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How to Change to Monthly Billing for Piano Lessons

by Tim Topham

Manually sending invoices and chasing payments is one of the most draining parts of running a music studio.

05/26/2026 Read more

Where to stay in Sydney for TopMusicLive

by Tim Topham

One of the best things about coming to TopMusicLive is finding a great place to stay. Here’s our quick accommodation guide to get you started.

02/17/2026 Read more

Teaching Piano Technique

by Georgina Wilson

Piano technique can be a controversial topic in the world of music education. Ask ten piano teachers how to teach “proper” hand position, finger independence, or tone, and you’ll get ten confident but different answers. TopMusic isn’t here to tell you the “right” or the “best” way to teach technique.

12/16/2025 Read more

Play Your Way to Great Technique: How Gamifying Skills Transforms Learning for Every Age

by Anamarie Sabbagh

Technique. Just the word can make students slump in their seats and groan at the thought of “one more scale.” But imagine if technique didn’t feel like drilling at all—what if it felt like a game? Here’s the secret: technique is really a brain-training adventure.

12/04/2025 Read more

Streamlining Your Studio

by Georgina Wilson

If the studio admin side of teaching is your favourite part, this blog isn’t for you. But if you’re like most other music teachers, you prefer the lessons. You want to put all your time and energy into helping your students grow into confident musicians…rather than fretting about scheduling and payments.

11/10/2025 Read more

Tech That Serves Teaching, Not the Other Way Around

by Rosemarie Penner

As independent music teachers, we’re constantly bombarded with messages about the latest educational technology that promises to revolutionise our teaching. But here’s what I’ve learnt after over twenty years of teaching and seeing what this looks like through my kids’ education.  The most powerful teaching tool isn’t found in any app store.

10/20/2025 Read more
 

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Using Technology To Motivate Music Students

by Georgina Wilson

Technology didn’t play a role in motivating me as a kid. I was motivated by three things: If you’re lucky, you’ll have some students who have similar (simple) motivators. They practice or fill in a theory worksheet because you asked them to. But no doubt, you have some that are less obliging.

10/13/2025 Read more

Teaching with Technology

by Tim Topham

If the phrase “teaching with technology” fills you with fear, you’re not alone. Many piano teachers feel nervous about using apps, online tools, and AI in their lessons. But we’re here to reassure you that you don’t have to be a tech expert to teach modern music effectively.

10/06/2025 Read more

Teaching Modern Music

by Tim Topham

Modern music is key to keeping your students engaged, loving their lessons, and practicing. Back in the day when we were learning the piano, we were happy with scales, sonatinas, and- wait. That’s a complete lie. I actually gave up piano when I was a teenager because the music wasn’t pulling me in.

09/03/2025 Read more

Practice Makes Progress

by Georgina Wilson

Practice. This can be the biggest elephant in the room in your piano lessons. You want your students to practice. They know they should practice. But…they don’t. How can you change this? Table of Contents: Teach Your Students How To Practice Your students aren’t ignoring you. Most of the time, they’re just confused.

08/05/2025 Read more

Creative Repertoire: Musical Mashup

by Georgina Wilson

If you want a quick and easy way to get creative with repertoire, a musical mashup is your answer. But before we dive right into this Level 2 creativity activity, here’s a Level 1 to ease you in. Table of Contents: Keep the pitch, change the rest Make changes to a piece using non-pitch elements.

08/01/2025 Read more

Repertoire Remix

by Georgina Wilson

Repertoire is the backbone of everything in music lessons. Your students chose to learn an instrument because they want to be able to play pieces. But finding the right piece for the right student at the right time can be challenging. “My students are bored with the pieces in their method books.

07/22/2025 Read more