Recent
blog posts

Teach music confidently without the stress

Recent Guitar Pedagogy Creativity Repertoire Beginners Studio Business

How To Teach a Group Piano Class

by Marie Lee

Today’s post is by TopMusicPro and all-round superstar teacher, Marie Lee, who I had the pleasure of finally meeting at this year’s MTNA and who is kicking some serious goals in her piano teaching studio. Marie has totally revolutionised her studio from private teaching to only group teaching and has seen a massive payoff in engagement, ... How To Teach a Group Piano Class

10/10/2016 Read more

Early Childhood Music Teaching

by Tim Topham

Teaching early childhood music requires a different approach to usual piano lessons and, for many teachers, unless you've been trained in this area, working out the best way to teach really young students can be a huge challenge. So this month on the blog and podcast, we're focussing on teaching the youngest students, from around age 0 - 8 years, exploring how to give them the best educational outcomes and set them up for a life of music-making. Ready to learn more?

10/05/2016 Read more

How to Engage Piano Students with Sensory Processing Disorder

by Kristen Raney

This post in the last in our series on Special Needs Piano Teaching. I hope that you’ve found this month’s conversations and articles helpful in your teaching. Please let other teachers know where to find this information and share links to it so everyone can benefit. Today’s guest post is from Kristen Raney, who talks about her experience as ... How to Engage Piano Students with Sensory Processing Disorder

10/03/2016 Read more

Autism and Music Teaching: Tips from a Clinical Psychologist

by Tim Topham

Today’s article is the result of an email I sent to this Friday’s Podcast guest, Lydia Meem from Autism Understanding, asking for her thoughts on strategies for teaching music to students with special needs. Lydia is a clinical psychologist. While she doesn’t teach piano, she has extensive experience working with children and adolescents with autism and other developmental ... Autism and Music Teaching: Tips from a Clinical Psychologist

09/26/2016 Read more

10 Presentation Strategies for a Professional Piano Studio

by Paul Myatt

What makes a professional piano studio? About a year ago, one of my student’s parents said to me, “Do you know why we booked into your music school?” I laughed and said, “Because I’m such a fabulous teacher?”. She responded, “Actually no, it was because your studios were so clean and you made sure any instruments ... 10 Presentation Strategies for a Professional Piano Studio

09/21/2016 Read more

What’s your Piano Teaching Philosophy?

by Tim Topham

As teachers, we all have certain ways of doing things. We’ll teach certain pieces, we’ll put emphasis on certain aspects of teaching: technique, posture, reading, singing. We may be “exam” or “festival” teachers who always enter students for performance events. Perhaps your focus is on helping students play the music they want to or teaching sight ... What’s your Piano Teaching Philosophy?

09/19/2016 Read more
 

Join the the preeminent professional development, learning and networking community for instrumental music teachers.

 
topmusic topmusic
 

The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Musical Patterns

by Barbara Grout

Table of Contents Teaching Musical Patterns Powerful Patterns Helping students to feel and understand music Decoding patterns What do patterns look like? How to help students find patterns in music A Musical Vocabulary The Pattern-Based Teaching Approach Applying this approach in piano lessons A foundation in patterns makes the difference Pattern-Based Teaching Links How do ... The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Musical Patterns

09/06/2016 Read more

Transform Your Piano Teaching with Tim Topham and Paul Myatt [Live Event]

by Tim Topham

I’m so excited to announce my first live events will be held around Australia in September to November 2016. The Transform Your Piano Teaching 1-day workshops will be held in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth (Brisbane dates to be announced). This training is an absolute must for any Aussie teachers who are interested in improving their ... Transform Your Piano Teaching with Tim Topham and Paul Myatt [Live Event]

08/22/2016 Read more

What The Research Says About Piano Practice and Motivation [Book Review]

by Tim Topham

I’ve learnt a few things about piano practice and motivation in my time as a musician and music teacher. Here are some of them: The most important thing we can teach our students is how to practice effectively Students need to be taught about practice methods including spaced practice, chunking, interleaved practice, etc. We all need to ... What The Research Says About Piano Practice and Motivation [Book Review]

08/15/2016 Read more

How Technology Has Changed the Way Children Discover the Joy of Music

by Caroline

Music v. Technology Children have always enjoyed music. Where it starts varies for each child. It may begin with a lullaby mom or dad sings before bed. It could be that you listen to the radio and they pick up on the songs you’re listening to. TV, movies and video games also provide a fair ... How Technology Has Changed the Way Children Discover the Joy of Music

08/08/2016 Read more

Online Piano Teaching

by Tim Topham

Have you thought about giving online lessons only to be overwhelmed by all the technology you'll need to purchase and learn to use? Have you written-off online lessons because of the importance you place on being able to physically help your students? This month on the blog and podcast, we're focussing on the ins and outs of teaching online: how to do it, what equipment you'll need, what the benefits are and much more.

08/03/2016 Read more

Music Learning Theory Wrap-Up

by Tim Topham

I believe that Music Learning Theory has been one of the most profound themes I’ve ever featured on the blog and I’m so thankful to everyone who has shared their ideas and stories around this remarkable approach to music education.  It has certainly changed my thinking on music teaching. Has it changed yours?  For the final post ... Music Learning Theory Wrap-Up

08/01/2016 Read more