Description: Personal branding is a journey of self-discovery and self-expression. It’s about aligning your inner feelings with your outer actions. Your mission is your purpose, your vision is the future you want to create, and your values guide your actions. In the AriaReady process, these are the first steps to becoming known, liked, and trusted. Your brand is about authenticity, living in alignment with your mission, vision, and values, by expressing your true self. If you don’t tell your story, someone else will!

About The Presenter: David brings over 40 years of business experience and a unique perspective on communication. He champions the idea that businesses should be living systems, built on mutually beneficial relationships. His leadership roles, including business owner and Senior AE for RR Donnelley Printing, have shaped a successful business model centered on service, not competition. David excels at understanding the needs and expectations of all management levels within a relationship. He’s shared his behavioral skills and tools through lectures and workshops across the country.

Description: Create a roadmap for your ideal business based on your professional skill set and personal goals. In this session, we’ll explore business models, growth strategies, and technology tools to help you create the business you envision!

About The Presenter: Amy Erhard is the co-owner of Denver area music school Altitunes with Susie Frey. Working together, Erhard and Frey built Altitunes from a single teacher to a multi-location studio with 10+ teachers serving 300+ kids each week. Erhard received her masters degree in music therapy from Colorado State University and her undergraduate in Piano Performance from the University of Wisconsin Superior. Erhard serves as the VP for programs for the Foothills Music Teacher’s Association and the advertising chair for CSMTA.

Description: During this presentation I will introduce Latin American intermediate and advanced pieces that contain rhythmic and timing challenges, and I will demonstrate practical techniques to help students develop a better understanding of rhythm, timing and direction. Some of these challenges include rubato, syncopation, hemiolas, cross-rhythms, irregular rhythms and rhythmic groupings, and toccata-style rhythmic writing. Many of these pieces were inspired by folk rhythms, including the germinal Habanera dance rhythm, and Huapangos and other 6/8 dances.

About The Presenter: Alejandro Cremaschi is Professor of Piano Pedagogy at CU Boulder. He has performed and presented in numerous national and international conferences. His research interests include the music of Latin America, diversity in music, motivation, practicing strategies, and technology. He is a former CSMTA President, and is currently Director for Research Advancement at the Frances Clark Center for Keyboard Pedagogy.

Description: In this session, we’ll explore what it means to hold space for our students and all the emotions that come along with the learning process. Beginning with a conversation on how to understand our own emotions and nervous systems as teachers, we’ll cover important topics like intentional listening, staying grounded, and energetic boundaries. Stephanie will also share tools you can use to spot emotional dysregulation in your students so you can create a safer space for them to express their creativity and grow as musicians. *This Presentation is ONLINE ONLY.

About The Presenter: Having built a successful career as an operatic soprano, performing on stages nationwide with some of the greatest names in classical music today, Stephanie began to realize that the amazing skills she had learned, which allowed her to perform at her very best night after night, were not often taught outside of the performing world. In fact, even she struggled to apply them off-stage, until she developed a secret strategy that distilled the concepts down to easy-to-follow principles, eventually manifesting as her exclusive L.I.G.H.T.S. Formula. At the heart of it all, is Stephanie’s dedication to sharing the healing benefits of sound and vibrations.

Description: Meeting students where they are is one of the most important things we do as teachers. Research shows that 15-20% of the current population is considered neurodivergent, and this number will likely climb over the coming years. This presentation will discuss ideas and strategies for effectively teaching neurodiverse students in both private and group piano studios.

About The Presenter: Dr. Emily Book McGree, NCTM, is currently on the faculty at the Lamont School of Music, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate piano pedagogy, and directs the Piano Preparatory Program. A passionate music educator, Book McGree has a wealth of experience coaching piano teachers in a variety of settings, and she strives to use the latest pedagogical techniques to reach students of all ages and ability levels. Book McGree is a frequent presenter at national and state music teacher conferences and serves as a teacher trainer and mentor to teachers awarded the National Piano Foundation RMM Teaching Fellowship. She has been on the conference planning committee for the RMM track at the Music Teacher’s Nation Conference since 2013. She also serves as the President-Elect of Colorado State Music Teachers Association and maintains an active teaching studio in Lafayette, CO. Book McGree holds degrees from University of Colorado at Boulder, Louisiana State University, and Ohio Wesleyan University.

Description: This talk explores various aspects and perspectives of managing and operating your studio. Develop curiosity, and identify as an entrepreneurial business owner. Learn new, actionable ideas and technology to help you earn more, deepen the enjoyment of your work, and increase the impact you make on your community. *This Presentation is ONLINE ONLY.

About The Presenter: Eric Branner is a third-generation music teacher with a passion for elevating the profession of teaching music. He currently serves as the VP of Business Development for Private Markets at MakeMusic. Eric is also the founder of the studio management platform Fons by MakeMusic.