Your life is in the classroom with your students.

Make it count.

Today is January 2, 2025. I am living my dream life.

I get to talk about music, science, math, literature and art all day. I get to teach piano instructors. I write about educational practices for the sole purpose of helping other musicians become effective educators—and I did this for free for four years. As a job requirement, I have to play the piano, take lessons and classes, attend and speak at conferences and travel while doing all this.

Yes.

However, it didn't start this way. I first had to decide that I could even do it. The educational pedagogy taught using crayons and tambourines? What kind of professional development workshops include chef-on-site lunches and a juice bar? Who ends their workshops with jam sessions?

Me.

To get here, there were many challenges, much heartbreak, and a self-reckoning. I had to learn how to stand up for myself, learn how to stop apologizing all the time, and learn how to not catastrophize.

All of that figuring-out required mistakes, embarrassment, misunderstandings, and loss.

Now?

I bring all of that to my teaching seminars and professional development workshops. I am told that when walking down the street I do so in an unfuckwithable way.

My performance presence is stronger. I can tell—remember when Melissa Etheridge emerged with her beautiful bald head at the 2005 Grammy's right after chemo? She was performing alongside Joss Stone, and though Ms. Stone is a good performer, Ms Etheridge meant it.

I recognized that in the moment. My hair was growing back from the first cancer, and I saw the glint in her eye. Now as a two-time cancer survivor, I 100% really get it. I know leaving it all onstage wasn’t about PeFOrmInG aT tHe GrAMmYs for her. It was about reflecting back to the universe the joy music provides and getting to be a vessel for that in that moment with that skillset in front of one or millions, it didn't matter, because it was always about her and the universe and it just so happens that this expression was at an awards show.

That's how I feel. I'm whimsical, for sure, but I take that quite seriously.

This *gestures * comes into the studio with you when you meet with your student, every single time. The gratitude, the hard earned wins, the wisdom gained from the tough and sometimes public losses, the book learning, the collaboration with professionals…all of that is why they're there and why you're there.

Make it count.

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We help professional musicians and first year music teachers become effective educators. We provide seminars, one-on-one consultations, professional development workshops, and keynote speaking.

The Faculty Handbook is my actual handbook that I developed over the years while running my own studio. It is available at Teachers Pay Teachers so that you have the option of multiple buyers.

Our signature service, The Audit, allows you to see your studio with fresh eyes and helps you set quantifiable short-term and long-term goals, including teacher retention, student enrollment, and overall morale.

For more information, email us at ThePianoInstructorConsulting@gmail.com or call us directly at +1.313.687.4433.