Great teaching doesn’t just happen—it’s intentionally nurtured, modeled, and passed on. In this episode, I’m joined by Megan Desmarais, who shares how she balances running a large, thriving piano studio with mentoring college pedagogy students through hands-on teaching experience. Megan talks about her group/private hybrid model, how she customizes lessons for every student, and why she’s passionate about teaching all ages, from toddlers to seniors. We also dig into how she uses tools like Easy Notes and the Learning Style Inventory to create engaging, multi-sensory lessons. Whether you're a new or seasoned teacher, Megan’s approach to creative, modern pedagogy will spark fresh ideas for your own studio.

• Megan shared a brief overview of her background and her music studio.
• She explained that her pedagogy program fills a gap in teacher training for music majors in her area.
• How she standardizes teaching methods so student teachers can deliver consistent instruction.
• How she uses the Waco Keyboarding method to blend group and private teaching.
• How early teaching experiences and a master’s in pedagogy shaped her current approach.
• The importance of adapting teaching methods beyond “how you were taught”.
• She advised teachers not to treat preschoolers as miniature piano students.
• How early childhood lessons focus on foundational skills like keyboard geography and coordination.
• She discussed the Learning Style Inventory, a tool to help teachers understand how students process and retain information.
• She shared how Easy Notes products like magnetic staff boards support hands-on learning.
• How she integrates games and group learning into lessons through a hybrid group/private model.

Guest Links Mentioned

• Megan's Websites: VeryPiano.com & Teach Preschool Music
• Megan's Instagram Page: @verypiano
• Megan's Facebook Page: Megan's Piano Lessons & VeryPiano Blog

Today’s Guest

Megan Desmarais is your Piano Teacher North Star. In addition to running a successful piano studio for students ages 1-75, she is also committed to mentoring the next generation of piano teachers through modern, creative piano pedagogy. As a teacher of both students and teachers, she has a knack for finding innovative approaches to piano lessons. She strives to make every lesson a special, one-of-a-kind learning experience for students and equips other teachers with tools, techniques and ideas to do the same.

Megan runs verypiano.com and teachpreschoolmusic.com, which are online resource hubs for music teachers. Her Very Piano Shop is full of digital and physical teaching tools, including E-Z Notes products, Piano Progress Pins and other resources. She studied piano at the University of Tulsa and earned a Masters in Piano Pedagogy from Wichita State University. She has extensive training and experience with Preschool Music and Recreational Music Making.

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 RachelEhring.com
• Visit her Instagram page: @rachelehring
• Visit her YouTube channel: @dreamlavendermusic6694
• Visit her Etsy shop at Dream Lavender Music

Thank you for tuning in!

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