130: Creative Composition Ideas with Emily Dehut

Creativity doesn't have to be complicated to make a real difference in how students connect with music. In this episode, I'm chatting with Emily Dehut, a piano teacher from Howe, Texas who built her studio from scratch to 40 students in under a year. We talk about her favorite creative teaching tools, from an animal-themed system for learning keyboard letters to her own songwriting resources and DIY rhythm blocks. Emily also shares how she keeps generating fresh ideas and why she believes creativity keeps students motivated to practice. Emily shared how she grew her studio from zero to 40 students in one year through Facebook. Why niche groups, like local homeschool and mom groups, were key to finding students. She described being taught by six different piano teachers, each shaping her own teaching style. How she started teaching in high school before choosing private lessons over classroom teaching. How she uses Legos, figurines, and physical actions to reinforce letter names on the keyboard. Her Animal Adventures songwriting activity has students build a story before turning it into a song. How her Fill-in-the-Blank songwriting resource gives students a simple structure to compose from. Emily created a Christian songwriting packet after teaching at a girls' Bible camp. Why she developed Emotions Radio, a low-pressure composing game for shy or hesitant students. Her coloring practice charts reward five days of practice with a small prize. She advised new teachers to say yes to new ideas and try them within the week. Links Mentioned Emily's Instagram page:@emilyspianocorner Emily's Facebook page:Emilys Piano Corner Emily's Etsy page:@EmilyPianoCorner Today’s Guest Emily Dehut is a piano teacher from Howe, Texas who loves making music lessons creative, memorable, and fun. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Piano Performance from Florida College in 2025 and now teaches students of all ages through her private studio, Emily’s Piano Corner. She also enjoys creating printable worksheets and activities for piano teachers on Etsy, including colorful practice charts and creative songwriting prompts. She’s always excited to share fresh teaching ideas that help students connect with music in meaningful ways. About Rachel Ehring Dr. Rachel Ehring is a pianist, teacher, music administrator, and lover of piano teaching gadgets. She holds a DMA in Collaborative Piano from the University of Colorado Boulder and a MM in Accompanying from the University of Kansas. She currently serves as Director at St. John’s Conservatory of the Arts in Orange County, CA. Previously, she held positions at Concordia University Irvine and Henderson State University. Rachel is passionate about empowering music teachers to create engaging and exciting lessons for students of all ages. When she isn’t playing the piano, you might find Rachel reading books with her son or walking her beagle Frieda. Visit her website at RachelEhring.com Visit her Instagram page: @rachelehring Visit her YouTube channel: @dreamlavendermusic6694 Visit her Etsy shop at Dream Lavender Music Thank you for tuning in! Consider implementing the ideas from this podcast by writing several actionable steps for your teaching practice if it’s inspired you. If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, which helps other teachers find our show. Stay updated by subscribing to this show, and get automatic delivery to your device every time a new episode goes live! We publish on Fridays weekly. 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