Everyone can create music, that's the whole point of this month's series. Today marks Ian Belloso's last episode as co-host, and we're wrapping up playing-based teaching with Bec Stewart, twenty-year Yamaha veteran and now our TopMusic Community Manager. We unpack why Yamaha puts listening first, how group lessons build musical confidence, and Bec's own listen, sing, play, read sequence. Tim and Ian wrapped up this month's series with the Yamaha method.Bec explained how Yamaha integrates reading rather than deferring it.Why cultivating the ability to create sits at the heart of Yamaha's mission.How group lessons help students internalize music through solfège and singing.Bec shared why one-on-one lessons struggle to recreate that same collaborative spark.Why timely education means teaching each skill when a child is developmentally ready.How a four-year-old's strongest sense shapes the Yamaha starting point.Ian asked how movement and off-the-bench activities fit into Yamaha lessons.Why ongoing teacher training keeps a sound-first curriculum consistent at scale.Bec shared why she still teaches listening, singing and playing before reading.How writing her own sight reading books filled a gap for exam prep. Links Mentioned Rebecca Stewart’s Website – Sight Reading SecretsRebecca's Sight Reading Secrets book SeriesRebecca's Jam Sessions CourseTMPP 016: Learning to Teach Beginners with Rebecca StewartTopMusic 12-Week Studio Transformation Today’s Guest Rebecca Stewart grew up surrounded by music, listening to her three older sisters practise, and knew early that she wanted to teach children in a fun, creative way. On the recommendation of her piano teacher at Melbourne University she trained in the Yamaha method, and went on to teach with Yamaha Music Education Centres for twenty years, from 1998 to 2018. She became a national teacher trainer for Yamaha, travelling to Toronto and Tokyo for teacher development, and in 2016 to Jakarta, where her eight-year-old student performed his own composition at the Asia Pacific Junior Original Concert. She's also the author of the Sight Reading Secrets series, now nine books strong. Today, Rebecca is the Community Manager and Head of Certification at TopMusic, where she's known for a warm, collaborative and creative approach to piano teaching. Today’s Co-Host Ian Belloso is a pianist, composer, music producer, and educator based in Bethlehem, PA. He's the founder of Piano Belloso Music, a playing-based piano studio serving students of all ages, and Techier Teacher, a coaching platform helping online music educators simplify their tech and build confident, connected virtual studios. His work lives at the intersection of structure and creativity — building systems that remove barriers so people can focus on what matters: expression, learning, and human connection. Ian Belloso's studio:Piano Belloso MusicIan's YouTube channel:www.youtube.com/@pianobellosomusic TopMusicPro 14-Day Free Trial Heard about TopMusicPro Membership? As a valued podcast listener, I’d like to offer you a special chance to try our community free for 14 days. You can access a treasure trove of teaching resources, professional development courses, and creative lesson ideas. Click the link below to access your exclusive 14-day free trial for our Studio Membership. TOPMUSICPRO MEMBERSHIP 14-DAY FREE TRIAL
