7 friends. 1 is killed senior year of college. 1 is accused of killing her. Now the rest are back at the college reunion to figure out the truth. Everything is made even more complicated when you find that each friend has a secret that they’re hiding. Are all of them going to get out of reunion weekend alive? Or are the past 10 years finally going …

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…

For years Alex Volkov has been looking for a killer. The person who murdered his parents. He’s been dreaming about the day he finally kills the man... First, he will befriend his son. Next, he will corrupt his daughter. And eventually, his whole family will turn on their father. He will die with nobody on his side. But things start to get complicat…

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 …

Alex Volkov knew better than to say yes to his best friend. This was a request he could not help him with. Help protect his little sister - Ava. Ava, the girl that believes the world is still good. Ava - the girl that wants to find an all consuming love. The hopeless romantic that wants to see the good in everyone. Alex knows he can’t protect her b…

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…

*This is the Final Part of "Fourth Wing" Basgiath War College is not for the weak - especially if you’re training to be a dragon rider. Only the most powerful will survive and get bonded with a dragon. Violet wasn’t supposed to be here. She had wanted to be a scribe her entire life but last minute her powerful military General mother forced her to …

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…

Basgiath War College is not for the weak - especially if you’re training to be a dragon rider. Only the most powerful will survive and get bonded with a dragon. Violet wasn’t supposed to be here. She had wanted to be a scribe her entire life but last minute her powerful military General mother forced her to join the riders and every single day she’…

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…

Basgiath War College is not for the weak - especially if you’re training to be a dragon rider. Only the most powerful will survive and get bonded with a dragon. Violet wasn’t supposed to be here. She had wanted to be a scribe her entire life but last minute her powerful military General mother forced her to join the riders and every single day she’…

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…

Most of them will die the first day in college. It’s the nature of the boarding school - not everyone is fit to ride a dragon. Basgiath War College, one of the most prestigious in its nature, is there to train 18 year olds to fight to the death for their kingdom. But to get that honor - they have to kill each other off and be tested to see if they’…

Half a million dollars for 3 books. That’s what Lowen was contracted for. Lowen was hired to finish a mystery book series for a famous author who has fallen comatose after a tragic car accident. The only catch? She has to live in the author’s isolated mansion in Vermont. Lowen has to live with the author’s hot, mysterious husband and their only sur…

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

Susan was sleeping, her husband, Henry, wakes up out of nowhere and murmurs…. “Someone’s inside.” But he didn’t mean inside the house. Every single night, Henry would get up and roam around the house. Sometimes he’ll just walk around. Other times, he’s in the refrigerator… eating all the raw meat. And one time, Susan wakes up one morning… and finds…

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

Jia’s ex-husband is now dead. He had been murdered by his new wife. Who also happens to be Jia’s ex best friend. Jia’s ex and her best friend betrayed her by having an affair and now Jia is out for revenge. So it’s not a coincidence that her ex-husband is dead is it? Do you think someone could push you to commit murder? If they plant the right moti…

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…

Yura was finally about to get married. The butterflies started to sink in. Richard and Yura have been a perfect match ever since they were kids – Everybody wanted to see them get married one day. And that day is finally here. Yura’s picking out her wedding dress, setting up all the invitations, but out of the blue – Richard walks in and calls off t…

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

“I’m pregnant.” Jia is standing there feeling adrenaline rushing through her body. Everyone in the office was staring at her. What did she just say? Her best friend since middle school, Stacey, was admitting to getting pregnant with Jia’s boyfriend? And she was confessing to it and embarrassing her in front of the entire office. The only catch is -…

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://…

The CEO of U&K already knows how his life is going to pan out… Until he walks in to work one day and sees her – Jia. The same girl who stole his heart in college is now one of his core employees. But Jia doesn’t know he’s a chaebol. She doesn’t even remember who he is. Jia is 17 years in with her toxic boyfriend and soon-to-be husband, Michael. But…

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…

In 10 years - Jia will be dead. 2 people will be in prison for her murder. And Jia knows exactly how it will happen. Her husband will cheat on her with her best friend. Their affair will be the greatest betrayal but they will destroy her by killing her too. Getting her out of the way so they can happily be in love. Another person Jia loves will die…

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

She was in the hospital getting treated for cancer when she got a text message from her husband - “I love you and miss you.” New alert: message unsent. She realized the message was not for her. Then for who? Who could he possibly be sending that message to when she was in the hospital with terminal cancer? The doctor gave her 6-12 months to live. S…

Her best friend was hiding a secret from her. The high school students are stuck in a game of real life mafia. They’re trapped in a secluded mountain youth center, no cell service, no ability to leave, and everyday they’re forced to play the game or else they die. Yuni was in this with Wendy. That’s her best friend. That’s who she was going to get …

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…

They didn’t know why this was happening to them or who was doing this. What was supposed to be a nice weekend school trip with the entire class turned into a hostage situation… They were kidnapped, trapped in the dorm buildings, and the only way to get out - is to kill each other. In order to survive - they will be forced to turn on their best frie…

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…

Yuni’s class arrived at the isolated mountainside dorm. From the moment they look up at the big, creepy, quiet building - Yuni has reservations. She gets this suffocating sense of Deja Vu - like she shouldn’t remember this place… but she does. When they get settled into their dorms for the night - they realize the teachers have all vanished, and th…

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…

Rowena never had guests over. No matter how beautiful and grand her mansion in Italy was - nobody wanted to risk messing with the children. The local rumor was - over 100 children had died in that palazzo. Locked up by their caretakers and left to starve or feast off of one another. Rowena didn’t believe in the legend - until her daughter died. Row…

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…