The Music Tree: The Inspirations and Contributions of Frances Clark
GUEST ARTIST MASTERCLASS
Craig Sale, piano pedagogy
Thursday, October 14, 2021
12:50-1:50 p.m.
Room 121, Keyboard Lab
For decades, The Music Tree by Frances Clark and Louise Goss, has been revered as a model of pedagogical thoughtfulness and structure. But what inspired this breakthrough method? What are its lasting contributions? This presentation will explore the educational theories that inspired Frances Clark. It will also look at the revolutionary use of off-staff notation and intervallic reading, as well as provide an introduction to the series.
Craig Sale, of Tucson, AZ, is a pianist, teacher, workshop clinician, adjudicator, author, and editor. For thirty years he served as Director of the Preparatory and Community Piano Program at Concordia University Chicago, where he created a Certificate in Piano Pedagogy curriculum and taught the university courses in piano pedagogy. Mr. Sale is Senior Editor for Piano Magazine and Director of Online Courses for the Frances Clark Center. He served as Associate Editor for Clavier Companion/Keyboard Companion since 2000. He is the editor for the highly praised book, The Success Factor in Piano Teaching by Elvina Pearce (Frances Clark Center), author of Piano Interval Workbook (Hal Leonard), and co-author of The Music Tree: Activities 3 and The Music Tree: Activities 4 (Alfred) He has presented master classes and workshops for piano teachers across the United States, including presentations at MTNA and the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy. In 2021, he was named an MTNA Foundation Fellow. Mr. Sale holds a B. Mus. degree in piano performance from Northwestern University, a M. Mus. degree in piano performance from the University of Illinois/Urbana-Champaign, and a Professional Teaching Certificate from the New School for Music Study where he studied piano pedagogy with Frances Clark and Louise Goss. Mr. Sale serves on the Board of Trustees for the Frances Clark Center for Keyboard Pedagogy and is a member of Tucson Music Teachers Association, Arizona Music Teachers Association, and MTNA.