Allison Shinnick Keep is enthusiastic about participating in musical experiences with others. As pianist, educator, collaborative musician, and administrator, she advocates for the transformative role that music can play in society and in the lives of individuals. An unabashed extrovert, Allison is happiest when she can share in the joys, struggles, and triumphs of life with others, and she treasures every opportunity to connect with students and audiences over music.
Allison is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Music at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. There she teaches keyboard, theory, and music history courses to both music majors and non-majors. Prior to moving to Holland, Allison spent three years in residency in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She maintained a vibrant private studio and served as a Graduate Student Instructor at the University of Michigan, where she taught keyboard skills classes to undergraduates and private lessons to precollege students as part of the Piano Pedagogy Lab Program. From 2016-2020, Allison was on the faculty of the New School for Music Study in Princeton, NJ.
Energized by connecting with fellow teachers and exchanging pedagogical ideas, Allison seeks to contribute to the greater piano teaching community both locally and nationally in her conference attendance, writing, and presenting. Allison contributed to the Piano Magazine’s special “Teaching Piano in the Time of COVID-19” issue and also participated as a panelist for two webinars aimed to connect and inspire pianists during the pandemic. Additionally, Allison has presented at the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy (Lombard, IL), for the Piano Teachers Forum of Central New Jersey, at MTNA National Conferences in Reno, NV, and Baltimore, MD, and at MTNA Collegiate Symposia in Florida and South Carolina. As an administrator, Allison served as Digital Communications and Engagement Coordinator for the Frances Clark Center, initiating the Teacher Education Webinar Series and facilitating over 60 webinars during her tenure.
Allison’s solo and collaborative performances have been heard across the US, Germany, Spain, and Japan, and in venues such as Orchard Hall (Tokyo), Helzberg Hall (Kansas City), and Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall (NYC). Recipient of various prizes and awards, Allison was a finalist in UMKC’s 2014 Chancellor’s Concerto Competition, a finalist in the 2013 Chautauqua Piano Competition, and winner of the 2012 Lawrence University Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, which resulted in a performance of Aaron Copland’s Piano Concerto with the orchestra.
Most recently on staff with the Princeton Girlchoir, Allison is an avid choral accompanist. Collaborative engagements with PGC, UMKC Conservatory Singers, Cantala women's choir of Lawrence University, and the Lawrence Academy of Music Girl Choir Program have led to several performances at state and regional ACDA conventions. In addition to choral accompanying, Allison especially enjoys collaborating with wind players. Allison has joined forces with Chinese flutist Guoliang Han for performances for the New Jersey Flute Society and for MusicGoLove, benefitting Eden Autism. She also performed with oboists and bassoonists from across the world at the 2014 and 2017 International Double Reed Society conventions.
Allison is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Pedagogy and Performance at the University of Michigan, where she studies piano with Dr. Arthur Greene and pedagogy with Dr. John Ellis. She obtained her Master of Music in Piano Performance from University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance, where she studied piano with Dr. Robert Weirich and pedagogy with Dr. Diane Petrella. Allison completed a Bachelor of Music degree from Lawrence University Conservatory of Music (Appleton, WI) with majors in piano performance and oboe performance and a minor in German. She studied piano with Dr. Catherine Kautsky, oboe with Howard Niblock, and pedagogy with Mary Van De Loo.