135: Method Book Reviews with Phoenix Vera

The right method book can shape a student's entire first year at the piano. Today, I'm chatting with Phoenix Vera, known as The Tattooed Piano Teacher on YouTube. We compare popular beginner methods, from Piano Adventures and Piano Safari to Piano Pronto and Wonder Keys. Phoenix also shares how she chooses books for new students and a creative way to bring beginner technique to life. Phoenix shared why she mixes method books instead of following one series. Why Piano Adventures remains a balanced, moderately paced framework. The value of choosing a go-to book for each beginner age group. She tries a different method each lesson before settling on a final set. How Alfred's Premier moves faster than Piano Adventures with a classical lean. Why she prefers Alfred's Premier over the older Alfred Basic series. She described Piano Safari's rote pieces and pattern-based reading. The importance of teacher training when adopting Piano Safari. How Piano Pronto teaches through familiar tunes, best for ages 10 and up. WunderKeys hooks kids with comics but needs theory and technique supplements. Why she favors mixing books over all-in-one methods. The approach behind Chord First, which pairs lead sheets with traditional pedagogy. Chord First began as a simple printable and grew into three books. The value of teaching technique through imagery, like a left-hand cello. She outlined which older beginner method fits which type of student. Links Mentioned Find out more about the Spotlight Session here. The Tattooed Piano Teacher YouTube Channel The Tattooed Piano Teacher Shop Piano Skill Set Method Books Facebook page:Phoenix Vera (The Tattooed Piano Teacher) Instagram page:@thetattooedpianoteacher Today’s Guest Phoenix Vera is a pianist, composer, and piano teacher with more than 20 years of experience teaching students of all ages and levels. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance and has run her own private piano studio for over a decade, developing creative approaches to theory, composition, and beginning piano instruction. Known as The Tattooed Piano Teacher on YouTube, Phoenix shares teaching ideas, piano method book reviews, and creative resources for piano teachers. She also composes original piano music and is the author of the Piano Skill Set series, which teaches skills through fun activities, and Chord First, a lead-sheet-based method for teens and adults. 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