TopMusic Piano Podcast

• Leila shared an overview of her background and her piano teaching journey.
• The importance of group piano pedagogy, which was a highlight in her MTNA conference experience.
• She encouraged teachers to attend conferences, a great place for networking and community-building.
• Why creativity is essential for pianists and all musicians.
• Leila introduced her Creativity Pyramid model.
• How curiosity, when balanced between fascination and fear, helps unlock creative potential.
• The importance of letting go of perfectionism as a step in creative growth and personal exploration.
• She highlighted a powerful research from Dr. Martha Beck.
• How music became a grounding and healing force for both her and Carter during their recovery.
• Leila introduced her creative teaching resource, the Cupcake Improv Pack.
• Rachel shared how the Cupcake Improv helped her explore fresh musical ideas.
• The power of naming musical patterns to help students remember and reuse them.

Guest Links Mentioned

• Megan and Lani shared their extensive backgrounds in music education and early childhood development.
• The importance of blending digital and physical learning for young students.
• They recounted the founding of Little Chords, emphasized the impact of online lessons, and their adaptation during the pandemic.
• The initial challenges and mistakes made in their online teaching journey.
• Their current successful model, featuring small, interactive classes and monthly masterclasses.
• Lani discussed the creativity involved in making engaging and effective resources for children.
• Their approach to making online preschool education effective, emphasizing flexibility and playfulness.
• Their tech setup, including the use of Zoom, OBS, and Canva for interactive lessons.
• Lani spoke about their combination of teaching Spanish language and music.
• The value of small group classes for enhanced student interaction and learning.
• Their method of gradually introducing piano technique to young students online.
• They talked about their newly published book for piano students, which integrates playful learning.

Links Mentioned

• Sarah shared how she combines her passions for music and cooking.
• How her journey started when she realized the need for a healthier, more balanced lifestyle.
• The importance of meal planning and cooking as a way to improve focus, efficiency, and well-being.
• How musicians can make cooking easier by prepping ingredients in stages throughout the day.
• Why setting realistic cooking goals and allowing flexibility in meal choices leads to success.
• Semi-homemade cooking and using pre-prepped ingredients to save time without sacrificing nutrition.
• How busy music teachers can simplify cooking with one-pot meals and batch cooking techniques.
• Why meal prepping doesn’t have to be done all at once.
• How quick and easy meals don’t have to mean unhealthy choices.
• The connection between creativity in cooking and creativity in music, and how both require improvisation and problem-solving.
• How experimenting with ingredients can make simple meals feel elevated and special.
• Why musicians should embrace cooking as a creative outlet and a way to care for themselves.

Links Mentioned

• Cori shared how she started accompanying in high school and quickly fell in love with collaborative playing.
• She explained how strong solo piano skills supported her growth as an accompanist.
• The importance of sight-reading and learning on the job.
• Why collaboration and sharing music stood out in her experience.
• How foundational skills like balance, phrasing, and steady rhythm are crucial to prepare students for accompanying roles.
• She suggested exposing students to accompanying through listening and role models.
• How duet playing helps build ensemble skills.
• Why sight-reading and chord knowledge prepare students for real accompanying work.
• Key differences between accompanying singers, wind players, and string players.
• How strong relationships with choir directors are essential for successful choral accompanying.
• Cori introduced her digital resources for piano teachers and accompanists.

Links Mentioned

Performing on YouTube presents unique challenges and opportunities, and Annique Göttler has embraced both as a classical pianist and content creator. In this episode, she shares how she balances traditional concert performances with digital content creation, the lessons she’s learned from growing her YouTube channel, and how storytelling and audience engagement play a crucial role in modern musicianship. Annique also reflects on her classical training, the discipline required for success, and why musicians today should embrace online platforms to share their artistry with the world.

• Annique shared her journey as a classical pianist and content creator based in Stuttgart, Germany.
• The impact of traditional Russian-style piano training on her disciplined approach.
• How she built her career through concerts and social media instead of waiting for opportunities.
• The importance of organizing her own concerts for greater artistic freedom.
• How changing teachers at the right time helped her push her skills further.
• Her education in Stuttgart, including her bachelor's, master's, and concert exam degrees.
• Studying information science, which introduced her to social media marketing.
• How COVID-19 led her to start a YouTube channel, which grew unexpectedly.
• She revealed her viral “One Minute, 10 Minutes, One Hour” practice challenge videos.
• The benefits of live streaming performances.
• Balancing YouTube content creation with concert preparation.
• The importance of live streaming as a way to simulate performance pressure.
• Advice on improving YouTube success, including engaging thumbnails and strong storytelling.
• Annique encourage more professional musicians to embrace digital platforms to share real expertise.

Links Mentioned