The principles of integral keyboard teaching are:

• Recognition that good keyboard teaching should be based in sound pedagogical principles, be growth driven, and be open to new music.
• Students are taught the building blocks of music in order to improvise, compose, learn pieces other composers have written, and/or use those elements in any other imaginative way, in order to achieve their own musical goals.
• Its philosophy neither accepts contemporary music such as rock, hip-hop, pop, and jazz uncritically, nor does it reject traditional piano repertoire. Music of quality from various genres is embraced.
• Use of technological tools as subservient to pedagogical goals, and as fully integrated as possible into various activities that facilitate learning.
• A partnership between student and teacher in the learning process, where each student is seen as a complete musician from the beginning.
• Appropriate use of conventional and contemporary methods from various cultures to facilitate the student’s creative musical expression.
• Consideration of all factors that influence musical development, both within the teacher's studio and those external to it, including private and group lessons, family, community and web-based musical activities.
• Training of keyboard teachers to be models of musical growth, committed to the process of self-exploration, self-development and lifelong learning.