The Piano Pantry Podcast

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

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

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 committee, tips on the proposal submission process, and m...

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

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://pianopantry.com/podcast/episode108

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

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

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 notes (including any links mentioned) here: https://...

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/episode104

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 works for us and our students. Find the full transc...

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

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 full transcript and show notes (including any links...

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 ].

Episode 2 in a two-part series on best utilizing the forScore app. Check out some of these need-to-know features that Amy wishes she had known about sooner. For the rest of the show notes, including links mentioned, [ CLICK HERE ].

A few basics on utilizing the forScore digital sheet music app, including how to digitize and import sheet music, a little on the benefits of the Apple Pencil, how to edit and maintain consistency with metadata information, organizing setlists, and more. For the rest of the show notes, including links mentioned, [ CLICK HERE ].

Organizing, keeping, and maintaining a waiting list: I hope my hard lessons will be ones you can avoid! (this episode is a replay of episode 22) For the rest of the show notes, including links mentioned, [ CLICK HERE ].

Get a behind-the-scenes look at all that goes on in the background with Wendy Stevens and ComposeCreate.com . Listen in as Amy and Wendy chat about everything from what it means to do deep work to tools they use for daily workflow and more. For the rest of the show notes, including links mentioned, [CLICK HERE: https://PianoPantry.com/podcast/episode-095 ].

A random handful of some of Amy’s favorite things. For the rest of the show notes, including links mentioned, [ CLICK HERE ].

Canadian composer, piano teacher, and blogger Rebekah Maxner shares insight for piano teachers of all levels - from beginner to advanced - on what it can mean to teach a neurodiverse student. She touches on nearly 15 indicators and how certain characteristics can be signs of neurodiversity. For the rest of the show notes, including links mentioned, [ CLICK HERE ].

Do you struggle with finding suitable venues for holding recitals, or do you just feel like shaking things up a little in your studio this upcoming holiday season? In today’s episode, I hope to save you a little energy and brain power with a little more than a half dozen recital ideas, from large in-person events to small-scale, intimate recitals, online-type digital events, and more. For the rest...

Four basic and progressive ways to prepare your students for those spontaneous holiday singalongs. For the rest of the show notes, including links mentioned, [ CLICK HERE ].

Amy chats with Sally Eppert, an Indiana friend and colleague who was recently named the 2023 Indiana Music Teacher Association Teacher of the Year. Sally manages a large studio and four teachers - offering both group and private piano lessons, voice, and percussion. For the rest of the show notes, including links mentioned, [ CLICK HERE ].

In this episode, Sally and Sharon from The Curious Piano Teachers share eight types of questions we can utilize in our lessons, from what they call “skinny” or easy, closed questions to meta-cognitive, emotional, and more. For the rest of the show notes, including links mentioned, [ CLICK HERE ].

Do you enjoy including Halloween-themed activities in your music studio during the month of October? Amy has tried all kinds of stuff over the years, and in this episode, you’ll hear ten items that have made the cut and continue to be staple activities this time of year in her studio. For the rest of the show notes, including links mentioned, [ CLICK HERE ].