Field Notes on Music Teaching & Learning cover art

Field Notes on Music Teaching & Learning

Field Notes on Music Teaching & Learning

Written by: Ashley Danyew
Listen for free

About this listen

This podcast is a collection of creative ideas, practical strategies, and thoughtful observations from the field of music teaching and learning. Music educator Ashley Danyew will dive into topics like how we learn, developing musicianship, time management, teaching sequences, planning tools and strategies, the art of teaching, practicing, and the creative process, and share personal stories from her own experiences and observations. You’ll find creative and pedagogically-sound teaching tips; fresh, new approaches you can use in your teaching; and insight into a few tried-and-true systems and creative processes designed to help you do your best work.

Copyright 2020-2026, Ashley Danyew. All rights reserved. Art Entertainment & Performing Arts Music
Episodes
  • Ep. 090 - Nine Supplemental Books for Elementary and Early Intermediate Piano Students

    Ep. 090 - Nine Supplemental Books for Elementary and Early Intermediate Piano Students
    Dec 17 2025
    It’s my last week of teaching for the year, and I've been reflecting on the supplemental books that have been most successful with my elementary and early intermediate students this year. The new year can be a great time to start fresh: with new repertoire, new technical routines, or new creative challenges for our students.As we prepare for the Spring semester and look forward to lessons resuming in January, I want to share nine collections I’ve been using with my students this year. Some are etudes based on specific technical patterns, others are solo repertoire books. Most of these are available through Piano Safari, though they can be used alongside any method book. For reference, my elementary and early intermediate students are in Piano Safari Levels 1-3 and range from 2nd-7th grade.If you're looking to refresh your teaching materials for January or add some variety to your studio library, I hope you'll find a few gems here that spark your interest.For show notes + a full transcript, click here.Resources Mentioned*Disclosure: some of the links in this episode are affiliate links, which means if you decide to purchase through any of them, I will earn a small commission. This helps support the podcast and allows me to continue creating free content. Thank you for your support!Miniatures (Juan Cabeza)Piano Safari Level 3Through the Windowpane (Chee-Hwa Tan)A Child’s Garden of Verses (Chee-Hwa Tan)Diversions, Books 1 and 2 (Juan Cabeza)Free download: 12 Variations on Diversion 12 (Juan Cabeza)Friends at Last (Amy Glennon)Here Comes Treble (Amy Glennon)Audio recordingsPiano Safari Level 1The Kitchen Suite, Op. 26 (Charles Stier)21 Amazingly Easy Pieces (Barbara Arens)If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review in Apple Podcasts >>Find me on Instagram: @ashleydanyewWhenever you’re ready, here are three ways we can work together:1️⃣ Need fresh teaching ideas? Schedule a quick 25-min. call and we’ll brainstorm on a topic of your choice. Build an idea bank that you can pull from in the months to come.2️⃣ Have questions about teaching or managing your music career? Book a 60-min call and get personalized advice, creative ideas & step-by-step strategies on up to 3-4 teaching/business topics.3️⃣ Develop the skills and strategies you need to plan the year, refine your teaching methods, and manage your time more effectively with a suite of online courses and professional development trainings
    Show More Show Less
    15 mins
  • 089 - The Science of Practicing: What I’m Learning from Molly Gebrian's Book

    089 - The Science of Practicing: What I’m Learning from Molly Gebrian's Book
    Nov 5 2025

    One of the things I love about teaching is that we can draw on many disciplines to make our work better—art, psychology, learning theories, and even neuroscience. Recently, I’ve been reading about what brain research can tell us about practicing and how we learn, and it’s fascinating.

    Welcome back to our 2-part series on practicing.

    In part 1, we talked about the art of practicing. I shared what I’m learning from Madeline Bruser’s book, The Art of Practicing, and how I’m carrying these concepts and strategies into my practice sessions and studio.

    In this episode, part 2, we’ll explore Molly Gebrian’s book, Learn Faster, Perform Better. This book is all about the neuroscience of practicing: how we learn, process, and retain information. If you’ve been reading along with us in the Musician & Co. Book Club, you likely have some insights of your own, but I wanted to share what stood out to me and how it’s impacting my practicing and my teaching.

    For show notes + a full transcript, click here.

    Resources Mentioned

    *Disclosure: some of the links in this episode are affiliate links, which means if you decide to purchase through any of them, I will earn a small commission. This helps support the podcast and allows me to continue creating free content. Thank you for your support!

    The Art of Practicing: A Guide to Making Music From the Heart (Madeline Bruser)

    Learn Faster, Perform Better: A Musician’s Guide to the Neuroscience of Practicing (Molly Gebrian)

    Join the Musician & Co. Book Club (it’s free!)

    Sign up for the Lunch & Learn: Practicing Workshop on 11/10 (it’s free!)

    Well-Tempered Clavier, Volume 1 (J.S. Bach)

    Ep. 038 - The Secrets of Interleaved Practice: What We Can Learn From Cognitive Science

    If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review in Apple Podcasts >>

    Find me on Instagram: @ashleydanyew

    Whenever you’re ready, here are three ways we can work together:

    1️⃣ Need fresh teaching ideas? Schedule a quick 25-min. call and we’ll brainstorm on a topic of your choice. Build an idea bank that you can pull from in the months to come.

    2️⃣ Have questions about teaching or managing your music career? Book a 60-min call and get personalized advice, creative ideas & step-by-step strategies on up to 3-4 teaching/business topics.

    3️⃣ Develop the skills and strategies you need to plan the year, refine your teaching methods, and manage your time more effectively with a suite of online courses and professional development trainings
    Show More Show Less
    17 mins
  • 088 - The Art of Practicing: What I’m Learning from Madeline Bruser’s Book

    088 - The Art of Practicing: What I’m Learning from Madeline Bruser’s Book
    Oct 8 2025

    This fall, I read two books about practicing: The first is Madeline Bruser’s, The Art of Practicing: A Guide to Making Music from the Heart. The second is Molly Gebrian’s 2024 release, Learn Faster, Perform Better: A Musician's Guide to the Neuroscience of Practicing.

    Art and science. Because practicing requires both.

    This is part 1 of a 2-part series about practicing and what I’m learning and applying from both books.

    In this episode, part 1, we’ll talk about the art of practicing. I’ll share what I’m learning from Madeline Bruser’s book and how I’m carrying these concepts and strategies into my practice sessions and studio.

    For show notes + a full transcript, click here.

    Resources Mentioned

    Disclosure: some of the links in this episode are affiliate links, which means if you decide to purchase through any of them, I will earn a small commission. This helps support the podcast and allows me to continue creating free content. Thank you for your support!

    The Art of Practicing: A Guide to Making Music From the Heart (Madeline Bruser)

    Learn Faster, Perform Better: A Musician’s Guide to the Neuroscience of Practicing (Molly Gebrian)

    Join the Musician & Co. Book Club (it’s free!)

    Well-Tempered Clavier, Volume 1 (J.S. Bach)

    The Perfect Wrong Note: Learning to Trust Your Musical Self (William Westney)

    Ep. 060 - How Do We Approach Mistakes in Music Teaching & Learning?

    If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review in Apple Podcasts.

    Find me on Instagram: @ashleydanyew

    Whenever you’re ready, here are three ways we can work together:

    1️⃣ Need fresh teaching ideas? Schedule a quick 25-min. call and we’ll brainstorm on a topic of your choice. Build an idea bank that you can pull from in the months to come.

    2️⃣ Have questions about teaching or managing your music career? Book a 60-min call and get personalized advice, creative ideas & step-by-step strategies on up to 3-4 teaching/business topics.

    3️⃣ Develop the skills and strategies you need to plan the year, refine your teaching methods, and manage your time more effectively with a suite of online courses and professional development trainings.
    Show More Show Less
    16 mins
No reviews yet