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Teaching Rhythm
“Music is organized sound, Rhythm is the timing of the.music. In time is where the music exists. Time is like the canvass, rhythm the brush strokes, and notes the colors.”…
Let’s Get Going – Tips for Getting Ourselves and Our Students Out of the Doldrums
It’s only Tuesday and it’s been a real challenge this week. Even some of my best students seem to be in Lala land. Forgetting notes and rhythms, losing music, playing…
I Love My iPad
In July of 2020, my father gave me an awesome gift. An iPad Pro. This was before the pandemic shutdowns and online teaching became my main way of earning my…
Teaching Students to Play by Ear
My very first piano teacher Mr. Herbert Sweet taught me to play popular music from the very beginning. I remember he would write out the melody and the chords to…
Making Online Teaching Easier
We have all been thrown into online lessons whether we wanted to be teaching online or not. I have been teaching online since 2016 when I moved from South Florida…
16 Qualities of a Good Piano Teacher
16 Qualities of a Good Piano Teacher? “Where love is deep, much can be accomplished.” Shinichi Suzuki I saw a post on Facebook today where someone was asking what…
Why Some Students Have No Performance Anxiety.⚘
Guest Post By Marlene Moore ( This may be the most important article you read this year.) Changes have happened with piano teachers during the past 20 years. This is…
Teaching Preschool Beginners Online
The good news is that they seem to have a vaccine for COVID. This means things may return to “normal” in the foreseeable future. Nevertheless, online teaching is probably bound…
24 Reasons I Love the Piano
I admit it. I wrote a post called “19 Reasons I Hate the Piano”. I guess I was feeling a bit annoyed that day. I started out playing the…
10 Tips for Teaching Transfer Piano Students
“Hello…Ms. Hall?” “Yes, this is she” “My name is Sherry I am looking for a new piano teacher for my daughter Angie do you have any openings in your studio…
The Arts… Who needs ‘em?
“We live in this world in order always to learn, and to enlighten each other by means of discussion and to vigorously promote the progress and the fine arts.” –Wolfgang…
No More Labels Please – Tips for Working With Special Needs Piano Students.
I wrote this post a while back and never published it. I was worried about being too…I don’t know…controversial. I totally respect the scientific community and all of those…
Ideas for Keeping Online Piano Students Over the Summer
Summer is coming, and it’s a tough time of year for piano teachers even when we are not going through a global health crisis. I (along with many others) am…
Free Piano Teaching Games You Can Use Online
Online Piano Games I am so very heartened by people’s response to the pandemic. So many people are pitching in to help. I want to help too, so I am…
Favorite Piano Teaching Books and Resources
I compiled a list of favorite piano teaching books and resources with the help of many colleagues. These are the books piano teachers recommend and use daily in their studios. The list features resources for beginning through later-intermediate piano students.
19 Reasons I Hate the Piano
19 Reasons I Hate the Piano What!!! You ask. What do you mean you hate the piano? Didn’t you just write a book called “The Happiest Piano…
2020 Answers
Celebrate 2019 and Look Forward to 2020 I promised I would post my answers to the questions. So here they are. What were some of the high points of…
Parents: Why Your Child Must Practice the Piano
I wrote this post “Parents: Why Your Child Must Practice the Piano” for pianoparents.net I thought it would be a good idea to share it here as well. Getting…
Piano Studio Program Statement
In my book “The Happiest Piano Teacher in Town” There is a chapter about the piano studio program statement. I believe most teachers already have a studio program statement. Teachers…
Words Have Power
Warning I have to warn you that the content of this post may seem like a no-brainer for those who are naturally positive people. For others, it may seem a…
Piano Students with Challenging Attitudes
My second son Johnny is musically gifted and like his mom he loves music. He has always been a super-sweet kid, although when he was younger, he was a bit…
Teaching Piano Lessons to Family and Friends
It goes without saying that some of your students will come to you because of people you know or are friendly with—friends of your children or children of co-workers, etc….
Beginning Piano Improvisation Activities
This post will explore beginning piano improvisation activities and why improvisation is so important. Objectives, For students to feel comfortable making their own music. To inspire creativity. To build confidence…
Practice Makes Progress
Chapter 18 – From “The Happiest Piano Teacher in Town-Empowering Teachers to Inspire Students” Practice makes progress. “Our aim needs to be the nurturing of children. The moment we rigidly…
Teaching Piano When Life is Stressful
No one ever talks about this, but teaching piano lessons can be hard on days when you are stressed, sad, or overwhelmed with concerns outside of the studio. It’s difficult…
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