#15 Are Adult Students Your Untapped Opportunity? - with Dr. Pamela Pike
Piano Teaching Success PodcastShow Notes
Episode 15: Are Adult Students Your Untapped Opportunity? - with Dr. Pamela Pike
Most piano teachers spend their careers focused on children. But here's a number that might surprise you:
In the US, around 77% of potential piano students are adults; adults who are curious, motivated, emotionally connected to music, and looking for exactly what you offer.
Dr. Pamela Pike is one of the world's leading researchers and educators in adult piano pedagogy. She's editor-in-chief of Piano Magazine, co-editor of the Journal of Piano Research, and has spent her career studying how adults learn - and what piano teachers need to know to teach them brilliantly.
Paul sat down with Pamela at the Australasian Piano Pedagogy Conference in Adelaide - and this conversation is full of practical, immediately usable ideas for any teacher who already works with adult students, or who has been wondering whether adult group piano might be the next exciting chapter for their studio.
In this episode, you'll discover:
Why 77% of potential piano students are adults - and what that means for your studio
The reasons why adults are interested in learning piano
The three learning orientations of adult students and how to identify which one you're working with
What's possible on a digital piano
How to interview a new adult student to set them up for long-term success
Why group piano works brilliantly for adults and the ideal environment
How to create learning plans that keep adults motivated and progressing
What Pamela learned from her 105-year-old student
About Dr. Pamela Pike
Dr. Pamela Pike is a researcher, educator, and editor-in-chief of Piano Magazine. She is co-editor of the Journal of Piano Research and one of the world's leading voices in adult piano pedagogy. Her work bridges research and practice in a way that is immediately useful for studio piano teachers.
🔗 Journal of Piano Research - free to read at journalofpianoResearch.org 🔗 Piano Magazine
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