094 - The Curious Mind of Pianist Josef Hofmann
What does it look like to be a musician who is also an inventor—someone whose curiosity about how things work shapes the way he approaches his instrument? Pianist Josef Hofmann spent his entire career exploring that, and his story is worth knowing.
This year marks the 150th anniversary of Hofmann's birth. He was a Polish-American pianist, born in 1876, and considered by many—including Sergei Rachmaninoff—to be the greatest pianist of the 20th century. And yet, despite his many musical achievements, including a fifty-year performing career, 100 compositions, commercial recordings, a signature tone, and enviable technical precision, he doesn't have the same name recognition as his contemporaries.
093 - What We're Doing for Informances This Year
March in my studio means one thing: informance season. We spend 10 to 12 weeks getting ready—learning and analyzing music, practicing demonstrations, preparing to talk to the audience. And this year, I knew from the start that the theme was going to require a little more planning than usual.
If you’re new around here, I define a musical informance as an informal, informational performance that integrates education and experience. It’s an opportunity for students to share what and how they’re learning and invite parents and audience members into the music-making process.
092 - Beauty, Artistry, and Intention (A Tribute to Marvin Blickenstaff)
At the end of January, we lost a wonderful musician, teacher, and pedagogue, Marvin Blickenstaff. You’ve probably heard me talk about Marvin on the podcast before—he had a profound impact on my teaching through the years.
With a career spanning over six decades, Marvin dedicated himself to serving piano students and teachers worldwide. He valued deep emotional expression at the keyboard and a human connection through the music. He once said, “The only reason that music exists is to express who we are and how we feel.”
091 - Seven Black Composers in the Piano Teaching Repertoire
February is Black History Month—a time to honor and celebrate the contributions of African Americans. As a music teacher, this prompts me to pause and evaluate what I’m teaching, but also why. I ask questions like:
How much diversity is present in my students’ method books and repertoire?
Which pieces should we skip due to their complicated history?
How can I make more thoughtful, informed choices about the music I put in front of my students—choices that are pedagogically sound and historically responsible?
090 - Nine Supplemental Books for Elementary and Early Intermediate Piano Students
As we prepare for the Spring semester and look forward to lessons resuming in January, I want to share nine collections I’ve been using with my students this year. Some are etudes based on specific technical patterns, others are solo repertoire books. Most of these are available through Piano Safari, though they can be used alongside any method book.
For reference, my elementary and early intermediate students are in Piano Safari Levels 1-3 and range from 2nd-7th grade.
If you're looking to refresh your teaching materials for January or add some variety to your studio library, I hope you'll find a few gems here that spark your interest.
089 - The Science of Practicing: What I’m Learning from Molly Gebrian's Book
One of the things I love about teaching is that we can draw on many disciplines to make our work better—art, psychology, learning theories, and even neuroscience. Recently, I’ve been reading about what brain research can tell us about practicing and how we learn, and it’s fascinating.
Welcome back to our 2-part series on practicing.
In part 1, we talked about the art of practicing. I shared what I’m learning from Madeline Bruser’s book, The Art of Practicing, and how I’m carrying these concepts and strategies into my practice sessions and studio.
087 - 9 Creative Lesson Activities You Can Do with a Broken Arm
It was about this time last year when I got a panicked email from a parent: “Jack broke his left wrist this week. What does this mean for piano? He’s in a cast.”
Has this ever happened to you? Some parents may assume that lessons need to be paused during this time. I mean, they can’t play with only one hand… or can they?
The answer is yes, and there’s more and more one-handed repertoire available. With a broken foot, we can focus on repertoire that doesn’t use the pedal, or they can learn to pedal with their left foot for a few weeks.
But more importantly, what I want to convey to parents (and students) is that playing is only one facet of musicianship. There are so many other things we do in lessons, so many other skills we’re working to develop. It reminds me of something Frances Clark once said, “Teach the student first, the music second, and the piano third.”
086 - Teaching Keyboard Skills to Students of All Ages
Learning to play the piano isn’t just about learning repertoire pieces. It’s about developing a set of keyboard skills that lets you make music anywhere, with anyone, in any style. Technique, performance, and sight-reading are part of it, but so are harmonization, transposition, chord knowledge, and voice-leading. It’s more than the ability to perform what’s on the page; it’s understanding how the music is made.
In this episode, I’ll share why keyboard skills matter for students of all ages and a few strategies I’m using in my studio to build them into lessons from the very first year of study.
085 - Everyone Can Improvise (+ 3 Examples From My Studio)
When I was in grad school, I took an elective class on Improvisation. I remember shuffling into the 3rd-floor classroom that first day, pulling a blue chair into the semicircle like everyone else, unfolding the desk and preparing to take notes.
“Improvisation is something we can all do,” our professor, Dr. Christopher Azzara began. “We’re born improvisers.” The challenge sometimes is trusting that creative process. Trusting that we have something interesting and musical to say.
Today, I’m sharing a few simple ways to build improvisation into your teaching practice in meaningful ways, even if it’s new to you. You’ll learn what improvisation is and how to get started, how to find inspiration and musical ideas, and activities to do with your students in lessons. I’ll also share a few examples and recordings from my studio recently.
084 - Recital Recap & Year-End Reflection
Earlier this month, I hosted my 14th studio piano recital. There’s always so much that goes into planning and preparing for an event like this.
We spend months learning the music and practicing performing. What happens if you play a wrong note or miss a key change? What happens if you forget the repeat or play the first ending twice?
We discuss arm movement and phrase shapes, articulation, and projection, and how it feels and sounds different in the big theater vs. the classroom where we have our lessons. We listen and observe.
Today, I’m sharing my own recap and reflection on this year’s recital—how it went, what I learned, what I observed, and how it’s shaping my teaching practice for the year ahead.
I'm Ashley—musician, educator, writer, and entrepreneur. Here, I share creative ideas and practical resources to help you in your teaching and creative work. Learn more...
ONLINE COURSES
Develop the skills you need to lead and teach creatively and confidently with mini online training courses and workshops designed specifically for church musicians & music educators. Learn more and enroll >>
Get monthly updates
Get my free, 7-min. monthly newsletter—loved by 23,476+ musicians & educators. Subscribe >>
Read the Blog
Pedagogical, practical ideas, helpful tools and resources, and creative strategies to help you lead, direct, and teach with confidence. Read now >>
PRINTABLE SHEET MUSIC
Original music compositions for handbells, unison/2-part and
SATB choirs, solo piano & chamber instrumental ensembles. Buy now >>
Resource Library
A collection of printables, templates, and workbooks for music educators, piano
teachers, church musicians, and
music entrepreneurs. Browse the library >>