Piano Adventures Receives 2018 MTNA Frances Clark Keyboard Pedagogy Award

Piano Adventures^® by Nancy and Randall Faber, has been selected as the recipient of the MTNA Frances Clark Keyboard Pedagogy Award for 2018.

The method was selected by members of the Frances Clark Center Board of Directors and ratified by the MTNA Board of Directors at its winter meeting.

This annual award was established by a bequest to the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) by the renowned pedagogue, Frances Clark. It is given annually to a person or company who has made significant contributions to the field of keyboard pedagogy, through the creation and development of products and publications that further the profession. The first award was presented in 2001 to Jane Magrath for her classic reference work The Pianist’s Guide to Standard Teaching and Performance Literature. Most recently, the award was presented to pianist and Julliard professor Paul Sheftel for his book entitled Modules. Other recipients have included Barbara Lister-Sink, James Lyke, Marienne Uszler, Maurice Hinson, the Yamaha Disklavier, Willard Palmer, Fred Karpoff, Robert Duke, and Seymour Bernstein.

“Nancy and Randy have changed the face of modern piano pedagogy,” said Larry Morton, president of Hal Leonard. “Some might even say they revolutionized piano teaching. As teachers, they saw the gaps and pitfalls in other methods, and set out to write the method they always wanted for their own students. As composers, they invoke pianism and artistic music in every original composition and arrangement — even in scale exercises — so technique and artistry is emphasized from the beginning. As educators, they understand how intrinsic motivation can work to the student’s advantage, so they created a library with nearly every genre and musical taste represented. They continue to evolve, creating new works and support materials that recognize the changing nature of teaching and learning in the digital age,” said Morton. “Their story is quite remarkable. So much of what we take for granted in modern pedagogy can be attributed to the works of Nancy and Randy Faber.”

The Fabers will be recognized at the MTNA National Conference in Lake Buena Vista, Florida at the Awards Brunch on March 21, 2018.