim Topham’s website and podcast and began devouring all his content, including his Piano Flix series, which is now a resource as part of his Top Music Pro membership (formerly the Inner Circle.)
Of course, when I heard he would be at NCKP 2015, I was like a little awe-struck groupie. I introduced myself briefly after his session with the usual, “I just wanted to say you’ve helped me so much this summer as I started this worship class, blah, blah, blah.” I think a little part of me thought maybe somehow he would know me since, like, at the moment, I was his biggest fan. LOL.
Fast-forward 8 months, and I got the chance to present for the first time at the MTNA National Conference (San Antonio). Who attended MY session this time around? None other than Tim Topham! Once again, I thought, “How cool is this?”
Notice who the height-challenged one is in this photo? LOL.
I then had the chance to share my session, the Wild West of Marketing, in a webinar format hosted by Tim a few months later.
Sign up for Tim and Amy’s NCKP Meet-Up
Here we are two years after I first discovered Tim’s unique content for piano teachers, and as the foodie piano teacher blogger, I’m excited to host a meet-up event together.
We’re looking forward to connecting with you at this event. You do need to book ahead of time so we can know the final numbers for the reservation. If you’re thinking of coming, please book now!
Tim is handling all the details through the Eventbrite registration below.
[This event is closed]
What a great idea! Looking forward to meeting you at NCKP!
Hi, Elyse – yes looking forward to a chance to meet some readers face to face!