Piano Teaching Success Podcast

Episode 5: The Must-Have Piano Teaching Tool for Today’s Kids (That Almost No One Knows About) What’s the one teaching tool master piano teachers have used for decades - but many teachers forget about, underuse, or even feel slightly guilty about?  It’s using music to teach music. In this episode, we unpack why fully-orchestrated backing tracks may be the most powerful - and most under-utilised - teaching tool available today. We share the story of how we “stumbled” across this approach… and why modern technology has finally made this accessible and transformative for teachers everywhere. You’ll learn why backing tracks are your active teaching partner! And how to use them effectively.  In this episode, you’ll discover: (00:00) The Teaching Tool Master Teachers Have Always Used (But Most Forget) (01:00) What “Using Music to Teach Music” Really Means (06:11) The Skills that Happen as a Natural Consequence of Backing Tracks (06:45) Why Back Tracks Never Really Took Off  (08:07) 8 Reasons Why Backing Tracks are the Greatest Undiscovered Teaching Tool  (08:33) Snowstorm - Our Multi-meter Piece in ⅞ (13:50) Video Sample of Forte Group Class Doing Chunk Learning  Once you realise that using backing tracks isn’t “cheating”, you’ll open up a whole new world that makes teaching fun, effortless, modern, and powerful! Listen to the episode to discover all the benefits. Resources 📝 Download the 1-Page Teaching with Tracks Handout PTS/Studio Members: Grab it inside your account New here: Download the handout for free Support the Podcast If this episode shifted your thinking, we’d be so grateful if you would: ⭐ Subscribe ⭐ Rate ⭐ Leave a quick review It helps more piano teachers discover this work and feel supported. Or Listen|Watch on Your Favourite Platform Spotify | Apple | YouTube Video | YouTube Audio | iHeart | Amazon | Goodpods | Pocket Casts Want more done-for-you Whole Body Learning resources? Inside The Studio, you’ll find: A huge library of lesson-ready backing tracks Practical Whole Body Learning strategies Monthly masterclasses (live + replay) Downloadable handouts Up-to-the-minute teaching insights A supportive global community of piano teachers 👉 Discover The Studio

  The Skill Every Musician Needs, From Beginners to Professionals - That's Often Overlooked Why do some students struggle to play in time — even when they can count perfectly? In this episode, we unpack one of the most fundamental (and overlooked) skills in piano teaching: beat. We explore why beat is the foundation of all music, why rhythm can’t exist without it, and why counting alone doesn’t always help. You’ll discover why beat is something students need to feel, not calculate - and how it helps at every level. We also demonstrate one of our favourite Whole Body Learning beat activities, Shark Shark.   In this episode, you’ll discover: (00:00) Why Beat Is the Most Important Skill in Music (And Why It’s Often Missed) (01:32) Why Counting Alone Doesn’t Guarantee Playing in Time (02:50) Why Beat Is a Feeling — Not a Mathematical Process (03:37) How One Simple Activity Can Build Beat, Reading, Creativity, and Awareness (06:16) How Beat Supports Sight-Reading, Ensemble Playing, Focus, and Musical Confidence Access the Shark Shark activity below to help students develop creativity, improvisation, reading stamina, and a deeper connection to music.   The Podcast Goodies & Resouces Podcast resources are available on the Piano Teaching Success website. Simply log in via the link below to access 📝 Get the Shark Shark beat activity If you’re a PTS Studio member, simply log in ➤ ⁠Access goodies instantly⁠  New to Piano Teaching Success? ➤ ⁠Register and download⁠    Join our Newsletter for updates  Never miss an episode →   Small Favour If you loved this episode and enjoyed the Shark Shark download, please click subscribe and like on your favourite platform - it helps more piano teachers discover this work and feel supported. 🎉   Listen/Watch on: Spotify | Apple | YouTube Video | YouTube Audio | iHeart | Amazon | Goodpods | Pocket Casts   Want More Done-For-You Whole Body Learning Resources? Inside The Studio, you’ll find: A huge library of lesson-ready resources, including essential backing tracks Practical Whole Body Learning strategies Monthly masterclasses (live + replay) Downloadable handouts Up-to-the-minute teaching insights A supportive, nurturing community of piano teachers around the world 👉 [Discover The Studio]

Episode 3: The 3 M’s — The Real Secret to Making Piano Learning Stick (Even When They Don’t Practice) Have you ever felt frustrated when students come back to lessons unable to remember what you worked on the week before - even when you know you taught it clearly? In this episode, we explore why this happens - and why it has very little to do with how much students practise. Instead, we reveal the 3 M’s, and show how mixing these three elements helps students remember, feel confident, and make progress even in today’s busy world. This episode will completely reframe how you think about learning, memory, and practice. In this episode, you’ll discover: (00:00) Why Relying on Practice Alone No Longer Works (00:57) How to Give Children Enough Little Anchors so When they Finally Practice, Something Fires Up (02:10) The 3 Ms of Whole Body Learning to Help Learning Stick (02:38) Real-life Studio Example of How to Use the 3Ms with Your Students  (11:20) How to use Multi-sensory Activities in a Structural, Effective Way (13:04) The Surprising Truth about Beginners  (Plus a few giggles — and an unexpected craving for pepperoni pizza and hot cross buns.) Resources Podcast resources are available on the Piano Teaching Success website. Simply log in via the link below to access The Podcast Goodies. 📝 Download the 3 M’s Handout If you’re a PTS Studio member, simply log in and ➤ Access goodies instantly New to Piano Teaching Success? ➤ Register and download   Small Favour  If you loved this episode and found the 3M’s helpful, please click subscribe and like on your favourite platform - it helps more piano teachers discover this work and feel supported. Listen/Watch on: Spotify | Apple | YouTube Video | YouTube Audio | iHeart | Amazon | Goodpods | Pocket Casts Want More Done-For-You Whole Body Learning Resources? Inside The Studio, you’ll find: A huge library of lesson-ready resources, including essential backing tracks Practical Whole Body Learning strategies Monthly masterclasses (live + replay) Downloadable handouts Up-to-the-minute teaching insights A supportive, nurturing community of piano teachers around the world 👉 [Discover The Studio]

Episode 2: What Neuroscientists Discovered About Learning — Every Piano Teacher Must Know Have you ever watched a piano student’s eyes glaze over — even though they’re “doing the work”? In this episode, Gillian and Paul unpack groundbreaking neuroscience research that explains why this happens — and what actually helps students learn faster, retain more, and enjoy lessons again. We explore Dr Stanislas Dehaene’s Four Pillars of Learning and show exactly how they apply to modern piano teaching through the Whole Body Learning (WBL) approach. In this episode, you’ll discover: (00:00) Why students’ eyes glaze over and how to maintain their attention (01:12) How the brain learns best and how to use this to your advantage (02:25) Why passive learning doesn’t work in piano lessons and what to do instead (03:35) Why students keep coming back with the same mistakes and what to do about it (04:40) How students can make progress even if they don't practice Resources:  Podcast resources available on the Piano Teaching Success website.  Simply log in via the link below to access The Podcast Goodies.  Dehaene’s Four Pillars of Learning (visual/model) Have you tried Cha Cha Cha with your students?  If you’re a PTS Studio member, simply log in and ➤ Access goodies instantly  New to Piano Teaching Success? ➤ Registration and download   Support the Podcast We have a small favour to ask - If you loved listening to the latest neuroscience and helpful hacks for teaching piano to today's kids, please click subscribe and like on your favourite platform so our podcast can reach more teachers just like you. We’d be so grateful if you would: ⭐ subscribe ⭐ rate and ⭐ leave a quick review …it helps more teachers find this work and feel supported. Listen/Watch on:  Spotify | Apple | YouTube Video | YouTube Audio | iHeart | Amazon | Goodpods | Pocket Casts Want More Done-For-You Whole Body Learning Resources? Inside The Studio, you’ll find: A huge library of lesson-ready resources, including important backing tracks  Practical Whole Body Learning strategies Monthly masterclasses (live + replay) Downloadable handouts Up-to-the-minute teaching insights  And a supportive, nurturing community of teachers around the world Discover The Studio

In this episode, we unpack the real challenges today’s piano teachers face in an AI-driven, distraction-heavy world: Shorter attention spans Rising anxiety Overwhelmed students Perfectionism Find out how Whole Body Learning (WBL), our neuroscience-backed teaching approach can cut through digital overload and transform engagement from the very first lesson.  You’ll learn how WBL works, why it boosts memory and focus, and how one simple beginner piece, Cha Cha Cha, can be layered for learners of all ages to build technique, confidence and instant success.  Try Cha Cha Cha for yourself  Already registered with Piano Teaching Success? ➤ Access instantly Not registered with Piano Teaching Success then ➤ Free registration and download Watch the interview with Jane Shellshear on seating position here. 🎉 We have a small favour to ask - if you loved the latest neuroscience and helpful hacks for teaching today's kids in this episode, please click subscribe and like so our content can reach more piano teachers just like you. Get your downloadable goodies here. Listen/Watch on: Spotify | Apple | YouTube Video | YouTube Audio | iHeart | Amazon | Goodpods | Pocket Casts  

Gillian and Paul are looking forward to sharing ideas, tips, and strategies for using the Whole Body Learning methodology to make piano teaching easier and effective.