Continuing Education Workshops 2025-2026
Continuing Education #3 – Jeremy Siskind
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
– Blues Improvisation
9:30-11:00am
Location: Online (Zoom)
Blues improvisation is one of the most natural entry points into jazz, and in this workshop Jeremy Siskind shows classically trained pianists how to improvise with clarity, expression, and an authentic blues style from the very start.
Jeremy Siskind is the rare musician whose imaginative albums land on “best of” lists while his ground-breaking instructional books populate “best-seller” lists. A top finisher in national and international jazz piano competitions, Siskind is a two-time laureate of the American Pianists Association and the winner of the Nottingham International Jazz Piano Competition. A sought-after educator, Siskind has published more than 20 instructional books, including Playing Solo Jazz Piano, with an introduction by Fred Hersch, and the ground-breaking Jazz Piano Fundamentals series. As a busy LA-based musician, his piano playing can be heard on Arturo Sandoval’s most recent recording, My Foolish Heart, his arrangements can be heard on Julia Bullock’s Grammy-winning album, Walking in the Dark, and his compositions appear on nationally recognized repertoire lists, like the famed publication of the National Federation of Music Clubs.
Besides Siskind’s own YouTube channel, which boasts over 25,000 subscribers, Siskind is frequently seen teaching on digital platforms like Tonebase, Open Studio, and Piano with Jonny, as well as presenting webinars and in-person lectures for the Frances Clark Institute, the Music Teachers National Association, and the Imagine Solutions Conference. Siskind helps to guide education and pedagogy surrounding improvisation and composition. Siskind spreads peace through music in places like Lebanon, Tunisia, and Thailand with the non-profit organization, Jazz Education Abroad. Jeremy Siskind is a Yamaha Artist.
Register for Session
Session Fees:
ARMTA Edmonton Branch Member: FREE
ARMTA Provincial Member (any Branch): $10
Non-member: $25 / session (non-refundable)
Location:
ONLINE ZOOM – you will receive the link after registering
Questions?
Contact Jan Janovsky at jjjanovsky@gmail.com
Continuing Education #1 and #2 – Merlin Thompson
Wednesday, November 5, 2025
– #1 Parental Involvement that Works
Thursday, November 13, 2025
– #2 From Surviving to Thriving: Strategies for Visionary Teaching
10:00-11:30am
Location: Online (Zoom)
#1 Parental Involvement that Works
Every teacher knows that parental involvement can make or break a student’s learning experience. In Parental Involvement That Works, we’ll take a look at the teacher/parent relationship and consider meaningful strategies that foster healthy collaboration because parents matter—but how they’re involved makes all the difference.
#2 From Surviving to Thriving: Strategies for Visionary Teaching
Feeling like times have changed faster than your teaching can keep up? You’re not alone. From Surviving to Thriving: Strategies for Visionary Teaching shares practical and inspirational strategies that work—so you can move past survival mode and reignite your passion for teaching. Learn what a 21st century vision of music teaching can bring to your studio.
Merlin B. Thompson (PhD, MA, BMus) Award-winning music educator, workshop clinician, and keynote speaker, Dr. Merlin Thompson is an internationally renowned authority in studio music teaching. With nearly five decades of teaching experience, Merlin has guided countless teachers in expanding their teacher skillset and creating engaging studio environments across Canada, USA, China, New Zealand, Australia, and Finland. He is author of “More than Music Lessons: A Studio Teacher’s Guide to Parents, Practicing, Projects, and Character”. Now as creator and founder of Teach Music 21C, Merlin inspires music teachers to rethink what successful music lessons look like. www.TeachMusic21C.com.