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Positive Piano Instruction for Students of Every Age – Located in Muncie, Indiana

Positive Piano Instruction for Students of Every Age – Located in Muncie, Indiana

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  • Home
  • About
    • Christina Whitlock Bio
    • Studio Philosophy
    • Studio Policy
    • 2021-2022 Studio Calendar
  • FAQs
  • Contact
  • Current Students
  • For My Teacher Friends
    • Beyond Measure Podcast
    • Consulting
    • Speaking Engagements
    • Conference Notes
  • Summer 2022

MTNA 2019: National Conference Summary

August 24, 2015November 11, 2020 christinaw

Thanks for finding me here!  While I’ve never intended to maintain a proper Blog on this site, I did see this as an opportunity to keep track of some of my favorite conference experiences over the years.   With MTNA 2019 Read More …

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beyondmeasurepodcast
The next time you find yourself feeling like what The next time you find yourself feeling like what we do is trivial, remind yourself that creative work is where the world turns for respite from everything else. 🤍
Creativity often struggles against productivity… Creativity often struggles against productivity… I’ve said many times, my recurring life lesson is this: if you try to do everything, you risk doing nothing well. It’s a lesson I’ve learned many times over (yet still fall prey to on the regular 🤦🏼‍♀️) BUT - a lesson I’m learning more and more as the years go by is this: I am not defined by my productivity. Friends. I struggle with this SO MUCH. Somehow, from a very early age, I became obsessed with a need to provide a “productive” account of every moment of every day. To whom? I don’t even know… but I want to be able to say I squeezed every possible ounce out of each 24 hours. …except time is teaching me that way of life is exhausting and soul-squashing. Embracing our identity as Creatives means clearing space for WONDER. …For improvisation (in all its forms🙃). …For breath, for frivolity, and for quiet. Jump off that hamster wheel and go create something (or sit down and listen to your breathing for a few minutes). The world needs you to be true to yourself today. 🤍
Episode 82 is here to reignite your Creative fire! Episode 82 is here to reignite your Creative fire! 🔥 The Creative Life is a whole thing, isn’t it? Today we talk about: (1) why you NEED to embrace your identity as a Creative (2) why schedules feel SO. HARD. sometimes (3) why Creatives are so needed in the world today …this is a topic I could talk about ALL DAY (and then some!), but since I try to keep all episodes under 20 minutes, I hope you enjoy the Cliff’s Notes version today 😉 Cheers to the Creative Life, my friends! 🤍
This week on the podcast, I shared 40 lessons lear This week on the podcast, I shared 40 lessons learned from my 27+ years of studio teaching, including this one. …and if you chuckled when you read it, I know you get it. And if you haven’t been there yet, just wait. 😂 What was YOUR favorite lesson shared in Episode 81? I’d love to hear. 🤍
I turned F O R T Y yesterday and felt blissfully I turned F O R T Y yesterday and felt blissfully overwhelmed by love from my family and army of friends both online and IRL. 🤍 Cheers to aging being the BEST alternative to anything else, and to putting our experience to work for us in the best ways possible. 🥂 I love you, my many friends of the internet! 😘 #aginggracefully #nofilter #lovingoneanotherwell
🌟 Episode 81 is here! 🌟 On a recent road tr 🌟 Episode 81 is here! 🌟 On a recent road trip, I challenged myself to write down 40 lessons learned about studio teaching thus far. (40 is the magic number these days because I have a pretty big birthday this week 😉) I didn’t want to take my usual “writerly” approach. Instead, I just wanted to see what o would come up with if I just kept writing. No edits, no breaks to think… To riff on Dory, “just keep writing…just keep writing…” 😉 …and, while there are plenty of things I would add to a list like this in hindsight, I definitely thought the end result was worth sharing. I hope you enjoy!🥂
This week on the podcast I’m talking about mento This week on the podcast I’m talking about mentoring relationships As in: who are your mentors, and who are you - yourself - mentoring? When it comes to finding your own mentors, you don’t have to make it weird or overly-complicated. 🙃 Instead, keep it simple. Spend time with them. Be curious. Listen. That’s pretty much it! The more we hear about the experiences of others, the more reflective we become on our own. This is where change comes from, friends. Cheers to seeking out wise counsel and influence, friends! 🥂
Hello, Episode 80! 👋🏻 Today, we tackle the Hello, Episode 80! 👋🏻 Today, we tackle the all-important aspect of mentoring relationships for ourselves. I also make a GREAT announcement about price-slashing to the Patreon community membership levels. $6 now buys you entry into our monthly Zoom party 🎉 (held on the final Friday of each month, generally at 11:00am, eastern time) $3 gives you a chance to toss a few singles in my online tip jar to support the podcast 🤍 Thanks for supporting me in ANY way! Joining the Patreon crew, sharing episodes, writing reviews on Apple podcasts, sending me messages of encouragement… ALL THE THINGS are oh-so-appreciated by me. You all are the BEST 🤍
You asked; we are delivering. MARK YOUR CALENDAR You asked; we are delivering. MARK YOUR CALENDARS: JANNA AND I ARE BACK 🥳 Next week: Wednesday, June 8th 12:00pm central/1:00pm eastern Here’s the deal: between the two of us, @jannaonpiano and I have lived a lot of life this year. We’ve learned a lot about, well, a lot. Hang out with us LIVE as we surprise each other with questions related to highs and lows of studio teacher life this past school year. 🤍 PS: Our previous IG Lives are saved to the highlights on my insta page so check them out if you haven’t already!
The Dalai Lama is often quoted as saying, “We ar The Dalai Lama is often quoted as saying, “We are human beings, not human doings.” As someone with a lifelong struggle of feeling like my worth is determined by my productivity, this is - well, a nice thought - but a tough pill to swallow. After spending the majority of 2022 completely maxed out, this week has brought a (gloriously) relaxed pace of teaching that I am determined to fully embrace. But. Old habits die hard. Today, my schedule presented me with an unexpected window of 20 free minutes. My kids were with their grandparents. My mind raced with possibilities. Do I fold that basket of laundry? Do I mop my bathroom floors? Do I make a dent in the inbox I’ve been avoiding? So many things I could do… But then, I saw the sun shining through the window. I thought about how nice it would be to go sit on the deck for those fleeting minutes. No distractions; just to feel the breeze on my face and listen to the sounds of nature around me. I immediately dismissed the idea. There’s so much to do. How could I just waste 20 minutes just sitting? I could feel my future self rolling her eyes because my to-do list is never ending. And then it hit me: there is no moral judgement attached to choosing to sit outside for a few minutes, rather than do something “productive”. No. Moral. Judgement. Even though I KNOW this in my brain, my heart is still catching up. It’s a silly confession to make on social media; but I want to find a place where I’m content with just being. Nothing to prove; nothing to guilt myself over… Just to be. I did (finally) sit on the deck and listen to the trees and the birds. My logic told me I had to; that I can’t be a slave to busy-ness forever. But still, it felt rebellious. To put myself further in-check, I came back out with my kids after my afternoon lesson block and journaled this little treatise on my own nuttiness. Here’s hoping I’m working in the right direction! Do you have a summer goal? Lay it on me so I don’t feel alone 😂 Cheers to being, my friends. 🥂
No episode today. 😩 Sorry to disappoint, my fr No episode today. 😩 Sorry to disappoint, my friends! I will be back next week. Cheers to rest, play, and sending love into the communities around you. 🥂
Today’s episode takes a look at a tricky balance Today’s episode takes a look at a tricky balance we have as teachers: work and heart. 🤍 Especially this time of year - which is ripe with exhaustion - I think it’s important to put things back in perspective that may have gotten lost over the past few weeks. Cheers to Monday! 🥂
Hello and Happy Monday, teacher friends! 🤍 Dep Hello and Happy Monday, teacher friends! 🤍 Depending on where you live, some of us are closer than others… but the end of another school year looms ahead! Today, I’m sharing four simple things you might consider doing as the academic year winds down. What would YOU add to my list?
Keeping our “eyes on the prize” is good and al Keeping our “eyes on the prize” is good and all… BUT. I have an ongoing quest to help musicians find satisfaction in the skills they’ve accomplished in the here-and-now. Episode 77 offers up a few suggestions as to how you can help your students come undeniably face to face with their accomplishments. Onward and upward, my friends! 🥂
🌟 Teacher Appreciation Day 🌟 Cheers to all 🌟 Teacher Appreciation Day 🌟 Cheers to all the teachers who make the world keep turning. 🥂 None of us would be where we are without them. 🤍
Episode 76 is here and packs a big punch.🥊 Tod Episode 76 is here and packs a big punch.🥊 Today I’m sharing my Zero-Energy List; which is a collection of three things I downright refuse to spend mental energy on. Cutting out (pointless!) attention to these three things has made me a more content, more focused teacher. Listen in, and see if you agree! 🤍
A recital story… If you’ve listened to episo A recital story… If you’ve listened to episode 75 of the podcast, you already know I like to offer up a little “pre-show” entertainment via some improvisation duets in the half hour leading up to recital time. I’ve found this dramatically reduces recital tensions and helps us all get into a headspace of “sharing music is FUN.” Not all students participate, but I simply head to the piano and ask for one volunteer. The line begins to form. This year, after I announced we were finished with the improvisations, I looked over and saw my sweet 5-year old daughter walking up to the stage. I said, “did you want a turn?” to which she nodded her head, and the audience sighed a collective, “aww!”. It was such a sweet “piano teacher mom” moment, I had tears in my eyes as we played. One of my studio parents thought to catch this sweet moment and I am grateful. ❤️ Recitals hold such special moments for parents, even when they’re the teacher! 🥰 Be sure to check out Episode 75, then head back to the archives for episodes 26-27 for all things Beyond-Measure-Podcast-recital-related. 🤍
☀️ Summer Offering! ☀️ I have a special p ☀️ Summer Offering! ☀️ I have a special place in my teacher heart for high school students with visions of becoming piano teachers (in whatever capacity that may be). As a young girl - hired to teach at my local (small town) music store at age 14 - I know *I* would have benefitted from having a mentor to walk me through a solid overview of pedagogical principles, rather than learning everything the hard way. 😉 Last year, I launched a summer study for high school students interested in learning more about Piano Pedagogy. It was met with such enthusiasm; I've decided to run the virtual option again. If you have students in high school - or who have recently graduated - who (1) play at the intermediate level or higher, and (2) would benefit from a deeper understanding of pedagogical foundations …please check out the link in my bio and encourage them to join the mailing list. Specific meeting times are still being determined. Signing up for the mailing list ensures students will be kept in the loop. Thanks, all! You can find more details and sign up for further info at the link in my bio! 🤍
So yesterday was recital day… My video didn’ So yesterday was recital day… My video didn’t record 🙈 I ran out of time/sort of forgot to set the projectors up 🤷🏼‍♀️ I neglected to sign my certificates for my first-time performers 🧐 …but none of that matters. Each of my students shined in their own special way yesterday. I cried more than twice. Once the performances began, all the busy-ness quieted in my head and I just watched student after student demonstrate their ability to overcome obstacles and do cool musical things. I *love* recital day so much, I wanted to record a few reflections in the hours that followed. What you’ll hear today is simply me talking to you about why I love recitals and what I think makes a great one. Hint: make it less about you, and more about them. 🤍 Cheers to Monday, my friends! 🥂
🌟 Friday Introductions 🌟 Well, HELLO, frie 🌟 Friday Introductions 🌟 Well, HELLO, friends of Instagram! I noticed a lot of you are new here at the Beyond Measure community and I wanted to welcome you and give you a taste of what I’m about. 🎶I’m getting ready to head into my 27th year of private piano teaching (and my studio recital is SUNDAY! LET’S GO!🎉) 🤍 I’m a relationship-first teacher. Don’t get me wrong; I am serious about musical progress, but my connection with students (and their families) is 100% my secret sauce. 😇 My longtime favorite quote was from an old Jewel song: “Please be careful with me, I’m sensitive and I’d like to stay that way.” 🙋🏼‍♀️ You might accuse me of being the most enthusiastic piano teacher you’ve ever met. Guilty as charged. (PS: I am equally-passionate about sharing my love for the studio teacher community; hence the whole point of this podcast) 🤷🏼‍♀️ I think a solid 92% of the world’s problems stem from our inability to admit there are things we just don’t know. 😅 I currently teach 48 private students at home, plus private lessons and Piano Pedagogy at Taylor University. I have three weeks left of this schedule and am going to seriously preen my schedule for next fall. (Wish me luck!) 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 I have a great husband and two lovely daughters. They are my world, though I do have workaholic genes and am constantly striving not to work my life away. …now it’s your turn! Tell me one fun fact about YOU:
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