About

Wendy Stevens is a composer, pianist, and teacher.  She received her Bachelor of Music in Piano Pedagogy and her Masters of Music in Theory and Composition from Wichita State University where she studied with Pulitzer Prize Nominee Walter Mays. Wendy graduated summa cum laude and was a recipient of the MTNA stAR award (Student Achievement Recognition Award) and a finalist for the MTNA Studio Fellowship Award. She has also taught theory at Wichita State University and adjudicates for music events in the area. In addition to her studio teaching, she has served as a church musician playing the piano and organ for more than seventeen years.

Wendy is a member of MTNA, KMTA, and her local association WMMTA. She has served as president and many other positions in WMMTA, and has also served on the board for KMTA. She is a nationally certified teacher of music and is a member of ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers.

Wendy enjoys composing and giving presentations on creativity, composition, and technology. Her students have won various prizes for their compositions at a local and national level. Wendy’s own compositions are published with Concordia Publishing House, Augsburg Fortress, and Hal Leonard.

Workshop Topics

Please contact Wendy if you are interested in inviting her to give a presentation to your group of teachers.  Wendy has presented the following workshops to dozens of music teacher organizations and would be thrilled to present them to yours.

Best Stress-Free Business Practices for Piano Teachers

Explore how these policies and business practices can significantly contribute to stress-free teaching. Included in this workshop will be tips on changing many “false narratives” that keep us from making good business decisions or keep us from following through on decisions we know are good to make. If you have ever felt that you might be overworked, donʼt make enough money, have abused makeup policies, are stressed out, are tired of annoying issues, or are just tired of teaching, come learn how these simple, solid practices can save your sanity! This topic typically draws large crowds of teachers and was a huge success at the 2012 KMTA (Kansas Music Teachers Association) conference and the 2012 SMU Institute for Piano Teachers in Dallas, Texas. Wendy will be sharing two workshops on this topic at the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy 2013.

Composition for Kids: Time Saving Ways to Encourage Composition

(See video excerpt below.)

Nurturing Creativity and Inspiration – (See invitation)

Do you feel you lack creativity or inspiration in your teaching? Do you need an inspirational boost but don’t know where to find it? Do you struggle to be creative in teaching new concepts? Do you feel you are stuck in a rut?   This workshop offers practical advice on nurturing creativity and inspiration in your life and your teaching. Since every human possesses creativity, each can learn to utilize their creative potential in ways that are unique to their personality and ambition. Wendy will demonstrate how the same creative and inspirational process involved in composing music can be used by teachers to solve student problems, create fresh activities for teaching, and connect with students.

Growing a More Musical Studio

Robert Schumann asks, “What Does Musical Mean?” in his Musical Rules for Home and Life, a set of aphorisms in the original edition of Album for the Young. Wendy Stevens will share Schumann’s answers to this question and how those answers relate to helping the average student play more musically. Included in the discussion will be many practical ideas for encouraging and motivating your elementary and intermediate students to make music, not just sounds. Learn practical and exciting ways of raising the bar of musicianship in your studio.