Connecting Canada - Diana Dumlavwalla & Melody Morrison

Diana Dumlavwalla & Melody Morrison

Canadian pianist Diana Dumlavwalla is Associate Professor of Piano Pedagogy at Florida State University. Diana holds performance degrees from the University of Toronto (D.M.A.), the Royal College of Music in London (M.M.), Wilfridty of Windsor, and Wilfrid Laurier University. She serves as a senior examiner for the Royal Conservatory, is a regular juror for festivals and competitions, and completed a six‑year leadership term with the Florida State Music Teachers Association, including service as President.As a soloist and chamber musician, Diana has performed across three continents, appearing in major venues throughout Europe, Australia, the United Kingdom, and North America. Highlights include performances in Scotland, venues across London, and concert halls in Spain, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Australia, as well as numerous series throughout the United States and Canada. Diana is co‑author of Generations Z and Alpha Students at the Piano: A Guide for Piano Teachers (Bloomsbury). Her research appears in leading international journals including the International Journal of Music Education, Psychology of Music, Piano Magazine, Canadian Music Teacher and American Music Teacher. She has contributed book chapters to New Thoughts on Piano Performance and The Applied Studio Model in Higher Education and has led webinars for the Frances Clark Center and the Royal Conservatory. She is a frequent presenter at state, national and international conferences.Her work has been recognized with multiple honors, including two MTNA e‑Journal Article of the Year awards. She was named FSU Advisor of the Year in 2023, received the FSU University Teaching Award for Community Engaged Teaching in 2024, and was awarded the Frances Clark Center’s Outstanding Service Award in 2025. Diana holds performance degrees from the University of Toronto (D.M.A.), the Royal College of Music in London (M.M.), Wilfrid Laurier University (B.M.), and an Associate Diploma from the Royal Conservatory.

Melody Morrison is a pianist and music educator specializing in piano pedagogy and class piano instruction. She currently serves as Lecturer of Music at Middle Georgia State University and will join the faculty of Florida Gulf Coast University as Assistant Professor of Piano Pedagogy and Class Piano in Fall 2026.Melody maintains an active career as a teacher, presenter, and collaborator. She has presented workshops and conference sessions on piano pedagogy, technology in music teaching, and innovative strategies for engaging today’s students. Her work often focuses on practical approaches for teaching Generation Z and Generation Alpha learners and supporting teachers in adapting to the evolving landscape of music education. She is particularly interested in developing creative teaching resources and interactive learning experiences that help students build strong musical skills while remaining motivated and engaged.She is coauthor of Generations Z and Alpha Students at the Piano: A Guide for Piano Teachers (Bloomsbury). Her research interests include contemporary piano pedagogy, student motivation, and the integration of digital tools and multimedia resources in the studio and classroom.Melody holds a Ph.D. in Music Education with an emphasis in Piano Pedagogy from Florida State University. She serves as Vice President for Membership for Florida State Music Teachers National Association (FSMTA) and regularly collaborates with colleagues and teachers to develop resources that support effective and engaging piano instruction.

Session #6: “Modern Family”: How to Navigate Teaching in Today’s Society
LIVE 9-10am PDT - Monday, July 13

Music pedagogy has long promoted the student-teacher-parent triangle, a concept promoted by Shinichi Suzuki. In this analogy, the close interaction and communication between all parties ensures the success of the student. This notion came to fruition in the mid-twentieth century when family life was very different. Nowadays, most households have two working parents who, together with their children, juggle many responsibilities and extra-curricular activities. This flurry of action may leave parents overwhelmed and overloaded. Their time may be limited, making them feel unable to assist their children with music practice at home. However, the student-teacher-parent triangle is just as important as ever! It is up to us as teachers to educate and help the parents in our studios find meaningful and effective solutions they can use to help guide their children at home. This presentation will focus on strategies to assist today's parents in helping their children maintain consistency and progress with piano lessons. Strategies will include creating short YouTube videos with practice tips for families, setting auto-text reminders for parents, and using carefully curated and streamlined digital platforms. Other engagement frameworks involve implementing backing tracks, visually attractive progress displays like maps, and gamifying smaller goals that contribute to larger tasks.We’ll also discuss the importance of fostering open communication with parents and students. By ensuring that the student-teacher-parent triangle remains strong, we can help to enliven our students’ musical experiences and offer them the best experience and opportunity for their lifelong engagement with music.

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