It’s no secret that I love colour…just look at the name of my site. But colour is not only fun, synonymous with creativity and a source of debate that’s been waged across the Atlantic for decades (we’re keeping the U, thank you very much.) Colour can also be a tool. Colour coding, when used judiciously,…
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Gamifying Piano Lessons: Why “FUN” is Not a Dirty Word
This post about making piano lessons fun was originally posted as 2 separate articles in February 2018 and March 2018, and updated in August 2020. Has a parent ever gotten in touch with you about signing up for lessons and said something like: “I don’t want him to be a concert pianist or anything like…
VMT110: Vibrant Music Studio 101 – Purposeful
Have you ever felt like you and a student were just meandering through lessons? Everything was going sort of ok…but where was it going, exactly? In this episode, I want to talk about what it means to be a purposeful teacher and how planning can help you achieve more and be more satisfied by your…
Sound First, Notation Second: Music Reading Through Rote Teaching
This article about improving your students’ music reading through rote teaching is brought to you by guest writer Broc Hite. Broc is a church organist, piano instructor, and website developer based in Northwest Arkansas, USA. He grew up in New York, where he earned a BFA in Piano Performance from Purchase College and a MM…
5 Suggestions for Safe and Socially-Distant Piano Studios
Are you trying to figure out what your music teaching studio will look like this year? Whether you’ve decided to teach online or in-person, or have no idea what you’re going to do yet, I hope that these suggestions for safe and socially-distant piano studios will be helpful for you during the Covid-19 pandemic. I’m…
VMT109: Vibrant Music Studio 101 – Relevant
Choosing repertoire which feels relevant and which our students love sounds like it would be an obvious priority for us as teachers. But sometimes we can get so caught up in the weeds of teaching that we forget about the music. Take a step back with me to check in and see if your studio…
You butternut squash me in this FREE Autumn-themed beginner piano terms game!
Smart haircuts, shiny new shoes, and lots of excitement – it’s so much fun when students return to the piano studio after a summer break! It can often take a little while for them to settle down and get back into the routine, though. That’s where Squishy Squash, a beginner piano terms game, comes in….
VMT108: Vibrant Music Studio 101 – Open
The primary goal of my studio and how I structure my curricula is all about opening doors for my students. I want them to have excellent technique and reading skills, yes, but I also want them to know about improvisation, lead sheets, composing and all genres of music so that they have a wide variety…
The 4 Stages of Teaching Music Reading
Many of us stumbled our way through learning to read music as students, and don’t necessarily want to teach the way we were taught. But what’s the most effective method of teaching music reading to kids? Through years of experience, I’ve come to see teaching music reading to children as falling into 4 basic stages…
VMT107: Vibrant Music Studio 101 – Fun
Being a fun music teaching studio means a lot more than just having a smile on your face or playing games every once in a while. It can also mean your students learn faster and more thoroughly. Find out how in this episode. Relevant Resources Gamifying Piano Lessons: Why “FUN” is Not a Dirty Word…