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CPTP118: The “Crisis in Creativity” with Kevin Olson

by Mauro Dalu

Kevin Olson is a natural composer. He started composing at a very young age and creativity seemed inevitable to him. Now, he wants to encourage that in the next generation. Apart from inspiring our students with wonderful motivating repertoire, Kevin also has some fantastic words of wisdom when it comes to including creativity in our ... CPTP118: The “Crisis in Creativity” with Kevin Olson

02/14/2018 Read more

CPTP119: Con Brio Online Examinations with Peter Wang

by Mauro Dalu

Having built a successful music studio, Peter Wang wasn’t done. Now, he and his colleagues are trying to make their mark on the music exam world with Con Brio exams. They’ve set about addressing some of the common concerns teachers have with traditional exam systems. Con Brio exams can be applied for at any time, ... CPTP119: Con Brio Online Examinations with Peter Wang

02/21/2018 Read more

CPTP121: The Digital versus Acoustic Divide

by Mauro Dalu

Where do you stand on the digital versus acoustic issue? Do you encourage your students to get acoustic pianos or are you more open to high quality digitals? While I think good acoustic pianos are fantastic for students to have at home, a lot of the time digital pianos are actually the better option. When ... CPTP121: The Digital versus Acoustic Divide

03/07/2018 Read more

CPTP122: The Motivation Equation with Samantha Coates (Part 1)

by Mauro Dalu

Motivating students to practice is a big topic for piano teachers. In fact, it’s probably the biggest one. Tackling this area is no small undertaking, and I’m delighted to welcome Samantha Coates to the podcast to talk us through it. In this three-part series Samantha is unpacking motivation and parent education, and what leads to ... CPTP122: The Motivation Equation with Samantha Coates (Part 1)

03/13/2018 Read more

CPTP123: The Motivation Equation with Samantha Coates (Part 2)

by Mauro Dalu

Motivation and practice are the biggest keys to our students’ success at the piano. That’s why I’m so thrilled to welcome back Samantha Coates for part two of our three-part series on student motivation. (Listen to part 1 here if you missed it.) In today’s show, Samantha is talking us through the parents’ role in ... CPTP123: The Motivation Equation with Samantha Coates (Part 2)

03/23/2018 Read more

CPTP125: 25 Years of Composing and Arranging with Phillip Keveren

by Mauro Dalu

Phillip Keveren has created some of my favourite arrangements for piano. All of his pieces are beautiful, pianistic and playable. As he points out in the interview, you don’t want a student doesn’t want to be working on a pop arrangement for 6 months, and his work makes these pieces students want to play accessible to ... CPTP125: 25 Years of Composing and Arranging with Phillip Keveren

05/02/2018 Read more
 

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CPTP126: Taking Care of Business with Todd Whaley

by Mauro Dalu

There’s a global shift among piano teachers to start taking their studios more seriously. Many teachers are now taking care of their businesses and no longer see this as just a “hobby” or a side job. This is a profession. And with that comes all the trappings a small business needs like invoices, expense tracking, ... CPTP126: Taking Care of Business with Todd Whaley

05/10/2018 Read more

CPTP127: Jon Schmidt from The Piano Guys

by Mauro Dalu

Jon Schmidt is none other than the “piano guy” from The Piano Guys. He is a pianist, composer, piano teacher, and author, and I’m delighted to have him join me on the podcast for this episode. The Piano Guys are known for their incredible pop and classical arrangements. In 2016 they passed 1 billion views on YouTube ... CPTP127: Jon Schmidt from The Piano Guys

05/16/2018 Read more

CPTP128: Creating Your Piano Studio Brand with Danny Thompson

by Mauro Dalu

What is a studio brand, is it the same as your logo or letterhead? And what’s the point of understanding your studio brand anyway? Knowing how people perceive you and how you want to be seen in the community is an important part of gaining clarity in your marketing and business. Danny Thompson is on ... CPTP128: Creating Your Piano Studio Brand with Danny Thompson

05/23/2018 Read more

CPTP129: Why “Practice” might be killing your studio business with Danny Thompson

by Mauro Dalu

Is the way we approach practice in our studios all wrong? Are our practice expectations unrealistic or counterproductive? Danny Thompson and I will unpack this idea of taking practice and homework out of the equation and focusing instead on inspiring our students and growing their love of music. Could this be a useful experiment in ... CPTP129: Why “Practice” might be killing your studio business with Danny Thompson

05/31/2018 Read more

CPTP130: Funnels and Facebook Ads for Piano Teachers with Danny Thompson

by Mauro Dalu

Facebook ads can be a little tricky for piano teachers. I know many teachers who have accidentally spent too much without any tangible result. But they can also be extremely powerful if used the right way. Danny Thompson is back on the show today for part 3 of our business masterclass, and this time we’re ... CPTP130: Funnels and Facebook Ads for Piano Teachers with Danny Thompson

06/07/2018 Read more

CPTP131: Piano Teaching Unthinkables with Philip Johnston

by Mauro Dalu

Philip Johnston brings a fresh take to music teaching ideas and preconceptions. The piano teaching unthinkables we discuss in this episode may be controversial, but even if you disagree they provide fantastic food for thought. In today’s show we bring video game thinking into the piano studio, abolish long-held beliefs about piano practice and throw ... CPTP131: Piano Teaching Unthinkables with Philip Johnston

06/14/2018 Read more

CPTP132: Launching a New Business on the Side with Janna Carlson

by Mauro Dalu

Not all piano teachers want to teach piano full-time. If you’ve ever thought of starting a new business in a related (or completely different) area to your studio – then today’s episode will provide great inspiration for you. There’s nothing wrong with loving piano teaching…but not loving the idea of doing it 50 hours a ... CPTP132: Launching a New Business on the Side with Janna Carlson

06/20/2018 Read more

CPTP133: How to motivate and help students practice with Aaron Garner

by Mauro Dalu

Aaron Garner used to be like many teachers, frustrated by sitting in lessons correcting note errors in his students’ pieces all day. That is, until he found a way to help students practice better. Aaron brought together the magic of backing tracks and technology to create a comprehensive practice solution for students: Piano Marvel. This ... CPTP133: How to motivate and help students practice with Aaron Garner

07/31/2018 Read more

CPTP135: How to use Instagram to Market Your Studio with Dawn Ivers

by Mauro Dalu

Instagram is a unique social media platform. It’s all images, with no links…and it can be confusing to know how we can use Instagram to market our studios effectively. Is Instagram just for building our community, or can we use it to attract new students? What are the best images to post and where can ... CPTP135: How to use Instagram to Market Your Studio with Dawn Ivers

08/14/2018 Read more

CPTP136: [Case Study] How to hire your first piano teacher

by Mauro Dalu

The thought of how to hire your first piano teacher can be a daunting one…but exciting at the same time. When you have too many students, a waiting list or new enquiries coming in frequently – it might be a good idea to start thinking about how to capitalise on this opportunity. Anastasia Buettner-Moore has ... CPTP136: [Case Study] How to hire your first piano teacher

08/21/2018 Read more

CPTP137: Randy Faber on a New American Piano Technique

by Mauro Dalu

I sincerely doubt Randy Faber needs any introduction to most piano teachers. He is one of the creators of the extremely popular Piano Adventures method books, and regularly speaks on pedagogy and performs across the world. I’m delighted to have Randy on the podcast today to share his thoughts on piano technique. His experience working ... CPTP137: Randy Faber on a New American Piano Technique

08/28/2018 Read more

CPTP138: What is 4 Chord Composing All About?

by Mauro Dalu

Playing simple 4 chord progressions can open up so many possibilities for students. It can lead them to a better understanding of music and it can give them the skills they need to recover from a mistake in a performance or accompany a singer. One of my favourite activities for piano lessons is chord composing. ... CPTP138: What is 4 Chord Composing All About?

09/05/2018 Read more

CPTP139: How to Teach on YouTube and Skype with Josh Wright

by Mauro Dalu

Teaching online could open up so many opportunities for you to work different hours, make more money and reach students you couldn’t otherwise. Whether you want to teach on YouTube, Skype or Facetime my guest today can definitely give you some great tips. Josh Wright has been taught by an amazing pedigree of teachers and ... CPTP139: How to Teach on YouTube and Skype with Josh Wright

09/12/2018 Read more

CPTP140: Getting Teen Beginners Fired-Up with Jennifer Eklund

by Mauro Dalu

Some teachers really find teen beginners a bit of a struggle. These students come to us from a very different place than our younger kiddos and often with pretty unreal expectations of how fast they’re going to progress. But these were some of Jennifer Eklund’s favourite students to teach. She’s on the podcast today to ... CPTP140: Getting Teen Beginners Fired-Up with Jennifer Eklund

09/19/2018 Read more

CPTP141: Playing by Ear with Ruth Power

by Mauro Dalu

Playing by ear is an area of piano that can intimidate some teachers. If you’ve never done it yourself, it can be hard to know where to start when it comes to teaching students these skills. On the other hand, teaching songs to students by ear is often the quickest route to getting them sounding ... CPTP141: Playing by Ear with Ruth Power

10/04/2018 Read more

CPTP142: The challenges of teaching a blind piano student with Anastasia Buettner-Moore

by Mauro Dalu

Have you ever been asked to teach a blind piano student? What did you say? It’s tempting to say no – not because we don’t want to teach them – but because we feel unprepared. But there is no degree in teaching piano to the visually impaired (that I know of) and if we don’t ... CPTP142: The challenges of teaching a blind piano student with Anastasia Buettner-Moore

10/09/2018 Read more

CPTP143: Being the Worship Music Pianist – Tips and Tools

by Mauro Dalu

Becoming a worship music pianist means shifting mindsets a bit. You’re not always going to be the lead player, sometimes you’re going to need to take a supporting role. You’re also going to need to read lead sheets…and to get better at listening to other musicians. Whether you’re interested in being a worship music pianist ... CPTP143: Being the Worship Music Pianist – Tips and Tools

10/17/2018 Read more

CPTP144: [Case Study] Pop Piano Teaching in Action with Anna Fagan

by Mauro Dalu

Pop piano teaching doesn’t have to be something you do just for fun, or just because your student begs you. It can actually have real value for your students in so many ways. The approach I advocate for teaching pop music might feel a bit foreign: focusing on chords, simplifying music and teaching rhythm by ... CPTP144: [Case Study] Pop Piano Teaching in Action with Anna Fagan

10/23/2018 Read more

CPTP145: Dealing with loss in the studio setting

by Mauro Dalu

My guest today has dealt with more than her fair share of loss, both personally, and seeing her students experience loss. She’s on the podcast today to share how she has worked through this and help teachers who are in similar situations. I know this is not an easy topic. This wasn’t an easy interview ... CPTP145: Dealing with loss in the studio setting

10/30/2018 Read more