Some of you may not know this about me, but I’m a musician and an artist.

I always loved art as a kid—from finger painting in my blue smock at my Little Tikes easel to coloring and tracing to the pastel class I took one summer. For a while, my answer to the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” was “An artist or illustrator.”

Music was always there, too—singing and playing the piano, learning letter names as I learned the alphabet, and later, accompanying, teaching, performing, and arranging.

At some point, I set art aside to focus on music. I still did craft projects from time to time, but I didn’t consider myself an artist.

Then, during the pandemic, I found myself drawn to it again. In between online lessons, baking Jim Lahey’s No-Knead Bread, and reading through Mendelssohn’s Songs Without Words, I watched online painting tutorials. I practiced mixing colors in an art app on my iPad. I ordered supplies and started painting tiny acrylic landscapes.

Now, five years later, I have a dedicated art table in my home office. I have a somewhat regular artistic practice alongside my music work. I’ve found that painting is a different facet of my creativity, a new form of artistic expression. And I have to say, it makes me come alive—to embrace my creativity as a whole, to invest in multiple aspects of my creative self at once.

And I’m not the only one.

From Felix Mendelssohn to Arnold Schoenberg, Joni Mitchell to Miles Davis, many musicians have found painting to be another form of artistic expression that complements and informs their musical side.

In this episode, I’m exploring what art is teaching me about music. Whether you consider yourself an artist or not, I hope this inspires you to think about all the different facets of your creative self—and how to embrace them in your work.

For show notes + a full transcript, click here.

Resources Mentioned

*Disclosure: I get commissions for purchases made through some of these links.

Songs Without Words (Mendelssohn)

On the Spiritual in Art (1910) (Kandinsky)

Pictures At an Exhibition (Mussorgsky)

Clair de Lune (Debussy)

“October,” Lyric Preludes (Gillock)

Piano Mastery (1915) (Brower)

“Waltz for Miles,” Portraits in Jazz (Capers)

“Rainbow Colors,” Piano Safari Repertoire 2 (Hague)

Prelude in C, Op. 11, No. 1 (Scriabin)

My artistic process

Daily Rituals: How Artists Work (Mason Currey)

Join the Musician & Co. Book Club (it’s free!)

On Developing a Daily Ritual: Insights From Mason Currey’s Book

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review in Apple Podcasts >>

Find me on Instagram: @ashleydanyew

Whenever you’re ready, here are three ways we can work together:

1️⃣ Need fresh teaching ideas? Schedule a quick 25-min. call and we’ll brainstorm on a topic of your choice. Build an idea bank that you can pull from in the months to come.

2️⃣ Have questions about teaching or managing your music career? Book a 60-min call and get personalized advice, creative ideas & step-by-step strategies on up to 3-4 teaching/business topics.

3️⃣ Develop the skills and strategies you need to plan the year, refine your teaching methods, and manage your time more effectively with a suite of online courses and professional development trainings

March is Women’s History Month and by extension, Women in Music Month—an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate women’s contributions to our field.

As a teacher, I love finding ways to honor and celebrate things like this with my students. A few years ago, we did a studio-wide blues composition project (see Ep. 045) during the month of February, Black History Month.

Then, there was the year I created a 4-week study unit for one of my high school students focused on women composers. In Ep. 057, I talked about the composers and scores we were planning to study and shared a resource list of elementary and intermediate piano music written by women composers that you can reference in your teaching.

This year, we’re celebrating Women in Music Month with a series of musical informances. In this episode, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at how we’re preparing including how I’m structuring the events, how we’re highlighting women’s contributions to the field, expectations I have for my students, and ways we can include the audience in the process.

For show notes + a full transcript, click here.

Resources Mentioned

*Disclosure: I get commissions for purchases made through some of these links.

Ep. 045 - The Blues Composition Project

Ep. 057 - Women in Music Month in the Studio

The Oxford Handbook of Public Music Theory (2022), ed. J. Daniel Jenkins

Ep. 071 - 3 Things I Learned from Hosting a Musical Informance

Democracy and Education (1916/1997), John Dewey

Musical Informance Planning Guide

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review in Apple Podcasts >>

Find me on Instagram: @ashleydanyew

Whenever you’re ready, here are three ways we can work together:

1️⃣ Need fresh teaching ideas? Schedule a quick 25-min. call and we’ll brainstorm on a topic of your choice. Build an idea bank that you can pull from in the months to come.

2️⃣ Have questions about teaching or managing your music career? Book a 60-min call and get personalized advice, creative ideas & step-by-step strategies on up to 3-4 teaching/business topics.

3️⃣ Develop the skills and strategies you need to plan the year, refine your teaching methods, and manage your time more effectively with a suite of online courses and professional development trainings

When you think about practicing, what do you picture?

Maybe you think about your instrument in the living room or your favorite practice room at school. Maybe you picture your studio with morning light streaking across the floor or in the evening with a few lamps casting a cozy glow. 

Certainly, practicing happens in all of these spaces. But it can also happen at your desk, in the car, at the breakfast table, on a walk, in a carrel at the library, or in a classroom where no instrument is present. 

How? Because practicing is more than the mechanics of playing an instrument. Practicing involves all the different components of musicianship—many of which can be practiced and developed away from your instrument.

It all starts by thinking a little more creatively about what practicing can look like. 

In this episode, you’ll learn about the importance of thinking in music plus 14 practical ways to practice away from your instrument (for students, teachers, and music professionals alike).

For show notes + a full transcript, click here.

Resources Mentioned

*Disclosure: I get commissions for purchases made through some of these links.

Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World (Cal Newport)

The Music Man (1962)

Speaking the Piano: Reflections on Learning and Teaching (Susan Tomes)

The Gordon Institute for Music Learning

How We Learn: The Surprising Truth About When, Where, and Why It Happens (Benedict Carey)

Ep. 023 - How to Practice Efficiently in 30 Minutes Or Less

Ep. 039 - The Secrets of Interleaved Practice: What We Can Learn From Cognitive Science

Ep. 60 - How Do We Approach Mistakes in Music Teaching & Learning?

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review in Apple Podcasts >>

Find me on Instagram: @ashleydanyew

The Spring semester can be busy. With extra performances, we end up focusing more on performance skills—starting and finishing well, lifting hands back to our laps, how to practice performing at home, bowing, and memorization strategies.

But as you know, there’s so much more that happens in a music lesson—so much more that we’re teaching and cultivating in our students. It’s not just about performance or mastery or checking things off. It’s about developing musicianship—developing musicians—and helping them develop the skills and creativity and confidence they need to continue making music throughout their lives.

I made some notes about this in my teaching journal at the end of last year. As I was preparing for the first week of lessons last week, I recognized six things I’ve been focusing on and prioritizing in lessons recently that I want to make sure to carry into this new year.

I hope this inspires you to reflect on what you’re prioritizing in lessons and to plan your lessons and classes with intention.

For show notes + a full transcript, click here.

Resources Mentioned

*Disclosure: I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Ep. 068 - How to Plan a Musical Informance

Ep. 069 - A Musical Informance to Celebrate the Solar Eclipse

Ep. 071 - 3 Things I Learned From Hosting a Musical Informance

Musical Informance Planning Guide: A Resource for Studio Teachers

Piano Safari piano curriculum

Hand Position at the Piano: 5 Foundations of Piano Technique, Part 1 (Kate Boyd)

The Thumb in Piano Technique (Kate Boyd)

How to Use Notability for Assignment Sheets in Your Studio

Piano Safari, Repertoire Book 2

The Perfect Wrong Note: Learning to Trust Your Musical Self (William Westney)

Ep. 60 - How Do We Approach Mistakes in Music Teaching & Learning?

Insights from William Westney’s “The Perfect Wrong Note” (Musician & Co. Book Club)

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review in Apple Podcasts >>

Find me on Instagram: @ashleydanyew

It’s the middle of December, which means you’re probably caught up in the rush of holiday performances, concerts, and recitals, studio classes, parties, and general busyness as we wrap up the year. Your to-do list is long, but the days are short, and you’re doing your best to stay on top of it all.

But as busy as this time of year is, it can also be a time to pause and reflect. To embrace the quiet and stillness that comes with the first snowfall or sitting in the living room late at night or early in the morning by the light of the Christmas tree.

As a teacher, December is a time to acknowledge everything you’ve created and accomplished this year—everything you’ve learned and all the ways you’ve changed and grown and evolved as a musician and educator.

That’s what today’s episode is all about.

For show notes + a full transcript, click here.

Resources Mentioned

*Disclosure: I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

The Gap and the Gain (Benjamin Hardy & Dan Sullivan)

Join the Musician & Co. Book Club

Ep. 071 - 3 Things I Learned from Hosting a Musical Informance

Through the Windowpane (Chee-Hwa Tan)

Ep. 077 - A New Approach to Teaching Group Classes

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (Carol Dweck)

Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You (Ali Abdaal)

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle (Emily Nagoski & Amelia Nagoski)

Mindfulness for People with Voice Disorders - Body Scan (Catherine Brown)

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review in Apple Podcasts >>

Find me on Instagram: @ashleydanyew

I have a love/hate relationship with studio classes.

I love the idea of them, and I love being able to offer them to my students. But I’ve never found a structure or approach that works. 

At the school where I teach, I’m limited to a classroom with a single piano, which means students have to take turns or do activities that don’t involve an instrument.

In addition, having a group of 6-8 students in a room together for 45-60 minutes (again, with one instrument) was challenging. It’s difficult to keep everyone engaged and focused, give directions, facilitate meaningful learning activities, and assess each student individually.

As an introverted teacher, it can feel a little chaotic and overwhelming.

This year, I was committed to figuring this out. I decided to offer more classes than last year, limit the number of students in each group, and plan more level-specific musicianship activities.

Today, I’m sharing a behind-the-scenes look at one of my studio classes from this month and as always, a few things I’m experimenting with this year.

For show notes + a full transcript, click here.

Resources Mentioned

*Disclosure: I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Teaching Piano in Groups (Christopher Fisher)

Frances Clark Library for Piano Students

The Music Tree, Part 1

Lyric Preludes in Romantic Style (William Gillock)

Chord Inversion Worksheet (Chrissy Ricker)

Preludes in Patterns (Kevin Olson)

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review in Apple Podcasts >>

Find me on Instagram: @ashleydanyew

It’s my second full week of teaching. I know some of you have been back to school and lessons for a month now, but I’m still getting my bearings, adjusting to a new schedule, organizing studio classes, and setting my intentions for the year.

This is not a formal practice, but it’s something I sort of subconsciously do to mark the beginning of the new teaching year. I ask myself a few questions:

- “What do I want this year to look like?”
- “What do I want my students to experience?”
- “What do I want to prioritize or focus on?”
- “What do I value in the music teaching and learning process that I want to lean into?”

Do you do this, too?

If you’re on my email list, I shared in last week’s newsletter three things I’m bringing with me into the new year drawn from this practice. Today, I’m sharing a few more—7 things to carry into the new teaching year—and I hope this inspires you on your teaching journey.

For show notes + a full transcript, click here.

Resources Mentioned

*Disclosure: I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Get my free, 7-min. monthly email newsletter—loved by 21,768 musicians & educators

Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel (Bonnie Garmus)

Inspired Piano Teaching (Marvin Blickenstaff)

Sign up for a virtual work retreat

Ep. 068 - How to Plan a Musical Informance

Ep. 069 - A Musical Informance to Celebrate the Solar Eclipse

Ep. 071 - 3 Things I Learned From Hosting a Musical Informance

Musical Informance Planning Guide for K-12 Piano Teachers

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review in Apple Podcasts >>

Find me on Instagram: @ashleydanyew

I don’t know about you, but this summer is going by very quickly. I know some of you may be going back to school this week or preparing to go back in a few weeks; here in New York, we still have a little summer left, as we don’t start back until after Labor Day.

But regardless, it’s quick.

At the beginning of the summer, I made a list of 5 things I wanted to work on outside of teaching. In this episode, I’ll share what was on that list, how it’s going so far, and what I’m spending time on this month.

For show notes + a full transcript, click here.

Resources Mentioned

*Disclosure: I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words

“Stella the Steinway’s 100th Birthday” (Piano Magazine)

Debussy's Deux Arabesques

Bach's French Suite VI in E Major

Debussy: A Painter in Sound(Stephen Walsh)

Ep. 064 - How I Plan a Year of Student Repertoire

20 Books to Read in 2024 (2024 Book List)

Movement That Fits: Dalcroze Eurhythmics and the Suzuki Method (Joy Yelin)

Move It!: Expressive Movements with Classical Music for All Ages (John Feierabend)

Piano Pantry Podcast, Ep. 104 - Streamline Your Group Classes

Inspired Piano Teaching (Marvin Blickenstaff)

The Piano Conference 2025

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review in Apple Podcasts >>

Find me on Instagram: @ashleydanyew

Last week, I taught a brand-new beginner her very first piano lesson.

Cora is 5 1/2 and is quite mature for her age. She is the youngest of three—her two older brothers also study with me. In fact, the oldest started with me when he was 5, a few weeks after Cora was born, so it’s kind of a full-circle moment.

I have a list of 12 things I like to get through in the first lesson. Twelve activities may sound like a lot for a 30-minute lesson, but at this age, we move pretty quickly.

I’ve adjusted my first lesson plan through the years; if you dig into my blog archives, you’ll find my “go-to plan for first piano lessons” from way back in 2015. The lesson plan I’m sharing with you today looks a little different, though I was surprised and pleased that some elements are the same after all these years.

In this episode, you’ll get my 2024 go-to plan for first piano lessons including a few ideas from master teachers and teaching strategies I’ve developed through practice.

For show notes + a full transcript, click here.

Resources Mentioned

*Disclosure: I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

My Go-To Plan for First Piano Lessons (2015 edition)

Inspired Piano Teaching (Marvin Blickenstaff)

Piano Safari Friends

Piano Safari Level 1

Rhythm Keeper, Vol. 1 (Musikal Husky)

Ep. 055 - Begin Again: The Case for Experimentation in Your Music Teaching

Ep. 059 - 7 Ways to Practice Rhythm

Ep. 067 - Six Things I’m Documenting in the Studio

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review in Apple Podcasts >>

Find me on Instagram: @ashleydanyew

The interview process for finding a music teacher goes both ways:

The teacher is interviewing the student and family to assess musical, physical, and emotional readiness; determine if the student (and parents) have the same goals for musical study; and evaluate whether or not they'd be a good fit in the studio. We talked about this in the last episode, Ep. 072 - The Case for Consultations in the Music Studio. So, go back and listen to that, if you missed it.

At the same time, the student(and often the parents) are interviewing the teacher to assess musical skills and qualifications, teaching style, method and curriculum choices, and extracurricular offerings.

The end of the school year and the summer months are a popular time to interview and onboard new students in your studio.

This episode is meant to provide some guidance for you, the teacher, in preparing for these interviews or consultations with prospective families. Think through these questions in advance and be prepared to discuss your qualifications, teaching approach, and expectations, along with any studio experiences or opportunities you provide.

For show notes + a full transcript, click here.

Resources Mentioned

Ep. 072 - The Case for Consultations in the Music Studio

Piano Safari (Fisher & Hague)

Piano Adventures (Faber)

The Music Tree (Clark & Goss)

The Suzuki Method

Ep. 068 - How to Plan a Musical Informance

Ep. 069 - A Musical Informance to Celebrate the Solar Eclipse

Ep. 071 - 3 Things I Learned From Hosting a Musical Informance

Musical Informance Planning Guide for Piano Teachers

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review in Apple Podcasts >>

Find me on Instagram: @ashleydanyew