Piano Teaching Success Podcast

Gillian Erskine & Paul Myatt
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Helping piano teachers liven up lessons, Gillian Erskine and Paul Myatt explore how piano teaching is evolving for today’s learners. Blending neuroscience, Whole Body Learning, and innovative teaching strategies, this podcast helps teachers create engaging lessons in which students remember what they learn, practise with confidence, and stay with the piano long-term.

  1. 2d ago

    #21 Look How Far You’ve Come! A Digital Scrapbook Gift for Piano Students

    It’s the end of the year, and it is so easy to forget how far our students have come. In this episode, Paul shows us a digital scrapbook he made for one of his students, little Hugh. It has photos, videos, a word cloud of his best qualities and a rhythm champion award. It’s the sweetest end-of-year gift from a child to their parents, and it shows those parents what a year of lessons has really done. Then we share a conversation Paul had with Brian Shepard, CEO of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), at the Australasian Piano Pedagogy Conference in Adelaide. MTNA has just turned 150 years old! And the reason it was founded is still true today: piano teaching can be a lonely pursuit. In this episode, you’ll discover: The digital scrapbook Paul made for his student, and how to make one for yours Why scrapbooks make a lovely gift from child to parent Why belonging to a community matters when you teach alone all day Paul’s conversation with Brian Shepard, CEO of MTNA Why marketing is a skill every music teacher can learn How to talk about your studio through stories, not prices Resources Join The Studio to make digital scrapbooks with us at the November Masterclass 👉 Join here → $49/month, cancel anytime 🎁 Free Download - The Real Secret to Keeping Piano Students EngagedGet it free here https://www.pianoteachingsuccess.com/lm-keeping-students-engaged-guide Support the Podcast If you enjoyed this episode, we’d be so grateful if you would: ⭐ Subscribe ⭐ Rate ⭐ Leave a quick review Listen/Watch on:Spotify | Apple | YouTube Video  | iHeart | Amazon | Goodpods | Pocket Casts

    #21 Look How Far You’ve Come! A Digital Scrapbook Gift for Piano Students

  2. Oct 13

    #20 From False Start to a Thriving Studio in Two Years

    Vanessa Munns, a Group Piano University graduate, lives in Beacon, a tiny farming community in the Central Wheat Belt of Western Australia. She drives up to 300km a day to teach. She has rebuilt her studio from scratch - twice - after drought wiped it out. She went through the pandemic having just had her ability to teach in state schools taken away overnight. And she has built a six-figure income from teaching piano and music in the middle of the Australian outback. This episode is one of the most awesome conversations we’ve had on the podcast! Vanessa's mindset, her resilience, her absolute refusal to let geography or circumstance stop her - it is genuinely inspiring. In this episode, you'll discover: How Vanessa built her studio twice - and watched drought wipe it out both times  The teaching model that actually works The day that 50 new students became part of her weekly schedule   That time when a school asked her to write a five-year music program dream list Why being remote actually worked in her favour What Whole Body Learning did for her neurodiverse students  The teaching track that transformed her students’ progress more than anything else The mindset that took her from side income to six figures  Resources 🎉 Group Piano Breakthrough Series - Free Training See the group piano model in action and find out if it could work for your studio. 👉 Register for free here → Group Piano University On Demand - Learn anytime, anywhere 👉 Curious? Check it out here.  🎹 Join The Studio 👉 Join here → $49/month, cancel anytime Support the Podcast If you enjoyed this episode, we'd be so grateful if you would: ⭐ Subscribe ⭐ Rate ⭐ Leave a quick review Listen/Watch on:Spotify | Apple | YouTube Video | YouTube Audio | iHeart | Amazon | Goodpods | Pocket Casts

    #20 From False Start to a Thriving Studio in Two Years

  3. Sep 30

    #19 From Side Hustle to Teaching Full-Time with Groups

    She was told you can't make a proper job out of teaching piano. She has 80 students. Lorraine lives on Malta - a tiny island in the Mediterranean with a small population. For years she taught piano on the side while holding down a day job. She knew she wanted more. She just couldn't see how to get there. Then she found group piano, and enrolled in Group Piano University. And on the 1st of May this year, she handed in her notice at her day job, and went all in on teaching groups! Four months later she had grown to almost 80 students - with four brand new classes starting in October. This episode is for every piano teacher who has ever wondered whether teaching could actually be their main gig - a real career.  Lorraine's answer is YES! In this episode, you'll discover: Why Lorraine learned piano in a shared lesson as a child - and why that's completely different to real group teaching The moment she decided to go all in and leave her day job behind How she grew to almost 80 students in four months of going full-time Why she was terrified to have parents in the room at first - and why she now actively encourages it Navigating space challenges  Advice for teachers who are teaching as a side hustle  About Lorraine Lorraine is a piano teacher based in Malta who completed Group Piano University and went full-time with group piano teaching in May of this year. She is growing her studio toward 80 students and is building toward her dream of owning her own dedicated music school space. Resources 🎉 Group Piano Breakthrough Series - Free Training See the group piano model in action and find out if it could work for your studio. 👉 Register for free here → Group Piano University - Applications Open Our last live cohort for the year starts October 4. 👉 Interested? Make a time for a chat here →   Support the Podcast If you enjoyed this episode, we'd be so grateful if you would: ⭐ Subscribe ⭐ Rate ⭐ Leave a quick review Listen/Watch on:Spotify | Apple | YouTube Video | YouTube Audio | iHeart | Amazon | Goodpods | Pocket Casts

    #19 From Side Hustle to Teaching Full-Time with Groups

  4. Sep 16

    #18 Start Your Groups in the Space You Already Have

    It's been a busy few weeks here as Paul and I have been doing pre-enrolment chats with piano teachers for Group Training University.  What's surprised me is that so many teachers have done other courses that exist out there on group piano teaching, but still haven't taught their first group!  It got me thinking about what's stopping them...  Maybe it's that they don't feel confident enough or they want to get it all perfect first - I think a lot of us suffer from perfection paralysis! Gosh, know I’ve suffered from both perfectionism AND not feeling confident enough. But what I’ve learned is that both of those things are a trap.  And when it comes to teaching groups, I think the biggest obstacle or roadblock many put in their way is that they think they don't have space. They say, "I can't start until I have the right space." But what if that wasn't true?   In this episode, I speak with two Group Piano University graduates - Victoria from Australia and Akera from the US - who just got started with what they had. I call this Imperfect Action. Victoria had spent the last few years raising her young family, and rather than going back to her professional career, she wanted to build something of her own. That meant that, rather than having an established studio and teaching reputation, she was starting from scratch - with zero students.  She secured a church hall on Thursday afternoons because that was the only day it was available and started her first groups. But then something happened... she was then getting a lot of enquiries for Saturday lessons. So rather than putting them off, she made it happen by rearranging the family room on Friday evenings and starting those classes. Check out the podcast to hear where she’s at now. It’s a great story!  Akera on the other hand started in her lounge room, rearranging furniture to fit four pianos and teaching her first groups while her husband slowly came around to the idea. Nine months later, Akera is starting this school year in a brand new space she found nearby that's big enough to hold all the pianos, including her baby grand, and classes are filling up. Neither of them waited until everything was perfect; both just kept moving forward.  I've seen this time and time again. Piano teachers are creative and inventive creatures, and we find solutions to all sorts of problems in our teaching and also in our studios! In this episode, you’ll see -  How Victoria built a studio from zero - no students, no space, no existing piano teaching career How Akera went from lounge room to her own dedicated studio in under a year The range of spaces that can be used just to get started The strategy behind starting small  Interested in having a group side of your business? Here's your next step. Do our Mini Training. It's packed with everything you need to know before you even think about teaching groups!  Part 1 shows Paul teaching a piece to a real group in action. No headphones. Just kids completely engaged in the whole learning process. Part 2 is about the logistics side - like how much to charge, how to work groups into your schedule  Part 3 outlines the 4 foundations to long-term success with groups.  If you've crashed and burned with groups before, 9 times out of 10 it will be because you were missing at least one of these four foundations  Here's a link: It's free  🎉 Group Piano Breakthrough Series - Free Training👉 Register for free here →   If you're ready to start your group piano journey, then make sure you join us Group Piano University courseOur last LIVE course for the year starts October 4. 👉 Interested? Make a time for a chat here →   Support the PodcastIf you would like to see more episodes like this:⭐ Subscribe⭐ Rate⭐ Leave a quick review Help us spread the word so more piano teachers discover this work and feel supported. Listen/Watch on:Spotify | Apple | YouTube Video | YouTube Audio | iHeart | Amazon | Goodpods | Pocket Casts

    #18 Start Your Groups in the Space You Already Have

  5. Sep 2

    #17 Inside a Professional Group Piano Lesson

    What does a great group piano lesson actually look like? In this episode we share a real life group piano lesson in action - stopping along the way to unpack exactly what is happening, why it works, and the activities and teaching tips you can take into your own studio. What you'll see is a masterclass in whole body learning, musical preparation, repetition, and the kind of joyful, productive energy that makes group piano so extraordinary. We also share a beautiful message from Bethany, a recent Group Piano University graduate in the US, who just taught her very first group class. And if you've been curious about the Group Piano Breakthrough Series - this episode gives you a real window into what groups can look like, and what's possible when the teaching is done well. In this episode, you'll discover: Why Whole Body Learning happens before anyone touches the piano - and what that does for learning How to use articulation in the body and voice to prepare students for what they need to do with their hands Why two-handed coordination is so much easier when it's prepared through movement The power of musical cues instead of words  How students learn to respond without being told Why moving students around the room improves learning  How to handle the moments when students crash and burn  Why parents in the room helps practice, progress, and retention How group lessons build performance confidence  Why camaraderie between students is one of the most powerful forces in a group studio   Resources 🎉 Group Piano Breakthrough Series - Free Training Find out how the group piano model works and whether it could be right for your studio. 👉 Register for free here → Group Piano University - Applications Open Our next cohort is filling. If groups have been on your mind, now is the time. 👉 Apply here →   Support the Podcast If you enjoyed this episode, we'd be so grateful if you would: ⭐ Subscribe ⭐ Rate ⭐ Leave a quick review It helps more piano teachers discover this work and feel supported. Listen/Watch on:Spotify | Apple | YouTube Video | YouTube Audio | iHeart | Amazon | Goodpods | Pocket Casts

    #17 Inside a Professional Group Piano Lesson

  6. Aug 5

    #16 Inside Scoop: Kawai Shares the Trends Reshaping your Piano Teaching With Warrick Baker, GM of Kawai

    Have you ever lost a student? Maybe they didn’t stop loving music but life just got in the way? In this episode, I spoke with Warrick baker, General Manager of Kawai Australia, when we caught up at Top Music Live.  Warrick shares why the piano world is at a huge turning point - and what teachers can do right now to keep students engaged, supported, and coming back. We explore the real reasons students quit, why hybrid pianos are changing what's possible in modern homes, and why bringing parents on the journey might be your most powerful retention tool yet. In this episode, you'll discover: (00:00) Why Students Are Quitting Piano (it's not what you think)(00:00) The Attention Crisis in the Piano Studio and How to Work With it(00:00) Why Getting Parents Invested Changes Everything for Student Retention(00:00) What a Hybrid Piano Actually Is(00:00) Why Group Lessons Are Breaking the Mould of Traditional Piano Teaching(00:00) Piano Lessons Teach Far More Than Music Support the Podcast We have a small favour to ask: if you enjoyed these insights, please click subscribe and like on your favourite platform so our podcast can reach more teachers just like you. It helps more teachers find this work and feel supported. We'd be so grateful if you would:  ⭐ subscribe  ⭐ rate and  ⭐ leave a quick review Want More Done-For-You Whole Body Learning Resources? Inside The Studio, you'll find: A huge library of lesson-ready resources, including important backing tracks Practical Whole Body Learning strategies Monthly masterclasses (live + replay) Downloadable handouts Up-to-the-minute teaching insights And a supportive, nurturing community of teachers around the world Discover The Studio 🎉 Listen/Watch on: Spotify | Apple | YouTube Video | YouTube Audio | iHeart | Amazon | Goodpods | Pocket Casts

    #16 Inside Scoop: Kawai Shares the Trends Reshaping your Piano Teaching With Warrick Baker, GM of Kawai

  7. Jul 22

    #15 Are Adult Students Your Untapped Opportunity? - with Dr. Pamela Pike

    Episode 15: Are Adult Students Your Untapped Opportunity? - with Dr. Pamela Pike Most piano teachers spend their careers focused on children. But here's a number that might surprise you: In the US, around 77% of potential piano students are adults; adults who are curious, motivated, emotionally connected to music, and looking for exactly what you offer. Dr. Pamela Pike is one of the world's leading researchers and educators in adult piano pedagogy. She's editor-in-chief of Piano Magazine, co-editor of the Journal of Piano Research, and has spent her career studying how adults learn - and what piano teachers need to know to teach them brilliantly. Paul sat down with Pamela at the Australasian Piano Pedagogy Conference in Adelaide - and this conversation is full of practical, immediately usable ideas for any teacher who already works with adult students, or who has been wondering whether adult group piano might be the next exciting chapter for their studio. In this episode, you'll discover: Why 77% of potential piano students are adults - and what that means for your studio The reasons why adults are interested in learning piano The three learning orientations of adult students and how to identify which one you're working with What's possible on a digital piano How to interview a new adult student to set them up for long-term success Why group piano works brilliantly for adults and the ideal environment  How to create learning plans that keep adults motivated and progressing What Pamela learned from her 105-year-old student  About Dr. Pamela Pike Dr. Pamela Pike is a researcher, educator, and editor-in-chief of Piano Magazine. She is co-editor of the Journal of Piano Research and one of the world's leading voices in adult piano pedagogy. Her work bridges research and practice in a way that is immediately useful for studio piano teachers. 🔗 Journal of Piano Research - free to read at journalofpianoResearch.org🔗 Piano Magazine Resources 🎁 Free Download - The Real Secret to Keeping Piano Students Engaged👉 Download free here → https://www.pianoteachingsuccess.com/lm-keeping-students-engaged-guide 🎹 Join The Studio 👉 Join here → $49/month, cancel anytime Support the Podcast If you enjoyed this episode, we'd be so grateful if you would: ⭐ Subscribe ⭐ Rate ⭐ Leave a quick review Listen on your favourite platform  Spotify | Apple | YouTube Video | YouTube Audio | iHeart | Amazon | Goodpods | Pocket Casts

    #15 Are Adult Students Your Untapped Opportunity? - with Dr. Pamela Pike

  8. Jul 8

    #14 Blues Made Easy - get cool, get creative (and build valuable music skills without even noticing!) With composer, Mark Matthews

    Mark Matthews is a composer, educator, and self-described musical engineer, and he has an unmissable approach to learning the blues; you’ll have to listen to the podcast to find out.   In this episode, Mark meets me online from his current location at the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia, and from here he shares the history and origins of blues.  He then goes on to share the three-part recipe behind every blues scale, so you'll never be intimidated by it again. Mark's Easy Blues Method has been developed across four grade levels - each one building on the last - and the results speak for themselves. In this episode, I even have a go on the piano, so watch me in action!  In this episode, you'll discover: Where the blues actually originated - and why it matters for how we teach it Why the blues scale is the single best tool for re-engaging a stuck or reluctant student The three-part recipe that unlocks every blues scale in every key What Tactile Action Technique is - and why it turns quiet students into confident performers How Mark's Easy Blues Method graduates from elementary through to grade four recital level The structure behind creativity  The direct correlation between blues and Whole Body Learning About Mark Matthews Mark Matthews is an Australian composer, educator, and civil engineer whose compositions have been helping piano teachers introduce blues to students of all ages and levels for decades. His work bridges the gap between classical training and contemporary musicianship in a way that is practical, joyful, and immediately usable in your studio. Resources 🎹 Join Mark, Gillian, and Paul for the Beginner Blues  Masterclass inside The Studio 👉 Join The Studio here → $49/month, cancel anytime  Support the Podcast If you enjoyed this episode, we'd be so grateful if you would: ⭐ Subscribe ⭐ Rate ⭐ Leave a quick review Listen on your favourite platform  Spotify | Apple | YouTube Video | YouTube Audio | iHeart | Amazon | Goodpods | Pocket Casts

    #14 Blues Made Easy - get cool, get creative (and build valuable music skills without even noticing!) With composer, Mark Matthews
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Helping piano teachers liven up lessons, Gillian Erskine and Paul Myatt explore how piano teaching is evolving for today’s learners. Blending neuroscience, Whole Body Learning, and innovative teaching strategies, this podcast helps teachers create engaging lessons in which students remember what they learn, practise with confidence, and stay with the piano long-term.

Information

  • Creator
    Gillian Erskine & Paul Myatt
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    ©Piano Teaching Success
  • Show Website
    Piano Teaching Success Podcast

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