Beyond Measure: A Podcast for Piano Teachers with Christina Whitlock

The Happy Birthday song is one of the most frequent requests musicians receive, at every level of study. It also serves as a treasure trove of actionable music theory, so let’s make a pact to revisit this familiar tune in our teaching this week.

Your Anytime Piano Teacher Friend is back with the motherload of recital thoughts in today’s episode. Let’s get excited about recital possibilities!

Recitals get a bum reputation sometimes, but they hold enormous potential for happy students and happy families! Today we’re chatting about outside-the-box approaches to the start of your Studio Recital.

Today we’re talking about the importance of paying attention to The Small Stuff, because it’s oftentimes more significant than it appears.

Many of us get requests to adjudicate events throughout the year, but judges’ training is often minimal, at best. This episode seeks to help teachers approach adjudication with a healthy mindset; setting students up for the best possible experience.

For all its (countless!) benefits, music study can sometimes foster a sneaky spirit of discontentment. After all, none of us got to where we are without relentlessly chasing “the next step”. If we are truly helping students develop a lifelong desire to make music, it’s important we help them celebrate what they can do TODAY.

Asking more questions is a (nearly) fool-proof way to deepen the engagement level of your students. Let’s encourage those critical thinking skills by asking more and explaining less.

There are volumes upon volumes of research concerning the best ways to cope with performance anxiety available, but today I’m offering up three points often left out of the conversation. Cheers to feeling our feelings, but doing the tough stuff anyway!

What’s a teacher to do when we know our brain holds tight to negative feedback, while dismissing positive words much-too-quickly? Let’s figure it out together, friends.

Ah, virtual lessons: love ‘em or hate ‘em, their existence in our profession is, at this point, inevitable. Let’s take a look at what works - and what doesn’t - in the world of online teaching.

I probably don’t have to sell you on the importance of warming-up as a musician, but have you ever considered what you do to warm-up as a teacher? If not, you may be surprised how beneficial it can be.

In recent years it has dawned on me how much more attention we give the START of our lessons than the END of our time together. Let’s make a pact to start being more intentional about the spirit in which we are sending students out of their lessons each week.

A recent restless night led me to realize I have a strange number of memories connected to the often-uncelebrated role of page turning. Join me for a few light-hearted stories with one very unusual connecting thread.

As we wrap up the New Year Series on self-reflection practices for music teachers, I am suggesting two simple-but-effective questions for you to revisit from time to time. I’m also offering up a free (for now!) printable to help make self-reflection a more accessible part of your teaching life.

Writing student evaluations can feel like a daunting task, but - done right - it can be a mutually-beneficial part of the studio experience you offer. As you’ve come to expect, your Anytime Piano Teacher Friend is here to help you make this process as simple as possible. Let’s communicate better this year!

A written philosophy of teaching can be enormously helpful in many ways, but - like so many things - we tend to make it harder than it needs to be. Listen in for a simple strategy to help you define exactly who you are as an educator.

Today’s episode puts a teacher-twist on the traditional “One Word” Philosophy. This tried-and-true strategy helps busy teachers keep focused on what matters most.

2020 has put us all through the wringer (and a few spin cycles!). Listen in for a mini-guide to understanding conflict with studio families and how to find common ground in times of conflict. Take a deep breath and remember: you bring about what you think about.

Join me for the second (and final) brainstorm of holiday studio activities this year. There’s a little something for everyone here!

Traditions can be lovely, but can also leave us stuck in the status-quo, giving us very little return on investment. Let’s take some time to (re)consider our holiday studio approaches and find traditions that will continue to foster a lifelong love of sharing music.

As creatives, it’s important to make sure we are supporting our own. So, today, we celebrate and give thanks for those artists who are helping make our (challenging) world brighter, one contribution at a time.

As you and I continue to build our podcast friendship, I thought it was time we simply shared a few laughs (the kind only other music teachers can truly appreciate!). Join me for a lighthearted peek into my early searches for a flute teacher. As always, there’s learning to be found in the laughter if we pay attention.

I know it’s hard to believe - but none of us are right 100% of the time (even music teachers!). Today, I’m providing a safe space for you to consider what you might be wrong about. Sounds fun, right? (insert sarcastic laughter here) - Open your mind and let’s give it a try.

Teaching fact #792: We never know exactly what our quiet students are thinking. Let’s ponder hard-to-read students and explore three principles for creating the best-possible musical experiences for them.

Join me for a reflective episode today, as we consider the very first question I was asked in my first piano pedagogy course. (Note: it’s still oh-so-applicable today).