Keys of Inspiration Teachers Share Transformative Practices on the International Stage
Each year, the Keys of Inspiration award honors a teacher who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to fostering musical growth, creativity, and resilience in their students.
The recipient is selected based on their ability to cultivate a positive and inclusive learning environment, motivate students to reach their full potential, and create lasting impacts on their communities, and in the case of our two most recent recipients, lasting impacts globally.
Two of our Keys of Inspiration Teachers of the Year, Jung Eun Hong (2025) and Maria Doreste Velazquez (2024), both presented in July at international conferences that bring together those at the very forefront of music education transformative practices.
Ms. Hong presented at the ISME World Conference on Music Education in Montreal. Her session, “Creative Piano Ensemble: Community of Shared Discovery,” shared best practices around group piano instruction that creates a community of shared learning, with strategies including color coding notation, piano helpers, piano orchestra, and much more.
Ms. Doreste Velazquez presented on accessible education alongside Stefano Marchese at the APME International Conference in Italy. Her session, “Sharing Voices, Shaping Futures: Music, Identity, and Education”, included UDL strategies and family-shared traditions, exploring culturally responsive activities and adaptable manipulatives.
Participants were given practical resources to build student-centered environments that honor every learner’s identity and pace. Here is Ms. Doreste Velazquez’s ajoining article published with the MMEJ. (Massachusetts Music Educators Journal)
We are exceptionally proud to have Jung and Maria sharing and representing the very best that Keys of Inspiration programs have to offer.
