In This Issue:

Improvising 101: Many teachers and students feel unsure about improvising, but here are some suggestions to help break the ice.

Reframe: Every musician has already improvised in daily practice—recovering from mistakes counts!

Improv Beginners: A list of simple, basic ways to start improvising, for both yourself and your students.

👇 See more details inside!

Get Students Singing Right from the Start
Singing is a powerful way to kickstart music learning. It helps students understand rhythm, pitch, and musicality — no matter the instrument!

👋 See inside for details

In This Issue:

Helping Students Gain Real Confidence

We help students grow as confident musicians—and confident people—by listening to them, inviting their voices, and encouraging ownership of their learning and goals.

👇 See inside for strategies to build confidence in every lesson.

In This Issue:

Helping Students Track Assignments & PracticePlans: How to Help Parents

This issue highlights thoughtful, practical ways teachers can:

• Keep parents informed about their child’s progress while nurturing students’ independence and responsibility

• Clearly communicate our studio’s teaching philosophy

You’re not on your own—we’re a team, supporting both learning and confidence every step of the way.

👇 Read for more

In This Issue:

Helping Students Track Assignments & Practice Plans: Our Studio Way

• Page Tabs

• Stickers

• Pencil-in Notes

We don’t ask students if they practiced, but we guide and practice with them during lessons—teaching them how to practice effectively and providing notes and reminders for home.

👇 See more inside

In This Issue:

For Piano Teachers:
The Presto! Piano Magic YouTube Playlists – “Prestissima Videos”

These videos cover every lesson and piece, providing a valuable resource for teaching, lesson demonstrations, and student practice. They can also be used as supplemental material or special assignments—perfect for students who watch at home or those who miss a lesson.

👇 See more

In This Issue:
🎵Building a True Repertoire of Music

Not just “passing pieces”
Our goal is for students to learn, memorize, and keep a growing repertoire of music that stays with them.

⭐ Stickers & Prize Tickets
Stickers are awarded when pieces are memorized, not when they are simply completed. Memorization matters—and we celebrate it!

👇 See full details inside

In This Issue:
Main Theme: The Power of Slow

• Slow Down Teaching, Slow Down Playing

👇 Learn more inside

In This Issue:

Releasing Tension
Our studio values healthy, tension-free teaching and music-making, a topic we’ll explore again and again. Check out 2 helpful videos inside.

👇 Watch & learn!

Whole Rests & Half Rests

Here’s a fun way to teach the difference between whole rests and half rests.
👇 See how it works!

Moveable Do Solfege

Our studio standard is to teach Moveable Do solfege. We do not normally teach Fixed Do solfege. (There may be rare exceptions, but this would occur only with my prior approval.)

See full details 👇

Clap & Sing!

Every teacher should work with their students on rhythm by clapping and singing.

👇 Take a closer look

Guitar: An Introduction to the Guitar by Mr. Denny

Mr. Denny took me up on my question about how we might apply my piano version to another instrument. He chose guitar. Here are his ideas!

👇 Click for more details!

Spending Time Exploring, Discovering, and Improvising

Written toward piano, but, how can you apply this to other instruments and skills?

👇Click to read more

Piano: Strategies for Teaching Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

In Presto! It’s Piano Magic, Book 1, “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” introduces hand crossing in a fun and accessible way. This piece helps students strengthen their understanding of the music alphabet and develop good piano technique from the very start. 🌟🎹

👇 Click here for more details!

Piano: Start with the 3rd Finger; Say No To “Hand Positions”

Beginner piano students develop most favorably when they start playing with their 3rd finger (middle finger, tall finger) in each hand. 

👇 Details inside

We Do Not Ask Students If They Practiced

We do not ask students if they practiced. Ever.
This is a studio Golden Rule. Please repeat this rule until it becomes your mantra, too!
“We do not ask students if they practiced.”

👇Here’s the “Why” behind it > > >

Teaching Note Names and Notes on the Staff (Cont.)

The answer? Drill!

👇 Here's how > > >

Teachers: Happy Tuesday!

We have our weekly Friday Medley for students, parents, and families (and teachers). We have our weekly Saturday Remix for teachers, staff, and operations. And now, we have our new, weekly…

Tuesday Upbeat!
For teachers, by teachers, focusing on teaching.

Remember, all teachers at our studio commit to reading everything we send.

There’s More to See 👇