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| Presentations Jon Michael Iverson is available to speak at teachers' meetings, workshops and professional development sessions as well as master classes. Presentation topics and synopses are listed below; contact information can be found here. 
Fostering the Musician's Student: Developing and Nurturing Musicality in Students Delving into the topic of musicality, Jon Michael Iverson discusses something we love as music teachers: a musical performance. This presentation covers the many facets of what we would define as a person's "musicality." Intended for teachers of students of all ages, abilities, and instruments, this session offers specific strategies to help develop and nurture the innate musicality found within students. A sample handout can be found here. Clarfield’s Pedagogy: From Good to Great! Nationally renowned pedagogue Ingrid Jacobson Clarfield is widely recognized for her contributions to the field on the topics of performance choreography, musical style and practice strategies. This presentation – given by Jon Michael Iverson, a former Clarfield pedagogy student – will guide teachers through her two-fold pedagogical methods; not only do they help teachers hone their skills as musical diagnosticians, but help to make students into consummate young artists as well. Starting with the most important step in a laying a solid foundation for an artistic performance, Clarfield maps out effective practice strategies that help students navigate common practicing pitfalls. Stylistic considerations are then addressed with musical appropriateness and historical accuracy in mind. The final polish of a student’s performance comes in the form of performance choreography; aimed at turning a good performance into a stellar performance, Clarfield’s approach helps take a student’s artistry to the next level. A sample handout can be found here. 
Diamonds in the Rough [Or, How to Get a 12-Year Old Boy to Practice] If music teachers had to have a axiom similar to the business world’s “location, location, location,” it would undoubtedly have to be “repertoire, repertoire, repertoire.” As teachers, it’s our knowledge of the teaching repertoire that allows us to tailor repertoire choices to a student’s specific needs. In this presentation, Jon Michael Iverson highlights hidden gems scattered throughout the teaching repertoire. Some pieces are cool and highly motivating for students; others are simply beautiful. Regardless, these diamonds in the rough are sure to bring a smile to any teachers [and students!] face. A sample handout can be found here.
Music, Memetics and You: Most Everything You Might Need [or Want!] to Know About Memes Memetics is a new field that states that non-genetic information is susceptible to the same laws of nature that apply to genetic information (DNA); that is, that cultural information replicates, adapts, competes, and seeks survival in the environment in which it’s located. Over time, bits of information called “memes” [rhymes with "beams"] bind together and enormous information super-structures emerge. Music is one of many of these types of structures. As musicians and music teachers, a basic understanding of memetics is important as we, the teachers, are where many students come in direct contact with musical information. How is this information transmitted from the teacher to the student as clearly as possible? How do we know what we are sending is what they are receiving? How do we make information ‘sticky’? This engaging and thought-provoking session discusses teaching from the viewpoint of the meme and gives us a behind-the-scenes look at how they are effectively passed from teacher to student.
Intermediate Piano Master Class Have you ever wondered why most master classes are geared towards advanced players? Aren’t intermediate players just as capable of performing in a master class? I think so! This intermediate level master class is aimed at teachers, parents and non-performing students of all ages and abilities so that they can get a glimpse into the processes of learning and performing. Perhaps more importantly however, they can experience the process of learning to perform. Style, musicality, expressiveness and performance choreography and whatever advice these young performers might need are all topics dealt with in this light-hearted and enjoyable open lesson!
Master Class for Advanced Pianists As artists, we strive to be on a path towards perfection. While on that path, a pianist steps over the threshold into advanced repertoire and new avenues of discovery open up in myriad of previously unknown possibilities. In this Master Class for Advanced Pianists, performers will take yet another step along their path and enter into a dialogue about musical artistry: phrasing, shaping, expressivity, inflection, technique and color become the new standards as they journey towards fine musicianship.
Interested in having Jon Michael Iverson for a teachers meeting, workshop or clinic? Contact him by clicking here.
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