Helping piano teachers liven up lessons, Gillian Erskine and Paul Myatt explore how piano teaching is evolving for today’s learners. Blending neuroscience, Whole Body Learning, and innovative teaching strategies, this podcast helps teachers create engaging lessons in which students remember what they learn, practise with confidence, and stay with the piano long-term.
Piano Teaching Success Podcast
Claim This Podcastby Gillian Erskine & Paul Myatt
13 episodes
Updated Daily
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Podcast Overview
Helping piano teachers liven up lessons, Gillian Erskine and Paul Myatt explore how piano teaching is evolving for today’s learners. Blending neuroscience, Whole Body Learning, and innovative teaching strategies, this podcast helps teachers create engaging lessons in which students remember what they learn, practise with confidence, and stay with the piano long-term.
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Publishing Since
12/16/2025
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Recent Episodes
June 9, 2026
#12 Every Piano Teacher Needs to Know this Japanese Warm-up Game
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Looking for something engaging, fun, and packed with real musicianship skills to bring into your studio? </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This episode is a little different - and so much fun! </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Paul recently ran this traditional Japanese clapping game with a group of teachers at Top Music Live in Sydney, and the room had an absolute ball. In this episode, we walk you through the activity, unpack the pedagogy behind it, and then we show you the video of Paul leading the teachers so you can try it for yourself. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You’re going to love it! </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It's called Omochio Tsukimasho - and the version Paul shares has been beautifully modernized for today's students.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is one of those activities that works for every age group, every level, and every setting. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Whether you're running a group class, a summer camp, an end-of-term lesson, or you just want to inject some energy and connection into your teaching week - this one delivers every time.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And the best part? It doesn't matter if anyone makes a mistake.</span></p> <p>In this episode, you'll discover:</p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Why this traditional Japanese clapping game is the perfect warm-up or ice-breaker for any age group</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">How Paul establishes the beat without saying a word - and why that matters</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The simple layering approach that gets everyone engaged, laughing, and learning at the same time</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Why mistakes don't matter in this activity - and what that unlocks in your students</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">How backing tracks teach the foundational musicianship skill that pays off at the piano afterwards</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Why this activity is perfect for end-of-term classes, summer camps, and group lessons</span></li> </ul> <p>What to watch for in the video:</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Before you watch, here are a few things to look out for:</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Paul doesn't start with the music. He gets everyone feeling the beat first - and then teaches the words a little at a time, with the beat already underneath. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Watch how he moves his body to place the beat and the whole room follows without even realizing they're learning.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Once the beat and words are locked in, he layers in the second part. That's where the fun really begins.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And notice how nobody stops when they make a mistake. They laugh, catch the beat, and keep going. That is such a freeing experience for students - and such a powerful way to build foundational music skills.</span></p> <p>Resources</p> <p> </p> <p>🎁 Free Download — Omochio Tsukimasho Movement Guide </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Everything you need to bring this activity into your studio. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you’re a PTS Studio member, simply log in and ➤ </span><a href="https://www.pianoteachingsuccess.com/products/piano-teaching-success-podcast-goodies/categories/2159065224/posts/2193387472" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Access goodies instantly </span></a></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">New to Piano Teaching Success? ➤</span><a href="https://www.pianoteachingsuccess.com/offers/DPpgLMwt/checkout" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Registration and download </span></a></p> <p>🎵 Want the backing track Paul used? </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It's available inside The Studio — our program for private piano teachers. </span></p> <p><a href="https://www.pianoteachingsuccess.com/studio" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400;">👉 Try The Studio here →</span></a></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">🎧 Haven't listened to Episode 5 yet? </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This episode is a good one to revisit - all about using music to learn music, and it pairs beautifully with this activity. </span></p> <p><a href="https://www.pianoteachingsuccess.com/blog/the-must-have-piano-teaching-tool-for-today-s-kids-that-almost-no-one-knows-about" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400;">👉 Listen to Episode 5 here →</span></a></p> <p>Support the Podcast<span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you enjoyed this episode, we'd be so grateful if you would: </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">⭐ Subscribe </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">⭐ Rate </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">⭐ Leave a quick review</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It helps more piano teachers discover this work and feel supported.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Listen/Watch on: </span></p> <p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6E8lbjbCjrKGjXjL0h99HA" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Spotify</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> |</span><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/piano-teaching-success-podcast/id1861709900" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Apple</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> |</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeaqg3Aps8LNEWhdZ0tb1eYi7oJoK4unT" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">YouTube Video</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> |</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeaqg3Aps8LN_c9RcTcLkbUVkbca_z_79" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">YouTube Audio</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> |</span><a href="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-piano-teaching-success-pod-315595056/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">iHeart</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> |</span><a href="https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/0388562d-d59b-4b59-a928-bee3fbe8620f/piano-teaching-success-podc..." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Amazon</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> |</span><a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/piano-teaching-success-podcast-717917" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Goodpods</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> |</span><a href="https://pca.st/rqks2otu"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Pocket Casts</span></a></p>
May 27, 2026
#11 What happens when piano students become active music makers? With composer, Elissa Milne
<p>“Because we have keys [on a piano] we can press, it’s so tempting to turn the keys into a data entry exercise, and to think if we get the data wrong, the calculations will come out wrong. You could play all the wrong notes with the right rhythm, and it’s music.”</p> <p>What if the way we've been teaching piano is actually getting in the way of real musicianship?</p> <p>That's just one of the ideas Elissa Milne drops in this conversation, and it's one you won't stop thinking about.</p> <p>Elissa and I sat down together at Top Music Live in Sydney, and you’ll be on the edge of your seat listening to this conversation as we explore the big picture and grand philosophies behind music making.</p> <p>It’s funny, thought-provoking, and game-changing. Elissa is one of Australia's most beloved and internationally recognised composers, the mind behind Little Peppers, Pepperbox Jazz, and pieces that piano teachers and students around the world have been playing for decades.</p> <p>If you've ever wondered how to build musicians who are truly expressive, this episode is for you. In this episode, you'll discover:</p> <p>(00:00) Why Elissa started writing educational music</p> <p>(05:00) The compositional philosophy behind her pieces</p> <p>(10:00) Why she doesn't use her students as "crash test dummies"</p> <p>(16:00) The Shakespeare analogy that reframes everything about performance</p> <p>(22:00) Questioning why we become vessels for dead composers’ art</p> <p>(28:00) A case for mucking around with music</p> <p>(34:00) The harmonic hologram: a fascinating concept from contemporary music your students will love</p> <p>(40:00) Why BTS, Taylor Swift, and the supermarket soundtrack matter in the piano studio</p> <p>(46:00) The two pieces that deserve to be in every exam syllabus</p> <h3>Resources</h3> <p>🎁 Free Download: The Real Secret to Keeping Piano Students Engaged</p> <p>Get strategies to keep your students motivated, progressing, and loving their lessons.</p> <p><a href="https://www.pianoteachingsuccess.com/lm-keeping-students-engaged-guide"><span style="font-weight: 400;">👉 Download free here → </span></a></p> <h3>Support the Podcast</h3> <p>If you enjoyed this episode, we'd be so grateful if you would:</p> <p>⭐ Subscribe</p> <p>⭐ Rate</p> <p>⭐ Leave a quick review</p> <p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6E8lbjbCjrKGjXjL0h99HA"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Spotify</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> |</span><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/piano-teaching-success-podcast/id1861709900"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Apple</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> |</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeaqg3Aps8LNEWhdZ0tb1eYi7oJoK4unT"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">YouTube Video</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> |</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeaqg3Aps8LN_c9RcTcLkbUVkbca_z_79"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">YouTube Audio</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> |</span><a href="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-piano-teaching-success-pod-315595056/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">iHeart</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> |</span><a href="https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/0388562d-d59b-4b59-a928-bee3fbe8620f/piano-teaching-success-podc..."> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Amazon</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> |</span><a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/piano-teaching-success-podcast-717917"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Goodpods</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> |</span><a href="https://pca.st/rqks2otu"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Pocket Casts</span></a></p>
May 13, 2026
#10 How Digital Disruption is Rewiring Students' Brains - with Dr. Anita Collins
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The children sitting in front of you right now have brains that work entirely differently to the way they did just a few years ago. They’re living in a world where information is accessible at all times. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In this podcast episode, Anita Collins says this will require us, as humans, to evolve. She talks about how we can work with devices and addiction withdrawal and other experiences kids need in their lives that balance the digital world they’re living in. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is why music is so important for kids right now. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Listening to this episode will help you understand where kids are at and where learning experiences are going. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you’ve been worried about AI or digital apps taking over the music world, this episode will help you stay open minded to evolve and use tech in a way that supports our lives. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr. Anita Collins is one of the world's leading researchers in brain development and music learning. She's the author of The Music Advantage, the creator of Bigger Better Brains, and she has spent years translating complex neuroscience into language that teachers, parents, and policymakers can actually use.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This conversation goes deep into what's actually happening in the brains of this generation of students, why it matters, and why music learning is uniquely placed to give children the very thing their devices are taking away.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This one will change how you see your work.</span></p> <p>In this episode, you'll discover:</p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">How growing up in a screen-saturated world is genuinely reshaping children's brains</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">What executive function actually is, why it matters, and why it's not developing the same way it did in previous generations</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Why this generation of students is both more sophisticated and more fragile; and what that means for how we teach them</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Why music matters now more than ever </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The profound difference between what your students experience in a piano lesson and what they experience everywhere else in their lives</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Why what you do in your studio is far more than piano lessons </span></li> </ul> <p> </p> <p>About Dr. Anita Collins</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr. Anita Collins is an internationally recognised researcher, educator, and writer in the field of brain development and music learning. She is the author of The Music Advantage and the creator of the Bigger Better Brains programme. Her TED talks and research have reached educators and parents around the world.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anita’s Program: </span><a href="http://biggerbetterbrains.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400;">biggerbetterbrains.com</span></a></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anita’s Book: </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Music-Advantage-learning-childs-wellbeing/dp/1760875880/ref=asc_df_1760875880?mcid=145b9513adc1373eb4d8e469c6dc89b1&tag=googleshopdsk-22&linkCode=df0&hvadid=712356658778&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11072501492844012478&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9068984&hvtargid=pla-926109007854&psc=1&hvocijid=11072501492844012478-1760875880-&hvexpln=0&gad_source=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Music Advantage </span></a></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anita’s TED Talk: </span><a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/anita_collins_the_benefits_of_music_education" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Benefits of Music Education </span></a></p> <p>Resources</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">🎁 Free Download — The Real Secret to Keeping Piano Students Engaged Practical strategies to keep your students motivated, progressing, and loving their lessons. 👉 Download free here →</span><a href="https://www.pianoteachingsuccess.com/lm-keeping-students-engaged-guide" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">https://www.pianoteachingsuccess.com/lm-keeping-students-engaged-guide</span></a></p> <p>Support the Podcast<span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you enjoyed this episode, we'd be so grateful if you would: </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">⭐ Subscribe </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">⭐ Rate </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">⭐ Leave a quick review</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It helps more piano teachers discover this work and feel supported.</span></p> <p>Enjoy on your favourite platform</p> <p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6E8lbjbCjrKGjXjL0h99HA"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Spotify</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> |</span><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/piano-teaching-success-podcast/id1861709900"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Apple</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> |</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeaqg3Aps8LNEWhdZ0tb1eYi7oJoK4unT"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">YouTube Video</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> |</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeaqg3Aps8LN_c9RcTcLkbUVkbca_z_79"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">YouTube Audio</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> |</span><a href="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-piano-teaching-success-pod-315595056/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">iHeart</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> |</span><a href="https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/0388562d-d59b-4b59-a928-bee3fbe8620f/piano-teaching-success-podc..."> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Amazon</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> |</span><a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/piano-teaching-success-podcast-717917"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Goodpods</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> |</span><a href="https://pca.st/rqks2otu"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Pocket Casts</span></a></p>
13 total episodes available
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