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…
Practice & Performance
Effective piano practice is one of my passions as a piano teacher. Make the most out of your students' practice time with these freebies, ideas and insights.
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…
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…
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…
3 Easy Ways to Find Time to Improvise in Your Piano Lessons
One of the reasons piano teachers don’t improvise in their piano lessons is that they’re scared. The other big reason is that they just cannot find the time. If you’re apprehensive and need the confidence to jump in then go read this article. But if you’re in the second “no time” camp then stick around….
Improvisation and Cats: How to Start Scared!
Are you scared to start using improvisation in your piano teaching? I’ve totally been there. 7 or 8 years ago I had basically never sat down at the piano without a piece of paper in front of my face. It would not have even occurred to me. But then I discovered improvisation. I found out…
How to Teach Piano to Beginners with Games and Creativity
Let’s explore how to teach piano to beginners. Is it as simple as following a method book? Is there more to consider? Most beginner piano students arrive to us super enthusiastic to dive in to this world of music making. I believe we have a responsibility to teach piano to beginners in a way that…