From dueling pianist to studio owner, Whitney Maxwell shares her remarkable journey of pivoting during the pandemic to open Bloom Music Studio in 2021. In this episode, she talks about how her studio grew rapidly after being featured in the Des Moines Register and how she’s created a welcoming, community-driven environment for students. Whitney also explains her unique lab-based teaching model, which fosters independent learning and helps students progress faster than in traditional private lessons.

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Today’s Guest

Whitney Maxwell grew up reading beautiful classical music, studying for 10 years under a Juilliard and Harvard trained teacher and concert pianist. She loved her piano teacher and she loved her lessons. But after some time in corporate America, Whitney somehow ended up traveling the world as a full time dueling piano player. She has been teaching since 2001, and has extensive experience in a variety of curriculums, teaching methods and lesson styles.

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.

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