About five years ago, I had the privilege of attending a session by Diane Hidy called “Diane Hidy’s Practical Piano Teaching Tips.” Diane and I were already friends, so I knew it was going to be good, but the practicality […]
Teaching Hand Position Online with Ladybugs and Giraffes Read More »
Thousands of teachers are using studio-licensed music to teach their piano students. However, I still get emails from teachers every now and then who wonder “How can I afford studio-licensed music?” They mention that $9.99 for a studio license is
How to Budget for Studio-Licensed Music Read More »
Click to download a printable copy of this article NOTE: It’s now 2026 and I have updated this article yet again to include thoughts and helpful questions to consider at the end of this article. If you don’t read anything,
3 Guidelines for Raising Piano Tuition – Should I Raise in 2020? Read More »
This letter went out to ComposeCreate® newsletter subscribers on Tuesday, June 8th, 2020. But I wanted to include it here on the blog as well for those who missed the newsletter. Dear Teacher, This week and last week, we have
In our recent survey, many of you told me how difficult it is to teach longer pieces with online lessons. You mentioned how students are “Zoom weary” right now and longer pieces just aren’t holding their attention spans. Plus, you
Introducing Short Sheets®! Read More »
More than a month has passed since many of us have been observing “shelter-in-place” orders. If any of you are like me, maybe some days are just fine and then others, you might be feeling weary and overwhelmed, perhaps even
Mid Covid19 Piano Teacher Survey Read More »
[Update 4/21/20 – Though the program is out of money, Paypal is still accepting applications here as they anticipate more money coming. They say, “We are hopeful that Congress will allocate additional funds for the program and we will continue
Click to download a printable copy of this article Over the last few weeks, I have received a number of questions about what to do with piano policies now that so much is changing in piano teaching. During this Corona
Should We Throw Our Piano Policies Out the Window Now? Read More »
Over the last few weeks, I’ve put out a few articles about the easiest ways to teach piano remotely, an article to send to parents to help with student retention (send them the URL), and 5 long-distance games (published in
Best Ideas for Teaching Online During This Pandemic Read More »
During this time of unprecedented distress, we at ComposeCreate® are adjusting the licensing for all of our studio licensed music, Rhythm Menagerie®, Rhythm Manipulations®, and Rhythm Cup Explorations® PDFs. Here is what we will be adjusting to help you teach effectively during this time: If
Big Temporary Change to Our Studio License! Read More »
Ignite the Spark!
August kick-off webinar
Join hundreds of teachers at this energizing webinar where we unveil new Fuzzies, Color, Beautiful Wonders, Adventure, & video game music! Plus stickers, new catalog, organization & teaching ideas!
