Presentation Schedule
Scroll down for the handout!
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Scroll down for the handout! 〰️
A little about Leila
Leila Viss generates creative-based, tech-savvy instructional resources for her private studio near Denver, Colorado, and sells them at her site, LeilaViss.com. She is the past coordinator of the University of Denver’s Piano Preparatory Program and co-founded 88 Creative Keys events with Bradley Sowash for six years. Leila is a full-time church organist and pianist, and arranges and composes sacred tunes in her spare time. Over 100 teachers and students have composed original compositions in her online Composiums. She served on the American Music Teachers Magazine editorial committee, is published in most music industry magazines. Because of her dynamic presenting style, she is in high demand for speaking engagements. She is Colorado’s 2024 Foundation Fellow and a 2025 recipient of the Frances Clark Center Outstanding Service Recognition Award.
June: National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy
Does your Feedback need Fixing? How to Find Words that Matter
Presentations in 2026
January: Aurora Music Teachers Association
Unmasterclass
Presentations in 2025
November: Columbine Music Teachers Association
Strike a Chord: Resilience in the Face of Tragedy
November: Virginia Music Teachers Association Guest Clinician
Why You Need Space to Create
Reconnect with your creativity to nurture your mind, heart, and soul
What Your Space to Create Needs
Discover activities that spark curiosity and cultivate lifelong skills in your teaching and playing
Where to Find Space to Create
Integrate creativity seamlessly with practical strategies that engage and retain students
October: Mid-Cities Music Teachers Association (Texas)
Strike a Chord: Resilience in the Face of Tragedy
October: Colorado State Music Teachers Association
From Noodle to Masterpiece: Your Go-To Toolkit for Composing
October: New York State Music Teachers Association
Does your Feedback need Fixing? How to Find Words that Matter
July: National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy
How to Approach a New Piece: An "UNmasterclass" for Elementary and Intermediate Repertoire
June: National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy
Does your Feedback need Fixing? How to Find Words that Matter
April: Foothills Music Teachers Association
Creative Conditioning for the Rookie Composer
March: Music Teachers National Association Conference
Arranging and Composing in Groups
Striking a Chord: Resilience in the Face of Tragedy
2024 PRESENTATIONS
November: Mississippi MTA Conference
Titles:
Painting the Blues Within the 12-Bar Palette
Creative Conditioning for the Rookie Composer
Flip Feedback to Feedforward
July: The Live Group Piano Conference
June: Propel to Excel Camp Virtual Conference
Title: How to Prep the Worship Pianist
April: Virtual Local Music Teachers Association
Title: Does your feedback Need Fixing? How to find Words That matter
March: MTNA Conference, Atlanta
Conference Planning Committee Member
Colorado Foundation Fellow 2024
Title: Creative Conditioning for the Rookie Composer (click for handout!)
January: Baton Rouge Music Teachers Association Workshop
Titles:
Keeping It Together When Life Falls Apart
Creative Conditioning for the Seasoned Perfectionist
Painting the Blues within the 12-Bar Palette
Teaching More with Less: Lead Sheets
Innovative Tools to Jumpstart Musical Imaginations
Navigating Chord Charts
January: Pizza, Pinot, and Pedagogy with Sam Coates, Melbourne
Title: How to Flip Feedback to Feedforward
2023 Appearances
September: South Suburban Music Teachers Association
Title: Creative Conditioning for the Rookie Composer
July: National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy
Title: How to Navigate Chord Charts
June: National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy
Title: How to Prep the Worship Pianist
March: MTNA National Conference
Title: Teaching More with Less: The Happy Birthday Bash
January: MMTA Association
Title: Teach More with Less
2022 Appearances
July: Frances Clark Summer Seminar on Intermediate Teaching and Learning
Title: Foundational Skills for the Intermediate Pianist (one of 3 panelists)
Title: Relevant Skills for the Intermediate Student: Harmonization, Lead Lines, and Popular Music (one of 3 panelists)
July: Group IlluminatED Online Conference
Title: Off Bench Matters: Isolate to Navigate
Title: Is it a Bench or a Couch?
May: Wisconsin Music Teachers Association of Greater Milwaukee Chapter and the Milwaukee Area Piano Teachers Association (MAPTA)
Title: Pop Music: The Gateway to Creativity
April: BAMTA
Title: Blossoming Within Boundaries
March: MTNA National Conference
Title: How to Prep the Worship Pianist
Title: Off Bench Matters
January 21, February 18 and March 18: SAMTA and KVMTA Mini-course
Title: Star Treatment: Create and Compose with Noteflight and Canva
January: Mid Michigan MTA (cancelled due to in-person festival)
Title: Cookie Cutter Composing
2021 Appearances
November: Columbine MTA
Title: Innovative Tools for On and Off Line Lessons
July: NCKP (National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy
Title: The 12-Bar Blues: A Colorful Framework for Creativity
PEDx: Keeping It Together When Life Falls Apart
May: SAMTA
Title: Innovative Tools for On and Off Line Lessons
March: MTNA National Conference
Title: Clever Hacks for Teaching “Piano Man”
Title: Keeping It Together When Life Falls Apart
2020 Appearances
January: Pensacola MTA
Title: Cookie Cutter Composing
December: Tonara Conference TBA
Title: Cookie Cutter Composing
October: Tualitan Valley MTA
Titles: Keep it Together When Life Falls Apart and Cookie Cutter Composing
September: Curious Piano Teachers Webinar
Title: Making Connections Begins with the End
September: Foxhills MTA
Title: Gamify to Solidify
September: SSMTA Meeting
Title: Innovative Tools for On and Off Line Lessons
July: Tonara-Sponsored Webinar
Title: What the Pandemic Teaches us About Practice
March: MTNA Conference
Title: The Five Best Apps for Music Teachers
2019
October 12: Roanoake Valley Music Teachers Association
Title: Off Bench Matters
July 9-12: 88 Creative Keys Workshop
Topics included: 12-Bar Blues, Unlocking Chord Charts, Free to Focus and many more
June 3: Colorado State Music Teachers Association
Title: The 12-Bar Blues: A Colorful Framework for Creativity
March 15: London Music and Drama Expo
Title: Pop Music—the Doorway to Creativity
January: Foothills Music Teachers Association
Title: Pop Music—the Doorway to Creativity
2018
November 28: Denver Area Music Teachers Association
Title: Keys to Improvisation at the Piano
October 12 -13: Idaho Falls Creative Keys Conference
Title: Mobile Generation
Title: Finding Time to Be Creative
Title: Set Your Studio Apart On and Off the Bench
Title: Is it Time for Your Studio to Go Baroque?
Title: Sparking Creativity with Today’s Hottest Apps
September 14: Aurora Music Teachers Association
Title: Where to Find Sheet Music and How to Organize It
July 10-13: 88 Creative Keys Workshop with Bradley Sowash
Theme: Balance with special guests Samantha Coates and Thomas Hoops
April 18: Boulder Area Music Teachers Association
Title: Do Simple Better
April 5: Private Webinar for Piano Central Studios
Title: Clever Themes and Tools for Summer Camps and Lessons
March 27 and April 3: University of Denver Graduate Pedagogy Guest Lecturer
Title: Plugging Technology into Piano Lessons
March 1: Douglas-Elbert Music Teachers Association
Title: Clever Themes and Tools for Summer Camps and Lessons
2017
September 20: Foothills Music Teachers Association
Title: Go Baroque
September 9: NFMTA and NDMTA Joint Symposium, Alpharetta, Georgia
Title: Find the Time to Be Creative
Title: Summer Fun and Income: Let the Games Begin!
June 30 - July 4: MTAC Conference, Santa Clara
Title: Musical Conversations: Summer Fun and Income
Title: Teaching the Mobile Generation with Today's Hottest Apps
Title: Is Your Studio Ready to Go Baroque?
Title: Small Group Coaching: Teaching and Technology Issues
April: Boulder Music Teachers Association
Title: Clever Themes and Tools For Summer Camps and Lessons
March 18-22: MTNA Conference, Baltimore
Title: Set Your Studio Apart On and Off the Bench
February 11: Oregon MTA District Projects
Title: Nurturing Potential into Passion
Longer Handout with links to all the resources
Interactive lecture focusing on the stages of motivation, and tips and tricks to keep students practicing, progressing and staying on the bench for a lifetime.
February 10: Tualatin Valley District
Title: Teaching the Mobile Generation with Today’s Hottest Apps
Part #1 Interactive lecture including an overview of top apps to use in lessons on and off the bench.
Part #2 A digital sandbox where we will dig into specific apps and how to integrate them into lesson plans.
February: SSMTA Achievement Day
Title: Bucket Drumming
January: SSMTA Local Association
2016
September 10: Aurora Music Teachers Association
Title: iPad App Tour Guide
July 7-10: Virtual Music Conference
Title: How to Integrate the iPad into Learning
July 6-13: 88 Creative Keys Piano Improvisation Workshop
Title: Check out the full schedule here.
June 16-19: Oregon Music Teachers Association
Title: Sparking Creativity with Today's Hottest Apps
Title: Set Your Studio Apart
Title: Compose with Pop Music
Title: Summer Fun and Income
Title: Finding Time to Be Creative
May 31: Calgary Registered Music Teachers Association
Title: Group Improvisation On and Off the Bench
Title: The Best Apps for Group Improvisation
April 22: 88 Creative Keys Webinar
Title: Groove Your Theory: Boost Theory, Technique and Timing with Backing Tracks
February 9: South Suburban Music Teachers Association
Title: Apps to Support Your Teaching
January 22: 88 Creative Keys Winter Webinar Webshop
Title: Top Pop Tips: How to Play, Teach and Compose Pop Music
January 20: Foothills Music Teachers Association
Title: Finding Time to Be Creative
2015
November: Ohio Music Teachers Association Conference
Title: Teaching the Mobile Generation with Today's Hottest App
Notes: OMTA Teaching the Mobile Generation with Today's Hottest Apps
JoyTunes Showcase: Make Practice Fun
Notes: Make Practice time Fun
Parent's Guide to Piano Maestro
Teacher's Guide to Piano Maestro
October: Get More Students and Technology Bootcamp Webinar
Title: Set your Studio Apart Off the Bench
July: National Conference of Keyboard Pedagogy 2015, Chicago, Illinois
Chair of the Creative Pianist Track
Title: Finding the Time to Be Creative
Notes: Finding the Time to Be Creative
June: Texas State Music Teachers Association Conference, Houston, Texas
Title: Teaching the Mobile Generation with Today's Hottest Apps
Notes: TMTA Teaching the Mobile Generation with Today's Hottest Apps
June: Colorado State Music Teachers Association Conference, Pueblo, Colorado
Title: Group Improvisation On and Off the Bench
Notes: CSMTA Group Improvisation Handout
May: Arizona State Music Teachers Association Conference, Phoenix, Arizona
Title: Teaching the Mobile Generation with Today's Hottest Apps
Notes: ASMTA Teaching the Mobile Generation Handout
Title: Apps To Spark Creativity
Notes: ASMTA Apps for Creativity Handout
April: Kansas City Music Teachers Association, Kansas City, Missouri
Title: Teaching the Mobile Generation with Today's Hottest Apps
Notes: KCMTA Handout
March: Music Teachers National Association Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada
Title: Apps to Spark Creativity
Notes: MTNA 2015 Handout
March: Amro Music, JoyTunes Showcase
Title: Why Use Piano Maestro?
Notes: JoyTunes Showcase Handout
March: Amro Music, Memphis, Tennessee
Title: Teaching the Mobile Generation with Today's Hottest Apps
Notes: Amro Music Handout
March: Wichita Music Teachers Association, Wichita, Kansas
Title: Teaching the Mobile Generation with Today's Hottest Apps
Notes: Senseney Music, WMMTA
March: Parker Music Teachers Association, Parker Colorado
Title: Teaching the Mobile Generation with Today's Hottest Apps
Notes: Parker MTA Handout
February: MusicEdConnect.com, Online Conference
Title: Apps To Spark Creativity
January: South Suburban Music Teachers Association, Centennial, Colorado
Title: Teaching the Mobile Generation with Today's Hottest Apps
Notes: SSMTA Handout
January: Wichita Falls Music Teachers Association, Wichita Falls, Texas
Title: Teaching the Mobile Generation with Today's Hottest Apps
Notes: WFMTA Handout
2014
November: Colorado Springs Music Teachers Association
Title: Teaching the Mobile Generation
Notes: Pike's Peak iPad Apps Handout
November: West Chester University
Title: Teaching the Mobile Generation
Notes: WCU App Handout
November: Delaware Music Teachers Association
Title: Teaching the Mobile Generation
Notes: Delaware iPad Apps Handout
Title: Group Improvisation
Notes: Delaware Group Improvisation
October: University of Colorado, Boulder
Entrepreneurial Panelist
October: Denver Area Music Teachers Association
Title: Spark Creativity with Today’s Hottest Apps
Notes: DAMTA Creativity Handout
October: Greeley Music Teachers Association
Title: Teaching the Mobile Generation
Notes: Greeley MTA Handout
October: Musician's Society
Title: Inspiring Young Composers
Notes: Musician's Society Handout
September: Fort Collins Music Teachers Association
Title: Teaching the Mobile Generation
Notes: Fort Collins MTA Handout
August: Rockley Music Center
Title: iPad APPlications in YOUR Studio
Notes: Rockleys Music
July: Southern Methodist University Institute for Piano Teachers (SMU-IPT)
Leadership Team and Presenter