Show Notes

This week's episode is all about Inspiring our students and instilling a love of music-making.

Our three brilliant panelists Heather Smith, Christopher Norton, and Elise Beckett Russell shared some brilliant ideas and strategies for engaging students.

Watch how kids learn through playing with backing tracks as Paul shares a teaching example of one of Christopher's pieces.

Overview: Episode 21

Where you can find specific answers to your questions in this week's show. There were many deep dives into topics this week. (timings of the broadcast):

0:00 Welcome to Elise Beckett Russell, Heather Smith & Christopher Norton

2:00 Elise & Heather intro

3:00 Christopher Norton intro

4:30 Heather's Facebook group & a picture of her studio, pre and post COVID

6:00 Elise's Creative Pursuits 

7:00 Chris's shares his teaching strategies starting with the background of the piece & improvisation with students and sight reading piano music

9:30 Why Elise Beckett Russ...

Show Notes

Overview: Episode 19

Where you can find specific answers to your questions in this week's show. There were many deep dives into topics this week. (timings of the broadcast):

00:00 Welcome to our guests 

01:48 Josie shares her studio and speaks about her puppets.

04:43 Peter takes you on a tour of his studio so that you can see his COVIDsafe strategies that meet government regulations.

11:09 Josie shares what she does with her students when most of them are not working towards an exam like sight read piano

13:48 Planet, Dragon & Pirate charts and speaks about creating an enriched learning environment like chord progression piano

19:00 Christmas is right around the corner and Blackrock Music has a great Christmas Pack just for piano teachers which includes: 16 Studio Licensed Christmas Carols, Printable: Songsheets, Invitations, Certificates, Program and even recipes.

24:50 When looking at our greatest challenges in teaching piano many teachers say “teachi...

Show Notes

Overview: Episode 18

Where you can find specific answers to your questions in this week's show. There were many deep dives into topics this week. (timings of the broadcast):

00:00 Welcome to our guests

04:05 Brian Chung shares just a bit of his experience

06:27 Brenda shares her vast experience in teaching over many years.

07:15 Nan shares a little about her teaching and teaching classes with piano sheets beginner

09:03 So what is Recreational Music Making? 

12:00 The Golden Quadrant

15:12 A sporting analogy - Soccer (Football)

19:25 Brenda describes becoming involved in RMM and the path she took which turned from 1 small group to 13 classes a week. 

24:21 Nan shares her story of teaching RMM from another different perspective.

29:19 When you have a few students to practice piano in a group and dealing with different abilities.  Including an excerpt from Nan's recent webinar called: The Many Hats of a Group Teacher

31:14 Paul shares his Enriched Learning...

Show Notes

Overview: Episode 17 (To exam or not to exam Part 2)

Where you can find specific answers to your questions in this week's show. There were many deep dives into topics this week. (timings of the broadcast):

00:00 Welcome to: To Exam or Not to Exam. 

0:2:50 Rae de Lisle shares her experience at a tertiary level and about parents. Parents getting locked into exams being important.

10:00 Josie Thomas speaks about why students are actually learning to play piano, piano recitals and talking about parents and how to engage them in the learning process.

12:00 Paul Myatt shares the story of his teaching piano strategies for outsourcing some of the learning to parents.

15:34 Pros and Cons to doing exams the 3 main outcomes of exams which can go both ways.

19:58 Heather Smith explains that she started doing exams with her students as they offered a more balanced curriculum for her.

22:49 Realistic expectations of time that students have.

22:33 Samantha Coate shar...

Show Notes

Are you thinking about piano exams and creative piano lessons for your students? This Q+A Episode and the next are MUST watch episodes for any piano teacher looking at exams. With brilliant panelists spread across part 1 & part 2. In this episode we heard from Sally Cathcart, Graham Fitch, Glory St Germain, Margaret Greig, Alison Mathews, Elise Russell, Erica Booker, and the composer who has pieces in just about every exam syllabus, Elissa Milne. 

Ideas on the 4 Strategies to make Piano Exams work for you and your students.

1. Choose your Exam Syllabus.
2. Get creative in HOW you teach.
3. Design your ideal piano student.
4. Develop an individualised learning program for each student. 

Overview: Episode 16 (To exam or not to exam Part 1)

Where you can find specific answers to your questions in this week's show. There were many deep dives into topics this week. (timings of the broadcast):

00:00 Welcome to: To Exam or Not to Exam. 

0:2:50 Sally Cathcart...

Show Notes

Overview: Episode 15

Where you can find specific answers to your questions in this week's show. There were many deep dives into topics this week. (timings of the broadcast):

00:00 Welcome to our guests

01:00 A look at each of the panel members' set up included a clip of Stuart teaching a very beginner class of five 6 year old students and a second clip of him performing with his own children. 

14:24 Jeanette asks: "Over many years of teaching piano I have had only a few students who had very little improvement in their reading of notation. These few who happen to be boys, were very good musically, that is they played their pieces in an engaging & emotional way. But it became very difficult to take them beyond an early advanced level / grade 6 as the reading became too complex. How could I have nurtured them differently to enhance their ability to listen & play by ear or rote and do group piano lessons?

27:30 Pam Grimer has asked, "How do you teach students to...

Overview: Episode 14

Where you can find specific answers to your questions in this week's show. There were many deep dives into topics this week. (timings of the broadcast):

00:00 Welcome to our guests

02:51 The 3 main challenges for practice. 

04:20 Solving some of the practice issues

05:35 Getting kids to practice scales through piano lesson plan

05:30 How backing tracks helps to solve practice issues 

07:50 Building critical listening skills

08:50 Using backing tracks when you can't teach face to face and using beginner piano lesson plan

10:40 Building intrinsic motivation

11:50 Beating the boredom of practice

13:05 Game-based learning and off the bench movement activities

16:30 Paul's frustration which created Practice Buddy

18:35 Teaching Broken Chords

24:00 Chords and moving towards playing with lead sheets

28:10 Lead sheets starter Kit
35:30 Where did Body Mapping come from?

37:50 How to get started with Body Mapping why it is so simple to use and rel...

Our goal for Q+A was to help piano teachers during Covid19. Thank you to all the teachers that sent us such lovely feedback. As the pandemic reduces around the world and with such lovely feedback, we have decided to continue the show EVERY 2 weeks. So join us again in 2 weeks. 

The panel this week: Bradley Eustace (USA), Melody Deng (NZ) and Brad Eustace (AUS). So many creative ideas.

This week's edition to the Teacher Resource is the Keyboard charts. Login or get yours now.

Overview: Episode 11

Where you can find specific answers to your questions in this week's show. There were many deep dives into topics this week. (timings of the broadcast):

00:00 Welcome to our guests
02:10 A look at each of the panel members' set up

12:30 Q: What's your view on using piano resources like tablets for reading sheet music when playing/ practising? I’ve seen people use this, but not sure what tablets (screen size-wise) would be best and which apps are recommended for sheet music. Appar...

Show Notes Below
 

Interviews in full with Penelope Roskell & Sally Cathcart

Have your say...

In the week's episode, we give our live audience a chance to ask questions. We want to give you the same opportunity to have your say... Just type into the box below and let us know your greatest challenge in teaching piano with a piano lesson structure.

Overview: Episode 10

Where you can find specific answers to your questions in this week's show. There were some deep dives into topics this week. (timings of the broadcast):

00:00 Welcome to our guests
01:10 A look at each of the panel members' set up Sally Cathcart, Nicola Cantan & Penelope Roskell

12:00 Q: I have an 11 year old beginner who I have introduced to Get Set Piano alongside Piano Safari pieces and techniques, rhythm, notation and sightreading card games. He loves it all! Every week he returns online he is well-practiced and perfected pieces I have given him. We are coming to the end of book 1 and I wondered i...

Overview: Episode 9

Where you can find specific answers to your questions in this week's show. There were some deep dives into topics this week. (timings of the broadcast):

00:00 Welcome to our guests
01:10 A look at each of the panel members' set up Rae de Lisle, Joey Lieber & Jo Kotchie
09:30 Q: I teach piano lessons via zoom at the moment but find it very difficult to do singing lessons online as there are gaps in the sound. Dealing with Lag!!!
12:15 Joey's Blog Posts: How to improve sound quality in your lessons & 10 ways to improve your internet speed in music lessons.
14:00 How Rae deals with sound issues, teaching at a really high level.
16:00 How Jo works around online piano lesson issues 
17:01 Joey shares some videos of how he teaches jazz with students over Zoom to avoid the lag. 
21:00 Gillian asks how to start a child off with improvisation.
27:00 Q: How do I make sure my young students develop good habits around technique during this time.
I’m worried about them picking...