If you’re anything like me – a busy mom juggling lesson planning, family life, and a passion for teaching music – you know how precious time is. That’s why I’m so excited to share the magic of virtual workshops, especially through my Piano Teachers’ Studio Summit series! As the heart behind The Joyful Music Teacher, I’ve seen firsthand how these online sessions can transform your teaching game, all from the comfort of home. Whether you’re new to the piano world or a seasoned pro, here are 5 joyful reasons to join a virtual workshop – and trust me, your studio (and sanity!) will thank you. 1. Boost Your Skills with…
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One of the trickiest parts of starting to teach piano is figuring out which method books to use. There seem to be so many options out there. How can we possibly decide? In my 10 years of teaching piano, I have used a few different method books and I’d love to share my experience with each of these books. Today, we’ll be going down a list of 5 method series (3 are my favorites, plus two bonus opinions at the end). (This article contains some affiliate links. I may earn a small commission at no cost to you.) 1. Wunderkeys Piano Books First on my list is my current favorite…
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Y’all, I love my job. I love teaching music online and all the flexibility it offers my family. Now that the holidays are over, lessons are back in session. I am ready for a productive and exciting semester. There is quite a bit to be excited about this semester – several students are starting new piano books (some supplemental, some in the next level), everyone is set to start a new theory book, we are preparing for the Indiana Arts Festival. Most exciting of all, I am preparing for yet another maternity leave! Although I have been teaching music in some form or another for ten years now (I can’t…
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Do your students have trouble keeping a steady beat? Do they need some extra help playing rhythms? In this article, discover creative rhythm activities to add to your studio this December. I have one piano student in my studio who does an excellent job of remembering information. She can tell you everything there is to know about different notes, time signatures, and the theory of rhythm. But her parents and I had a conversation one day where we both noticed that even though she knew the information, she absolutely could not feel a steady beat or play the rhythms on the page correctly. During this conversation, we discussed many different…
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As a piano teacher, it can be so hard to convince your students the benefits of practicing during the week. I also remember as a piano student how hard it was to find time to practice during the week on top of homework, other rehearsals and activities, and don’t forget about sleep! Some weeks I didn’t even want to practice piano because I didn’t like the piece my teacher assigned. Even if I did enjoy the piece, I didn’t always know how to practice or how to make my practice enjoyable. I had no incentives to practice piano! We are able to flip the script as piano teachers now and…
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Let me be clear, I love Christmas as much as anyone. The trees, the snow, the lights inside and outside, fires, stockings, I could go on and on! But also in my top 3 favorite holidays is Thanksgiving. I love the coziness of fall, the delicious food, watching the parade with my family, and focusing on all the things we are grateful for. I think it is so wonderful and important that there’s a day we slow down and talk about all the things we’re thankful for – big and small! If you aren’t quite ready for Christmas music in your piano studio, check out these free Thanksgiving themed piano…
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As a music teacher, it can be incredibly difficult to encourage students to practice piano consistently. It becomes even more difficult if students don’t even know how to do this effectively. In this article, we will walk through the most important steps to practice piano including when to practice and the steps to effective practice. Make sure to check out the link at the bottom to purchase your own studio copy of the ebook The Beginner’s Guide to Piano Practice” which also includes information for parents and helpful checklists! When Should I Practice Piano? It can be so difficult to figure out how often and when to practice piano. Some people…
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Trying to compose a song on the piano but you don’t know where to start? Here are the 6 simple steps that even beginners can take to compose a song on the piano – from start to finish! Have you ever heard a beautiful song and wondered, “How in the world did he write that song?” Today I want to share the 6 simple steps that I’ve used with beginning piano players to help them compose their own songs. Whether you want to write a song for yourself or you’re trying to find a fun and engaging activity for piano lessons these steps can be used for beginners or advanced…
