A process that creates a streamlined approach to onboarding new students so you won’t miss a step. This simple checklist will save you time and sanity. Subscribe Join Amy’s email list. Support the Podcast https://pianopantry.com/patreon Transcript Find the full transcript and show notes (including any links mentioned) here:https://pianopantry.com/p…

3-ring binders are a great tool for keeping student materials organized. Here are some purchase considerations and ways to use them. Subscribe Join Amy’s email list Support the Podcast https://pianopantry.com/patreon Transcript Find the full transcript and show notes (including any links mentioned) here:https://pianopantry.com/podcast/episode128 Se…

4 things for the 4th that will help elevate your holiday week and the month ahead. Two are teaching-related, one just for fun, and one will help bring attention to the reason for the season. Join Amy’s Email List https://pianopantry.com/subscribe Support the Podcast https://pianopantry.com/patreon Transcript Find the full transcript and show notes …

The second ICYMI episode is here! - A Piano Safari stuffed animal shopping guide to help you build your own collection to support this method. Join Amy’s Email List https://pianopantry.com/subscribe Support the Podcast https://pianopantry.com/patreon Transcript Find the full transcript and show notes (including any links mentioned) here:https://pia…

In this episode, Amy chats with six teachers who attended the 2024 Piano Pantry Retreat. You’ll hear the best of what they took away from the retreat. Guest include Michelle Miller, a teacher from Ohio; Jeanine Skinner, a teacher from North Carolina; Trudi Norman, Mary Majerus, and Becky Barber, all from Georgia; and Krysta Hawkley, from Amy’s home…

When was the last time you cleaned out your digital contacts? Have you ever cleaned it out? Whether you use Google or Apple’s iCloud Contacts, the process is the same. In this episode, you’ll get some tips on how to switch contacts managers including how to use Google Contacts on an iPhone, and steps for cleaning out your contacts. Transcript Find …

Gear up for your summertime listening and learn how to utilize more Spotify features. Here are five things that you likely didn’t know you could do with Spotify playlists. I’ve been using Spotify for as long as I can remember, and these things took a while for me to discover. Some are features I stumbled upon randomly, and some were functions I des…

Three questions to ask yourself when going through your annual studio website update. Whether you’re just making small tweaks to keep it fresh or doing a complete overhaul, these three items are always important to consider. Subscribe Join Amy’s email list Support the Podcast https://pianopantry.com/patreon Items Mentioned and Other Related Content…

It’s time to purge one aspect of your digital life, and that’s “idea” clutter. Idea clutter is all of those cool ideas you’ve seen or heard about on the internet that you’ve saved here and there and everywhere! Find the full transcript and show notes (including any links mentioned) here:https://pianopantry.com/podcast/episode121…

In this episode, Amy chats with Gretchen Steffen, a stay-at-home-mom who teaches 15 students two nights a week. Gretchen shares her journey through her first three years of piano teaching. She has some great advice for anyone who is interested in getting started teaching but perhaps feeling inadequate in their own skills or unsure of whether it’s t…

Seven ways you can connect with and tap into your local community to promote awareness and, in turn, grow your business.Find the full transcript and show notes (including any links mentioned) here:https://pianopantry.com/podcast/episode119

While it could be easy to just layer students into a recital program based on the order of age or repertoire difficulty, it may not result in a pleasing experience. Crafting a program that is positive for students, the audience, and yourself as a teacher (a.k.a. recital stage manager) requires a lot more thought, attention, and careful consideratio…

Your business is a living, breathing thing with the beautiful ability to be flexible and evolve with culture, client needs, and/or personal life. Sometimes, changes and adjustments are needed at the micro level and sometimes at the macro level. In this episode, we’ll explore what that could be like for your studio and also hear about some of the ad…

If you’ve ever experienced emotional labor determining makeup lesson policies in your studio, today’s episode will provide a little therapy. Australian-based piano teacher Samantha Coates invites a perspective that paints a vivid picture of why a no-makeup policy is absolutely reasonable. (This episode is a replay of Episode 066 - Samantha Coates o…

Putting together formal student evaluations can be very time-consuming. If you like the idea of evaluations or progress reports but struggle with the time required to craft them, I’m here to offer an alternative solution! Find the full transcript and show notes (including any links mentioned) here:https://pianopantry.com/podcast/episode115…

Welcome to the first-ever “ICYMI: In Case You Missed It” episode of The Piano Pantry Podcast! ICYMI episodes will feature anything from opportunities and resources I feel those in our profession should know about to items from the archives of the Piano Pantry blog that - if you’ve not been following me since 2016 - you might not know about! Today’s…

Regularly scheduled downtime from teaching is important not only for us but also for our students and for maintaining a well-run business. Time off isn’t just about having unending hours to read, deep clean your freezer, or go for two-hour walks; it can also mean releasing ourselves from our normal routine to make room for other things. Find the fu…

Ponderings on how we use the term “friend” within the context of our relationships with each other in the piano teacher community Find the full transcript and show notes (including any links mentioned) here:https://pianopantry.com/podcast/episode112

Opportunities for independent teachers to get conference-type professional development in both large and small-scale formats, including the pros and cons of each setting. Find the full transcript and show notes (including any links mentioned) here:https://pianopantry.com/podcast/episode111

You will surely be delighted by Amy’s conversation with Seattle-based pianist, teacher, and clinician Peter Mack, current President of Music Teachers National Association (MTNA)! They chat on a variety of topics, including teaching specialties, Peter’s natural knack for using visual descriptors, what it’s like to be on a conference planning committ…

Amy and her friend Joy Morin of the Color in My Piano blog share six ways they’ve used Notion (a productivity and note-taking app) this week as independent piano teachers. Find the full transcript and show notes (including any links mentioned) here:https://pianopantry.com/podcast/episode109

Canva is an online graphic design tool that can be used for anything from social media content to presentation slides, resource creation, and more. Here are nine special features that you’ll want to know about - many of which Amy wishes she had known about sooner! Find the full transcript and show notes (including any links mentioned) here:https://…

How to run a note-naming challenge in your studio. We’ll cover things like objectives, leveling, scheduling, rewards, frequently asked questions and more. (The main content of this episode is a replay of episode 061.) Find the full transcript and show notes (including any links mentioned) here:https://pianopantry.com/podcast/episode107…

Amy hands out “Valentines” to 9 items that she loves. More specifically, she’s featuring things she has found enhancing her life through beauty and simplicity. Find the full transcript and show notes (including any links mentioned) here:https://pianopantry.com/podcast/episode106

A comparison of two task-management note-taking apps: Evernote and Notion. Learn the differences between the two apps and hear why Amy has moved most of what she does from Evernote into Notion. More importantly, she’ll share one big reason why Evernote has remained part of her workflow but in a more focused way.Find the full transcript and show not…

Would you like to have a more streamlined approach to your group classes or have a few more tried and true activities in your back pocket? Listen in as Amy shares some of her favorite go-to activities to conduct during group class weeks. Find the full transcript and show notes (including any links mentioned) here:https://pianopantry.com/podcast/epi…

In what order do you teach technical patterns? Have you ever considered going outside the exact order your method books suggest and laying out the order YOU feel would best suit your students? In this episode, Amy challenges some of our thinking around the order in which technical patterns are taught and encourages us to design a progression that w…

While Amy’s not big on what you might know as traditional “Freezer Meals,” she has some time-saving tips on setting up your freezer to cover you when your dinner prep hours are teaching-filled hours. Find the full transcript and show notes (including any links mentioned) here:https://pianopantry.com/podcast/episode102…

Take time to rethink, readjust, and thus renew yourself for the upcoming season. We’re not talking about setting goals - that comes later. First, let’s pause and consider what’s working and what’s not. Hear the story of Amy’s biggest pain point in recent months and how the reflection and evaluation process she went through can help you. Find the fu…

Amy takes time to look back at some of the big events and happenings in the world of independent piano teachers in 2022 and 2023. For the rest of the show notes, including the links mentioned, [CLICK HERE].

Amy had a little fun playing around with Chat GPT to write you a song as you head into Christmas break. Hear a little about the process she went through guiding Chat GPT, receive the special holiday wish, and get a holiday-themed tiny tip (also AI-style!) For the rest of the show notes, including the full transcript and links mentioned, [CLICK HERE…

Episode 2 in a two-part series on best utilizing the forScore app. Check out some of these need-to-know features that Amy wishes she had known about sooner.For the rest of the show notes, including links mentioned, [CLICK HERE].

A few basics on utilizing the forScore digital sheet music app, including how to digitize and import sheet music, a little on the benefits of the Apple Pencil, how to edit and maintain consistency with metadata information, organizing setlists, and more. For the rest of the show notes, including links mentioned, [CLICK HERE].…

Organizing, keeping, and maintaining a waiting list: I hope my hard lessons will be ones you can avoid! (this episode is a replay of episode 22) For the rest of the show notes, including links mentioned, [CLICK HERE].

Get a behind-the-scenes look at all that goes on in the background with Wendy Stevens and ComposeCreate.com. Listen in as Amy and Wendy chat about everything from what it means to do deep work to tools they use for daily workflow and more. For the rest of the show notes, including links mentioned, [CLICK HERE: https://PianoPantry.com/podcast/episod…

A random handful of some of Amy’s favorite things. For the rest of the show notes, including links mentioned, [CLICK HERE].

Canadian composer, piano teacher, and blogger Rebekah Maxner shares insight for piano teachers of all levels - from beginner to advanced - on what it can mean to teach a neurodiverse student. She touches on nearly 15 indicators and how certain characteristics can be signs of neurodiversity. For the rest of the show notes, including links mentioned,…

Do you struggle with finding suitable venues for holding recitals, or do you just feel like shaking things up a little in your studio this upcoming holiday season? In today’s episode, I hope to save you a little energy and brain power with a little more than a half dozen recital ideas, from large in-person events to small-scale, intimate recitals, …

Four basic and progressive ways to prepare your students for those spontaneous holiday singalongs.For the rest of the show notes, including links mentioned, [CLICK HERE].

Amy chats with Sally Eppert, an Indiana friend and colleague who was recently named the 2023 Indiana Music Teacher Association Teacher of the Year. Sally manages a large studio and four teachers - offering both group and private piano lessons, voice, and percussion. For the rest of the show notes, including links mentioned, [CLICK HERE].…

In this episode, Sally and Sharon from The Curious Piano Teachers share eight types of questions we can utilize in our lessons, from what they call “skinny” or easy, closed questions to meta-cognitive, emotional, and more. For the rest of the show notes, including links mentioned, [CLICK HERE].

Do you enjoy including Halloween-themed activities in your music studio during the month of October? Amy has tried all kinds of stuff over the years, and in this episode, you’ll hear ten items that have made the cut and continue to be staple activities this time of year in her studio. For the rest of the show notes, including links mentioned, [CLIC…

Are you a sucker for top tools, recommended resources, and favorites lists? Here are nine items that I regret not investing in sooner that will be helpful in both your business and everyday life. For the rest of the show notes, including links mentioned, [CLICK HERE]

In today’s episode, we’re talking assignments and lesson planning - two elements in our work that are in and of themselves separate entities, and yet, I think it’s hard to talk about one without the other because they can be intertwined. The whole situation with the upheaval of the Tonara practice app was enough to propel this conversation into the…

In reaction to the Tonara shutdown announcement, this is a special teacher talk episode. After briefly covering a list of Tonara alternatives, Amy shares a step-by-step process for easing the pain in your Tonara transition. Interspersed with Amy’s advice, you’ll also hear short audio snippets from eight of her teacher friends sharing their own thou…

Why do we often find ourselves struggling on the whole to give or not to give questions in regards to gifts for students, whether that be Christmas gifts, birthday, or even recital gifts? In this episode, we talk about the decision-making process, the emotions behind it, and some practical gift ideas as you plan your year. For the rest of the show …

All the students want to play them! But did you know that lead sheets and chord charts teach many important and practical piano skills? In this episode, Davis and Olivia will hit the highlights of why and how you should teach lead sheets and chord charts to all your piano students… even the beginners.For the rest of the show notes, including links …

While it’s important we as teachers support our composers and publishers, sometimes it’s nice to know a few ways to save a little here and there (because we buy a LOT of music)! Here are 12 ways to save. For the rest of the show notes, including links mentioned, [CLICK HERE].

While getting meals on the table is a daily life task many in this world understandably struggle to execute, the schedule of an independent music teacher seems to make it even harder. It’s easy for meal-planning efforts to often focus on dinner - leaving the midday meal a little in the lurch. In this episode, I’ll share six ways you can help your l…

As we shift into fall-scheduling mode, find inspiration for setting your own daily work-life schedule by hearing highlights and snippets from seven previous teacher-talk guests. For the rest of the show notes, including links mentioned, [CLICK HERE].