Field Notes on Music Teaching & Learning

It started with an aspiration: “I want to get back into regular practicing,” I said to Steve one day. “But without a performance commitment, it’s hard to justify the time. What’s the point?” “There doesn’t need to be a point,” he said simply. “Do it for you. I think you’d enjoy it.”

In that moment, I gave myself permission to start: A recommitment, a new routine, an artistic practice.

But what would I play? Almost immediately, I thought of Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier. I played a few of the preludes and fugues from Book 1 in high school and maybe the beginning of college, but there were many I’d never learned. Some of the fugues were intimidating as I flipped through my score (the Willard Palmer edition)—certainly not something I could sit down and sight-read my way through.

I decided to challenge myself to learn one prelude and fugue each month, in order. I also decided to record them at the end of the month; not to post or share, necessarily, but as a way of documenting the project.

I’m sharing all this because I think it’s important to talk about the process of learning and to make it more visible. That’s what this podcast is all about—sharing field notes, reflections, and observations about the questions I’m asking, things I’m learning, teaching strategies I’m trying, and things I’m curious about.

Consider this episode my field notes on my year-long Bach experiment.

For show notes + a full transcript, click here.

Resources Mentioned

*Disclosure: some of the links in this episode are affiliate links, which means if you decide to purchase through any of them, I will earn a small commission. This helps support the podcast and allows me to continue creating free content. Thank you for your support!

Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1 (J.S. Bach)

A Quick Warm-Up Routine for Piano Teachers and Accompanists

Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World (Anne-Laure Le Cunff)

The Art of Practicing (Madeline Bruser)

Learn Faster, Perform Better (Molly Gebrian)

Essay: Holding On and Letting Go (Fugue No. 4)

Essay: When Two Things Are True At Once (Prelude No. 8)

Bach’s Musical Universe: The Composer and His Work (Christoph Wolff)

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? In this quick 25-min. call, you’ll get focused answers, creative ideas, and personalized advice for one teaching or business topic of your choice. Bring your questions for an ask-me-anything style session, and let’s brainstorm strategies together.

2️⃣ Have questions about teaching, running your studio, or managing your music career? In this 60-min call, you’ll get personalized advice, creative ideas, and step-by-step strategies on up to 3-4 teaching/business topics of your choice. This session gives you the space to talk through your goals, ask questions, and get expert guidance.

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 for music educators.

Earlier this year, I reread Cal Newport's Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout for the Musician & Co. Book Club.

One of the things I really enjoy about Cal's books is how well-researched they are. The three principles he outlines in this book are informed and enriched by writings, studies, and historical insights.

Cal addresses two main questions in this book: 1) How do we accomplish meaningful work without burnout? and 2) Can we take a slow approach to productivity?

I’ve spent some time thinking about what this looks like in self-employment, but recently, I’ve been thinking about what this looks like in my studio. How can I apply the principles of slow productivity to my teaching practice?

In this episode, I’ll share five ways I’m adapting Cal’s framework to my studio, from evaluating my time and capacity to repertoire selection and lesson planning to practicing expectations.

For show notes + a full transcript, click here.

Resources Mentioned

*Disclosure: some of the links in this episode are affiliate links, which means if you decide to purchase through any of them, I will earn a small commission. This helps support the podcast and allows me to continue creating free content. Thank you for your support!

Slow Productivity (Cal Newport)

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

A Review of “Slow Productivity” by Cal Newport (Musician & Co.)

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

Learn Faster, Perform Better (Molly Gebrian)

How to Learn Faster and Perform Better: A Review of Molly Gebrian’s Book (Musician & Co.)

Ep. 047 - An Inside Look at My Lesson-Planning Process

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? In this quick 25-min. call, you’ll get focused answers, creative ideas, and personalized advice for one teaching or business topic of your choice. Bring your questions for an ask-me-anything style session, and let’s brainstorm strategies together.

2️⃣ Have questions about teaching, running your studio, or managing your music career? In this 60-min call, you’ll get personalized advice, creative ideas, and step-by-step strategies on up to 3-4 teaching/business topics of your choice. This session gives you the space to talk through your goals, ask questions, and get expert guidance.

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 for music educators.

I started using Piano Safari in my studio five years ago. There are a lot of things I like about the curriculum and pedagogical approach, but one of my favorite resources is their correlated sight-reading cards.

Piano Safari has three levels of sight-reading cards available, corresponding with the three levels of their method book series. Each pack includes 80-98 unique cards (depending on the level), divided into color-coded units for easy organization. Each card includes 1-2 sight-reading examples and a rhythmic-reading example.

Level 1 starts with off-staff notation, moving to staff notation beginning on Treble G and Bass C. Exercises include unisons, 2nds, and 3rds.

Level 2 introduces 4ths and 5ths, sharps and flats, and dotted quarter note rhythms.

Level 3 includes exercises in C major, A minor, G major, E minor, F major, and D minor. Meters include 4/4, 3/4, 2/4, and 6/8, and rhythms include eighth rests and sixteenth notes.

The cards can be used as a supplement with any standard reading method, with children or adults, in private or group settings.

In this episode, I’ll share my 7-step teaching process for using these cards in lessons with elementary and early-intermediate students, and 24 creative ways to incorporate them into your teaching.

For show notes + a full transcript, click here.

Resources Mentioned

Piano Safari Sight-Reading Cards, Level 1

Piano Safari Sight-Reading Cards, Level 2

Piano Safari Sight-Reading Cards, Level 3

Piano Safari Sight-Reading Card Pack (Levels 1-3)

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? In this quick 25-min. call, you’ll get focused answers, creative ideas, and personalized advice for one teaching or business topic of your choice. Bring your questions for an ask-me-anything style session, and let’s brainstorm strategies together.

2️⃣ Have questions about teaching, running your studio, or managing your music career? In this 60-min call, you’ll get personalized advice, creative ideas, and step-by-step strategies on up to 3-4 teaching/business topics of your choice. This session gives you the space to talk through your goals, ask questions, and get expert guidance.

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 for music educators.

Assessment is a process of measuring, evaluating, and documenting learning.

Measuring a student’s progress in the studio provides an opportunity for reflection, evaluation, and deeper understanding as we consider with our students what they know and can explain or demonstrate.

This informs our teaching, curriculum planning, and repertoire choices. In turn, it also helps students develop a diverse set of musicianship skills, including technique, performance, aural skills, sight-reading, and musical creativity.

In this episode, we’ll talk about how to plan an assessment for your studio, including defining assessment criteria and choosing measurement tools, and how to use this data to motivate your students and inform your teaching.

For show notes + a full transcript, click here.

Resources Mentioned

RCM Piano Syllabus

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? In this quick 25-min. call, you’ll get focused answers, creative ideas, and personalized advice for one teaching or business topic of your choice. Bring your questions for an ask-me-anything style session, and let’s brainstorm strategies together.

2️⃣ Have questions about teaching, running your studio, or managing your music career? In this 60-min call, you’ll get personalized advice, creative ideas, and step-by-step strategies on up to 3-4 teaching/business topics of your choice. This session gives you the space to talk through your goals, ask questions, and get expert guidance.

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 for music educators.

In a recent class with three intermediate students (8th-11th grade), we compared the music of Franz Schubert and Max Richter. Schubert was a prolific Austrian composer, writing at the end of the Classical period and the beginning of the Romantic period. During his brief life, he wrote over 1,500 works. He was known for his storytelling abilities: long, singing lines, dramatic mood swings, an improvisatory style that seems to wander at times, and emotional intensity.

Max Richter is a contemporary German-born pianist and composer known for blending classical techniques with electronic, ambient, and minimalist styles. He names J.S. Bach as a key influence, and has championed the works of minimalists such as Arvo Pärt and John Cage. He drew inspiration from Schubert’s Winterreise when creating his 2010 album Infra.

In this episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes of this studio class, sharing the repertoire I introduced to my students, the discussion questions that guided our conversation, and a composition activity that students didn’t want to end.

For show notes + a full transcript, click here.

Resources Mentioned

*Disclosure: Some of the links in this episode are affiliate links, which means if you decide to purchase through any of them, I will earn a small commission. This helps support the podcast and allows me to continue creating free content. Thank you for your support!

Ep. 083 - Bernstein & Bill Evans: Inside My Recent Intermediate Studio Class

Ep. 077 - A New Approach to Teaching Group Classes

Schubert Piano Sonata No. 20 in A Major, D. 959: II. Andantino (Mitsuko Uchida)

Richter “Andante” from In a Landscape (Max Richter)

Schubert Impromptu No. 3 and Richter Infra 3 (Coversart)

Songs Without Words(Felix Mendelssohn)

Schubert Moments Musicaux No. 6 in A-flat Major (Alfred Brendel)

Vladimir’s Blues (Max Richter)

Max Richter Piano Works(Max Richter)

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? In this quick 25-min. call, you’ll get focused answers, creative ideas, and personalized advice for one teaching or business topic of your choice. Bring your questions for an ask-me-anything style session, and let’s brainstorm strategies together.

2️⃣ Have questions about teaching, running your studio, or managing your music career? In this 60-min call, you’ll get personalized advice, creative ideas, and step-by-step strategies on up to 3-4 teaching/business topics of your choice. This session gives you the space to talk through your goals, ask questions, and get expert guidance.

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 for music educators.

What does it look like to be a musician who is also an inventor—someone whose curiosity about how things work shapes the way he approaches his instrument? Pianist Josef Hofmann spent his entire career exploring that, and his story is worth knowing.

This year marks the 150th anniversary of Hofmann's birth. He was a Polish-American pianist, born in 1876, and considered by many—including Sergei Rachmaninoff—to be the greatest pianist of the 20th century. And yet, despite his many musical achievements, including a fifty-year performing career, 100 compositions, commercial recordings, a signature tone, and enviable technical precision, he doesn't have the same name recognition as his contemporaries.

What do we know about him? What set him apart? And what can we learn from him as musicians and teachers today, over a century later?

In this episode, I’m sharing some of my research into Hofmann’s life, career, and contributions to our field.

For show notes + a full transcript, click here.

Resources Mentioned

*Disclosure: Some of the links in this episode are affiliate links, which means if you decide to purchase through any of them, I will earn a small commission. This helps support the podcast and allows me to continue creating free content. Thank you for your support!

Piano Playing, with Piano Questions Answered (Josef Hofmann)

Originals (Adam Grant)

Learn Faster, Perform Better (Molly Gebrian)

Ep. 089 - The Science of Practicing: What I’m Learning From Molly Gebrian’s Book

Josef Hofmann (Mahler Foundation)

Josef Hofmann, the Pianist Inventor (Piano Street)

Josef Hofmann (Steinway & Sons)

Twice The Genius: The Music & Inventions of Józef Hofmann (Culture.pl)

Hofmann plays Berceuse (Chopin), 1938

Hofmann plays Waldstein Sonata (Beethoven), 1938

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? In this quick 25-min. call, you’ll get focused answers, creative ideas, and personalized advice for one teaching or business topic of your choice. Bring your questions for an ask-me-anything style session, and let’s brainstorm strategies together.

2️⃣ Have questions about teaching, running your studio, or managing your music career? In this 60-min call, you’ll get personalized advice, creative ideas, and step-by-step strategies on up to 3-4 teaching/business topics of your choice. This session gives you the space to talk through your goals, ask questions, and get expert guidance.

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 for music educators.

March in my studio means one thing: informance season. We spend 10 to 12 weeks getting ready—learning and analyzing music, practicing demonstrations, preparing to talk to the audience. And this year, I knew from the start that the theme was going to require a little more planning than usual.

If you’re new around here, I define a musical informance as an informal, informational performance that integrates education and experience. It’s an opportunity for students to share what and how they’re learning and invite parents and audience members into the music-making process.

I started hosting informances in my studio in 2024, so this is our third year. Today, I’m sharing a behind-the-scenes look at our theme for this year, repertoire selections, and how we’re preparing for informances in the studio.

For show notes + a full transcript, click here.

Resources Mentioned

*Disclosure: some of the links in this episode are affiliate links, which means if you decide to purchase through any of them, I will earn a small commission. This helps support the podcast and allows me to continue creating free content. Thank you for your support!

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

Ep. 081 - Celebrating Women in Music: An Inside Look at Our Studio Informances

Essential Piano Technique, Level 2 (Penelope Roskell)

Piano Adventures, Level 3A (Faber)

Sakura - Secondo Part (arr. Faber)

Duet Music by Ann Buys

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

At the end of January, we lost a wonderful musician, teacher, and pedagogue, Marvin Blickenstaff. You’ve probably heard me talk about Marvin on the podcast before—he had a profound impact on my teaching.

With a career spanning over six decades, Marvin dedicated himself to serving piano students and teachers worldwide. He valued deep emotional expression at the keyboard and a human connection through the music. He once said, “The only reason that music exists is to express who we are and how we feel.”

Today, I’m sharing some of the most important things I learned from Marvin and how they show up in my teaching and practice.

For show notes + a full transcript, click here.

Resources Mentioned

*Disclosure: some of the links in this episode are affiliate links, which means if you decide to purchase through any of them, I will earn a small commission. This helps support the podcast and allows me to continue creating free content. Thank you for your support!

The New School for Music Study

Inspired Piano Teaching (Marvin Blickenstaff)

Ep. 041 - Focus On the Music

Ep. 074 - What a First Piano Lesson Looks Like (Here’s My Lesson Plan)

Ep. 076 - 7 Things to Carry Into the New School Year

Ep. 079 - From Technique to Musical Identity: Six Things I’m Focusing on in Lessons

Ep. 084 - Recital Recap & Year-End Reflection

Learn Faster, Perform Better (Molly Gebrian)

Ep. 089 - The Science of Practicing: What I’m Learning from Molly Gebrian’s Book

A Quick Warm-Up Routine for Piano Accompanists

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

February is Black History Month—a time to honor and celebrate the contributions of African Americans. As a music teacher, this prompts me to pause and evaluate what I’m teaching, but also why. I ask questions like:

How much diversity is present in my students’ method books and repertoire?

Which pieces should we skip due to their complicated history?

How can I make more thoughtful, informed choices about the music I put in front of my students—choices that are pedagogically sound and historically responsible?

This year, I want to focus more on the existing repertoire and the creators behind it. In this episode, I’m going to introduce you to seven Black composers of elementary and intermediate piano repertoire.

For show notes + a full transcript, click here.

Resources Mentioned

*Disclosure: some of the links in this episode are affiliate links, which means if you decide to purchase through any of them, I will earn a small commission. This helps support the podcast and allows me to continue creating free content. Thank you for your support!

Ep. 045 - The Blues Composition Project

“This Is What Diversity Sounds Like” by Linda Holzer (Piano Magazine)

RCM Celebration Series Preparatory A Piano Repertoire

A Collection of Florence Price’s Teaching Music, Vol. 2

3 Sketches for Little Pianists (Florence Price)

RCM Celebration Series Level 7 Piano Repertoire

Expanding the Repertoire: Music of Black Composers, Levels 1 and 2 (compiled & edited by Dr. Leah Claiborne)

Arise & Shine: Piano Music by Black Composers for Kids

2022 RCM Piano Syllabus

Five Animal Sketches (William Grant Still)

Portraits in Jazz (Valerie Capers)

Piano Music of Africa and the African Diaspora, Vol. 1 (compiled & edited by William Chapman Nyaho)

RCM Celebration Series Level 6 Piano Repertoire

RCM Celebration Series Level 6 Piano Etudes

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

It’s my last week of teaching for the year, and I've been reflecting on the supplemental books that have been most successful with my elementary and early intermediate students this year. The new year can be a great time to start fresh: with new repertoire, new technical routines, or new creative challenges for our students.

As we prepare for the Spring semester and look forward to lessons resuming in January, I want to share nine collections I’ve been using with my students this year. Some are etudes based on specific technical patterns, others are solo repertoire books. Most of these are available through Piano Safari, though they can be used alongside any method book.

For reference, my elementary and early intermediate students are in Piano Safari Levels 1-3 and range from 2nd-7th grade.

If you're looking to refresh your teaching materials for January or add some variety to your studio library, I hope you'll find a few gems here that spark your interest.

For show notes + a full transcript, click here.

Resources Mentioned

*Disclosure: some of the links in this episode are affiliate links, which means if you decide to purchase through any of them, I will earn a small commission. This helps support the podcast and allows me to continue creating free content. Thank you for your support!

Miniatures (Juan Cabeza)

Piano Safari Level 3

Through the Windowpane (Chee-Hwa Tan)

A Child’s Garden of Verses (Chee-Hwa Tan)

Diversions, Books 1 and 2 (Juan Cabeza)

Free download: 12 Variations on Diversion 12 (Juan Cabeza)

Friends at Last (Amy Glennon)

Here Comes Treble (Amy Glennon)

Audio recordings

Piano Safari Level 1

The Kitchen Suite, Op. 26 (Charles Stier)

21 Amazingly Easy Pieces (Barbara Arens)

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