The Teach Piano Today Podcast

Today we’re exploring a question that Trevor and I receive almost daily… a question that weighs heavily on the minds of piano teachers and most likely plays a role in almost every piano teaching decision we make. What is the question? “How can I keep piano students from quitting?” On today’s podcast we’ll tackle this question […]

It’s tough to explain to piano students why they should care about fixing their flat-fingered playing position. But I know why I care about fixing it… Playing with flat fingers is unnecessarily hard and results in music that, quite simply put, doesn’t sound very good… which could very well result in piano students quitting lessons. […]

We’ve all had one… a piano student who stares at his hands while mostly ignoring his music. And we’ve all probably engaged in a struggle to get him to view his score as a tool (not as an enemy)… And chances are, during the struggle, you’ve covered the keys… you covered his hands… you’ve make him wear dribble […]

Most piano teachers (myself included) teach in tidy little blocks of time. And this means that if we want to increase our teaching income… we generally have to increase our teaching time. But is this a hard and fast rule? Could there a better way? Today we have a wonderful guest on the Teach Piano […]

At some point in our teaching careers we will all be faced with it…. a “two-handed” piano student suddenly becomes a “one-handed” piano student. Whether it’s a broken arm, a sprained wrist, or burned fingers… a myriad of different injuries can throw a bunch of wrenches into a typical piano lesson. So the question is… how can […]

Today we’re kicking off our Teach Piano Today Helpline podcast with a fabulous episode featuring everything you’ve always wanted to know about teaching group piano classes. And if you just thought “Oh… this is not for me, I only have one piano so I can’t teach groups…” you’ll want to hang around and have a […]

Do you teach from lead sheets?  Have you thought about doing so but aren’t sure where to start? Do you use them all the time but wonder if there is more you could be doing? Lead sheets have quickly become one of my “secret weapon” teaching tools. They provide the instant gratification teens crave, they […]

What is grit? How does being “gritty” translate into achievement and how can we teach our piano students to persevere over the long-term despite setbacks? If you’ve ever asked yourself these questions – or, if this subject piques your interest, then today’s TeachPianoToday podcast will fascinate you. Do You Have Gritty Piano Students? A few weeks […]

Piano teachers everywhere have students in their studio with complex needs.  Be it visual impairment, Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia… the spectrum of differences is wide. And piano teachers everywhere have questions about how to effectively meet the needs of these students. Advice From A True Expert In today’s Teach Piano Today podcast, we’re interviewing Dr. Adam Ockelford […]

The TeachPianoToday podcast is back and we’re delighted to post this exciting episode! Today’s guest, Rena Upitis, shares her insights on composing with young children and discusses the importance of introducing composition to young children. How many of you have had piano students bring in their very creatively-notated compositions? And did you know what to do with those sheets of […]

I’m always interested in ways to make piano practice more efficient and more effective for my students. I believe that the more we understand about how humans learn, the better adjustments we can make to how we teach. In a past Teach Piano Today podcast we interviewed Dr. Christine Carter who opened our eyes to […]

We expect all children to learn to read. It’s just a given. So why is it then that we don’t expect all children to be musical? This is a statement that drew me to Dr. Lisa Koops and her research and work in the field of early childhood musical development. Join us on today’s podcast […]

As a piano teacher we see first-hand every day the many positive effects that music instruction has on our students… but how much do you know about the research behind the cognitive benefits of music education? Today we’re talking with the perfect person to speak on this topic. Dr. Frances Rauscher is a Cognitive Scientist studying […]

Today on the TeachPianoToday Podcast we’re interviewing Robert Rickover; an expert in the Alexander Technique.  For those of you who just asked “What’s that?”, or for those of you who have heard of the Alexander Technique but don’t know much about it, this podcast is for you! Robert Rockover has been an Alexander Technique teacher […]

If there’s one person who knows what makes adult piano students tick… it’s Pete Jutras. As Editor of the Clavier Companion magazine, he’s no stranger to the world of piano… or the world of adult piano students. Through his uber-successful group programs at Southern Methodist University he’s had the opportunity to share his love of […]

Today on the TeachPianoToday podcast we’re chatting with Dr. Christopher Foley; an expert in the area of collaborative piano. For those of you who just thought “What is a collaborative piano?” you’re in for a treat. The potential for your piano students to find a career using their piano skills is richer and more varied now than ever […]

If you teach piano, it’s likely you teach Christopher Norton’s music on almost a daily basis. His name is synonymous with “The composer who creates the music my students always love.” To say Christopher Norton is a prolific composer is a serious understatement; his influence on not only piano repertoire, but on multi-instrumental and choral […]

How were you taught to learn something new, or to fix a mistake when you were a piano student? Your answer is likely “Drill it.  Over and over and over and over.” Do you still force yourself to sit down and play the same thing repeatedly until it is right? If so, then you’ll want to listen […]

When I was in my 3rd year of University someone ran up to me in the hallway, breathless: “You’re a piano player, yes?”.  Uh huh.  “My keyboard guy just quit my band and we have a gig tonight. Can you fill in?” Let me see… do you play Minuet in G at any point during your […]

If there was ever a TeachPianoToday podcast that you should share… it’s this one.  Today we’re speaking with the brilliant Dr. Christopher Fisher, Associate Professor of piano at Ohio University, and we’re talking about effective parental involvement in piano education. Scroll to the bottom of this post to listen now. Listen in as Dr. Fisher […]