Piano Teaching Success Podcast
Gillian Erskine & Paul Myatt
- 20
- Episodes
- Weekly
- Cadence
- 2025
- First episode
About Piano Teaching Success Podcast
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.
- Publisher
- Gillian Erskine & Paul Myatt
- Category
- arts · education · music
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- No
- First episode
- 16 Dec 2025
- Latest episode
- 30 Sept 2026
Latest episodes
20 episodes in the feed.
30 Sept 2026
#19 From Side Hustle to Teaching Full-Time with Groups
She was told you can't make a proper job out of teaching piano. She has 80 students. Lorraine lives on Malta - a tiny island in the Mediterranean with a small population. For years she taught piano on the side while holding down a day job. She knew she wanted more. She just couldn't see how to get there. Then she found group piano, and enrolled in Group Piano University. And on the 1st of May this year, she handed in her notice at her day job, and went all in on teaching groups! Four months later she had grown to almost 80 students - with four brand new classes starting in October. This episode is for every piano teacher who has ever wondered whether teaching could actually be their main gig - a real career. Lorraine's answer is YES! In this episode, you'll discover: Why Lorraine learned piano in a shared lesson as a child - and why that's completely different to real group teaching The moment she decided to go all in and leave her day job behind How she grew to almost 80 students in four months of going full-time Why she was terrified to have parents in the room at first - and why she now actively encourages it Navigating space challenges Advice for teachers who are teaching as a side hustle About Lorraine Lorraine is a piano teacher based in Malta who completed Group Piano University and went full-time with group piano teaching in May of this year. She is growing her studio toward 80 students and is building toward her dream of owning her own dedicated music school space. Resources 🎉 Group Piano Breakthrough Series - Free Training See the group piano model in action and find out if it could work for your studio. 👉 Register for free here → (https://www.pianoteachingsuccess.com/group-piano-breakthrough-series-2026) Group Piano University - Applications Open Our last live cohort for the year starts October 4. 👉 Interested? Make a time for a chat here → (https://www.pianoteachingsuccess.com/group-piano-university) Support the Podcast If you enjoyed this episode, we'd be so grateful if you would: ⭐ Subscribe ⭐ Rate ⭐ Leave a quick review Listen/Watch on: Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/6E8lbjbCjrKGjXjL0h99HA) | Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/piano-teaching-success-podcast/id1861709900) | YouTube Video (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeaqg3Aps8LNEWhdZ0tb1eYi7oJoK4unT) | YouTube Audio (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeaqg3Aps8LN_c9RcTcLkbUVkbca_z_79) | iHeart (https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-piano-teaching-success-pod-315595056/) | Amazon (https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/0388562d-d59b-4b59-a928-bee3fbe8620f/piano-teaching-success-podc...) | Goodpods (https://goodpods.com/podcasts/piano-teaching-success-podcast-717917) | Pocket Casts (https://pca.st/rqks2otu)
16 Sept 2026
#18 Start Your Groups in the Space You Already Have
It's been a busy few weeks here as Paul and I have been doing pre-enrolment chats with piano teachers for Group Training University. What's surprised me is that so many teachers have done other courses that exist out there on group piano teaching, but still haven't taught their first group! It got me thinking about what's stopping them... Maybe it's that they don't feel confident enough or they want to get it all perfect first - I think a lot of us suffer from perfection paralysis! Gosh, know I’ve suffered from both perfectionism AND not feeling confident enough. But what I’ve learned is that both of those things are a trap. And when it comes to teaching groups, I think the biggest obstacle or roadblock many put in their way is that they think they don't have space. They say, "I can't start until I have the right space." But what if that wasn't true? In this episode, I speak with two Group Piano University graduates - Victoria from Australia and Akera from the US - who just got started with what they had. I call this Imperfect Action. Victoria had spent the last few years raising her young family, and rather than going back to her professional career, she wanted to build something of her own. That meant that, rather than having an established studio and teaching reputation, she was starting from scratch - with zero students. She secured a church hall on Thursday afternoons because that was the only day it was available and started her first groups. But then something happened... she was then getting a lot of enquiries for Saturday lessons. So rather than putting them off, she made it happen by rearranging the family room on Friday evenings and starting those classes. Check out the podcast to hear where she’s at now. It’s a great story! Akera on the other hand started in her lounge room, rearranging furniture to fit four pianos and teaching her first groups while her husband slowly came around to the idea. Nine months later, Akera is starting this school year in a brand new space she found nearby that's big enough to hold all the pianos, including her baby grand, and classes are filling up. Neither of them waited until everything was perfect; both just kept moving forward. I've seen this time and time again. Piano teachers are creative and inventive creatures, and we find solutions to all sorts of problems in our teaching and also in our studios! In this episode, you’ll see - How Victoria built a studio from zero - no students, no space, no existing piano teaching career How Akera went from lounge room to her own dedicated studio in under a year The range of spaces that can be used just to get started The strategy behind starting small Interested in having a group side of your business? Here's your next step. Do our Mini Training. It's packed with everything you need to know before you even think about teaching groups! Part 1 shows Paul teaching a piece to a real group in action. No headphones. Just kids completely engaged in the whole learning process. Part 2 is about the logistics side - like how much to charge, how to work groups into your schedule Part 3 outlines the 4 foundations to long-term success with groups. If you've crashed and burned with groups before, 9 times out of 10 it will be because you were missing at least one of these four foundations Here's a link: It's free 🎉 Group Piano Breakthrough Series - Free Training 👉 Register for free here → (https://www.pianoteachingsuccess.com/group-piano-breakthrough-series-2026) If you're ready to start your group piano journey, then make sure you join us Group Piano University course Our last LIVE course for the year starts October 4. 👉 Interested? Make a time for a chat here → (https://www.pianoteachingsuccess.com/group-piano-university) Support the Podcast If you would like to see more episodes like this: ⭐ Subscribe ⭐ Rate ⭐ Leave a quick review Help us spread the word so more piano teachers discover this work and feel supported. Listen/Watch on: Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/6E8lbjbCjrKGjXjL0h99HA) | Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/piano-teaching-success-podcast/id1861709900) | YouTube Video (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeaqg3Aps8LNEWhdZ0tb1eYi7oJoK4unT) | YouTube Audio (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeaqg3Aps8LN_c9RcTcLkbUVkbca_z_79) | iHeart (https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-piano-teaching-success-pod-315595056/) | Amazon (https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/0388562d-d59b-4b59-a928-bee3fbe8620f/piano-teaching-success-podc...) | Goodpods (https://goodpods.com/podcasts/piano-teaching-success-podcast-717917) | Pocket Casts (https://pca.st/rqks2otu)
2 Sept 2026
#17 Inside a Professional Group Piano Lesson
What does a great group piano lesson actually look like? In this episode we share a real life group piano lesson in action - stopping along the way to unpack exactly what is happening, why it works, and the activities and teaching tips you can take into your own studio. What you'll see is a masterclass in whole body learning, musical preparation, repetition, and the kind of joyful, productive energy that makes group piano so extraordinary. We also share a beautiful message from Bethany, a recent Group Piano University graduate in the US, who just taught her very first group class. And if you've been curious about the Group Piano Breakthrough Series - this episode gives you a real window into what groups can look like, and what's possible when the teaching is done well. In this episode, you'll discover: Why Whole Body Learning happens before anyone touches the piano - and what that does for learning How to use articulation in the body and voice to prepare students for what they need to do with their hands Why two-handed coordination is so much easier when it's prepared through movement The power of musical cues instead of words How students learn to respond without being told Why moving students around the room improves learning How to handle the moments when students crash and burn Why parents in the room helps practice, progress, and retention How group lessons build performance confidence Why camaraderie between students is one of the most powerful forces in a group studio Resources 🎉 Group Piano Breakthrough Series - Free Training Find out how the group piano model works and whether it could be right for your studio. 👉 Register for free here → (https://www.pianoteachingsuccess.com/group-piano-breakthrough-series-2026) Group Piano University - Applications Open Our next cohort is filling. If groups have been on your mind, now is the time. 👉 Apply here → (https://www.pianoteachingsuccess.com/group-piano-university) Support the Podcast If you enjoyed this episode, we'd be so grateful if you would: ⭐ Subscribe ⭐ Rate ⭐ Leave a quick review It helps more piano teachers discover this work and feel supported. Listen/Watch on: Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/6E8lbjbCjrKGjXjL0h99HA) | Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/piano-teaching-success-podcast/id1861709900) | YouTube Video (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeaqg3Aps8LNEWhdZ0tb1eYi7oJoK4unT) | YouTube Audio (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeaqg3Aps8LN_c9RcTcLkbUVkbca_z_79) | iHeart (https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-piano-teaching-success-pod-315595056/) | Amazon (https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/0388562d-d59b-4b59-a928-bee3fbe8620f/piano-teaching-success-podc...) | Goodpods (https://goodpods.com/podcasts/piano-teaching-success-podcast-717917) | Pocket Casts (https://pca.st/rqks2otu)
Contact Piano Teaching Success Podcast
- Guest appearances
- Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Shows with a similar audience
Host of Piano Teaching Success Podcast?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show
Podcast research with Pod Engine