Do you feel in control when it comes to your schedule? Maybe you start a new teaching session feeling clear, confident and organised but very soon after things get a little out of control. Wouldn’t you love to regain control of your schedule and reign in the overwhelm? The problem most of us face is […]
5 Powerful Teaching Principles For More Effective Lesson Planning
Does it feel like your students need a whole lot more motivation than ever before? Students today are not the same as they were 30, 20 or even 10 years ago. And in order to best help your students succeed it may mean you need to be more effective in your lesson planning. It’s more […]
How To Help Students GET The True Value Of Scales
I’m just going to come right out and say it. I love scales! Scales give us the key to unlocking the mysteries of music (pun intended). They are the backbone to creativity, they help us aurally decode the tonalities in the music we’re learning, and used properly, they allow us to improve our technique. It’s […]
How To Help Students Relax When Playing The Piano
Newsflash! Tension and pain is not just ‘part of the deal’ when playing the piano. So why do so many students suffer from this problem? There many reasons for this, too many for this post. However, the best place to start for any student, young or old, beginner or advanced, is to learn how to […]
5 Sparkers To Kick Start Your Creativity When Composing With No Ideas
Have you or your students ever started composing music with no ideas and no strategy? Much like writer’s block, a similar kind of paralysis can happen with composers when faced with a blank page and no plan. As a result, fears and doubts rise up and self-deprecating thoughts flood in. Thoughts like I can’t do […]
3 Big Sight-Reading Mistakes And How To Fix Them
I’m sure many of you are amazing sight-readers, but if you’re like me, to say you’ve struggled with it, is an understatement. Maybe sight reading has always come naturally to you but you see your students struggle and don’t know how to steer them on the right track. While I still struggle with sight reading, […]
How To Figure Out Your Piano Teaching Niche
Learning how to figure out your piano teaching niche is one of the best things you can do for both your business and your self-confidence as a teacher. If you’re just getting started with teaching maybe you haven’t even considered this question. But even if you have it can be a struggle to clearly define […]
How To Get Better At Your Teaching Weaknesses
We’ve all got strengths and weaknesses in our teaching, right? But how often do you take the time to work on your teaching weaknesses? Maybe you prefer to stay comfortable, relying on your strengths. You feel confident, you feel good, so you hang out there for as long as possible, mostly keeping your head in […]
The Secret To Improving Your Sight Reading
If you struggle with sight reading you could be looking at too much of the detail and not enough of the bigger picture. Maybe you’ve learnt to read, like I did, memorising mnemonics like Every Good Boy Deserves Fruit or FACE, and never learnt any other way to read notes. I’ve personally found this method […]
4 Surprising Ways Your Creativity Is Enhanced Through Building A Business
If you’re a musician, chances are you’re not motivated by money. You’re more likely inspired by creativity and by the joy the Creative Arts brings to our lives. You probably haven’t put business and creativity in the same sentence, but you may be surprised just how much your creativity is enhanced through building a business […]