March 24, 2025

407: The Power of Storytelling with Andrea Dow from Teach Piano Today

56 minutes

In today’s episode, I’m thrilled to welcome Andrea Dow from Teach Piano Today. Andrea shares her unique approach to piano teaching, emphasizing the importance of storytelling, creativity, and building strong teacher-student relationships. We dive into how she and her husband Trevor started Teach Piano Today, how they developed their popular WunderKeys method, and how they’ve kept students engaged through imaginative, game-based learning materials. Andrea also opens up about her own teaching journey, the early influences that shaped her, and how she balances creativity with family life. You’ll come away inspired by the power of storytelling in piano education and how it can transform your studio.

Andrea shared a brief overview of her background and reflected on her early podcasting experience.

She shared her introverted nature and challenges balancing family life.

How piano teaching has evolved toward business and entrepreneurship.

How transitioning from Suzuki to traditional methods shaped her musical path.

Andrea shared how she grew her teaching studio to over 350 students before eventually selling it.

The importance of teacher-student relationships.

How she and her husband Trevor started Teach Piano Today in 2011, motivated by the disparity between classroom learning materials and piano resources.

The storytelling approach in the WunderKeys method, which enhances student engagement and emotional expression.

She emphasized starting composition and improvisation early in lessons.

The value of integrating composing and improvisation early in lessons to foster creativity.

She shared how Trevor’s background supports their resource design.

The importance of game-based learning to build rapport, reduce fear of failure, and reinforce concepts in a fun, memorable way.

Why games are helpful for all ages, including teens and adults.

Links Mentioned

Learn more about TopMusicSheets here

Learn more about TopMusicGames here

Guest Links Mentioned

Teach Piano Today Website

WunderKeys Website

Teach Piano Today Facebook Page

Teach Piano Today Instagram Page

Today's Guest

Andrea Dow, together with her husband Trevor, are the composers, authors, and educators behind TeachPianoToday.com and WunderKeys. Their collaborative work has transformed piano education, providing teachers with imaginative resources that engage students of all ages. From quirky piano books to game-based learning materials, Andrea and Trevor's creations inspire piano teachers worldwide to bring creativity and joy into their lessons. Over the years, they have published 207 piano books, each designed to motivate students and make learning music fun.

Andrea and Trevor live on Vancouver Island off the west coast of British Columbia, Canada. When not composing or creating, Andrea and Trevor balance family life with two teenage daughters, and spend most of their time at the hockey rink or track.

Thank you for tuning in!

Consider implementing the ideas from this podcast by writing several actionable steps for your teaching practice if it’s inspired you.

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, which helps other teachers find our show.

Stay updated by subscribing to this show, and get automatic delivery to your device every time a new episode goes live! We publish on Mondays weekly.

TopMusicPro 14-Day Free Trial

Heard about TopMusicPro Membership? As a valued podcast listener, I’d like to offer you a special chance to try our community free for 14 days. You can access a treasure trove of teaching resources, professional development courses, and creative lesson ideas. Click the link below to access your exclusive 14-day free trial for our Studio Membership.

TOPMUSICPRO MEMBERSHIP 14-DAY FREE TRIAL

...more

View all episodes

By Tim Topham

4.8

126126 ratings