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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
    • 2023-2024 Studio Calendar
  • Testimonials
  • FAQs
  • Contact
  • Current Students
  • For My Teacher Friends
    • Beyond Measure Podcast
    • Consulting
    • Speaking Engagements
    • Conference Notes

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August 14, 2017December 30, 2023 christinaw

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…and IT’S NOT! 👏🏻 Sometimes we get *so* …and IT’S NOT! 👏🏻 Sometimes we get *so* settled in our routines we mistakenly distill the lesson experience to an endless cycle of “Assign-Pass-Repeat”. If we want our students to approach their instruments with a sense of endless possibility, we need to model that through their time with us. How else do we expect students to be able to PLAY their instruments “in the wild” (aka: impromptu, with no books in sight)? Need ideas? I’ve got your back (as always). ChristinaWhitlock.com/episode185 #pianoteacher #pianoteaching #beyondmeasurepodcast #iteachmusic #musicteacher #musicteaching #pianoteacherlife
A big bin of Lego blocks is our inspiration for to A big bin of Lego blocks is our inspiration for today… When kids’ only experience with Lego is building pre-designed sets, they often struggle to build *anything* without instructions. So - if we’re not careful - the joys of creative possibility can be lost in the name of project completion. In episode 185, we’re talking about how ALL music teachers can avoid similar traps with their instruments. Visit ChristinaWhitlock.com/episode185 for a written transcript and more! 🥂
This one always gets me… Ours is a profession r This one always gets me… Ours is a profession ripe with over-achievers (ahem🙋🏼‍♀️)… and we must be ever-mindful of what *actually* deserves our A+ effort. I can’t tell you how many times I find myself fixating on perfecting things that have no lasting significance. 🥂 to harnessing our energy for the greater good, friends!
Why do we think Quantity and Quality are mutually- Why do we think Quantity and Quality are mutually-exclusive? Think about it: we are trained to believe it’s always one or the other. (And - to take it a step further - we’re *actually* conditioned to think any emphasis on quantity is bad. Because SURELY quality is better than quantity, right?) In today’s One Thought Thursday, I’m proposing that QUANTITY gets a bum reputation, when there’s actually a lot of good in it. Specifically when it comes to assigning repertoire, there is an aspect of QUANTITY that builds confidence in our students like no other. …check out One Thought Thursday 054 for more, and get yourself on the mailing list so ponders like these land straight in your inbox each week. 🥂
We’re all guilty sometimes… When we were firs We’re all guilty sometimes… When we were first married, my husband was quick to call this out in musician circles. I would finish a conversation with a colleague, walk away, and he would say, “you know they weren’t listening to a thing you said, right?” 🤦🏼‍♀️ I think it’s because we are used to guiding conversations as teachers. We’re pros at re-directing our students’ tangents back to the topic at hand, right? This may be a great skill … but we need to use it with caution. Whether we’re talking with a student OR a fellow teacher, we need to STOP worrying about what we’re going to say next, and START LISTENING. 👂 (There’s *so* much to learn from one another) All this and more at ChristinaWhitlock.com/episode184
🙋🏼‍♀️ I’ve BEEN the teacher with no 🙋🏼‍♀️ I’ve BEEN the teacher with no supporting community… I didn’t know there was any other way. Then I went to the MTNA national conference in Seattle in 2005. And I joined my IMTA state board of directors after grad school. And, little by little, I began to collect a support system of teachers of multiple generations. I soaked in their varied perspectives, passion points, and endless stories. I learned what I believed - and what I didn’t - based on my own reactions to what I was hearing. …then, when I launched this show 4 years ago, my Teacher Network exploded. I am forever convinced there is a direct correlation between contentment in our work and connections with other teachers. Episode 184 is a celebration of the Teacher Community, along with a Call To Action of sorts to seek out those *you* know who are teaching in a vacuum. Check out all the details at ChristinaWhitlock.com/episode184
When we’re constantly faced with division and ne When we’re constantly faced with division and negativity…. The Arts truly are among the purest and most life-giving forces in the world today. 🤍 Cheers to showing up and doing the work that is not always acknowledged as the important contribution it is. 🥂
An excerpt from What Should I Teach Next? WSITN An excerpt from What Should I Teach Next? WSITN is a content-packed series I’ve provided to the Beyond Measure Community this summer. I’ve loved sharing repertoire recommendations for REAL students of REAL teachers this summer, all fitting scenarios we run into over and over again. Case in point: A first-year teen student who doesn’t like any of their pieces (despite the teacher’s best efforts), yet also won’t offer any insights as to what they *will* actually enjoy. Sound familiar? 🙃 We’ve all been there… This series comes in three installments: 👉🏻 Part 1, which released in June 👉🏻 Part 2, which released in July …and Part 3 which we’re filming LIVE TODAY at 11am eastern time. $6 buys you access to all of it (🤯) … including the opportunity to jump into the live session if you hurry! Join the “Learning Together” tier of the community in Patreon for all the details! ChristinaWhitlock.com/community
…it’s TOTALLY okay. 👌 Because all the oth …it’s TOTALLY okay. 👌 Because all the other stuff STILL happens, as long as they keep coming to lessons. And - lucky us - we get the bird’s eye view of all the magic. 🥂 to understanding WE get a perspective others don’t. Let go of those frustrations when others fail to “get it”. It’s our job to see the bigger picture. 🎙️Hear (or read) the whole spiel at ChristinaWhitlock.com/episode183
…counting the seconds!! ⏱️ TTT returns Frid …counting the seconds!! ⏱️ TTT returns Friday with a LIVE session of What Should I Teach Next and I 👏🏻 CAN’T 👏🏻 WAIT 👏🏻 to share these ideas with you. We’ve only had two months off but it feels like FOREVER and I can’t wait to check back in with members of my community and see what we will learn together. In case you’re unfamiliar, What Should I Teach Next is a series I debuted this summer, where REAL teachers submit REAL student profiles, and I play Repertoire Matchmaker for them. Up this week: 👉🏻 A teen transfer student who brings with them a genuine love of music, but also loads of physical tension. Loves playing Coldplay and Solfeggietto, hates Sonatinas. 👉🏻 “The Dream Student” who is committed to practicing correctly, and shows great ambition. This 6th grader has played a lot of contemporary pedagogical repertoire and now their teacher is on the hunt for appropriate historical literature. 👉🏻 A longtime teen student who just wants to show off. Teacher wants him to focus on more details and consistency; he wants to let those fingers fly. …join us Friday (live, or for the replay) to see what I suggest, along with ideas shared from the rest of the community. 🥂 to being in this together, friends! Tap into YOUR teacher lifeline at ChristinaWhitlock.com/community.
The best reminder I can offer 🥂 I’ve said it The best reminder I can offer 🥂 I’ve said it a million times in a million different contexts (most recently in Episode 183!), but it continues to be true: Talk Less. Play More. More at ChristinaWhitlock.com/episode183
Episode 183 digs into what I consider to be the Ha Episode 183 digs into what I consider to be the Hardest Truth of Teaching… …curious what it is? Check out ChristinaWhitlock.com/episode183 🥂 to understanding the MANY perspectives we balance in our studios
What is, indeed, FAIR in the land of studio polici What is, indeed, FAIR in the land of studio policies? 🤔 Episode 182 was a call to action to re-consider the things you’ve always considered “fair” in your studio policy. As someone who is OBSESSED with symbiotic studio relationships, you know fairness matters to me. You’re never going to get the rationale of “Because I’m the teacher AND I SAID SO!” from me. (Tempting as it may be from time to time 😉) I focused specifically on the matter of missed lessons in this episode, but the prompt applies throughout your policies: what have you been doing “in the name of fairness”, that might actually be UNfair to you? Check out all the details at ChristinaWhitlock.com/episode182 🥂 to our best TeacherLives, my friends!
What if less is not more? …what if, instead, i What if less is not more? …what if, instead, it’s everything? Check out One Thought Thursday No. 52 at ChristinaWhitlock.com/blog 🥂
🚨 DEFINING EPISODES playlist 🚨 Truth be tol 🚨 DEFINING EPISODES playlist 🚨 Truth be told, I have an attachment to all 182 episodes of the Beyond Measure Podcast. They are all little tidbits birthed from a desire to help teachers live a more fulfilling existence. …but I also know it can be intimidating to figure out where to start with so many episodes to choose from. With that in mind, I’ve created the ultimate starter-guide to the Beyond Measure Podcast, in the form of a Spotify playlist. The DEFINING EPISODES playlist includes 13 of my most important perspective-shifting episodes for your consideration. 🤍 In Spotify, you can search for Beyond Measure under Playlists (make sure you’re specifically searching *playlists*, not all of Spotify!), or simply send me a DM for the link. …I hope this gives new listeners an easy place to start! 🤍 As always, I’ve got your back, friends. 🥂
If you’ve ever struggled with “what’s fair” in your studio policy… …this one’s for you 🥂 Check out ALL the details at ChristinaWhitlock.com/episode182
…a little Sunday Magic for you! As I mentioned …a little Sunday Magic for you! As I mentioned in Episode 181, once-upon-a-time I had a weekly planner that prompted me to give something up/let something go at the start of each week. It was a REALLY difficult question, especially at first. (Honestly, I think I skipped it for several weeks) 🫣 …little by little, I began to embrace the prompt and still think of it on a regular basis. Since *our own expectations* are often the heaviest burdens we carry as music teachers, I’m curious: what expectation can YOU take off for the week ahead? - Plan for takeout on your longest night this week? 🥡 - Give yourself permission to take a day or two off the laundry train? 🧺 - Push a self-imposed deadline that has you sweating? 😅 - Unbridle yourself from the notion of having to teach “the perfect” lesson? 📋 Tell me what you’re unburdening yourself from this week! (for more on the importance of Pruning the Teacher Brain, check out ChristinaWhitlock.com/episode181) 🥂
Want to suck all joy and purpose out of music stud Want to suck all joy and purpose out of music study? Reduce it to a checklist of what to do (✅) and what not to do (❌). True mastery involves recognizing growth is always possible. 🥂 May we always teach in a way that emphasizes exploration over regulation. 🥂
Everyone’s favorite e-letter is BACK from summer Everyone’s favorite e-letter is BACK from summer hiatus! 🥂 Today I’m pondering a fundamental reason our to-do lists fail us. Check it out at ChristinaWhitlock.com/blog
Who do YOU talk out studio matters with? If you’re looking for someone to help you flesh out your program ideas, troubleshoot communication problems, or dig deep into pedagogical matters, I’m your girl! 🙋🏼‍♀️ By request, I’ve opened up more consult appointments for August-September. 👉🏻Struggling to implement your no-makeup policy? 👉🏻Need fresh repertoire ideas? 👉🏻Is a recent transfer student driving you crazy? I love helping studio teachers thrive in their work. If you could benefit from some 1-1 time with your Anytime Piano Teacher Friend, check out my booking page at ChristinaWhitlock.com/consulting. Let’s be better, together! 👊🏻
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