Joe Harkins is a new piano teacher who came to piano teaching (like many of us do) from a mixed background of playing and performing. He got inspired to return to further pedagogy studies when he saw the gaps in his own knowledge, and joined the La Mont Piano Prepatory Program.

For a brand new piano teacher, Joe is wise beyond his years. He shares some amazing nuggets and insights that he’s learned, including how to remember to look at the “big picture” when you’re teaching.

Joe’s desire to learn and improve his teaching is truly inspirational. I know you’re going to get a lot out of today’s episode – whether you’re a brand new teacher yourself or not.

Transcript

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In this episode, you’ll learn

• How Joe got his start with playing jazz and other styles
• What inspired Joe to start teaching piano
• How he came to find the value of further pedagogy studies
• The biggest worries for a brand new piano teacher
• Why classical music gradually became more important for Joe
• The benefits and drawbacks of working in a music school
• What Joe was doing wrong in his own practicing
• The most valuable lessons from his graduate studies
• How to begin to incorporate technology in your teaching

Links Mentioned

• iReal Pro
• Flashnote Derby
• Tenuto
• La Mont Piano Prepatory Program

Today’s Sponsor

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• Record direct to a USB flash drive for sharing and editing
• Dual headphone capability
• Piano duet mode

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Thank you for Tuning In!

There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, and I’m grateful that you’ve chosen mine.

Whether you’re at the gym, on the bike or in the car, I know that you and your students will get lots out of what you learn in the long run.

Just make sure you try out some of the ideas before they get lost in the business of your next lessons!

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What was it like for you when you first started teaching?

Did any part of Joe’s story resonate with you? Was there something in his journey that made you think differently?