About the author

Andrew Bishko, Musical U

As Content and Product Manager for Musical U, veteran piano teacher Andrew Bishko helps others unleash the true musicality they have inside with the development of educational content and learning modules. Andrew also plays the accordion and leads Mariachi Flor de Missouri. www.musical-u.com

Make Ear Training Fun With These 6 Games

by Andrew Bishko, Musical U

Ear training. A vital component for any musician, but it can cause students to sigh, roll their eyes, and procrastinate. "Can we do something else instead? Anything else?" Wondering how to make ear training more fun and enjoyable? Games!

05/22/2023 Read more

How to Conquer and Make Complete Sense of Piano Finger Numbers

by Andrew Bishko, Musical U

How often have you watched your students twist their fingers around in amazingly weird ways to attempt to reach the notes they desire to play? How many times have you found yourself saying, “Do you think there’s an easier way of getting to those notes?” only to be met by a blank stare? Have you ... How to Conquer and Make Complete Sense of Piano Finger Numbers

02/26/2021 Read more

When ‘New’ Isn’t Always Better – Creative Piano’s Proper Place

by Andrew Bishko, Musical U

How to combine the traditional with the creative mind.

07/24/2018 Read more

A Holistic Approach to Reading Music

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

05/28/2018 Read more

How to be a New Piano Teacher with Old Teacher Wisdom

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

11/13/2017 Read more

Beyond the Piano: How to Teach Group Ensemble Classes

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

09/13/2017 Read more
 

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From Improvisation to Composition: How to Nurture Your Students’ Creativity

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

08/21/2017 Read more

10 Ways to Use YouTube in Your Piano Studio

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

07/17/2017 Read more

From First Contact to First Lesson: How to Sell Your Creative Piano Teaching

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

06/11/2017 Read more

5 Ways to Help Your Students Master Rhythm

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

05/08/2017 Read more