The Vibrant Music Teaching Podcast | Proven and practical tips, strategies and ideas for music teachers

Teaching sight-reading skills to piano students is not always as simple as teaching them great reading skills. To be a great sight-reader you need more than just note names and intervals. You need to be able to translate those to movements that make sounds...quickly.The difference between reading and sight-reading is time. Or, rather, the lack thereof.When we read music that we’ve never seen or heard before, in the moment, we have to move fast. We have to be quick on our fingers and make guesses when our brain doesn’t have time to figure it out.Solid sight-reading skills are a wonderful asset to have as a collaborative musician or accompanist. They’re also super useful to have in your backpocket for any performance situation to get you out of a jam. But after we teach our students to read, how do we take them beyond slow deciphering of notes and towards cat-like sight-reading reflexes?

Taking apart a specific genre or traditional style of music and putting it back together is a great way to understand it. In this episode, I'll give you 2 examples of how to do that and then improvise with the elements.Find out more about membership at vibrantmusicteaching.com.

Most of us teach, perform and listen to Classical music. Many of us also teach pop songs or jazz. But do you ever break outside of these walls?And if you want to teach different types of music, how do you find it?That's the question we'll unpack in today's show.Find out more about membership at vibrantmusicteaching.com.

As music teachers, we all want teaching studios that are dynamic, full of life, and bursting with creativity. We want our students to arrive for their weekly lessons feeling motivated and excited.Yet, if we’re honest, there are times when this simply isn’t the case.In this episode, I'll give you some strategies to try when things feel stagnant in your music lessons.Find out more about membership at vibrantmusicteaching.com.

Teachers can find lessons everywhere if they look carefully enough. In this article, I want to share with you the lessons I learnt from my years of folk dancing that show up today in my music studio.I was that student growing up. You know the one that you complain to other teachers about because they’re too overscheduled to practice?Yeah, that one.The thing was, I wasn’t actually overscheduled. My parents weren’t the driving force behind my busy timetable. It was me.I wouldn’t quit anything.One of the many things I wouldn’t quit was Irish dancing. (Before you ask...Yeah, sure, kinda like Riverdance.)I could’ve been a better pianist if I focussed entirely on piano. However, I believe it’s experiences outside music that made me the teacher I am today. As you read through my lessons from folk dancing, I hope you’ll take some of them with you. But, more than that, I hope you’ll investigate some of your own experiences and think about how they’ve affected the teacher you’ve become.

What does your music studio brand say about you? Do you even have a brand? Of course, you do!Has anyone ever said to you, “I hear you’re the person to talk to about piano lessons!” Maybe you’re filling your schedule (and even a long waiting list!) through referrals alone.Or maybe you’re having a hard time getting new students and you need to advertise. What exactly are you going to advertise? Where and to whom?What does it mean to take music lessons with you?Whether you know it or not, you have a brand. The way you teach, the people you teach, the method books you choose to use: all these and more define you as a teacher and the type of student who is the best fit for your studio.Your music studio brand prioritises your strengths and is honest about your weaknesses. It differentiates you, as a teacher, from the other dozen piano teachers in your area.Building your brand should be a conscious choice, but it doesn’t have to be an agonising one.Find out more about membership at vibrantmusicteaching.com.

Growing is as much a part of business as breathing is a part of life. It could be the smaller (but VERY important) types of expansion such as growing as a teacher and musician, finding a supportive teacher community to join, or recruiting new students. It could also be the more major types of growth like: Going to work for someone else – an institution or music school Becoming your own boss, transitioning to or adding online teaching Adding additional teachers to your studio Starting a music school Starting a YouTube channel Or maybe even initiating that side hustle that’s been lingering in your imagination for years. Whatever the scope of your expansion, I guarantee you ARE growing. So, let’s take a bit of a deeper look at how to do so in a way that brings you more confidence and happiness!

Find our new show by searching for "Teaching Studio Stories"!

If we want the music teaching industry to move forward, we need to be part of the change. We can only have so much impact through our own teaching. Mentorship is one way to reach beyond the walls of our own studio.A few years ago I made a decision. I put an ad out online with an offer to mentor a new teacher in my studio. I didn’t know how this project would go or if I’d even get any responses. I just decided to put it out into the universe and see where it took me.I got some great applicants, took on a couple of teachers and the process has evolved from there. I now have a full course on how to set up a similar program in your studio if this sounds like the right route for you.So let’s talk about what that route entails.

When you think about hiring your first teacher, how do you feel? 🤔 Clueless? Scared? Definitely-not-for-me? Perhaps you’re excited and ready to start ASAP. We all know hiring a great teacher is important, but hiring the right-fit teacher is vital to you and your business’ wellbeing.Here’s a step-by-step guide to getting that first, right-fit teacher onboarded.Find out more about membership at vibrantmusicteaching.com.

Business expansion is not for every teacher. If you’re thinking about growing your music teaching business, read this article first.My job in this post is to persuade you NOT to expand your music teaching business.Why am I doing that?I’m taking on this project because everyone else seems to be taking the opposite one. Everywhere you look you might be hearing about entrepreneurialism (what a word, hey?), profitability and impact.But, maybe, you can have a bigger impact by staying small. Consider these 7 factors carefully. Then, if you still want to expand your music teaching business know that I am 100% behind you. But if you want to stay small and mighty, I support that too. 💛 💙 💚

Welcome to The Vibrant Music Teaching Podcast! This is the show for you if you’re an instrumental or vocal music teacher that wants friendly, creative and accessible advice. I’m your host Nicola Cantan. My membership site, Vibrant Music Teaching, helps teachers all over the world to include more games and creativity in their lessons, so that their students giggle their way through music theory and make faster progress. I also run a popular blog, Colourful Keys, where we write about creative ideas and teaching strategies and an interview show called Teaching Studio Stories. Every Monday I provide bite-sized bursts of inspiration and ideas for instrumental and vocal music teachers. The episodes are usually between 10 and 20 minutes – the perfect length of time to put away some of the music books scattered all over your studio and hide the rest of them in the piano bench.Listen to a few episodes and hit the subscribe button. When you come across an episode you love, make sure to tell your teacher-friends they can get it for free in any audio app that supports podcasts.

As a piano teacher, life and work tend to be intermingled and mashed together – but when that balance gets off kilter, you need to readjust.

With all the emotions which come along with learning to play an instrument, meditation can be a great tool for piano students. Here's how.

What's the best method for teaching piano scales? Let's explore the various options so you can try different approaches with your students.

Have you ever stopped to question whether you teach piano scales in the best order for your students? Learn more in this article and podcast.

When is the best time for piano students to start scales? Here we'll unpack the ins and outs so you can decide yourself when to start scales.

Dazed by dorian? Muddled by mixolydian? If you don't teach piano modes in your studio, here's the lowdown so you can get started.

Even if you teach music lessons one-on-one, you can still include games and make lessons incredibly fun for your students. Here's how.

Having a lending library in your piano studio is a great way to expand the resources available to your students. Whether you’re just starting a library or extending your existing one, there are a few things you can do to make it go more smoothly.

Found a great music theory game but it’s just not quite right for your student? Here are some ideas to adapt any piano teaching game for your students.

Have you ever had a piano parent complain that you’re playing too many games in lessons? Maybe they’ve asked you to take out all the games and just spend the whole lesson time on the bench? Party poopers!

If you're tired of the traditional holiday recital or studio party, try this Blitzen Bash complete with gig-like performances & Christmas piano party games!

When a new transfer piano student arrives in your studio, we have to assess their skills and gaps quickly. Here are 7 great tools to help.

https://colourfulkeys.ie/shop/practice-pie https://blitzbooks.com/why-piano-playing-is-like-bike-riding/ In this masterclass, Nicola Cantan and Samantha Coates will discuss their favourite analogies for educating parents about music practice. You'll bake a metaphorical practice pie with Nicola, ride a fictional practice bike with Samantha, and by the end you'll feel much more confident discussing practice with parents in your studio.

If you've ever struggled with the parents of transfer piano students, here are some strategies to teach an “old” piano parent new tricks.

If you have a transfer student with an entirely wrong method book match, let me help smooth out the switch to more suitable piano methods.

Piano transfer students get a bad rap, but they can actually be wonderful. Let me help you make them a favourite in your studio, too.

If you want to teach technique to your students in a deliberate, systematic way, here are 8 of the best piano technique books to try.

Let’s get you teaching what all of these piano articulation signs mean so your students play in a healthy and expressive way.

Yoga is a fantastic tool for piano teachers and students, both in lessons and before home practice. Let me share what yoga has taught me.

Teaching proper piano posture can be a challenge when students are little and struggle to sit still. Here are some tips to get you started.

The old paradigm for how to teach piano technique worked OK...ish. I mean, it got many of us through our studies and towards teaching. But how many other students dropped off because of aches, pains, injuries and inefficiencies? In this episode, we’ll look at how to teach technique effectively. And we won’t need any dry exercises.

If you’re just getting started, your instinct might be to start to teach beginner piano students first. After all, they’re just at the start too so how hard could it be? Teaching beginner students actually requires great skill and care. In this article, we’ll take an overview of all the areas you need to consider.

Here are some solutions to help you keep the balance, stay zen and develop healthy habits while teaching piano lessons from home.

We often hear about dressing for success. Let’s take a look at what that means for piano teachers and why it matters even if we’re teaching a few students from our living rooms.

Want to feel like a successful music teacher? The journey to becoming a successful music teacher can be scary. Avoid the quicksand and head straight for the goal with this helpful advice.

Here are 14 of the best lyric writing prompts to inspire your piano students to dive into songwriting with confidence. These are perfect to use when a student can’t find inspiration for their song-writing project.

Students often compose really interesting rhythms…but then have trouble figuring out how to notate them. In this article, I’ll help you as you help your students with complex rhythm dictation.

Teaching‌ ‌songwriting‌ ‌to‌ ‌piano‌ ‌students‌ ‌can‌ ‌be‌ ‌hard‌ ‌when‌ ‌you’re‌ ‌not‌ ‌a‌ ‌master‌ songwriter‌ ‌yourself.‌ ‌This‌ ‌article‌ ‌will‌ ‌give‌ ‌you‌ ‌everything‌ ‌you‌ ‌need‌ ‌to‌ ‌guide‌ ‌your‌ students‌ ‌who‌ ‌want‌ ‌to‌ ‌become‌ ‌songwriters.‌

150 characters. That’s all I’m allowing you for your music teacher vision statement. If you had to whittle it all down, what would you say? Why are you doing this?

Teaching piano, violin or voice doesn’t have to be a risky career path – making a steady income as a piano teacher CAN be done. I’ll show you how in this article.

Project management software can help to add structure to scattered to-do lists. Finding the right project management tool for your music studio can feel like a holy grail. But, as always, we’re here to help make it simple.

Creating a music studio system might sound like a boring endeavor. But if you do it right – if you make a model studio – it can be exciting. It can change your whole game.

Do you wish you could take paid holidays and sick leave? Think paid time off is just a pipe dream for self-employed piano teachers like us? I have the solution for you.

There are so many factors involved for a student to succeed in their music studies. Their parents, their teacher, their attitude and their grittiness all play a role. But one factor you might not have thought of is their lesson schedule – more specifically, their lesson day.

Do some of your students seem to throw their hands in the air at the first whiff of struggle and difficulty? What they need is grittiness. They need the determination and self-belief to keep going when things get hard.

I think of music student motivation as 5 masts which keep a structure standing tall. Nurture all 5 for highly motivated and engaged students.

If your goal is to foster a growth mindset in your piano students, then extrinsic motivation could be the best route to get there.

Incentives, awards and rewards are common practice in many piano studios. If you use them, you’re a raving fan. If you don’t, you’re staunchly opposed. Whichever side of this debate you fall on, let’s stop and think about each type of external motivator.