When I started my career as a piano teacher, one of the reasons I pursued it is because of how family-friendly it is. Before I had kids, I knew that I wanted to be the primary caregiver to my kids. Teaching piano and parenting seemed to work really well together. It's easy to set my own hours. I can teach as many or as few student as I would like. I can easily work around holidays, … [Read more...] about Piano Teacher Mom: 6 Ways To Balance It All
5 Reasons To Learn Tons Of Black Key Piano Songs
Most piano methods start out with students playing only the black keys of the piano. However, after a brief introduction to playing on the black keys, it's common to head over to the white keys and spend the next several years playing only white keys. This kind of makes sense since the key of C with no sharps or flats is the most common starting point on the piano. But, there are a lot of … [Read more...] about 5 Reasons To Learn Tons Of Black Key Piano Songs
10 Intermediate Pop Collections For Piano Students
Most piano students are interested in learning popular music, but it can be challenging to find piano arrangements of popular music that are approachable, pedagogical and satisfying. For piano teachers, it can be hard to stay on top of the popular music trends. After all, it's a genre that is constantly changing. When browsing online for sheet music of current hits and popular music, … [Read more...] about 10 Intermediate Pop Collections For Piano Students
How To Up Your Piano Teacher Game (Without Leaving Home)
I don't know about you, but I absolutely love learning and never tire of finding a new topic or area to explore, whether it's piano-related or in another area. I also consider continuing my education as a pianist and teacher a crucial part of my job. Attending piano teaching conferences in the past like MTNA and NCKP have been profound and fruitful - perfect for a perpetual student like … [Read more...] about How To Up Your Piano Teacher Game (Without Leaving Home)
Review: The Pianists Guide To Standard Teaching And Performance Literature
If there’s one book I return to over and over as I prepare for and teach piano lessons, it’s The Pianist’s Guide To Standard Teaching and Performance Literature by Jane Magrath. If you teach piano classics in your studio, this is a must-have resource. It’s a comprehensive reference book that is easy to flip through to discover unfamiliar pieces or to understand the difficulty of a piece before … [Read more...] about Review: The Pianists Guide To Standard Teaching And Performance Literature
5 Tricks For Mastering White Piano Key Names
As I observe my piano student of all ages learning to play the piano, I’ve noticed that it’s very common to have trouble remembering the names of the white piano keys. Both children and adults can have difficulty remembering which piano key is which. It’s not that it’s hard to name the white piano keys. Even the youngest students can keep track of A-B-C-D-E-F-G. But rather, when you’re immersed … [Read more...] about 5 Tricks For Mastering White Piano Key Names