Schedule
10:00–10:30 a.m. – Business meeting and social time
10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. – Presentation by Dr. Stephen Lewis
Refreshments: Snacks will be provided. Please bring your own beverage.
The Four Senses of Piano Playing: Engaging Hearing, Sight, Touch, and Proprioception for Optimal Learning and Performing
How do we achieve a flow state when performing? An important part of entering a flow state is coordinating the four senses we rely on while learning and performing music: hearing, sight, touch, and proprioception. In this presentation, Dr. Stephen Lewis will discuss current scientific understandings of how our brains and bodies process these senses and how consciously engaging all four can enhance teaching, practicing, and performance.
About the Presenter
Dr. Stephen Lewis, NCTM, is a music teacher, pianist, composer, and conductor based in Portland, Oregon. He has more than twenty years of experience teaching piano, composition, music theory, and music history in both private studios and higher education.
Stephen serves as President-Elect of the East Portland District of the Oregon Music Teachers Association (OMTA) for the 2025–2027 term. As a pianist, he performs solo recitals, including his Modernist Piano Series, and regularly collaborates with organizations such as the Oregon Symphony, Fear No Music, 45th Parallel, and other local ensembles. He is also the accompanist for the Portland Symphonic Choir.
As a composer, his works have been performed throughout the United States and in Italy, including performances by Fear No Music and on the ChatterPDX series in Portland.
Dr. Lewis earned both a Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance and a Ph.D. in Composition from the University of California, San Diego. He is also a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where he majored in Composition and Piano Performance.
When he is not making music, Stephen enjoys hiking, reading, wine tasting, and traveling.
For more information, visit https://www.stephenlewiscomposer.com/.Presenter - Joseph Hoffman - "Teaching Rhythm with the Child's Brain in Mind."