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Woman with aching neck sitting on couch with computer

Prevent “Tech Neck” and Poor Posture in Piano Students and Teachers Tip 1: Chin Tucks

Piano teachers are complaining of back pain, neck pain, and shoulder pain from spending hours each day teaching online piano lessons. We’re twisting at the waist, sitting partially turned towards the screen, and we’re exhibiting overall poor piano posture. Our students are developing round shoulders and a hunched back from time spent on devices. Learn how to address these issues in Part One of my interview with Dr. Stephanie Elkins, DPT.
iPad and coffee on a desk with a plant

Eliminate Filler Words from Your Piano Teaching Vocabulary in 6 Easy Steps

We use them to verbalize our hesitations. We use them because we’re thinking, or we’re not sure what to say next. We use them as a way to let people know we’re still speaking. We use them because maybe we’re not feeling confident about what we want to say. What are they? Filler words. Learn how to eliminate them from your vocabulary and become a clearer and more succinct communicator and teacher.
How to teach Schubert's Waltz in B Minor

A Deep Dive into Schubert’s Waltz in B Minor

Teachers – what is your superpower? My piano teacher superpower seems to be teaching intermediate historical repertoire in a way that allows my students to play expressively. I love getting my students engaged with works by the great masters, including one of my all-time favorites, Franz Schubert, whose Waltz in B minor, D.145 / Op.18, No.6 will be discussed here.
List of 150 Ways to Say "Good" in Piano Lessons

150 Ways to Say “Good” in Piano Lessons

My toolbox for complimenting my students was not “very good”, and I was stuck in a rut with my boring and repetitive praise and encouragement words, all of which incorporated the same not-so-creative word: “Good”. Download the free list of 150+ complimentary words and phrases, and before you know it, your piano teaching vocabulary will be bursting at the seams with imaginative and creative ways to say “good job”. Your piano students will love it!
8 steps to take your piano recital outdoors

Take Your Piano Recital Outdoors: A Simple 8-Step Guide

Andrea West is a piano teacher, graphic designer, and marketing director who recently held an outside piano recital on her front porch! Rather than canceling her recital due to Covid concerns, she thought outside the box to create a fun and memorable experience for her piano families. Please enjoy Andrea’s article on eight simple steps for hosting an outdoor piano recital.
How to organize and host an online piano workshop

How to Organize and Host an Online Piano Workshop

Jennifer Bowman is a composer and piano teacher who organized a fully-online piano workshop with composer Christopher Norton. In this article, Jennifer shares how she arranged this highly successful online event for her piano studio in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Feed the Music Monster game

Feed the Music Monster Game for Piano Lessons

This adorable beginning piano game can be used to review both sight-reading and ear training. It includes five notes of the treble staff: Middle C, D, E, F, G. Perfect for in-person instruction, and adaptable for online piano lessons. Plus, it’s a free gift when you join my Facebook Group for Piano Teachers.
7 tips to attract online piano students with your studio website

7 Tips to Attract New Online Piano Students with Your Studio Website

Many studios have been hit extremely hard during the COVID-19 pandemic and have suffered immensely from a dramatic decrease in student enrollment. In this post, I’ll share with you 7 tips on how I have grown my piano studio during a pandemic by using my piano studio website as a recruiting tool. After reading this post, you’ll have a toolbox of ways you can grow your online studio too!
How to create a virtual piano ensemble recital video

How to Create a Virtual Piano Ensemble Recital Video

Ten of my students and I performed a virtual piano ensemble recital. It was all done via our online piano lessons by using lots of practice tracks, the metronome, videos, and powerful editing software that could handle all 11 videos at once. In this post I’m going to share some tips for creating a basic virtual piano ensemble. Let’s work together with our students to make virtual piano recitals fun, engaging, and exciting experiences for our students and their families!
5 Tips for Engaging Young Piano Students During Online Lessons

5 Tips for Engaging Young Piano Students During Online Lessons

During this global crisis, piano teachers everywhere have been challenged to pivot and adjust to teaching music lessons online. The COVID-19 pandemic has truly been an unprecedented time for embracing technology to the fullest! With trial and error, my little pianists and I have found some creative ways to keep piano lessons fun while online. I hope you’ll enjoy trying these ideas with your students!
Image of a piano teacher using a digital planner

How to Use a Piano Teacher Digital Planner

Hey piano teachers! Do you like using planners? I do! And I love using this beautiful blush, navy, and champagne digital planner for piano teachers! This planner includes a variety of forms, calendars, and documents for your studio, whether you’re teaching online or in person, to help keep you organized and keep your studio running smoothly. And you can even import sheet music into the digital planner to keep your lesson planning for online piano lessons organized and at your fingertips!
Fun & Affordable Prizes Piano Students Love!

Fun & Affordable Prizes Piano Students Love!

What kind of prizes do I include in my piano studio prize box that students of all ages would love, and that are very affordable? I’ve asked my students what kinds of things they’d love to have as prizes, and added my own options as well, so our prize box is filled with a huge variety of affordable treasures suitable for all ages. Slime to scrunchies, music-themed pencils, socks, and gift cards, and more!

Welcome!

Favorite piano teaching resources at MelodyPayne.com

Hi! I’m Melody Payne, a pianist and piano teacher, educational resource author, a fun-loving wife to the most wonderful and talented hubby I could ask for, and a lifelong learner who loves to share. I want to make your life as a music teacher easier by writing and sharing helpful and relevant music teaching articles, and by creating educational resources with your very own students in mind. If you are a parent who wants to enroll your child in piano lessons, I’d love for us to get started building those skills that can give your child a lifetime of musical enjoyment!

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