Pedagogy
blog posts

Teach music confidently without the stress

Recent Piano Guitar Pedagogy Creativity Repertoire Beginners Studio Business

Using Technology To Motivate Music Students

by Georgina Wilson

Technology didn’t play a role in motivating me as a kid. I was motivated by three things: If you’re lucky, you’ll have some students who have similar (simple) motivators. They practice or fill in a theory worksheet because you asked them to. But no doubt, you have some that are less obliging.

10/13/2025 Read more

Practice Makes Progress

by Georgina Wilson

Practice. This can be the biggest elephant in the room in your piano lessons. You want your students to practice. They know they should practice. But…they don’t. How can you change this? Table of Contents: Teach Your Students How To Practice Your students aren’t ignoring you. Most of the time, they’re just confused.

08/05/2025 Read more

Creative Repertoire: Musical Mashup

by Georgina Wilson

If you want a quick and easy way to get creative with repertoire, a musical mashup is your answer. But before we dive right into this Level 2 creativity activity, here’s a Level 1 to ease you in. Table of Contents: Keep the pitch, change the rest Make changes to a piece using non-pitch elements.

08/01/2025 Read more

Repertoire Remix

by Georgina Wilson

Repertoire is the backbone of everything in music lessons. Your students chose to learn an instrument because they want to be able to play pieces. But finding the right piece for the right student at the right time can be challenging. “My students are bored with the pieces in their method books.

07/22/2025 Read more

The Future of Music Education

by Georgina Wilson

The future of music education is scary. But exciting. Music education is forever evolving. But how can you make sure you don’t get left behind? Table of Contents: Technology Love it or hate it, technology is at the forefront of the future of music education.

06/02/2025 Read more

32 Ways to Market Your Studio

by Tim Topham

If you dream of a busy studio buzzing with happy students, there’s one thing you must do. Market your studio. Students are the foundation of your profession. Without students, there’s no piano teacher. But figuring out how to find students can be tricky…Until now!

05/19/2025 Read more
 

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

 
topmusic topmusic
 

Why I Love And Hate Social Media

by Georgina Wilson

I love and hate social media. It’s time-consuming. It’s a confusing mix of people telling me to do this, not that.

05/13/2025 Read more

Beyond the Notes: Training the Mind for Performance Success

by Tara Wright

I once had a student—let’s call her Emma. Emma was the kind of student every teacher dreams of. Dedicated, disciplined, and technically flawless. She practiced religiously, could execute runs with precision, and knew her repertoire inside and out. And yet… the moment she stepped onto a stage?

03/17/2025 Read more

Fearless Performing

by Georgina Wilson

Performing as a musician is exciting. An opportunity to share your talent and showcase your hard work. But it can be terrifying. Sweaty palms, racing heart, panicking about the audience judging you if you slip up. How can you help your students become fearless performers?

03/03/2025 Read more

3 Improvisation Activities Your Students Will Love

by Georgina Wilson

Improvisation comes naturally to some students. They’ll happily noodle away on the keys for hours. But it can lack a structure. (And by ‘structure,’ I don’t mean form. I mean, they randomly bash the keys with no thought behind what they’re doing.

02/10/2025 Read more

How I Started My Multi-Teacher Studio

by Tim Topham

Do you ever look at a multi-teacher studio with envy? You dream of walking down a corridor decorated with student artwork and recital photos. You smile as you hear enthusiastic students making music and memories in each room you pass.

01/27/2025 Read more

How to Scale Your Studio Without Losing Your Sanity (or Your Standards)

by Tara Wright

Picture this:Your studio is buzzing with energy. Teachers are leading lessons in every room, your schedule is full (but not overwhelming), and the whole operation runs like a well-oiled machine—even when you’re not there. Sounds like a dream, right? Spoiler alert: it’s not.

01/13/2025 Read more