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Hello! I’m your host and a longtime group teacher, Marie Lee.
Are you interested in teaching piano in groups but are not sure how to get started?
Perhaps you need support as you develop your group teaching studio?
Maybe you’ve been teaching group piano for years, and you need fresh ideas?
Group IlluminatED is here for YOU, offering uniquely curated packages to elevate your teaching.
Gain quick tips and sage advice from expert presenters who actually do what you do, and are here to share what’s truly working in their classrooms.
Each Group IlluminatED course zooms in on a specific aspect of group teaching.
Creativity and Depth: Artistry, Expression, and Differentiation in Group Piano Teaching
Take your group piano teaching to the next level with this inspiring 7-course bundle focused on creativity, expression, and depth. Learn how to nurture improvisation, composition, and collaborative artistry while maintaining solid pedagogy and technique.
Featuring expert educators Bradley Sowash, Leila Viss, Grant Kondo, Melanie Bowes, and Debra Perez, this series explores:
How to teach creativity with structure and intention
Practical ways to blend technique, artistry, and imagination
Tools for improvisation, collaboration, and expressive performance
Real classroom strategies to help every student find their unique musical voice
✅ Outcome: Teachers become confident in leading creative, collaborative group learning experiences for all ages and needs.
Seven Inspiring Courses
The Pedagogy of Teaching Creativity — with Bradley Sowash
Move beyond the printed page. Bradley Sowash helps you teach creativity, improvisation, and composition with the same confidence you bring to written music.
Team Creativity — with Leila Viss
Collaboration sparks imagination. Leila Viss shows how to merge teamwork and creativity to make every group class feel like a musical jam session.
Is It a Bench or a Couch? — with Leila Viss
Teaching doesn’t have to stay on the bench! Leila Viss helps you bring energy and flexibility into your classroom through off-bench activities and imaginative setups that invite students to move, listen, and explore.
Improvisation in Group Piano Settings — with Grant Kondo
Grant Kondo, author of Skills for the Modern Pianist, shows how to make improvisation accessible and joyful for all levels — helping students gain confidence and express themselves freely through music.
Going Further with Lead Sheets — with Bradley Sowash
Take lead sheets to the next level. Bradley Sowash teaches practical tools for reharmonization, rhythmic variation, and expressive interpretation that you can teach right away.
Teaching Technique in Group Piano Classes — with Melanie Bowes
Technique doesn’t have to be tedious. Melanie Bowes offers group-friendly strategies for developing strong, healthy playing habits through engaging, collaborative exercises.
Explore and Create Using Chord Charts — with Debra Perez
Chord charts are creative goldmines! Debra Perez guides you through techniques for interpreting, improvising, and performing with freedom — helping students find their voice at the keys.
Bonus! Multi-Level Ensemble
Five Piano Multi-Level Ensemble: Snowman, commissioned by Group IlluminatED and composed by Caroline Fauchet
This piece was designed for five pianos at five different levels, making it perfect for mixed-level classes or collaborative studio recitals.
Studio license to print as many copies as you need for your own students.
Meet “Snowman” — a five-piano, multi-level ensemble by Caroline Fauchet, perfect for holiday recitals. Joyful, rhythmic, and inclusive for every student background with a little wink of Jingle Bells at the end
Listen to it below.