Presenting District: Umatilla-Morrow
Presenter: Joseph Hoffman
Program Description: Do you teach your students to transpose? Do you ever read lead sheets? What about improvising and harmonic analysis? Even beginners can tackle these often-overlooked but highly useful skills if taught in the right way, opening doors to creativity and deep music theory comprehension to last a lifetime!

About Joseph Hoffman: Joseph Hoffman, founder of Hoffman Academy and creator of the Hoffman Method for Piano, began playing piano when he was 6 years old. A YouTube personality, Kodaly-certified music educator, and former faculty member at BYU’s School of Music, Mr. Hoffman has dedicated his professional life to developing an innovative new piano method along with a host of online tools, games, and resources for students and teachers that make learning piano fun. His online piano lessons have reached over 200,000 students across 115 countries, transforming the way piano education is accessed worldwide.

Joseph Hoffman is also active as a composer and conductor, and his original works have been heard in many performance halls. From 2011-2013, Mr. Hoffman served as orchestra conductor of the Portland Ensign Choir and Orchestra. Mr. Hoffman regularly serves as an adjudicator of piano festivals and events, and provides training to piano teachers on the Hoffman Method. He has created a collection of popular song arrangements for beginning through late elementary piano students, “Mr. Hoffman’s Popular Hits for Piano,” published by Hal Leonard, and a vocal pedagogy book in collaboration with Betty Jeanne Chipman, “Singing with Mind, Body, and Soul,” published by Wheatmark Press.