Do you sing in your music lessons? Singing can be a valuable way to wake up your students’ ears and improve their musicianship. Find out 4 easy ways to get started in this episode. Relevant Resources Solfa for Piano Teachers…for Beginners Singing Games with the Full Solfa Scales 4 Awesome Uses for Singing in…
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How to Use Improvisation to Teach Rhythm Patterns
Some students will always find rhythm to be the most challenging part of piano lessons. It’s also the most important part of music so it’s vital that we find lots of ways to teach rhythm patterns to our students. By having lots of tricks up your sleeve (like those found in my book Rhythm in…
VMT048: How to make any change in your music teaching studio
Are you getting ready to make a big change in your music teaching studio? Whether you’re moving to no make-up lessons or bringing in groups, I’ve got the step-by-step process you need to help you make the transition. Relevant Resources How to Make any Change in your Piano Teaching Business VMT019: Reframing Your Makeup Lesson…
What piano students can learn from scat singing
One of the activities in my Meet the Blues workshop (which is coming out tomorrow for Vibrant Music Teaching members!) is a quick lesson in scat singing. I love this part of the workshop because it’s silly and fun; and because it teaches my students some valuable skills. If you’re not familiar with the term…
VMT047: Mistakes to avoid when starting group lessons
There are 3 things that I see teachers doing when they introduce a new lesson format or group lessons that make me want to shout out a warning! Listen in to find out how to avoid these common pitfalls. Relevant Resources How to Make any Change in your Piano Teaching Business FULL TRANSCRIPT Click…
Chord Level Challenges – Systemised Piano Chord Goals
Piano chords are extremely useful for understanding the structure of music and for playing from lead sheets and improvising. But they’re not the easiest thing to learn. For a student, it can seem like there are too many types of piano chords to keep track. It can be overwhelming. That’s where these chord challenges come…
VMT046: What to include in group preschool music lessons
In this episode, I’ll give you a taste of my Mini Musicians program and how I’ve structured it to include improvisation, games and fun patterning activities. Relevant Resources Mini Musicians One FULL TRANSCRIPT Click on any word to jump to that point in the audio. 🙂 VMT Ep 46_What to include in group preschool music…
What I did differently for my recital this year
A recital is an important event in most piano teaching studio calendars. Every year I try something a little bit different to mix things up and keep it fresh. This was our second year at this recital venue…but it doesn’t mean everything stayed the same. Two Chances In previous years, I have had students play…
VMT045: Private VS group preschool music lessons – which is better?
Have you considered teaching preschoolers but you’re just not sure which type of program would be right for you? In this episode, I’ll help you weigh up your options and decide between group and private lessons for your preschoolers. Relevant Resources Preschool Piano Lessons for 3-5 Years Old FULL TRANSCRIPT Click on any word…
Why every preschool piano lesson should include improvisation
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…