A knowledge of theory is not a prerequisite for piano students interested in learning to compose. This presentation will give ideas on how to get students started, how to tap into their creative side, how to guide them as they advance, and it will offer resources to aid in the study of music composition.

Classical composer & pianist Nathan Shirley has received one national and six international awards for his solo, chamber, and orchestral compositions. As a teenager he studied composition with Olga Harris, the last student of Khachaturian. Shirley's music has been performed in over a dozen countries around the world and is available on CD, DVD, and online. He is the author of Piano Revealed, a seven book piano method featuring his original compositions. He is also the creator and director of crescendo! Piano in the Classroom which currently provides group piano instruction to nearly 300 public school students. A former president of the Asheville Piano Forum, Shirley lives in the mountains of North Carolina.