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Cool Late Beginner Music Part 2 [RR#5]

by Tim Topham

Good morning everyone, or good evening if you’re over in the states or Europe. Tim Topham here again for my fortnightly Repertoire Rap-Up. So, what I do in these sessions if you haven’t seen one of these before is, just go through a whole lot of cool music I’ve found recently, that kids are really ... Cool Late Beginner Music Part 2 [RR#5]

04/19/2017 Read more

How to Organise Fun Piano Recitals [Expert Roundup]

by Sean Wales

Fun Piano Recitals Today we have a fantastic Expert Roundup post, giving you some ideas on how to organise fun piano recitals. Contributing to today’s post are experienced piano teachers and music bloggers. They are sharing with us a way of putting on a performance or recital that is different; a recital that is creative, ... How to Organise Fun Piano Recitals [Expert Roundup]

How I Got off the Piano Exam Express

by Sean Wales

This month has been all about Exploring Exams and Recitals and one phrase has popped up a few times: exam express. I’m Sean and you may have seen a few articles written by me recently featured on Tim’s blog. I learnt piano with Tim at high school for four years and during this time, Tim transformed ... How I Got off the Piano Exam Express

04/17/2017 Read more

An Open Letter to Parents of Piano Students

by Tim Topham

A Document for Piano Parents Everywhere As the nature of music education shifts from one of note reading, performance and interpretation to one of creativity, curiosity, composition and exploration, many piano teachers are finding it hard to explain the value and importance of this change with parents. This means that there is sometimes a conflict between what ... An Open Letter to Parents of Piano Students

04/15/2017 Read more

How do Rockschool Piano Exams Work?

by Stuart Storer

This month, to help piano teachers with their understanding of piano exams, I have two fantastic guest posts from experienced AMEB examiners.  Today’s post is all about a creative new piano syllabus. Rockschool is a syllabus run in the United Kingdom and they have teamed up with AMEB to bring it here.  It is all ... How do Rockschool Piano Exams Work?

04/12/2017 Read more

How to Tackle Piano Performance Anxiety

by Roberta Wolff

It is the million dollar question that all students will ask you at one point during their education: “How can I stop feeling nervous about performing?”.  Performance anxiety is natural and students deal with exams and concerts in different ways. Some students embrace the pressure that comes with it, while others need a helping hand.  ... How to Tackle Piano Performance Anxiety

04/10/2017 Read more
 

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Teach Principles First [Chat with Paul Harris Part 3]

by Sean Wales

Wrapping up our mini-chat series with Tim Topham and expert UK educationalist Paul Harris is today’s video all about teaching piano principles first.  In the previous two videos, Tim and Paul have chatted about the best ways to motivate your students and how to keep your piano lessons relevant. In case you missed them, click on ... Teach Principles First [Chat with Paul Harris Part 3]

04/08/2017 Read more

Piano Studio Concerts and Exams – What Works Best?

by Roberta Wolff

  What is the best way for you to use piano studio concerts? Should teachers play at these concerts? How do you deal with pressure from parents who just want their children to do exams?  These are all queries that arise when discussing and planning performance opportunities for your students. When running a studio with ... Piano Studio Concerts and Exams – What Works Best?

04/05/2017 Read more

Exploring Piano Exams and Recitals

by Tim Topham

This month, we’re going to focus on two sometimes controversial aspects of piano teaching: exams and recitals. This will include discussions around performing, competitions, festivals, performance anxiety and so forth. We’re going to discuss the best approaches for incorporating exams into your studio, when students should sit exams and how to discuss exams with pushy parents. When it ... Exploring Piano Exams and Recitals

04/03/2017 Read more

Fun Late Beginner Piano Music [RR#4]

by Tim Topham

Fun Late Beginner Piano Music [RR#4] Tim Topham: It’s Tim Topham here and I’m really excited today to show you some of my recent finds and the things that I’ve been using over the last few years for late beginner students. These are the kids that have done their primer method book, they may have ... Fun Late Beginner Piano Music [RR#4]

03/28/2017 Read more

Are You Keeping Lessons Relevant? [Chat with Paul Harris Part 2]

by Sean Wales

Welcome to Part 2 of our mini-series video chats with UK educationalist Paul Harris. Today we are exploring how you can keep lessons relevant and use your student’s imagination to creatively teach musical concepts. A couple weeks back we saw Tim and Paul talk about how to motivate your piano students. To recap, Paul Harris ... Are You Keeping Lessons Relevant? [Chat with Paul Harris Part 2]

03/27/2017 Read more

How to Teach Beginner Piano Students [No Book Beginners]

by Tim Topham

What is the best way to teach beginner piano students and to inspire, engage and motivate them in their first lesson? Is it through opening a method book and teaching students how to read middle C? Or, is it through: Exploring the piano Creating musical stories Playing games Playing by ear Transposing Harmonising, and Improvising? If ... How to Teach Beginner Piano Students [No Book Beginners]

03/26/2017 Read more