The Scrappy Piano Teacher Podcast

Jaclyn Mrozek
  • 5.0 (19)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

The Scrappy Piano Teacher Podcast, formerly The Music Teacher Mastermind Podcast, is a piano teacher podcast for independent piano teachers who love teaching but struggle with running a studio or need some encouragement. I’m Jaclyn Mrozek, a piano teacher and studio owner with 28 plus years of experience, all while homeschooling and raising three kids, so yes, I get it. This podcast covers piano teaching, piano studio business systems, private and group lessons, burnout, and sustainable strategies to help piano teachers build joyful studios with clarity and confidence.

  1. Sep 29

    Teaching, Learning, and Staying Curious with Joy Morin

    Joy Morin has been part of the online piano teaching world since the early days of teacher blogging. If you have ever searched for a piano teaching activity, worksheet, game, or pedagogical idea, there is a pretty good chance you have landed on her blog, www.colorinmypiano.com. In this conversation, Joy and I talk about how her teaching has continued to evolve over the years and why reflection has been such an important part of that process. We also take a pretty deep dive into Music Learning Theory. Joy shares how she first encountered Dr. Edwin E. Gordon while she was still in college, how his work changed the way she thinks about musicianship and learning, and what MLT can look like for piano teachers who are curious but may not be ready to completely overhaul the way they teach. We also talk about her Keys at Play series, audiation, sight reading, rhythm development, giving students more freedom to explore music, and the way Joy continues to learn and experiment in her own studio. And we get some exciting composing news! Joy shares about her work with Alfred Music, including The Lumbering Bear and her upcoming collection Starbound, an outer space inspired collection of 11 pieces for early to mid elementary pianists. Resources mentioned: Color In My Pianohttps://colorinmypiano.com Music Learning Theoryhttps://colorinmypiano.com/2018/01/15/music-learning-theory-exactly/ Joy’s First Encounter with Edwin Gordonhttps://colorinmypiano.com/2024/07/23/my-first-encounter-with-dr-edwin-e-gordon-and-his-music-learning-theory-mlt/ Audiationhttps://colorinmypiano.com/2017/11/30/what-is-audiation-exactly/ Keys at Playhttps://keysatplay.com/collections/all Gordon Institute for Music Learninghttps://giml.org The Lumbering Bearhttps://www.alfred.com/products/the-lumbering-bear-00-ps-0017771 Joy Morin at Alfred Musichttps://www.alfred.com/collections/joy-morin-sheet-music Notion for Music Teachers with Joy Morin + Amy Chaplinhttps://pianopantry.com/notion Scrappy Circle with Molly Gebrianwww.scrappypianoteacher.com/scrappycircle Coda Musical Storybookswww.scrappypianoteacher.com/coda

  2. Sep 21

    Two Opportunities for Better Practice This Fall with Leila Viss

    Two Opportunities for Better Practice This Fall with Leila Viss Surprise! I have a bonus episode for you. Leila Viss recently reached out to me after hearing about my upcoming Scrappy Circle with Molly Gebrian, author of Learn Faster, Perform Better. The timing was perfect because Leila has been incorporating many of Molly’s ideas and research into her own 2026 Practice Streak. What was supposed to be a quick ten minute conversation turned into a much bigger discussion about effective practice, helping students become more intentional, and why teachers might need a little practice accountability too. We talk about how Leila’s Practice Streak works, how teachers and students can participate, some of her favorite practice strategies, and how Molly’s research has influenced what she is doing in her studio. We also talk about the October 23 Scrappy Circle, where Molly Gebrian will join us live on Zoom for a 90 minute session about the brain, learning, and practice, including an open question and answer time. If practice has been on your mind this fall, come join us for one or both. ABOUT LEILA Leila Viss is a pianist, composer, author, and longtime independent piano teacher who helps teachers and students approach music with more curiosity and creativity. Through LeilaViss.com and her Space to Create community, she develops practical resources that make practicing, improvising, and composing more effective and more enjoyable. LINKS Leila’s 2026 Practice Streak:https://www.leilaviss.com/september-2026-practice-streak-signup How to Practice Piano Effectively:https://www.leilaviss.com/blog/how-to-practice-piano-effectively Leila’s practice cards and Guide for Caregivers of Budding Musicians:https://www.leilaviss.com/store-home/guide-for-caregivers-of-budding-musicians Leila Viss:https://www.leilaviss.com October 23 Scrappy Circle with Molly Gebrian:https://www.scrappypianoteacher.com/scrappycircle Learn Faster, Perform Better by Molly Gebrian:https://amzn.to/3V7m5lu This is an affiliate link. I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. My Piano Practice Workshop:https://www.scrappypianoteacher.com/resources/p/practice-workshop 2026 Practice Workshop Blog Post:https://www.scrappypianoteacher.com/scrappynotes/practiceworkshop2026

  3. Sep 14

    Jazz Band, Improv & Beyond with Quentin Walston

    Jazz can feel intimidating when it is not the language you grew up playing, but it does not have to stay that way. Jazz pianist, composer, and educator Quentin Walston is back on the podcast, and this time we are talking about jazz band, improvisation, authentic jazz playing, and how piano teachers can help students without feeling like they need to suddenly become jazz experts themselves. We start with one of the situations many teachers eventually encounter: a student walks into a lesson with a giant jazz band folder and asks for help. Quentin shares his own experience joining jazz band as a teenager and walks us through how teachers can look at those parts strategically. We talk about what actually needs to be learned, what can sometimes be simplified or left out, how to recognize the most important sections, and how to help students understand what the arranger is really asking the pianist to do. Then we talk about Quentin’s newest book, Jazz Piano Like a Pro. The collection includes 10 original intermediate piano compositions written using the techniques, textures, styles, and sounds of authentic jazz piano. Each piece also includes an optional solo section where students can experiment with improvisation using approachable guidelines. If jazz is an area you would love to explore more with your students, this conversation is full of practical places to begin. Find Quentin and his resources: Jazz Piano Like a Prohttps://quentinwalston.com/store How to Teach Jazz & Improvisationhttps://quentinwalston.com/teach-jazz Both books are also available on Amazon. Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/quentinwalston YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/@thisisjazzofficial COMING UP IN THE SCRAPPY CIRCLE Scrappy Session with Molly Gebrian What Musicians Can Learn About Practicing from Current Brain Research Join Molly Gebrian for a 90 minute live session exploring what current brain research can teach us about more effective practice. We will look at spaced practice, interleaving, mental practice, breaks, and other ways to help students practice more efficiently and meaningfully. Friday, October 23, 20261:00 PM Eastern Time90 minutesLive online session plus Q and A$20 per person Register at:www.scrappypianoteacher.com/scrappycircle

  4. Aug 31

    Teacher Trends and the Power of Community with Brian Shepard

    What are music teachers changing in their studios, and what do they need most right now? Brian Shepard, CEO of the Music Teachers National Association, joins me for a conversation about the trends he is seeing throughout the music teaching profession. Teachers are reevaluating their rates, simplifying administrative systems, exploring different tuition models, and looking for ways to create businesses that better support their lives. Brian also shares his wonderfully simple approach to managing his calendar and email, including the infamous “next week” folder that keeps important projects from disappearing without creating an elaborate organizational system. We also talk about the importance of community, especially for independent teachers who spend most of their working lives teaching alone. Brian explains how MTNA is working to help every music teacher feel welcome, regardless of educational background, studio size, teaching tradition, experience, or the kinds of students they teach. Along the way, we discuss MTNA’s business resources, virtual affiliates, certification, grants, professional development, and membership benefits. And, naturally, we end with a very important conversation about Christmas trees. In this episode: • Studio and business trends among music teachers• Revisiting rates and accounting for work outside lesson time• Creating simpler systems for email and administration• Building a studio that supports your life• Finding professional community as an independent teacher• Connecting with local and virtual MTNA affiliates• Why every music teacher has something valuable to contribute FIND A LOCAL OR VIRTUAL MTNA ASSOCIATION Visit https://www.mtna.org/ and select Connect, followed by Affiliate Websites. Choose your state to explore its local and virtual associations. If your state does not offer a virtual association, contact MTNA headquarters. Some virtual associations accept teachers from other states, although joining that state and local association may be required. MTNA contact information:https://www.mtna.org/Contact_Us.html RESOURCES Music Teachers National Association:https://www.mtna.org/ MTNA membership benefits:https://www.mtna.org/Membership_Benefits.html MTNA business resources:https://www.mtna.org/Business_Resources.html MTNA Professional Certification:https://certification.mtna.org/ MakeMusic Studio:https://www.studio.makemusic.com/ Use code SCRAPPY90 to receive 90% off your first three months of MakeMusic Studio. Visit The Scrappy Piano Teacher:https://www.scrappypianoteacher.com/ Questions or thoughts about the episode? Email jaclyn@scrappypianoteacher.com

  5. Aug 17

    Your Students Are Overscheduled. Now What?

    Your Students Are Overscheduled. Now What? What do you do when your piano students are too busy to practice? Between school, sports, theater, jobs, homework, and everything else competing for their time, many music teachers are trying to figure out how to set realistic practice expectations without simply lowering the bar. In this episode, I am talking about overscheduled students, piano practice motivation, and what the research actually says about kids with increasingly packed schedules. I also share how I handle this in my own studio through our Honors Program, where students look honestly at their schedules and set realistic practice goals for the year. We also talk about student ownership, Self Determination Theory, involving parents in the conversation, and why sometimes the answer to a student who only has twenty minutes is not telling them to find forty. Sometimes we need to teach them how to use the twenty minutes they already have really well. The Scrappy Piano Teacherwww.scrappypianoteacher.com Coda Bookswww.scrappypianoteacher.com/coda Molly Gebrian, Learn Faster, Perform Better: A Musician's Guide to the Neuroscience of Practicinghttps://amzn.to/4gdjHjQ MakeMusic Studiohttps://studio.makemusic.com Use code SCRAPPY90 for 90% off your first three months of MakeMusic Studio. You can also schedule a demo to see how MakeMusic Studio could work for your studio. 2024 MTNA Member Survey Are Children Spending Too Much Time on Enrichment Activities? by Carolina Caetano, Gregorio Caetano, and Eric Nielsen Self Determination Theory Jennifer Breheny Wallace, Never Enough Molly Gebrian, Learn Faster, Perform Better Being realistic does not mean getting rid of standards. It means creating expectations that make sense for the actual student sitting in front of us and then helping that student follow through. If this episode helped you, remember, sharing is caring. Send it to another piano teacher or independent music teacher who might enjoy the conversation.

  6. Aug 3

    Does Your Registration Fee Have a Job?

    Does Your Registration Fee Have a Job? How to Calculate Music Studio Fees How did you decide what to charge for your studio registration fee? Did you calculate it from real expenses, or did you choose a number that simply sounded about right? In this episode, Jaci looks at how independent music teachers can calculate a registration fee using real information from their own studios. She shares how her registration fees once became general emergency money, why that approach did not solve the underlying problem, and how teachers can give each fee a clear and specific job. You will hear practical ideas for reviewing expenses such as: • Books and student materials• Recitals and studio events• Piano tuning and instrument maintenance• Studio software and payment processing• Registration and administrative work Jaci also explains how to separate shared studio expenses from individual student expenses and use that information to calculate a realistic starting point for your fee. CALCULATE YOUR REGISTRATION FEE Create three columns: Column 1: Everything you want your annual fee to cover Column 2: What you spent on each item last year, or your realistic estimate for this year Column 3: Whether the expense belongs to one student individually or is shared across the whole studio Then calculate: Shared annual expenses ÷ expected number of students = shared cost per student Shared cost per student + average individual student costs = starting point for your annual fee That number does not automatically have to become your final fee. You can still decide what belongs in tuition, what you may choose to subsidize, and what makes sense for your families. The important thing is that you are making the decision using real information from your own studio. The episode also explores two ways to collect registration fees: charging the full amount upfront or spreading it across monthly tuition. Jaci shares the results of her own studio experiment, in which 85 percent of participating families chose to roll the fee into tuition. Finally, she discusses how Profit First style buckets can help ensure that money intended for books, recitals, maintenance, or other expenses is still available when it is needed. The goal is not to copy another teacher’s number. Your fee may be higher, lower, included in tuition, or structured completely differently. What matters is that it is accurate, intentional, and connected to the real cost of operating your studio. RESOURCES Free Recital Expense Calculator and Profit First Cheat Sheet:https://www.scrappypianoteacher.com/resources FREE SCRAPPY CIRCLE Join Jaci and Eric Branner on August 14 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern for a casual back to school teacher conversation and Q&A. Eric will also share a short look at how Fons has grown into Make Music Studio. RSVP and submit your question:https://www.scrappypianoteacher.com/scrappy-circle Visit The Scrappy Piano Teacher:https://www.scrappypianoteacher.com

  7. Jul 20

    Your Fall Studio Checklist

    Before fall lessons begin, take a step back and make sure the systems underneath your studio still fit the teacher, business owner, and human you are today. In this episode, Jaci shares five areas every music teacher should revisit before the new teaching year: Studio policies A calendar built around margin Business bank accounts and Profit First buckets Administrative systems and studio software Your teaching philosophy Your studio may have worked beautifully last year and still need to change this year. The goal is not to keep adding more. It is to build a studio that supports your students, your income, your energy, and the rest of your life. Policy workshop replay, policy workbook, editable studio calendars, Profit First resources, and teaching philosophy workbook: https://www.scrappypianoteacher.com/resources Explore Make Music Studio: https://studio.makemusic.com Use code SCRAPPY90 to receive 90 percent off your first three months of Make Music Studio.

  8. Jul 6

    Musical Informance: Engaging the Audience

    In this episode, I’m joined by Ashley Danyew to talk about musical informances and how they can offer a fresh, educational alternative to the traditional student recital. Ashley shares what a musical informance is, how the idea developed in her own studio, and how this kind of event can help students share more than just a polished performance. We talk about helping students speak, demonstrate, explain musical ideas, and give the audience a deeper look at the learning process behind the music. We also discuss the practical side of planning a musical informance, including choosing a theme, preparing students, communicating the idea to parents, pacing the event, and finding a simple first version that feels doable for independent teachers. If you have ever wished your studio events could show more than the finished piece, this conversation will give you a thoughtful and practical place to start. In this episode, we talk about: What a musical informance isHow Ashley began using informances in her studioThe difference between a recital and an informanceHow informances help students share the learning processWays to prepare students to speak, demonstrate, and performHow to choose themes and repertoireHow to introduce the idea to students and familiesHow teachers can try a simple first version in their own studiosResources mentioned: Free Musical Informances Handout:https://musician-co.myflodesk.com/musical-informance-handout Musical Informance Planning Guide for Piano Teachers:https://learn.ashleydanyew.com/musical-informance-guide Penelope Roskell’s Essential Piano Technique Level 3, which includes Patchwork Polka:https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/product/essential-piano-technique-level-3-23115113.html Connect with Ashley Danyew:https://www.ashleydanyew.com Listen to Ashley’s podcast, Field Notes on Music Teaching & Learning:www.ashleydanyew.com/fieldnotesLearn more from The Scrappy Piano Teacher:https://www.scrappypianoteacher.co

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The Scrappy Piano Teacher Podcast, formerly The Music Teacher Mastermind Podcast, is a piano teacher podcast for independent piano teachers who love teaching but struggle with running a studio or need some encouragement. I’m Jaclyn Mrozek, a piano teacher and studio owner with 28 plus years of experience, all while homeschooling and raising three kids, so yes, I get it. This podcast covers piano teaching, piano studio business systems, private and group lessons, burnout, and sustainable strategies to help piano teachers build joyful studios with clarity and confidence.

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