Ever practised a piece perfectly at home, only to stumble when you play it for your teacher? “But I got it right at home!” is more than a familiar excuse – it’s a real experience rooted in how the brain responds to memory, environment, pressure, and performance.
![How [Not] to Give Up Piano Lessons](https://blitzbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/HowNotToGiveUp_Green-100-800x533.jpg)
It’s never easy losing a student, but it is mostly inevitable at some point. If they have to give up, this is how I’d like to to happen.
A behind-the-scenes look at everything teachers do to prepare for a student concert and why all the hard work is worth it.
I decided to abandon my AI-generated practice plan because it didn’t understand the difference between sight-readable passages, routine technical work, and truly tricky bars. See why I’m finishing this concerto well ahead of schedule.
When I received an exciting invitation to play with an orchestra, it triggered in me a fear that my recurring anxiety dream might actually come true! But it also prompted me to ask AI about a practice plan.
Since I always encourage my students to play chord charts, I got the idea of having a Karaoke-style concert. It was very different from the end-of-year concert that I always hold – and it was a hit!
A blog post about omelettes. Or piano repertoire. Or both.
Warning: this post contains some thoughts on why students might not need to play scales. This content may be distressing to some readers. 😊 In the middle of 2023, I had an epiphany: I realised that I really needed to get my students playing some scales. You might be thinking, what sort of [insert derogatory […]
I have invented a new game called ‘Swish Smash’. It is designed as a pre-reading game, but I play it with ALL my students, of any level! Read here for more details
No matter what level of piano we teach, we all have the responsibility of supporting, communicating with and educating our studio parents – helping them to create a culture in which music education is as valued as any other activity.