MER Blog
Thankful for Music Because…
This month I wanted to showcase in my piano studio why we are thankful for music. So I created a photo prop and stuck it in a page protector and had my students write with a dry eraser marker why they were thankful for music. Then I took a picture of them and will be...
10 Safety Protocols for the Independent Music Teacher
If you teach music in a school classroom setting, chances are that you went through certain protocols to make sure that both you and your students would be protected. In the U.S., when you apply for any job in a school setting, whether paid of volunteer, you are...
Strive for 5! (Music Teacher Tip #23)
Strive for 5 is something I started last year (2018) with my students to boost practice slumps. You can read the original post here, but I wanted to share a little bit more in depth about Strive for 5 and share what I did last year in comparison to what I am doing...
Introductory Lesson Evaluations Part 3: Transfer Students (Music Teacher Tip #22)
Here is the final tip in the 3 part lesson evaluation series. In Part 3, I share what I like to evaluate and assess with transfer students who have had lessons before. Did you miss Part 1 or 2? View them below... Music Teacher Tip #20: Early Childhood...
Introductory Lesson Evaluations Part 1: Early Childhood (Music Teacher Tip #20)
Music Teacher Tips #20-22 will be a 3-part series. In part 1, I share what I evaluate with early childhood students (4-6 years) at the introductory lesson. Introductory lessons is a free interview and evaluation where I take the time to evaluate and assess where a...
Introductory Lesson Evaluations Part 2: New Beginners (Music Teacher Tip #21)
This is Part 2 of a 3 part series on lesson evaluations. In today's music teacher tip, I share what I like to evaluate with new beginners who have never had lessons before. This is typically any student 7 years old and up. (I go through what I do with younger students...
Establishing Boundaries (Music Teacher Tip #19)
As we begin another school year, I thought this would be the perfect time to talk about boundary setting. While boundaries may come across as a negative thing, it is actually a very positive and healthy thing to establish. Establishing clear boundaries means you are...
The Importance of Listening
One of the most important skills a student must have when practicing is to be able to listen. Have you ever had a student that can play through a piece and it sounds completely off? They might be playing in the wrong key, or wrong position or just missing all the...
Cool Songs Club by Jerald Simon
Disclaimer: Affiliate links are included. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions I have expressed are my own. I have had the chance to play around inside Jerald's Simon's Cool Songs Club and wanted to share a bit about it. If you are familiar...
NCKP 2019 Conference Saturday
Saturday at NCKP ended up being not at all what I had planned. My husband was supposed to meet me in Chicago at the conference hotel that afternoon so we could go on a road trip where I would be getting 5 additional states for my "50 by 50" goal. But things changed...














