Music has the power to shape young minds and create lifelong connections. In this engaging episode, we're chatting with Krista Jadro and Hannah Mayo to dive into the transformative world of audiation and early childhood piano education. They discuss their unique journeys towards implementing Edwin Gordon’s Music Learning Theory, the impact of starting music education as early as age four, and practical tips on integrating singing, movement, and improvisation into piano lessons. Tune in to learn how they foster a deep understanding and love for music in their students from the very beginning.

• Krista and Hannah shared a brief overview of their background and their music studio.
• Importance of starting music education early, targeting ages 4-6.
• Benefits of music education for neural development and building foundational musical skills.
• Explanation of audiation and its role in music learning theory.
• Details on the Music Moves for Piano curriculum by Marilyn Lowe.
• Comparison between music learning and language acquisition.
• Personal stories on how they both became interested in audiation and music learning theory.
• Challenges and milestones in their professional development.
• Impact of early music education on young learners.
• Preferred techniques for teaching preschoolers, including the center finger approach.
• Addressing common concerns such as singing and movement in lessons.
• Integrating audiation into piano lessons in manageable ways.
• Timing of introducing formal music reading, typically around age 11.
• Balancing playing capability with reading skills.

Links Mentioned

• Music Learning Academy Website
• Music Learning Academy YouTube Page
• Mayo Piano Website
• Music Moves for Piano Website
• Introduction to Audiation-Based Piano Instruction and Music Moves for Piano Facebook Group
• Keys to Music Learning Podcast
• The Ways Children Learn Music Book

Today’s Guest

Hannah E. Mayo, a nationally certified teacher of music, is an independent piano teacher, specializing in guiding students through a lifetime of music making at the piano. She holds a B.M. and M.M. from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. After graduating, she continued to teach class piano as an adjunct faculty member at ULL until 2023. Hannah has been an independent piano teacher since 2006 and has directed the early childhood music and piano program at the REACH Preschool Institute since 2012. Hannah is a dedicated practitioner of Edwin Gordon’s Music Learning Theory.

Krista Jadro is the owner of Music Learning Academy, an online resource center dedicated to supporting teachers using the Music Moves for Piano curriculum by Marilyn Lowe for audiation-based piano instruction. Through Music Learning Academy, Krista provides online courses, leads study groups, and presents and hosts webinars and workshops. Krista has a thriving piano studio at Brookline Music School, where she previously redesigned and directed the early childhood and group piano program. She earned degrees in Music Education from the University of Delaware (M.M, B.M.) Both Krista and Hannah are on the piano faculty with the Gordon Institute for Music Learning. And they co-host the Keys to Music Learning Podcast.

About Rachel Ehring

Dr. Rachel Ehring is a pianist, teacher, music administrator, and lover of piano teaching gadgets. She holds a DMA in Collaborative Piano from the University of Colorado Boulder and a MM in Accompanying from the University of Kansas. She currently serves as Director at St. John’s Conservatory of the Arts in Orange County, CA. Previously, she held positions at Concordia University Irvine and Henderson State University. Rachel is passionate about empowering music teachers to create engaging and exciting lessons for students of all ages. When she isn’t playing the piano, you might find Rachel reading books with her son or walking her beagle Frieda.

• Visit her website at https://rachelehring.com/
• Visit her Instagram page: @rachelehring
• Visit her Etsy shop at Dream Lavender Music

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