Start Here – Color In My Piano

New to Color In My Piano? This page is a great place to start! Below is a listing of some popular posts from the archives.

A Little More About Joy

Celebrating 7 Years of Blogging! | This blogiversary post shares some history and background about Color In My Piano.
Tour of My Piano Studio | View some pictures of my studio set-up.
My Piano Purchase | The story of my purchase of my Kawai 5’7”.
A Peek into the Incentive Program Prize Box | One of the ways I motivate my students.
About Running Summer Music Camps/Workshops | Every summer, I offer a few summer music camps. Here is how I do it!

Rethinking the Student’s First Lesson | Ideas for how to give a student’s first piano lesson.
Developing a Good Sense of Rhythm | The three components to developing a good sense of rhythm in our students.
The Role of Intervalic Reading When Reading Music | It’s just as important for our students to be able to identify intervals fluently as it is for them to be able to identify note-names fluently!
Teaching Tip – Leaping Across the Keyboard | Some ideas about helping students learn how to deal with large leaps/moves on the keyboard.
Introducing Students to New Pieces | A checklist of ideas for introducing a new piece.
Teaching Tip: Achieving Fluency | Do you have a student who frequently hesitate as they play? Here are some ideas for troubleshooting the cause.
Teaching Tip: Engaging the Emotions | Increase learning by engaging your student’s emotions.

9 Tips for Teaching Piano to Young Ages | Some tips for teaching students age 6 and under.
Tips for a Successful First Recital | Some ideas to help with planning a student recital.
9 Ideas for Motivating Piano Students | Every student is different – here’s some ideas for finding out how to motivate your students.
What Motivates Musicians & Music Students? | A more in-depth discussion of motivation and how it works.
Teaching Music Theory: Our Responsibility | Why piano teachers should always include a theory component.
Analogies for Finger/Hand Shape | Teachers share creative ideas for getting students to curve their fingers!
Music + Imagination | Musings about inspiration, imagination, and engagement with music.
6 Ways to Stay Connected to Parents | Ideas for keeping the lines of communication open.
Over 20 Musical Spins on Favorite Games | Make games like Candyland or Jenga into music games!
Thoughts on the Teaching Philosophy | Why you should write a teaching philosophy, and some ideas to get you started!
6 Ways for Teachers to Stay Current | Teachers are never done learning!
Being a Member of MTNA or other Professional Organizations | Why you should consider joining MTNA.
9 First Classical Anthologies for Piano Students | My review of various classical anthologies that are appropriate for early elementary level students.
Un-Method Books for Piano Students | My review of various alternatives to your favorite traditional piano methods.

Determining Tuition Rates for Piano Teaching | Thoughts about how to set rates, raise rates, etc.
Studio Marketing: Creating Value | Here’s a better option than marketing your services for their “low rates.” 🙂
Humidity and My Piano | Use a hygrometer to check the humidity levels to help keep your piano in tune.
What to Include in your Studio Policies | What to include, and what not to include? Check it out.
My Thoughts on Practice Requirements | Rethinking the timed practice requirement.
Incentive Programs | My thoughts on incentive programs, plus some ideas to get you started in creating your own.
Teaching Music Theory: Our Responsibility | Thoughts on why and how to include theory in the private lesson setting.
30 Theme Ideas for Music Studio Events | Check out these fun theme ideas for music studio events.

Making Music Worksheets Using Music Fonts | Learn how you can create your own music worksheets using Microsoft Publisher (or a similar program) and some free music fonts.
Free Website Builder: Weebly.com | In this post, I highly recommend using this site for creating your own studio website if you don’t have one already. The best part about Weebly.com? It’s free!

Benefits of Holding A Piano Studio Recital | a list of reasons why to hold a piano recital for your students to participate in!
Checklist for Planning Student Recitals | This handy post gives a “to-do” checklist for planning a studio recital — very appropriate as the we approach the spring recital season!
What to Say at Student Recitals | Have an upcoming student recital, but are unsure of what to say to in front of all those faces? Check out this post for ideas.
30 Theme Ideas for Music Studio Events | Ideas for adding a fun twist to the traditional student recital!
Practice Performing | Ideas to get students mentally prepared before a performance.
Thoughts on Memorization: A Skill Integral to Piano Playing? | A discussion about the value of teaching memorization.
12 Tips for Memorizing Piano Music | Some tips and ideas for memorizing piano music.
Dealing with Performance Anxiety | Tips and ideas for coping with performance anxiety — both before and during a performance.

Don’t forget to visit the Printables page to see all the free resources you can download and enjoy. 🙂