Piano Pedagogy Books

Dennis Alexander has sought to engage and inspire music makers at all levels throughout his long and successful career as a music educator. As a professor of music with a focus on pedagogy, Dennis began to notice the ways in which his students successfully learned to read and study music. In 1986, when given the chance to develop method books for Alfred Music, Dennis leaped at the opportunity. Over his long and successful career, he has published over 400 books at all levels and with the same conviction for which he successfully taught in person. What comes across within his metho

Jane Smisor Bastien together with her husband. James Bastien wrote the best-selling method book, Bastien Piano Methods, which was enjoyed by millions of students and teachers worldwide. The series of books, all published by the Neil A. Kjos Music Company, are now translated into more than 16 languages. Inspired by Robert Pace's "Multi-Key" pedagogical approach and her own ideas culled from years of teaching, Jane and James created the much loved and accessible "Gradual Multi-Key Approach".

Marvin Blickenstaff had an indelible mark on countless music students of all ages over his long career. As an educator, he taught at the college level and provided thousands of workshops, clinics, and masterclasses on many aspects of music, especially in the field of pedagogy. As a method book author, Marvin teamed with Louise Bianchi and Lynn Freeman Olson to create the Music Pathways Series for Carl Fischer Music. The series was innovative and created the foundation for many of Marvin’s well-attended workshops.

Edna Mae Burnam authored the now classic piano training books “A Dozen a Day” to help beginners learn in a fun and meaningful way. Her books have been critical to millions of young pianists around the world for over 60 years. Edna Mae wrote her first song back in 1935 but was more interested in teaching music than penning a top hit. While she continued to write pop songs, she worked on her idea of providing very basic learning tools for those sitting down to the piano for the first time.

Scott Houston is known as The Piano Guy thanks to his long running PBS teaching show. During the programs long run Scott has encouraged thousands of people to become music makers, making him the ideal person to speak about the importance of Recreational Music Making (RRM). His passion for teaching has inspired many to continue playing, to begin teaching and to stay active as a musician. The Piano Guy won six Emmy Awards and included over 200 episodes, many featuring special guest performers to help encourage viewers to continue with their lessons.

Gayle Kowalchyk loves teaching piano!  She studied piano in college, taught at the university level, and then established a piano studio in her home with her husband, E. L.