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The Real Reason Teens Are Quitting Your Studio – Part 3: Technology

by Tim Topham

Teenagers and Technology – a match made in heaven This is the last article in a 3-part series I’ve been writing about retaining and motivating teenage piano students. This week, in the final part of the series, we’ll discuss how keeping up with technology can help you motivate and retain teenagers in your studio. The initial idea ... The Real Reason Teens Are Quitting Your Studio – Part 3: Technology

04/11/2014 Read more

The Real Reason Teens Are Quitting Your Studio – Part 2

by Tim Topham

Why write about teens? I decided to write a short series about teaching teens because there seems to be a lot of teachers out there for whom teaching teens is becoming a bit of a struggle. You might have read their posts on piano teaching groups, wondering aloud why teenagers don’t want to have lessons ... The Real Reason Teens Are Quitting Your Studio – Part 2

03/29/2014 Read more

“Coffee with Ray” – a remarkable new piano teaching textbook/novella by Nick Ambrosino

by Tim Topham

A piano teaching textbook that reads like a novel! I really wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reading Nick Ambrosino’s new book: Coffee with Ray. The title certainly caught my attention (“coffee” tends to have that effect!) but how could a book about having coffee with someone called Ray possibly help me with ... “Coffee with Ray” – a remarkable new piano teaching textbook/novella by Nick Ambrosino

03/23/2014 Read more

The Real Reason Teens are Quitting Your Studio – Part 1

by Tim Topham

Is it just me or is it getting harder to keep teenagers interested in piano these days? No one has any time, every after-school minute is jam-packed with activities, and despite the costs and logistics of piano lessons, practice always takes a back seat to everything else that’s going on. But, is that the real ... The Real Reason Teens are Quitting Your Studio – Part 1

03/13/2014 Read more

Motivating teenage piano students | Teen Teaching Toolkit

by Tim Topham

I’ve recently had lots of people ask me about where they can get their copy of my new eBook: The Teen Teaching Toolkit. It’s a totally free resource devoted to helping you engage and motivate your teenage piano students more effectively. Here is what a couple of teachers have recently said about the Teen Teaching ... Motivating teenage piano students | Teen Teaching Toolkit

02/28/2014 Read more

Teen Teaching Toolkit

by Tim Topham

Here is what a couple of teachers have recently said about the Teen Teaching Toolkit: In order to receive your FREE copy by email, just leave your details below.

02/27/2014 Read more
 

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The History of Piano Technique: Studies and Exercises | Graham Fitch

by Tim Topham

Teaching Piano Technique I just had to repost this great article from Practising the Piano by Graham Fitch, which discusses the sometimes controversial topic of piano technique and more specifically, exercises and studies such as Hanon and Czerny. The article, which is a précis of a section in his Practising the Piano eBook series, gives a ... The History of Piano Technique: Studies and Exercises | Graham Fitch

12/19/2013 Read more

Improve Your Piano Teaching through Self-Assessment

by Leah Coutts

Self-assessment to Improve your Piano Teaching It’s that time of year when many of us have just received our students’ exam results and sent out progress reports to parents. Tracking student progress is definitely an important activity, but what about our progress as teachers? Is the fact that our students are returning to us next ... Improve Your Piano Teaching through Self-Assessment

12/18/2013 Read more

Piano music for boys | 15 of the best pieces by Daniel McFarlane

by Tim Topham

Piano Music for Boys Finding motivating piano music, especially for beginner and intermediate teenage boys, can be difficult. Thankfully, there are a number of composers writing really good music for this demographic around the world. I’ve already blogged about Jo Kochie and Geri Rea; today’s profile is on Brisbane-based composer/teacher Daniel McFarlane, who offers readers of topmusic.co a ... Piano music for boys | 15 of the best pieces by Daniel McFarlane

11/17/2013 Read more

Whatever you do, don’t stop! 5 Sight Reading Tips for Piano Teachers

by Tim Topham

Most students and teachers dread working on sight reading, but in the last year, my students have genuinely started to enjoy the challenge of making it a regular part of their practice. Best of all, they have started to see improvement in their reading. The practice is paying off! I attribute this to a few ... Whatever you do, don’t stop! 5 Sight Reading Tips for Piano Teachers

10/13/2013 Read more

How to mark a piano exam | “On Your Marks” ABRSM

by Tim Topham

If you’ve ever wanted to be a ‘fly on the wall’ at one of your students’ piano exams, have a look at this great free offering from the ABRSM. What is it? The ABRSM has just released a great feature on its website called “On Your Marks”. This resource allows you to watch and assess all the ... How to mark a piano exam | “On Your Marks” ABRSM

10/01/2013 Read more

Piano music for boys > 10 of the best pieces by Jo Kotchie

by Tim Topham

I first met Perth-based teacher and composer Jo Kotchie at the APPC conference in 2011. In July this year, we reconnected in relation to the presentation I was giving at the APPC in Toowoomba titled “Fast and Furious: Techniques and Repertoire for Boys” which inspired this blog series. Jo has written a huge amount of music which ... Piano music for boys > 10 of the best pieces by Jo Kotchie

09/05/2013 Read more