In this episode, my guest Dorla Aparicio, discusses the benefits of multi-level group teaching. She shares with us how she introduced it into her piano studio and what steps were involved. She talks about how to approach it with students and her methods for keeping students engaged despite their age and skill level. Dorla also shares her method, the Piano Pyramid Method, which makes it possible for teachers to start with multi-level group teaching. This is a great episode for teachers who want to get started with group teaching but are nervous or hesitant to do so.

• Dorla’s background and what her teaching studio looks like at the moment.
• How she was introduced into group teaching and what she loved about it.
• Using the ensemble type of group teaching in her studio.
• She shares her first experience with group teaching.
• Tips for teachers who want to start with group teaching but are hesitant to do so.
• One of the mistakes she made in her career and what she has learned from it.
• The musical and social benefits that your students can get with group teaching.
• How Dorla makes teaching kids in multiple levels in one class work.
• Dorla talks about the Piano Pyramid Method and how it can help teachers with an ensemble-based multi-level group piano teaching approach.

Guest Links Mentioned

• Miss Dorla Website
• Let’s Talk Group Piano Facebook Group
• Piano Pyramid™ 

Links Mentioned

• TopCast Episode 103: A Chat with Mayron Cole, Pioneer of Group Teaching
• Free Piano Method Website

Today’s Guest

Dorla is a piano teacher who supports group piano teachers with organized and engaging resources that will help them offer excellent group piano classes. She believes that teaching in a group setting is one of the best ways we will keep the world of piano teaching alive during this century. Over the past three years, Dorla has created Piano Pyramid™, a group piano method in which it is possible to teach students of different ages and skills, namely students between the ages of 8 to 14 who are beginners up to the early-intermediate level.

Dorla received her Master of Music in Piano Pedagogy from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. She has taught early childhood music, private and group piano for more than 30 years. Until recently, she was an adjunct professor of music for 10 years at the University in Keene, Texas. Today, Dorla continues to work independently in her studio, where she teaches weekly group piano classes.

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