Presenters

Hailed by the New York Times as a "virtuoso pianist," Artina McCain has built a formidable career as a multi-faceted creative. As a recitalist, her credits include performances at Wigmore Hall and Barbican Centre in London, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Weill Hall at Carnegie in New York City and more. Other highlights include guest appearances with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Memphis Symphony Orchestra, and others. 

As a multi-faceted artist, McCain has been featured in a mirage of spaces; from mistress of ceremony at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition to an artist for the El Dorado Ballroom Series, a multidisciplinary production curated by Solange Knowles. Television appearances include CSPAN for the MLK 50 Commemoration and PBS documentary series Roadtrip Nation: Degree of Impact in an episode exploring the real-world impact of professionals with doctoral degrees in and outside of academia.

Dedicated to presenting works of unsung voices, she is a recording artist and publishing advocate. Recordings including collaborative projects: I, Too (Naxos) focused on African American Spirituals and Art Songs and multiple recordings with husband and duo partner, Martin McCain. She arranged Twenty-Four Traditional African American Folk Songs published by Hal Leonard for intermediate pianists. In 2026, Frances Clark Center will publish her edition of virtuosic piano spirituals by Grammy nominated composer, Joseph Joubert.

After not performing for 6 years while battling a performance injury, she enjoys a prolific concert career with more than 15 years of full injury recovery. She uses her recovery to serve as an advocate of musicians’ wellness–curating articles, university lectures, and conferences to educate teachers and students. Most recently, the BBC featured her on the podcast Sideways, telling her miraculous story of injury to recovery. 

McCain graduated from Southern Methodist University (BM), Cleveland Institute of Music (MM) and the University of Texas at Austin (DMA). An avid presenter of chamber music, she is Artistic Curator of Mahogany Chamber Series in Memphis TN. As an educator, she is Associate Professor of Piano and Coordinator of the Keyboard Area at the University of Memphis and Co-Founder/Director of the Memphis International Piano Festival and Competition. 

In her spare time, Artina enjoys boutique shopping, traveling internationally, and is an enthusiastic foodie and tea aficionado. 

Artina McCain is a Yamaha Artist.

Dr. Pamela D. Pike is the Herndon Spillman Professor of Piano Pedagogy and Associate Dean for Research, Creative Activity and Community Engagement in the College of Music and Dramatic Arts at Louisiana State University. A graduate of the University of Western Ontario, Southern Illinois University, and the University of Oklahoma, Pike has extensive experience teaching piano to students of all ages, both privately and in group settings. In 2002, she founded the “Third-Age Piano Program” for senior citizens to study piano and make music in a group setting. The program has become a model for successful community engagement. She won the 2019 LSU Foundation Distinguished Teaching Award and has received various honors for her teaching in Arkansas and Louisiana. Pike is dedicated to helping pedagogy students develop skills necessary to become successful piano teachers. Graduates of the LSU piano pedagogy program are working in colleges and private studios throughout the United States, Asia, central and south America. In 2020, Pike was named a Yamaha Master Educator.

Dr. Pike has published over three dozen scholarly articles in peer-reviewed journals including Psychology of Music, International Journal of Music Education, Music Education Research, Journal of Music, Technology & Education, Journal of Music Teacher Education, Problems in Music Pedagogy, Piano Magazine: Clavier Companion, Keyboard Companion, CMS Symposium, MTNA e-Journal, and American Music Teacher. Pike’s books, The Adult Music Student: Making Music throughout the Lifespan and Dynamic Group-Piano Teaching: Transforming Group Theory into Teaching Practice are published by Routledge. Her extensive asynchronous curriculum, How to Play Piano, is a best-seller with The Great Courses. Pike has contributed chapters to publications on pedagogy with the Royal Conservatory of Music (Toronto) and the Frances Clark Center (Kingston, NJ); leadership, creativity and advocacy in Leadership and Musician Development in Higher Music Education (Routledge); online internships and music experiences in High Impact Practices in Distance Education (Stylus Press) and Music, Technology, Innovation (Routledge); and adult learning in The Handbook of Adult Learning (forthcoming). Pike is the Editor-in-Chief/Chief Content Director of the Piano Magazine and serves on the editorial boards of Canadian Music Educator and the Journal of Music, Technology & Education.

During the two past decades, Dr. Pike has presented research papers at international conferences throughout Asia, Europe, Scandinavia, North and South America. In the United States, she is regularly invited to present papers and workshops at the Music Teachers National Association, College Music Society, Association for Technology in Music Instruction, and the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy. She is a regular webinar presenter for MusicEdConnect and the Frances Clark Center.

Pike is past-president of the Louisiana Music Teachers Association, Baton Rouge Music Teachers Association, immediate-past chair of the CMS Music in Higher Education Committee and the Adult Learning Committee for the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy, where she also serves on the Teaching in Higher Education Committee. She is a board member of the Yamaha Distance Education Network, and she chaired the CMS 2020 National Conference program committee. Internationally, she is former chair of the International Society for Music Education’s Commission on the Education of the Professional Musician.