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About Piano Slam

PIANO SLAM is a poetry-on-music competition for teenagers implemented by Dranoff 2 Piano Fusion that integrates music with academics.
 
PIANO SLAM uses every student’s connection and love of music to develop language in arts-integrated learning models with a full STEAM approach that integrates piano duo concerts, in-school poetry workshops, science field trips, and academic concepts with creative writing and intensive spoken word performance coaching.


Supported by a team of theatrical professionals and musicians, poetry competition finalists perform on the Adrienne Arsht Center stage for top prizes.

 

PIANO SLAM deepens and sustains student growth through extensive teacher professional development in music and creative writing for curriculum and classroom activity development for both language arts and STEM subjects.


An independent evaluation by the FIU Community-Based Research Institute in 2020 found that Piano Slam competition finalists develop skills in creative written and oral expression and develop meaningful prosocial relationships and cultural engagement, while increasing their self-esteem, motivation, concentration, and hope for the future.
 

17 Years of Growing Success

105k

Students

Engaged

5k

Educators and

Administrators

100

Schools

Participated

How PIANO SLAM Works

  • PIANO SLAM curriculum is periodically adapted in collaboration with Miami-Dade County Public School educators/administrators according to the annual theme and integrated into ongoing classroom activities.
     

  • All Science and STEM curriculum are provided by the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences and references the ocean and waters around Miami.
     

  • Educators and artists provide cross-disciplinary professional development workshops to teachers who receive continuing education credit from the State of Florida for their participation.
     

  • Piano duos give classical piano performances at schools in predominantly challenged neighborhoods.
     

  • Dranoff 2 Piano Fusion sends teaching artists into schools to provide supplementary poetry writing workshops using PIAO SLAM STEAM curriculum.
     

  • Students are invited to write poetry about the live classical music they heard in school or use musical terms to describe life experience or scientific concepts for a countywide writing competition.
     

  • Professional poets select competition finalists from close to 1,000 submissions who subsequently receive intensive spoken word performance coaching.
     

  • Finalists perform with a professional ensemble of classical musicians and local artists on the Knight Concert Hall stage of the Adrienne Arsht Center.
     

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Dranoff 2 Piano Fusion for decades has been the world’s leading organization to champion exclusively two piano classical repertoire and artistry through competitions, concerts, and commissions of original work. Today, its mission is to create community by fusing 2 piano repertoire with music of many genres and cultures through concerts, collaborations, and education.

Dranoff 2 Piano Fusion – Florida’s Gateway
to the World of Music

 

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