Dr. Merlin Thompson

www.TeachMusic21C.com; www.MerlinThompson.com Merlin B. Thompson is one of Canada’s leading authorities on the Suzuki Piano Method and recognized internationally for his contribution to studio music teaching (Canada, USA, China, New Zealand, Australia, Finland, Italy, Brazil). He is founder of Teach Music 21C, a professional development program for vocal and instrumental music teachers. He is author of More than Music Lessons: A Studio Teacher’s Guide to Parents, Practicing, Projects, and Character. He is the host of the Teach Music 21C podcast series and creator of the podcast series The Music Educator’s Crucible available on Spotify. He holds a Ph.D. in education research from the University of Calgary, a Masters degree in Musicology from the Université de Montréal, and Bachelor of Music Performance from the University of Regina. In 1986, Merlin became the first Canadian to complete the three-year teacher apprenticeship program at the Matsumoto Talent Education Institute where he studied under the mentorship of Drs. Shinichi Suzuki and Haruko Kataoka – cofounders of the Suzuki Piano Method. He has worked with hundreds of children, their parents, and teachers in workshops, institutes, conferences, established programs, and mentorships throughout Canada, US, Australia, Japan, Spain, Great Britain, and New Zealand. Merlin was Artistic Director of the Mount Royal College Suzuki Piano Program in Calgary, Alberta from 1988-2004. In addition to his Suzuki teaching, Merlin is currently instructor of music pedagogy at the Schulich School of Music (McGill University) and teacher mentor in the Werklund School of Education (University of Calgary).

Most recently, Merlin’s introductory reading workbook for Suzuki Piano Volume 2 students PLAY & READ was released by Alfred Publishing in 2019. His book Fundamentals of Piano Pedagogy was published by Springer Publications in both e-book and soft-print formats and continues to receive international recognition. Merlin is the 2017 recipient of the Article of the Year Award by the American Music Teacher journal of the MTNA. His works have been published in numerous international academic journals including American Music Teacher, American Suzuki Journal, Educational Theory, Journal of School Choice, Philosophy of Music Education Review, and Studies in Philosophy and Education.