Piano Teacher Summit 2027
Whitsundays QLD
The Keys in the North Piano Summit aims to inspire, connect, and empower piano educators from all corners of Australia and beyond – through professional development, creative exchange, and community building.
At the heart of the summit is our belief that meaningful, inspired teaching not only develops musical skill but also nurtures creativity, confidence, and lifelong learning within our students.
Join world-renowned teachers and performers for an event that blends professional enrichment with the unique beauty and inspiration of the Whitsundays, Queensland.
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Samantha Coates
Founder and Director, BlitzBooks
Samantha Coates is an internationally regarded author, composer, presenter and piano pedagogue, with almost four decades of experience in both private and group piano teaching. She is the author and creator of BlitzBooks, the music education series which has captured the imagination of students and teachers across many continents, and has transformed the teaching of sight reading, music theory, and the use of rote teaching in the piano studio.
Samantha holds a Bachelor degree in piano performance as well as several performance diplomas. She now specialises in pedagogy, with the particular goal of equipping her students with recreational music-making skills. She is passionate about helping the wider piano teaching community and regularly presents her own free webinars and live sessions on a wide range of pedagogical topics.
To stay connected with performing, Samantha presents volunteer piano recitals at aged care facilities, in which she tailors her programs to maximise the residents’ memories and emotional connection. She is also passionate about dark chocolate, staring at the ocean, going for long walks, and shamelessly crying through Disney movies. 😊
Christopher Norton
We are incredibly honoured to welcome our first confirmed keynote speaker for Keys in the North – Christopher Norton.
A world-renowned composer, Christopher has inspired generations of musicians through his music, teaching, and passion for piano education. We feel truly privileged that he will be sharing his knowledge and experience at our summit.
As if that weren't exciting enough, we're also delighted to welcome his wife, Wendy Beardall Norton. Wendy is an outstanding composer in her own right, with a distinguished career and a remarkable contribution to music education.
Having both Christopher and Wendy join us makes this year's summit even more special, and we can't wait for you to learn from these two exceptional musicians.
Stay tuned for more exciting speaker announcements and our Early Bird ticket release this September!
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Paul Myatt
Education Driector, Forte School of Music
Paul is a passionate music teacher, author, composer and workshop facilitator. His purpose in life is to keep learning and help teachers develop the skills to achieve their goals through education, business, and technology. He is an international presenter (NCKP, MTNA, London Music Expo, APPC) and is regularly invited to speak in the USA, UK, Canada, NZ and throughout Asia.
Paul, along with Gillian Erskine, co-founded Forte School of Music, Piano Teaching Success, and Whole Body Learning (WBL), serving teachers and students worldwide. WBL is based on the educational ideas and concepts of Orff, Dalcroze and Kodály.
Paul holds two master's degrees, one in education and one in research and is currently on a PhD journey focusing on Music Education in Primary Schools.