“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.”

What if the way we've been teaching piano is actually getting in the way of real musicianship?

That's just one of the ideas Elissa Milne drops in this conversation, and it's one you won't stop thinking about.

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.

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.

If you've ever wondered how to build musicians who are truly expressive, this episode is for you. In this episode, you'll discover:

(00:00) Why Elissa started writing educational music

(05:00) The compositional philosophy behind her pieces

(10:00) Why she doesn't use her students as "crash test dummies"

(16:00) The Shakespeare analogy that reframes everything about performance

(22:00) Questioning why we become vessels for dead composers’ art

(28:00) A case for mucking around with music

(34:00) The harmonic hologram: a fascinating concept from contemporary music your students will love

(40:00) Why BTS, Taylor Swift, and the supermarket soundtrack matter in the piano studio

(46:00) The two pieces that deserve to be in every exam syllabus

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"I'd love to teach groups, but my studio's not big enough." If you've ever said or thought your space wouldn’t work for groups, this episode is for you.

In reality, you probably don't need a bigger space. You just need to see what's actually possible.

In this episode, we take you inside the real teaching spaces of Group Piano University graduates from around the world — from home studios and church halls to school classrooms, community music centres, and small commercial spaces.

Real- life GPU grads join us in this conversation!

And what they show you is surprising and impressive.

(01:36) Why space doesn’t have to keep you stuck

(02:30) Why starting small (3-4 students) completely changes your income in the long-run

(05:18) Actual school classrooms. See how Vanessa, Melody, and Margie have made this work beautifully

(09:46) Church halls & the unexpected benefits you wouldn't think of

(11:28) Small commercial spaces — for teachers with bigger dreams (Lorraine in Malta, Sarah in Sydney, Kate in California)

(14:23) Home studios — how four grads have transformed their own spaces

If you’re curious about group piano teaching, we’ve created a free training video that walks you through the structure behind successful group classes.

🎥 How to Run Professional Group Piano Classes (Without Chaos or Compromise)

Get the free video training here →

👉 Watch it here.

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What does it actually look like to transition from a full private lesson schedule to a group piano studio, in real life, in under a year?

In this episode, I sat down with Caelyn, a young piano teacher from Wisconsin, who completed Group Piano University just nine months ago and has already transformed her studio, and her lifestyle, in ways she never knew were possible.

And now? She’s actually wondering what to do with her freed up time.

I hope you love this episode as this inspiring GPU grad walks us through step by step how she went from a maxed out schedule, to a thriving group piano studio.

She also reveals how she’s expanding even further to build the music school she's always envisioned.

This is a real, honest, inspiring, and funny conversation about what's possible. I hope you love it!

Gillian x

(00:00) Why Caelyn decided she didn't want a studio full of private lessons, and what she did about it

(04:20) How she went from 50 private students to 70 students (50 in groups) in under a year

(08:10) How she launched her first group of six students and why that first mum brought four friends along

(13:45) The surprising reason groups work better for Caelyn

(18:30) The mindset challenges of introducing groups

(22:00) What she noticed musically about her group students

(27:15) Her exciting plans for the next stage of growth

(31:00) Her advice for any teachers interested in starting groups

If you’re curious about group piano teaching, we’ve created a free training video that walks you through the structure behind successful group classes.

🎥 How to Run Professional Group Piano Classes (Without Chaos or Compromise)

Get the free video training here →

If you enjoyed this episode, we'd be so grateful if you would:

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It helps more piano teachers discover this work and feel supported.

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Inside The Studio, you'll find: a huge library of lesson-ready resources, including essential backing tracks practical Whole Body Learning strategies monthly masterclasses (live + replay) downloadable handouts up-to-the-minute teaching insights a supportive, nurturing community of piano teachers around the world

👉 Discover The Studio

When thinking about group piano, many teachers get stuck on one big question:
“How do I teach pieces to multiple students at the same time?”

Because in private lessons, we naturally adapt to each individual student. But in a group setting, that approach simply doesn’t work.

So what’s the solution?

In this episode, we show you the exact model we’ve used successfully for over 30 years to teach pieces in group piano classes — in a way that works for every learner in the room.

You’ll discover how combining multi-sensory learning and lesson structure allows students to learn faster, feel more confident, and succeed when they get to the piano.

We also take you inside real group classes so you can actually see how this works in action.

(02:26) Snippet of a Piece called Snowstorm for Early-Intermediate Students
(02:50) How to Teach Pieces to Several Students at the Same Time
(03:40) The Pedagogy Behind Teaching Groups
(04:10) Snippet of a Piece called Creepy Colin, Pre-Learning Activity
(06:30) Auditory, Visual, and Kinaesthetic Learning Explained
(10:30) Why Singing Matters
(11:26) The Role of the Teacher so Group Lessons are Seamless

If you’ve ever thought, “I just don’t see how to teach pieces in a group…” this episode will give you a clear, practical pathway forward.

If you’re curious about group piano teaching, we’ve created a free training video that walks you through the structure behind successful group classes.

🎥 How to Run Professional Group Piano Classes (Without Chaos or Compromise)

Get the free video training here →

Watch/listen on your favourite platform:
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If you enjoyed this episode, we’d be so grateful if you would:

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It helps more piano teachers discover this work and feel supported.

When thinking about starting groups many teachers get caught up in the “How will I do this?” question but what they should really be asking themselves is

What is important to me musically and professionally?

In other words, what do you want for your students and yourself from adding groups to your teaching?

And that’s where the principle of “Beginning with the end in mind” made famous by Stephen Covey in his book “Habits of Highly Effective People” comes into play.

Adding groups to your studio can be one of the most powerful ways to teach music but choosing the right format, one that gives both you and your students what you want is key.

In this episode we share how our single level curriculum has enabled us to keep students long term in groups sharing footage of a group of teens who started in groups at 4 or 5 and how they are best of friends - still learning in groups.

Enjoy a peek into our world with real-life examples of groups in action.

See the lasting friendships, performance skills, and strong musical skills students can achieve almost effortlessly in groups.

(00:00) How thinking about your ultimate goals or learning outcomes is the best place to start
(01:30) Our now teenage students share what they love about groups
(03:30) Our Ultimate Goals - give students musical like skills
(05:20) How the soft outcomes of learning with others - peer motivation and long-term friendships
(09:10) Differences between private & group lessons
(10:40) The staggering differences between novice and expert group piano teachers
(15:10) Live group lesson in action - watch how the lesson flows

If you’ve ever wondered how teachers run group piano lessons that are structured, musical, and engaging — without chaos, this episode will open your eyes to what’s possible.

If you enjoyed this episode, we’d be so grateful if you would:

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Or Listen|Watch on Your Favourite Platform

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If you’re curious about group piano teaching, we’ve created a free training video that walks you through the structure behind successful group classes.

🎥 How to Run Professional Group Piano Classes (Without Chaos or Compromise)

Get the free video training here →

What’s the one teaching tool master piano teachers have used for decades - but many teachers forget about, underuse, or even feel slightly guilty about?

It’s using music to teach music.

In this episode, we unpack why fully-orchestrated backing tracks may be the most powerful - and most under-utilised - teaching tool available today.

We share the story of how we “stumbled” across this approach… and why modern technology has finally made this accessible and transformative for teachers everywhere.

You’ll learn why backing tracks are your active teaching partner! And how to use them effectively.

(00:00) The Teaching Tool Master Teachers Have Always Used (But Most Forget)

(01:00) What “Using Music to Teach Music” Really Means

(06:11) The Skills that Happen as a Natural Consequence of Backing Tracks

(06:45) Why Back Tracks Never Really Took Off

(08:07) 8 Reasons Why Backing Tracks are the Greatest Undiscovered Teaching Tool

(08:33) Snowstorm - Our Multi-meter Piece in ⅞

(13:50) Video Sample of Forte Group Class Doing Chunk Learning

Once you realise that using backing tracks isn’t “cheating”, you’ll open up a whole new world that makes teaching fun, effortless, modern, and powerful! Listen to the episode to discover all the benefits.

📝 Download the 1-Page Teaching with Tracks Handout

• PTS/Studio Members: Grab it inside your account
• New here: Download the handout for free

If this episode shifted your thinking, we’d be so grateful if you would:

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It helps more piano teachers discover this work and feel supported.

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Inside The Studio, you’ll find:

• A huge library of lesson-ready backing tracks
  
  
• Practical Whole Body Learning strategies
  
  
• Monthly masterclasses (live + replay)
  
  
• Downloadable handouts
  
  
• Up-to-the-minute teaching insights
  
  
• A supportive global community of piano teachers
  
  

👉 Discover The Studio