Andrew Bishko, Musical U, Author at TopMusic.co

by Andrew Bishko, Musical U

How to combine the traditional with the creative mind.

by Andrew Bishko, Musical U

An expert guest post from Musical U’s Andrew Bishko looking at reading music. Reading Music How did you learn to talk? What, no book?! Yet all too often, music education starts with reading music rather than playing music. And speaking of reading, how did you learn to read? Simply by looking at letters on a page? ... A Holistic Approach to Reading Music

by Andrew Bishko, Musical U

Piano finger numbers. How many times have you watched your students twist their fingers around in amazingly weird ways to attempt to reach the notes they desire to play? Especially when learning written music, why is it so difficult for us to find the simplest way to get from A to B – or is ... How to Conquer and Make Complete Sense of Piano Finger Numbers

by Andrew Bishko, Musical U

So you’ve decided to teach piano. Welcome to your new career! What could be more rewarding than guiding aspiring musicians young and old to experience the same satisfaction that we ourselves find in musical expression? As an “old” teacher (27 years in the business and counting), I sometimes look back at my early experiences and ... How to be a New Piano Teacher with Old Teacher Wisdom

by Andrew Bishko, Musical U

We’re pianists. What do we need ear training for? Press a key, the sound comes out. Put the right finger numbers on the right keys at the right time and the right music magically appears. But have you ever had one of those students that could stubbornly play through a whole piece with fingers in ... Make Ear Training Fun with these 6 Games

by Andrew Bishko, Musical U

Piano, with its polyphonic ability to be self-sufficient, tends to be taught as a solo instrument. Even in piano group classes, the typical set-up is a room full of soloists. But a roomful of pianos does not reflect the music your students typically hear and listen to. In all popular and folk styles, the piano ... Beyond the Piano: How to Teach Group Ensemble Classes

Plans & Pricing

by Andrew Bishko, Musical U

Each week I write my student’s assignments in a plain notebook. Quite frequently, as I’m leafing through a younger child’s book, I discover a string of letters, or a scrawled drawing of a staff (number of lines variable) crowded with half notes. Some of them are proud of their “compositions”, others sheepish. But usually, when ... From Improvisation to Composition: How to Nurture Your Students’ Creativity

by Andrew Bishko, Musical U

Are you ready to give up teaching piano? Well, YouTube provides millions of free piano tutorials and lessons for your students. How can you compete with that? So don’t worry: your students won’t miss you! Case in point: right now I’m sitting in one of my studios in a local music store. Just a few ... 10 Ways to Use YouTube in Your Piano Studio

by Andrew Bishko, Musical U

I’ve never been one to give much thought to ringtones, but when I sat down to write this post on the business of teaching piano, I said to myself, “I’m going to change my ringtone to cha-ching.” Even in our online world, nothing brings students in like a real-time phone conversation. And nothing keeps them in ... From First Contact to First Lesson: How to Sell Your Creative Piano Teaching

by Andrew Bishko, Musical U

Today’s post is brought to us by experienced piano teacher and blogger Andrew Bishko. Andrew is the Content and Product Manager for successful music blog Musical U. He brings with him a wealth of musical knowledge and experience. This article is all about helping your students master rhythm. There are some fantastic ideas here and plenty of ... 5 Ways to Help Your Students Master Rhythm