Hello there, piano teacher friend! I’m guessing you’re reading this today because you’re wanting to make your own piano teaching resources. But when you really start thinking about it, the thought of creating your own resources makes you feel like this, doesn’t it?

You can feel every emotion in this picture, can’t you? Apprehension. Hesitation. Fear and trembling. A “deer in the headlights” look if I ever saw one.

Overwhelmed at the utter idea of deciding what software to use, where to get clipart, what clipart even is – much less how to use it(!), how to actually create your resource without breaking copyright law, and how to turn your resource into a secured PDF so you can share it with your students and with other teachers legally.

Yikes.

If you’re almost ready to ditch the whole idea and hide under the covers, I have great news for you…

You CAN learn to create your own amazing piano teaching resources when you follow my step-by-step course for piano teachers, Digital Resource Design School 101!

I hosted a live Q&A recently where I received some excellent questions about Design School 101, and I’m going to answer a few of those questions for you right here.

And I promise you’ll feel much more empowered, confident, and courageous about creating your own piano teaching resources after you read this article and watch the Q&A video. Let’s get started!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through an affiliate link, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. For more information, read the disclosure statement here.

Go Straight to the Replay Video

If you’d rather watch than read, click the button to watch the Q&A replay video where I answer the fantastic questions below, plus several more.

1. Is this a live course? I’m not sure if it will work with my schedule.

I get this question about Design School 101 very frequently.

Students in my course are from all over the world. I wanted to be able to reach anyone who wanted to take this course at the time that was right for them.

That’s why I created Design School 101 to be a self-paced video course. This means you may login to your account and watch the videos whenever you like. This course will work with your schedule whether you’re an early bird, a night owl, or somewhere in between like me.

2. I’ve never designed Piano Teaching Resources before. Is Design School 101 right for me?

This is probably the most frequently-asked question about DS101.

The answer is: Absolutely! Even if you’ve never designed ANYTHING before. You don’t need any prerequisite knowledge, skills, or information to be successful in this course.

I am here to reassure you that Design School 101 starts at the very beginning and shows you step by step exactly what you’ll need to know and do to create those amazing piano teaching resources that have been on your mind for awhile.

In DS101, I break everything down into easy-to-follow actionable steps and lead you through every single part of the design process. All you have to do is follow the steps in the videos and you’ll create some fabulous resources before you know it!

3. What computer programs do I need to invest in to design the piano teaching resources?

This is a very common question that comes up regularly.

I’ll be presenting all of the product design lessons in Keynote for Mac. But, you may use PowerPoint for Business (PC or Mac) to complete all of the lessons and assignments if that’s what you already have.

I highly recommend a Mac with Keynote (MacBook Pro if it’s a laptop, and iMac if it’s a desktop) due to compatibility and ease of use, but I have quite a few Design School students who use PowerPoint for Business on their Windows computer and create fabulous resources!

So as long as you have Keynote, or PowerPoint for Business, you’re all set!

4. When I complete Design School 101, what materials will I have ready to use with my students the next day?  

This is a fantastic question, and I’m sure you’re wondering about this as well!

The way this course works is that I will be demonstrating different ways to create a wide variety of piano teaching materials, including worksheets, theory-test-like pages with music and text on the same page, printable games, pre-staff piano resources with letters in the note heads, musical examples with music notation software, and tons more.

You can take the information from the course and transfer it into creating whatever resource you want to create. As you’re going through the course, you get to create your own resource, your own way, based on the principles, knowledge, information, and design tips you learn in Design School 101.

What you create is 100% up to you, and when you are finished with the course, you will have a minimum of one amazing resource that is complete and ready to use with your students right away. It will be your first of many, many fabulous resources that you’ll be creating for your students! 

You are not required to create exactly what I am creating in the course. In fact, I encourage you to find your own style and create your own resources with your own preferences, which will develop into your own “signature style” over time.

Here are a few photos of resources I’ve created, and you’ll learn to create a variety as well:

5. Have you created any non-music resources for personal use using the skills you’ve learned over the years? 

This question speaks to the versatility of the skills you will learn in DS101, and I’m so glad you asked!

Absolutely I have! I create things all the time that aren’t for sale in my shop.

I’ve created things for my husband, my sister, my niece and nephew, Christmas cards, wedding programs, T-shirts, social media posts that aren’t related to my business…

So, yes, the skills you learn in DS101 can very easily be transferred into so many other parts of your life.

You can create gorgeous recipe cards, birthday party invitations, digital photo albums, family vacation T-shirts, and tons of other things! Think of all the possibilities and opportunities that your new skillset will open up for you in many different areas of your daily life.

Ready to learn more about Design School 101?

Do you have more questions about DS101? I answer even more fantastic questions in my Q&A video.

Still have questions?

Here are the links where you can find more information about the course:

• Design School 101 overview
• View the entire list of lessons in Design School 101
• Sign up for Design School 101

Have a question about Design School 101 that you’d like to ask me personally? Get in touch and let’s chat about it!

See you in Design School 101!

Want to learn more about creating your own gifts & resources?

• How to Follow Copyright and Trademark Law in the Piano Studio
• Create Quick & Easy Word Art Gifts for Your Students

Or if you don’t have time to do your own worksheets, check out our blog posts taking a close look inside our worksheets:

• Save Time With Over 200 Print-and-Go Music Theory Worksheets!
• 7 Ways to Use Music Math Worksheets in a Variety of Music Classes
• 5 Ways Staff Wars Beginner Theory Worksheets Benefit Your Piano Studio