Lee D. Stockner
Program creator Lee D. Stockner’s story begins with being “twice exceptional,” a term used to describe someone with both exceptional talents and significant challenges. Lee struggled with ADHD in many aspects of life but was also an extraordinary classical pianist from a young age. He credits his teacher, Diane, with nurturing his deepest skills in music, education, and life.
Diane taught Lee to teach piano, which he began doing professionally at the age of 15. Years later, while continuing to manage ADHD and excel as a piano teacher, Lee met a young man with autism at the music store where he taught. The store owner believed Lee’s natural abilities would suit the student’s needs—and he was right! Lee instantly connected with the young man, intuitively understanding his unique ways of thinking and communicating. Their lessons were an immediate success, and the student’s family encouraged Lee to work at the school the student attended, which served several dozen learners with autism who often exhibited challenging behaviors. It was there that Lee absorbed the influence of countless learning styles, which ultimately inspired the spontaneous creation of NovaNotation.
Once the user-friendly notation system was ready to share, Lee drew on his background as a classical pianist and teacher, applying everything he had learned to meet the realistic abilities of his students. Step by step, he embarked on his entrepreneurial journey, starting with a local business and later founding Music Lee Inclined Guy, Inc., the company that publishes Occupational Octaves Piano™ and The Stockner Method™.
Since 2012, thousands of students and teachers worldwide have used the colored rings on the fingers and achieved remarkable success at the piano. Lee’s high school yearbook quote was, “Music is the background of our lives. Never stop listening; never let it die.” He is proud to have brought Occupational Octaves Piano™ to life, creating a pathway that yields such wonderful results.
In addition to creating Occupational Octaves™, Lee has taken on the role of President of Adaptive Learning for the World Piano Teachers Association. His primary goal is to establish and maintain the first-ever “Adaptive Classical Piano Festival,” designed like traditional piano festivals but tailored to the needs of individual learners.