Andrea McAlister

  • Professor of Piano Pedagogy
  • Director, Division of Pedagogy, Advocacy, and Community Engagement

Areas of Study

Education

  • BM, University of Cincinnati, 1994
  • MM, University of Cincinnati, 1996
  • DMA, University of Cincinnati, 2001

Biography

Andrea McAlister teaches piano pedagogy, group piano, and coordinates the secondary piano studies program at Oberlin.

Her research on neural development, motivation, language, group teaching, and technology has been featured at national conferences for numerous organizations including the International Society of Music Education, Music Teachers National Association, College Music Society, and the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy. Her work has been published in American Music Teacher, the MTNA e-Journal, the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy’s Proceedings, Clavier Companion, Keyboard Companion, and Piano Inspires Kids.

McAlister also serves as Director of Digital Programming for the Frances Clark Center for Keyboard Pedagogy, where she is also Senior Editor for Piano Inspires Kids.

She is an inaugural member of the Yamaha Master Educator Collective in Keyboard Pedagogy.

An active clinician and adjudicator, McAlister is division director of the Music Teachers National Association and serves on the executive committees of the Group Piano and Piano Pedagogy Forum and the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy. 

Fall 2025

Secondary Private Study - Piano — PVST 051

Piano Class I — APST 110

Piano Pedagogy I/II — PACE 210

Guided Teaching Observation — PACE 212

Elementary Piano Pedagogy Practicum — PACE 310

Class Piano Pedagogy Practicum — PACE 312

Spring 2026

Secondary Private Study - Piano — PVST 051

Piano Class II — APST 111

Piano Pedagogy I/II — PACE 210

Guided Teaching Observation — PACE 212

Intermediate Piano Pedagogy Practicum — PACE 311

Guided Piano Pedagogy Project — PACE 313

Notes

Piano Pedagogy Professor Andrea McAlister Honored at 2024 MTNA Conference

Andrea McAlister, professor of piano pedagogy and director of the Division of Pedagogy, Advocacy, and Community Engagement, was honored at the 2024 Music Teachers National Association Conference in March for her leadership role as an Ohio Music Teachers Association Foundation Fellow. McAlister, a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music (NCTM), served as Division Director for the East Central Division from 2022-24. At this conference, McAlister also presented in sessions including "Unlocking Music Magic: Teaching Preschoolers Through Musical Play," "Beethoven’s WoO 47 as Musical Muppet Babies: Composer Juvenilia as Indicators of Style," and "Plural of Me–A Narrative of Asian American Women Through Art and Music." 

Andrea McAlister earns distinction of Yamaha Master Educator

Associate Professor of Piano Pedagogy Andrea McAlister has been selected as a Yamaha Master Educator. She is one of only five keyboard educators chosen from across the country.

Andrea McAlister Gives Webinars on Teaching During COVID-19

Associate Professor of Piano Pedagogy Andrea McAlister gave two webinars for the Frances Clark Center for Keyboard Pedagogy on the topic of teaching during COVID-19. The webinars were titled "Teaching Collegiate Class Piano Online" and "Effective Teaching in Challenging Times and Beyond." McAlister also contributed to the special COVID-19 issue of Piano Magazine.

News

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