If there’s one thing all preschoolers have in common it’s that they’re curious. And it’s the curiosity that makes improvisation the most natural fit for preschool piano lessons. Improvisation allows for exploration and makes space for preschoolers to learn through play. Preschoolers are built to play. They need to play to understand the world and to take…
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Plan the Ultimate First Piano Lesson for a Five Year Old Beginner
One thing I LOVE about being a piano teacher in 2019 is how much of a global community we have to draw from. So many teachers are sharing their approaches, observations and methods freely online. Note: This post was originally published in September 2016 but it was edited and expanded in May 2019. We have…
How to handle summer in your music studio business
Summer can be a bit of a sticky wicket for music studio businesses. Families are travelling and kids are out of their normal routine – so what’s the best way to run a music school during the summer months? There are a few options that work for music studios in the summer. The best fit…
How to teach pop music to piano students
Are you struggling with how to teach pop music to your piano students? Perhaps you tried already and it was a total flop?! Let me help with some tips and tricks for teaching pop piano. 🙂 Teaching pop music doesn’t have to be difficult or scary, and it doesn’t have to take over all your…
Group Lesson Activities: Grand Staff Twister & Grand Staff Beanbag Toss
This article was originally written in April 2016 and was updated in April 2019. Group classes are a great opportunity to make piano social, and have fun together. I hold a group workshop about 3 weeks before every concert to make sure everyone is ready to perform. We start these classes by doing a trial…
3 Ways to Bring Group Workshops into Your Studio
Have you considered adding group workshops to your studio but you’re not sure when or how often? Or how to structure them? Group workshops can be a fantastic asset for your music teaching studio. They provide an opportunity for your students to get together, socialise, learn through games and make music together. But it’s tricky…
How to Teach Music Composition to Piano Students
Do you teach music composition in your piano studio? This is a great way to work on your students’ notation skills, without them even realising they’re doing “theory” and it’s super fun and motivating too. 🙂 If you haven’t dived in yet to teaching composing yet, I can highly recommend it. I do a project like…
How to Choose Your Child’s First Piano or Keyboard
Buying your first piano or keyboard? It can be a difficult choice, you don’t want something that you or your child are going to outgrow in a few months. But you might not want to invest too much is the beginning if you aren’t sure how long you or your child will stick with the…
Hippity Hop Your Way to Rhythm Reading Success
Whether you’re celebrating Easter in your music teaching studio, or just the arrival of spring, this rhythm reading game is a great way to do it. Hippity Hop is a bunny-themed game to work on rhythm reading with music students. The full version (available to Vibrant Music Teaching members here) includes 4 different levels of…
Why You Should Use Improvisation to Teach Duet Skills
Playing duets and ensemble pieces is something I believe should be included in every piano students’ education. Duets build camaraderie in your studio and also help students practice listening and interacting with another musician. Piano playing shouldn’t be a purely solo activity but it can often end up that way. Other musicians tend to join…