Meet Yamaha Master Educator Pamela Pike
Pamela Pike is the Herndon Spillman Professor of Piano Pedagogy at Louisiana State University and the editor-in-chief and chief content director for Piano Magazine. Pike is a highly respected and upbeat voice in expanding the world of keyboard pedagogy, and she stresses the importance of understanding the needs of diverse students in all stages of life. She shares her recognizable passion and unique insights with educators, helping craft curricula to fit each student at their current level and empower them to develop and refine the skills to continue their musical journey. Pike seeks to inspire all students to become lifelong learners and music-makers by engaging their natural curiosity. She has extensive knowledge into teaching piano to students of all ages, both privately and in group settings.
Understanding that adults have different needs based on their individual stage in life, several of Pike’s professional development sessions focus on guiding educators to adjust their teaching style to fit the student and not just the age group. Regardless of a student’s level of skill, she’s able to build a map to navigate through the learning process, believing that anyone can learn to play the piano depending on how much they dedicate themselves.
“If a student isn’t learning and they’re putting forth the effort, that’s my fault as a teacher,” Pike says. “I must be missing a piece there.”
Beyond the classroom, Pike and her work on Piano Magazine brings focus to the evolving nature of keyboard pedagogy. Her mission is to share and preserve this essential knowledge base so that it can be accessible to anyone interested in learning or teaching piano. Her research interests include distance learning, teaching older adults (third-age students), group teaching techniques, and cognition and human learning.
A few of Pamela Pike’s session titles are:
- “Sight Reading Strategies”
- “Practice Strategies That Work!”
- “Developing Artistry in Intermediate Students”
- “Motivation”
- “Group Teaching Techniques”
- “Distance Teaching 101”
- “Facilitating Adult Learning in the Music Studio”
To learn more about clinics by Pamela Pike, please contact Jalissa Gascho at jgascho@yamaha.com.