28- Pachelbel vs. Perfectionism: Finding Joy in Improvising and Building Lifelong Musicians with Dr. Louie Hehman

28- Pachelbel vs. Perfectionism: Finding Joy in Improvising and Building Lifelong Musicians with Dr. Louie Hehman

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2445683/fan_mail/new] Improvisation intimidates a lot of classically trained piano teachers, not because we lack musicianship, but because we assume we need to sound brilliant on day one. Dr. Louie Hehman joins me to break that myth wide open and to show how improvisation can start with the simplest materials: two chords, a familiar bass line, or even five black keys. We talk about why “wrong notes” are not disasters, how recovery is a skill you can teach, and how lowering the pressure actually raises the joy at the piano.  We dig into what it looks like to teach students whose skills grow unevenly, like the child with an off-the-charts ear but slower reading. Instead of forcing a one-track method, we explore how to use a student’s strengths as the pathway to reading, theory, and technique. We talk “Yes And” pedagogy: honoring Bach and Beethoven while also embracing jazz, crossover listening, student interests, and the playful experiments that keep music alive in the 21st century. If you want more confident piano improvisation, stronger musicianship, and a studio where creativity is normal, hit play and then share this with a teacher friend.  Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: what’s one small improv habit you can try this week? * Louie's recommended jazz book for piano teachers (affiliate link)- https://amzn.to/3RRJJAK [https://amzn.to/3RRJJAK] Skills for the Modern Pianist * Join the Piano Teacher Reset Waitlist [https://www.creativepianopedagogy.com/events-basic]!  Support the show [https://buymeacoffee.com/elizabethdaviseverhart] Subscribe to Elizabeth's email list here [https://creative-piano-pedagogy.kit.com/f1fdfc1c64] so you won’t miss future courses, freebies, teacher events and more. Love the show? Buy us a coffee and support the podcast. [https://buymeacoffee.com/elizabethdaviseverhart] Let's stay in touch! On the website [https://www.creativepianopedagogy.com/news]/blog Follow on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/share/1E5SL3v9SJ/?mibextid=wwXIfr] Follow on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/creative_piano_pedagogy?igsh=aWxvY3Q4dG5jaXE0&utm_source=qr] Follow on YouTube [https://youtube.com/@creativepianopedagogy4849?si=nhBiYsm42GhDTkEp] You can find all of our favorite repertoire and teaching tools on the Amazon Storefront [https://www.amazon.com/shop/creative_piano_pedagogy?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsfshop_PTCHHWFG57MXF83DYZDB_1] (affiliate link) Questions or suggestions? Send Elizabeth an email: elizabeth@creativepianopedagogy.com [elizabeth@creativepianopedagogy.com] As an Amazon Affiliate, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you if you purchase through our links. Thank you for helping support the podcast!

27- Respect, Clarity, Relationships and Teaching Teen/Adult Neurodivergent Students

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2445683/fan_mail/new] Elizabeth and Tara share practical ways to teach older neurodivergent piano students with more respect, less fear, and better results. We focus on clear expectations, collaborative communication, and adult-appropriate materials so teens and adults leave lessons feeling confident instead of overwhelmed. If you want more inclusive teaching strategies for ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and other learning differences, this one will leave you with scripts and next steps you can use immediately. Subscribe, share with a teacher friend, and leave a review so more piano teachers can find these tools! --> If you have a teaching question or topic you'd like us to feature on the podcast, we'd love to hear from you! Send us an email [tara@creativepianopedagogy.com]or contact us here. [https://www.creativepianopedagogy.com/contact-4]  Links -check out some of our favorite piano books [https://amzn.to/4dltPWk] for older teen/adult students -create a free Creative Piano Pedagogy account [https://www.creativepianopedagogy.com/membership] and check out the freebies -join the waitlist for the virtual summer retreat- [https://www.creativepianopedagogy.com/events-basic] The Piano Teacher Reset! If you enjoy the podcast, you can support us with Buy Me A Coffee [https://buymeacoffee.com/elizabethdaviseverhart?new=1] a monthly or one-time donation to help keep it going. Any amount helps encourage and further our mission of providing practical resources for piano teachers! Support the show [https://buymeacoffee.com/elizabethdaviseverhart] Subscribe to Elizabeth's email list here [https://creative-piano-pedagogy.kit.com/f1fdfc1c64] so you won’t miss future courses, freebies, teacher events and more. Love the show? Buy us a coffee and support the podcast. [https://buymeacoffee.com/elizabethdaviseverhart] Let's stay in touch! On the website [https://www.creativepianopedagogy.com/news]/blog Follow on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/share/1E5SL3v9SJ/?mibextid=wwXIfr] Follow on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/creative_piano_pedagogy?igsh=aWxvY3Q4dG5jaXE0&utm_source=qr] Follow on YouTube [https://youtube.com/@creativepianopedagogy4849?si=nhBiYsm42GhDTkEp] You can find all of our favorite repertoire and teaching tools on the Amazon Storefront [https://www.amazon.com/shop/creative_piano_pedagogy?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsfshop_PTCHHWFG57MXF83DYZDB_1] (affiliate link) Questions or suggestions? Send Elizabeth an email: elizabeth@creativepianopedagogy.com [elizabeth@creativepianopedagogy.com] As an Amazon Affiliate, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you if you purchase through our links. Thank you for helping support the podcast!

26- Purposeful Teaching, Joy-filled Lessons and Building Lifelong Musicians with Dr. Christina Mathis

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2445683/fan_mail/new] Piano teaching gets a lot easier once you stop treating every missed practice session like a personal insult! I’m joined by Dr. Christina Mathis, founder and director of Carey Music Academy at William Carey University, to talk about what it looks like to teach with infectious joy and humor while still honoring the reality of busy schedules, neurodivergent learners, adult beginners, and stressed-out college students. Christina shares how she helps students build sustainable practice habits, stay creative when life is packed, and find joy in the process, not just the “big moments” like festivals, exams, and performances. We also talk about human capacity and boundaries, including the hidden cost of “yes” when students stack commitments, scholarships, sports, and theater. As pedagogues, we want to ensure that students are enjoying their lessons rather than create environments where students approach lessons with dread and anxiety, and sometimes that means we have to check our egos at the door.   If you’re looking for real-life music education strategies that still produce strong musicianship, this fun and engaging conversation will meet you right where you teach. Subscribe, share this with a fellow teacher, and leave a review so more piano educators can find the show!  Links: Learn more about Dr. Christina Mathis and her podcast here [https://www.christinamathis.com/]! Follow Dr. Christina Mathis on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/thepolishedpianist/]! Check out our new Member Resources [http://www.creativepianopedagogy.com] here! Support the show [https://buymeacoffee.com/elizabethdaviseverhart] Subscribe to Elizabeth's email list here [https://creative-piano-pedagogy.kit.com/f1fdfc1c64] so you won’t miss future courses, freebies, teacher events and more. Love the show? Buy us a coffee and support the podcast. [https://buymeacoffee.com/elizabethdaviseverhart] Let's stay in touch! On the website [https://www.creativepianopedagogy.com/news]/blog Follow on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/share/1E5SL3v9SJ/?mibextid=wwXIfr] Follow on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/creative_piano_pedagogy?igsh=aWxvY3Q4dG5jaXE0&utm_source=qr] Follow on YouTube [https://youtube.com/@creativepianopedagogy4849?si=nhBiYsm42GhDTkEp] You can find all of our favorite repertoire and teaching tools on the Amazon Storefront [https://www.amazon.com/shop/creative_piano_pedagogy?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsfshop_PTCHHWFG57MXF83DYZDB_1] (affiliate link) Questions or suggestions? Send Elizabeth an email: elizabeth@creativepianopedagogy.com [elizabeth@creativepianopedagogy.com] As an Amazon Affiliate, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you if you purchase through our links. Thank you for helping support the podcast!

25- Awareness, Acceptance and Accessibility in The Music Studio with Tara

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2445683/fan_mail/new] Awareness is a start, but it’s not the finish line. Tara Mock joins me to unpack three words we hear constantly in music education and piano pedagogy right now: autism awareness, autism acceptance, and accessibility. From there, we move into what accessible teaching actually looks like for neurodivergent piano students and for learners with invisible disabilities.  Tara shares lived perspective around Tourette syndrome and the complicated reality of concert etiquette, judging processes, and policies that unintentionally exclude. The takeaway is simple but demanding: accessibility is not an option, and we can keep learning by asking better questions, listening to families, and staying skeptical of miracle solutions. ✨ Subscribe for more conversations on neurodiversity, inclusive piano teaching, ADHD, dyslexia, meltdowns, and accessible music education, and if this helped you, share it with a teacher friend and leave us a review! What’s one small change you could make this month to increase accessibility in your studio? Links: Create a free Member Account [https://www.creativepianopedagogy.com/membership] to access the freebies in the Member Resource Library!  Last call for Spring Book Club! Join us [https://www.creativepianopedagogy.com/book-club]and read Bright Not Broken [https://amzn.to/3OpMU1q] together! Support the show [https://buymeacoffee.com/elizabethdaviseverhart] Subscribe to Elizabeth's email list here [https://creative-piano-pedagogy.kit.com/f1fdfc1c64] so you won’t miss future courses, freebies, teacher events and more. Love the show? Buy us a coffee and support the podcast. [https://buymeacoffee.com/elizabethdaviseverhart] Let's stay in touch! On the website [https://www.creativepianopedagogy.com/news]/blog Follow on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/share/1E5SL3v9SJ/?mibextid=wwXIfr] Follow on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/creative_piano_pedagogy?igsh=aWxvY3Q4dG5jaXE0&utm_source=qr] Follow on YouTube [https://youtube.com/@creativepianopedagogy4849?si=nhBiYsm42GhDTkEp] You can find all of our favorite repertoire and teaching tools on the Amazon Storefront [https://www.amazon.com/shop/creative_piano_pedagogy?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsfshop_PTCHHWFG57MXF83DYZDB_1] (affiliate link) Questions or suggestions? Send Elizabeth an email: elizabeth@creativepianopedagogy.com [elizabeth@creativepianopedagogy.com] As an Amazon Affiliate, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you if you purchase through our links. Thank you for helping support the podcast!

24- Preparing Students for Recitals and Adjudicated Events (without losing the joy)

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2445683/fan_mail/new] Recital season can bring out the best in a studio and the most stress in our students. We’re taking a fresh, practical look at performances, festivals, and adjudications with one guiding question: does this experience help a student leave feeling joy, momentum, and pride in their music, or does it pile on fear that makes them want to quit? I share how I decide when an adjudicated event is a great fit and when it is simply not worth the anxiety, and you’ll also hear my perspective after more than two decades of adjudicating. We wrap up with an encouragement for end-of-year lessons and how to keep the joy in music making. From today's episode: Last chance to join the Spring Piano Teachers Book Club [https://www.creativepianopedagogy.com/book-club]- there's room for you! The Repertoire List we love [https://www.creativepianopedagogy.com/product-page/30-piece-music-challenge-tracker] (with ratings/motivation) Join our Free Membership [https://www.creativepianopedagogy.com/membership] to access free resources! Carnegie Hall Kids- great music games/quizzes! [https://kids.carnegiehall.org] Support the show [https://buymeacoffee.com/elizabethdaviseverhart] Subscribe to Elizabeth's email list here [https://creative-piano-pedagogy.kit.com/f1fdfc1c64] so you won’t miss future courses, freebies, teacher events and more. Love the show? Buy us a coffee and support the podcast. [https://buymeacoffee.com/elizabethdaviseverhart] Let's stay in touch! On the website [https://www.creativepianopedagogy.com/news]/blog Follow on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/share/1E5SL3v9SJ/?mibextid=wwXIfr] Follow on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/creative_piano_pedagogy?igsh=aWxvY3Q4dG5jaXE0&utm_source=qr] Follow on YouTube [https://youtube.com/@creativepianopedagogy4849?si=nhBiYsm42GhDTkEp] You can find all of our favorite repertoire and teaching tools on the Amazon Storefront [https://www.amazon.com/shop/creative_piano_pedagogy?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsfshop_PTCHHWFG57MXF83DYZDB_1] (affiliate link) Questions or suggestions? Send Elizabeth an email: elizabeth@creativepianopedagogy.com [elizabeth@creativepianopedagogy.com] As an Amazon Affiliate, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you if you purchase through our links. Thank you for helping support the podcast!