The TopCast: The Official Music Teachers' Podcast

What if the more committed a family is, the less they pay? I’m chatting with Brenda diZerega, an Advanced Simply Music teacher with over 30 years of experience. She created four membership tiers, named after pianos, to fix her summer drop-off. Hear how they work and how she rolled them out to her studio. Brenda shared how summer lesson drop-off made her income inconsistent.She explained how an online group thread sparked her membership tier idea.Brenda described her four tiers, which are named after types of pianos.Why higher tiers cost less to reward committed, consistent students.How the Concert Grand tier includes summer lessons and guaranteed fall placement.Brenda explained special interest sessions like the escape room in Beethoven’s basement.How a composer egg hunt makes learning about composers memorable.Why most families chose Concert Grand and what she may tweak.Brenda shared how she announced the change with an email and video.How her income stayed steady over her first summer with tiers.Why she recommends starting with just two or three tiers. Links Mentioned Find out more about 12-Week Studio Transformation here.Find out more about Spotlight Session here.Brenda's website:www.inspiredpianolongmont.comTopCast 477: Lowering the Bar, Widening the Door: Playing-Based Teaching with Neil MooreSimply Music Website Today’s Guest Brenda Pieper diZerega is the owner of Inspired Piano Longmont in Longmont, CO. Brenda is an Advanced Simply Music Piano Teacher, and a Licensed Play a Story Instructor with over 35 years of piano teaching experience. She started lessons when she was seven, and studied music in college and graduate school. Brenda holds undergraduate degrees in music from Hastings College, and graduate degrees from Baylor University and University of Colorado/Boulder. Brenda began looking for an alternative way to teach piano after becoming frustrated with the results of traditional piano methods and discovered the Simply Music method. After learning more about the curriculum, she believed that the method was exactly what she had been seeking. She became a Licensed Simply Music teacher in 2012, and an Advanced Teacher a few years later. Brenda loves the results that she sees from her students, and the ease of access to learning piano. She is also seeing benefits of the method in her own musicianship as well. She is able to look at the theoretical components of music through a new set of lenses, and Simply Music has opened doors to her own creativity and expressiveness as a pianist through the wide variety of musical styles included in the method. It is Brenda’s desire to give her students a positive experience of learning piano so that they will continue to have music as a lifelong companion. Today’s Sponsor Practice Space is the digital assignment notebook for music teachers. Build assignments with your scores, audio and video, and give students one app for everything they need to practice. Students record practice videos right inside each assignment, while streaks, practice awards and custom studio challenges keep them motivated between lessons. The Creative Suite adds a catalog of 1,000+ pieces, a built-in notation editor, AI-generated exercises and flashcards, and Speech-to-Notes, which turns a quick voice memo into formatted lesson notes. TopCast listeners get 50% off the first three months with code TOP50: admin.practicespaceapp.com/signup 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

What if you charged $87 for a 30-minute lesson and your families stayed? Today I’m chatting with Nicole Kovar, founder of Piano & More. She went from $25 lessons and burnout to a thriving in-home music school with a nonprofit arm. We’re kicking off Business and Marketing Month with her lessons on pricing, hiring and keeping great teachers. Tim kicked off Business and Marketing Month and previewed Kelly Riordan’s spotlight.Nicole explained how her in-home music school works like Uber for lessons.She shared how she raised lesson prices from $25 to $87.Why Nicole nearly closed her thriving school after seven years.How she raised prices at least 30% and rebuilt her policies.Nicole explained why testing higher prices on new students works well.Why she hired her first two teachers while running a waitlist.How stricter policies helped lift teacher retention to around three years.The importance of promoting your teaching philosophy rather than your own name.Nicole explained why her school keeps about 60% of lesson revenue.How the nonprofit structure provides a board, credibility and donor support.Nicole shared how Play It Forward gives free lessons and keyboards. Links Mentioned Find out more about Spotlight Session with Kelly Riordan here.Nicole's website:nicolekovar.comNicole's Instagram page:@nicolekovarmusicNicole's Facebook group:In-Home Music Studio Teachers & OwnersNicole's FREE GUIDE for In-Home Music School Owners Today’s Guest Nicole Kovar is an entrepreneur, educator, and founder of Piano & More, an award-winning music school that has served over 1,000 students through its innovative in-home music education model. With over a decade of experience building and leading a successful music school, Nicole is passionate about helping fellow music educators turn their passion into profitable, scalable schools. Today, she leads a growing community of in-home music school owners, empowering and coaching them to build thriving businesses that offer greater financial freedom, flexibility, and a better quality of life. Today’s Sponsor Practice Space is the digital assignment notebook for music teachers. Build assignments with your scores, audio and video, and give students one app for everything they need to practice. Students record practice videos right inside each assignment, while streaks, practice awards and custom studio challenges keep them motivated between lessons. The Creative Suite adds a catalog of 1,000+ pieces, a built-in notation editor, AI-generated exercises and flashcards, and Speech-to-Notes, which turns a quick voice memo into formatted lesson notes. TopCast listeners get 50% off the first three months with code TOP50: admin.practicespaceapp.com/signup 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

What if your youngest students could play real songs in lesson one, without reading a single note? Today I’m chatting with Andrew Ingkavet, the creator of the Musicolor Method. Andrew uses color to get pre-readers playing and feeling like musicians from day one. He shares how it works, why it isn’t a crutch, and how you can borrow his ideas in your own studio. Andrew shared how his studio has grown to 20 teachers.How color works as a simple mnemonic for pre-reading children.He explained the first lesson using the favorite ice cream song.Why color is scaffolding rather than a crutch.Andrew described six levels of notation leading to the staff.Tim highlighted that reading is introduced gradually from early on.He explained how to check whether a child is ready.How simple games introduce theory before kids ever see notation.Andrew compared the colors to a balance bike.Why direct labeling removes abstraction for neurodiverse learners.The importance of rapport and offering two paid trial lessons. Links Mentioned Andrew's Website:MusicolorMethod.comAndrew's book:Superpowers Through MusicTech Work Finder Today’s Guest Andrew Ingkavet is the author of Superpowers Through Music and creator of the Musicolor Method® — helping children build focus, confidence, and life skills through music. Andrew's remarkable journey began in the spotlight as an MTV-VJ, where he discovered the profound power of music to connect, inspire, and transform lives. This revelation sparked a complete career transformation that would ultimately impact thousands of children and families worldwide. Today’s Sponsor Beginners quit when reading music feels like decoding. Andrew Ingkavet built the Musicolor Method® to change that. Color makes notation readable from the first lesson, then scaffolds step by step to the standard staff. Piano is where most kids start, and the approach now works on ukulele, guitar, violin, viola, and drums too. Andrew is a guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer, a former MTV VJ, and author of Superpowers Through Music. He founded Musicolor Method NYC, where 20 teachers use the method every week. Today he trains music teachers of every instrument to bring Musicolor into their own studios. Find your beginner teaching breakthrough. Take the free assessment at MusicolorMethod.com/topcast 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

When a student says “I don’t know”, it doesn’t always mean they don’t know. Today, I’m chatting with Georgina Wilson, creator of Busy Little Turtle and Marketing Manager for TopMusic, about using games and off-bench activities with beginners. She shares three no-equipment games that work just as well online as in person. Stay tuned for a free handout with six games to try in your lessons this week. Tim explained why games and off-bench activities matter when teaching beginners.Georgina shared how she teaches online from her simple, low-tech studio.Why “I don’t know” can mean a gap, low confidence or zoning out.How reframing a question re-engaged a student who said “I don’t know” 37 times.Why today’s fast-paced, screen-driven kids need more engaging lessons.How bringing in students’ interests, like Pokemon and video games, makes theory click.She explained the Ribbit Game, where students make a sound on a chosen note.How the Secret Animal game gets students repeating lines without complaint.Why the “I went to the shops” memory game builds note and chord knowledge.How magnets and posted printables make physical games work in online lessons.Tim explained how the new Creativity Boost Cards tool matches a card to your lesson.Why the students who stay longest have teachers who think outside the box. Links Mentioned Download your free resources attopmusic.co/busylittleturleGeorgina's website:www.busylittleturtle.comGeorgina's Facebook page:Busy Little TurtleGeorgina's Instagram page:@busylittleturtle Today’s Guest Georgina Wilson is a piano teacher who is a big believer in making music education fun and engaging for both the students and the teachers. Georgina runs BusyLittleTurtle, a site dedicated to quirky and creative music resources that help make teachers’ teaching lives a little easier and give students another reason to love their music lessons! Today’s Sponsor Beginners quit when reading music feels like decoding. Andrew Ingkavet built the Musicolor Method® to change that. Color makes notation readable from the first lesson, then scaffolds step by step to the standard staff. Piano is where most kids start, and the approach now works on ukulele, guitar, violin, viola, and drums too. Andrew is a guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer, a former MTV VJ, and author of Superpowers Through Music. He founded Musicolor Method NYC, where 20 teachers use the method every week. Today he trains music teachers of every instrument to bring Musicolor into their own studios. Find your beginner teaching breakthrough. Take the free assessment at MusicolorMethod.com/topcast 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

Most of us weren't taught to sing in our own lessons, so it's no wonder singing feels awkward to teach. Today, I'm sharing a conversation I recorded with voice teacher Nikki Loney back in 2021, and the message is just as relevant now. We talk vocal roller coasters, kazoos, and why singing should be a normal part of lessons from day one, whatever instrument you teach. Tim explained why he's revisiting this 2021 conversation on singing.Nikki shared how a lack of vocal resources led her to co-found Full Voice Music.Why singing supports pitch, language development and emotional regulation.How vocal roller coasters use playful exploration instead of pitch correction.Nikki explained why singing can feel especially vulnerable for older students.Why movable do lets each student start on a pitch that feels comfortable.How hand signs give young students something physical to focus on.Tim shared why kazoos make a gentle, low-pressure entry point into singing.Why normalizing singing early prevents awkwardness later in exams or tests.Nikki shared how vocalizing a phrase can shape expressive instrumental playing.How Full Voice workbooks grew from one-page activity sheets into a full curriculum.Nikki shared her advice for teachers wanting to try singing with reluctant students. Links Mentioned Find out more about the Spotlight Session here.The Full Voice WebsiteThe Full Voice Free Resources Today’s Guest Inspired by the youngest students in her private voice studio, Nikki Loney challenges teachers to redefine what a singing lesson looks like for a child. Founder and CEO of FULL VOICE Music, she works with music education specialists, children’s composers, and musicians to create music education resources for the young vocal student. She is an active member of NATS, and The FULL VOICE Podcast (part of the NATSCast Network) serves the independent voice teacher and has a global audience. Today’s Sponsor Beginners quit when reading music feels like decoding. Andrew Ingkavet built the Musicolor Method® to change that. Color makes notation readable from the first lesson, then scaffolds step by step to the standard staff. Piano is where most kids start, and the approach now works on ukulele, guitar, violin, viola, and drums too. Andrew is a guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer, a former MTV VJ, and author of Superpowers Through Music. He founded Musicolor Method NYC, where 20 teachers use the method every week. Today he trains music teachers of every instrument to bring Musicolor into their own studios. Find your beginner teaching breakthrough. Take the free assessment at MusicolorMethod.com/topcast 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