TopMusic Piano Podcast

About TopMusic Piano Podcast

The TopMusic Piano Podcast is a weekly show that provides piano teachers with inspiration and ideas for teaching piano in a way that engages and motivates students. Your host, Dr. Rachel Ehring, is a pianist, teacher, music administrator, and lover of piano-teaching gadgets. Rachel holds a DMA in Collaborative Piano from the University of Colorado Boulder and an MM in Accompanying from the University of Kansas. Join Rachel as she interviews guests from the music education industry and shares tips and advice to help you run your dream piano studio.

Publisher

Tim Topham

Category

business · education · music

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

5 Dec 2023

Latest episode

9 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

135 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   9 Oct 2026

   135: Method Book Reviews with Phoenix Vera

   The right method book can shape a student's entire first year at the piano. Today, I'm chatting with Phoenix Vera, known as The Tattooed Piano Teacher on YouTube. We compare popular beginner methods, from Piano Adventures and Piano Safari to Piano Pronto and Wonder Keys. Phoenix also shares how she chooses books for new students and a creative way to bring beginner technique to life. Phoenix shared why she mixes method books instead of following one series. Why Piano Adventures remains a balanced, moderately paced framework. The value of choosing a go-to book for each beginner age group. She tries a different method each lesson before settling on a final set. How Alfred's Premier moves faster than Piano Adventures with a classical lean. Why she prefers Alfred's Premier over the older Alfred Basic series. She described Piano Safari's rote pieces and pattern-based reading. The importance of teacher training when adopting Piano Safari. How Piano Pronto teaches through familiar tunes, best for ages 10 and up. WunderKeys hooks kids with comics but needs theory and technique supplements. Why she favors mixing books over all-in-one methods. The approach behind Chord First, which pairs lead sheets with traditional pedagogy. Chord First began as a simple printable and grew into three books. The value of teaching technique through imagery, like a left-hand cello. She outlined which older beginner method fits which type of student. Links Mentioned Find out more about the Spotlight Session here. (https://topmusic.co/spotlight) The Tattooed Piano Teacher YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/@thetattooedpianoteacher) The Tattooed Piano Teacher Shop (https://shop.thetattooedpianoteacher.com/) Piano Skill Set Method Books (https://www.pianoskillset.com/) Facebook page:Phoenix Vera (The Tattooed Piano Teacher) (https://www.facebook.com/TheTattooedPianoTeacher/) Instagram page:@thetattooedpianoteacher (https://www.instagram.com/thetattooedpianoteacher) Today’s Guest Phoenix Vera is a pianist, composer, and piano teacher with more than 20 years of experience teaching students of all ages and levels. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance and has run her own private piano studio for over a decade, developing creative approaches to theory, composition, and beginning piano instruction. Known as The Tattooed Piano Teacher on YouTube, Phoenix shares teaching ideas, piano method book reviews, and creative resources for piano teachers. She also composes original piano music and is the author of the Piano Skill Set series, which teaches skills through fun activities, and Chord First, a lead-sheet-based method for teens and adults. About Rachel Ehring Dr. Rachel Ehring is a pianist, teacher, music administrator, and lover of piano teaching gadgets. She holds a DMA in Collaborative Piano from the University of Colorado Boulder and a MM in Accompanying from the University of Kansas. She currently serves as Director at St. John’s Conservatory of the Arts in Orange County, CA. Previously, she held positions at Concordia University Irvine and Henderson State University. Rachel is passionate about empowering music teachers to create engaging and exciting lessons for students of all ages. When she isn’t playing the piano, you might find Rachel reading books with her son or walking her beagle Frieda. Visit her website at RachelEhring.com (https://rachelehring.com/) Visit her Instagram page: @rachelehring (https://www.instagram.com/rachelehring/) Visit her YouTube channel: @dreamlavendermusic6694 (https://www.youtube.com/@dreamlavendermusic6694) Visit her Etsy shop at Dream Lavender Music (https://www.etsy.com/shop/dreamlavendermusic/?etsrc=sdt) Thank you for tuning in! Consider implementing the ideas from this podcast by writing several actionable steps for your teaching practice if it’s inspired you. If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, which helps other teachers find our show. Stay updated by subscribing to this show (https://feeds.captivate.fm/topmusic-piano-podcast/), and get automatic delivery to your device every time a new episode goes live! We publish on Fridays weekly. TopMusicPro 14-Day Free Trial Heard about TopMusicPro Membership? As a valued podcast listener, I’d like to offer you a special chance to try our community free for 14 days. You can access a treasure trove of teaching resources, professional development courses, and creative lesson ideas. Click the link below to access your exclusive 14-day free trial for our Studio Membership. TOPMUSICPRO MEMBERSHIP 14-DAY FREE TRIAL (https://members.topmusic.co/register/tmp-studio-monthly?coupon=IMTPOD23)

2. 

   2 Oct 2026

   134: The Painted Pianos with Elizabeth Zajac

   A single bad memory from a recital can shape how a student feels about performing for years. Today, I'm chatting with Elizabeth Zajac, a Utah piano teacher known for her elaborate recital themes and hand-painted pianos. We talk about the recital that changed her whole approach, how she restores and repairs the old pianos she paints, and the creative touches that make her recitals memorable for the right reasons. Elizabeth also shares how she helps hesitant students ease back into performing at their own pace. Elizabeth shared how a post-COVID recital changed her whole approach to performances. How her painted piano idea started small, with solid colors, before going rainbow. The rainbow recital had students dress in color for rainbow-themed pieces. Why she buys cheap, used pianos from Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist. She keeps the paint job a surprise from the piano's original owner. The value of swapping damaged ivory keys for new plastic tops. Why she lets each recital piano settle on-site for a few days first. The importance of offering low-pressure mini recitals for hesitant students. The value of asking fun interview questions, printed in the program, for each performer. Elizabeth encouraged teachers to keep recitals fun and pressure-free. Links Mentioned Elizabeth's Instagram page:@summit.music.co (https://www.instagram.com/summit.music.co/) Find out more about the Spotlight Session here. (https://topmusic.co/spotlight) Today’s Guest Elizabeth Zajac is an Utah piano teacher and the director of Summit Music Company. She studied piano and orchestral directing at BYU-Idaho and has spent the past 15 years teaching music both privately and with bands and orchestras throughout Utah. She currently serves as President-Elect of the Timpanogos chapter of the Utah Music Teachers Association and is passionate about creating positive, memorable performance opportunities for her students. Her studio is especially known for its elaborate recital themes and painted pianos. Elizabeth is also a wife and mother of six children, ages 10 to 2, and shares her creative studio projects and painted pianos on Instagram at @summit.music.co. (https://www.instagram.com/summit.music.co/) About Rachel Ehring Dr. Rachel Ehring is a pianist, teacher, music administrator, and lover of piano teaching gadgets. She holds a DMA in Collaborative Piano from the University of Colorado Boulder and a MM in Accompanying from the University of Kansas. She currently serves as Director at St. John’s Conservatory of the Arts in Orange County, CA. Previously, she held positions at Concordia University Irvine and Henderson State University. Rachel is passionate about empowering music teachers to create engaging and exciting lessons for students of all ages. When she isn’t playing the piano, you might find Rachel reading books with her son or walking her beagle Frieda. Visit her website at RachelEhring.com (https://rachelehring.com/) Visit her Instagram page: @rachelehring (https://www.instagram.com/rachelehring/) Visit her YouTube channel: @dreamlavendermusic6694 (https://www.youtube.com/@dreamlavendermusic6694) Visit her Etsy shop at Dream Lavender Music (https://www.etsy.com/shop/dreamlavendermusic/?etsrc=sdt) Thank you for tuning in! Consider implementing the ideas from this podcast by writing several actionable steps for your teaching practice if it’s inspired you. If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, which helps other teachers find our show. Stay updated by subscribing to this show (https://feeds.captivate.fm/topmusic-piano-podcast/), and get automatic delivery to your device every time a new episode goes live! We publish on Fridays weekly. TopMusicPro 14-Day Free Trial Heard about TopMusicPro Membership? As a valued podcast listener, I’d like to offer you a special chance to try our community free for 14 days. You can access a treasure trove of teaching resources, professional development courses, and creative lesson ideas. Click the link below to access your exclusive 14-day free trial for our Studio Membership. TOPMUSICPRO MEMBERSHIP 14-DAY FREE TRIAL (https://members.topmusic.co/register/tmp-studio-monthly?coupon=IMTPOD23)

3. 

   25 Sept 2026

   133: Simply Music at Dancing Keys with Giana Nguyen

   The way we're taught to learn music shapes how freely we play it for the rest of our lives. In this episode, I'm chatting with Giana Nguyen, owner of Dancing Keys Music Studio in Irvine, about how she went from a classically trained, page-dependent pianist to a devoted teacher of the playing-based Simply Music method. We talk about her own skepticism turning into 13 years of belief in the program, how she structures group lessons, and her approach to practice and memory retention. Giana also shares advice that applies to any piano teacher, whether or not Simply Music is part of their studio. Giana shared how she and Rachel first met at a TopMusic Local meetup. How a chance radio performance led her to discover Simply Music. She described being skeptical of the playing-based method at first. Why Simply Music delays sheet reading in favor of hands-on, immersive learning. Founder Neal Moore created the method while teaching a blind student. Simply Music now reaches over 700 instructors across 126 countries. Giana described teaching in weekly "streams," covering reading, improv, and composition. The value of Simply Music's training program for teachers at every level. How her Practice Lab concept was built around same-day memory retention. Why she reminds students that practice makes progress, not perfection. She explained intervallic reading, which teaches note relationships over individual letters. Giana encouraged teachers to explore playing-based methods without fully committing. The importance of giving yourself grace as a teacher, on good days and bad. Exclusive Offer to Podcast Listeners Neil Moore of Simply Music is offering teachers a free copy of two of his books:Music on Mars, and Music and The Art of Playing-Based Education. Feel free to send Neil an email directly, nmoore@simplymusic.com (mailto:nmoore@simplymusic.com), and he will immediately reply with links for you to download both books. Links Mentioned TopCast 477: Lowering the Bar, Widening the Door: Playing-Based Teaching with Neil Moore (https://topmusic.co/integrated-music-teaching-podcast/477-lowering-the-bar-widening-the-door-playing-based-teaching-with-neil-moore/) Giana's website: Dancing Keys Music Studio (https://dancingkeys.com/) Giana's Facebook page:Dancing Keys Music Studio (https://www.facebook.com/dancingkeys) Giana's Instagram page:@dancingkeysmusicstudio (https://www.instagram.com/dancingkeysmusicstudio) Simply Music Website (https://simplymusic.com/) Today’s Guest Born in Vietnam and raised in Orange County, California, Giana Nguyen is a professional musician and member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). Since 2011, Giana has released 16 studio recordings of original songs and covers including her latest single “Magic.” She has performed in various venues as a solo acoustic artist or in collaboration with other musicians, and has sung the national anthem for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Anaheim Ducks. Giana is the owner of Dancing Keys Music Studio in Irvine, California, where she is an advanced Simply Music piano instructor. With over 25 years of experience as an instructor and being a lifelong musician, Giana strives to nurture creative musical expression in all of her students. About Rachel Ehring Dr. Rachel Ehring is a pianist, teacher, music administrator, and lover of piano teaching gadgets. She holds a DMA in Collaborative Piano from the University of Colorado Boulder and a MM in Accompanying from the University of Kansas. She currently serves as Director at St. John’s Conservatory of the Arts in Orange County, CA. Previously, she held positions at Concordia University Irvine and Henderson State University. Rachel is passionate about empowering music teachers to create engaging and exciting lessons for students of all ages. When she isn’t playing the piano, you might find Rachel reading books with her son or walking her beagle Frieda. Visit her website at RachelEhring.com (https://rachelehring.com/) Visit her Instagram page: @rachelehring (https://www.instagram.com/rachelehring/) Visit her YouTube channel: @dreamlavendermusic6694 (https://www.youtube.com/@dreamlavendermusic6694) Visit her Etsy shop at Dream Lavender Music (https://www.etsy.com/shop/dreamlavendermusic/?etsrc=sdt) Thank you for tuning in! Consider implementing the ideas from this podcast by writing several actionable steps for your teaching practice if it’s inspired you. If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, which helps other teachers find our show. Stay updated by subscribing to this show (https://feeds.captivate.fm/topmusic-piano-podcast/), and get automatic delivery to your device every time a new episode goes live! We publish on Fridays weekly. TopMusicPro 14-Day Free Trial Heard about TopMusicPro Membership? As a valued podcast listener, I’d like to offer you a special chance to try our community free for 14 days. You can access a treasure trove of teaching resources, professional development courses, and creative lesson ideas. Click the link below to access your exclusive 14-day free trial for our Studio Membership. TOPMUSICPRO MEMBERSHIP 14-DAY FREE TRIAL (https://members.topmusic.co/register/tmp-studio-monthly?coupon=IMTPOD23)

Who has been a guest on TopMusic Piano Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Whitney Maxwell
• Quentin Walston
• Celeste Watson
• Jessie Hill
• Florence Phillips

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

12 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

8 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 49 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

52

Social presence

94

YouTube

0

Engagement

68

Contact TopMusic Piano Podcast

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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Questions about TopMusic Piano Podcast