Ted Cooper has taught piano for more than forty years, working with students from beginner through advanced levels. Much of his work has focused on the musical and technical needs of beginning and elementary students. He taught for eighteen years at the Levine School of Music in Washington, D.C., where he maintained a private studio. From 1989 to 2003, he was on the faculty of the New School for Music Study in Princeton, New Jersey, later serving as its Director. Founded by Frances Clark, the New School has long been known for its work in piano pedagogy.

Ted began composing out of the needs he encountered in his own teaching, particularly for repertoire that is both expressive and accessible to developing pianists. Over time, that work grew into a substantial body of educational music published by Alfred Music and Carl Fischer Music, with pieces selected for festival and repertoire lists including those of the National Federation of Music Clubs and the Music Teachers’ Association of California. Ted is a member of ASCAP.

He has also written on piano teaching, including articles for Keyboard Companion. He served as an educational consultant for the Frances Clark Library for Piano Students and received the Group Piano Teaching Award, presented jointly by the Music Teachers National Association and the National Piano Foundation.

Ted has presented at the Music Teachers National Association Conference and the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy, as well as at conferences and teacher events across the United States.

He studied piano pedagogy with Ann Collins at Western Illinois University, where he earned BA and MA degrees. He later earned the Professional Teaching Certificate with distinction from the New School for Music Study, where his teachers included Frances Clark and Louise Goss.