Advertise on podcast: Keys to Music Learning

In this Between Lessons episode of Keys to Music Learning, Krista and Hannah chat about students who do not practice, have not yet been inspired to practice, or who practice sporadically because of busy schedules and life.  They talk about ways Edwin Gordon's Music Learning Theory can help alleviate frustrations that may come up when students do not practice.  Support Keys to Music Learning through the Keys to Music Learning Community! Join us on Facebook! Introduction to Audiation-based Piano Instruction and Music Moves for Piano Ready to learn more about audiation-based piano instruction and Music Moves for Piano? Visit Music Learning Academy for online courses, webinars, and resources. Want to dive into audiation-based piano instruction? Check out Music Moves for Piano by Marilyn Lowe.

In this Between Lessons episode of Keys to Music Learning, Krista and Hannah chat about module ideas, including a studio folk song project and recital, using modules for teacher brain breaks, and more!  Mentioned in this episode, is Sarah Boyd's Boogie and Blues webinar. For more information and to register for a PDLC, visit the Gordon Institute for Music Learning. Support Keys to Music Learning through the Keys to Music Learning Community! Join us on Facebook! Introduction to Audiation-based Piano Instruction and Music Moves for Piano Ready to learn more about audiation-based piano instruction and Music Moves for Piano? Visit Music Learning Academy for online courses, webinars, and resources. Want to dive into audiation-based piano instruction? Check out Music Moves for Piano by Marilyn Lowe. Support Keys to Music Learning through the Keys to Music Learning Community! Join us on Facebook! Introduction to Audiation-based Piano Instruction and Music Moves for Piano Ready to learn more about audiation-based piano instruction and Music Moves for Piano? Visit Music Learning Academy for online courses, webinars, and resources. Want to dive into audiation-based piano instruction? Check out Music Moves for Piano by Marilyn Lowe. Support Keys to Music Learning through the Keys to Music Learning Community! Join us on Facebook! Introduction to Audiation-based Piano Instruction and Music Moves for Piano Ready to learn more about audiation-based piano instruction and Music Moves for Piano? Visit Music Learning Academy for online courses, webinars, and resources. Want to dive into audiation-based piano instruction? Check out Music Moves for Piano by Marilyn Lowe.

In this Between Lessons episode of Keys to Music Learning, Krista and Hannah chat about summer Professional Development Levels Courses through the Gordon Institute for Music Learning. There are a variety of offerings for Summer 2026, including piano courses taught by Krista and Hannah!  For more information and to register for a PDLC, visit the Gordon Institute for Music Learning. Support Keys to Music Learning through the Keys to Music Learning Community! Join us on Facebook! Introduction to Audiation-based Piano Instruction and Music Moves for Piano Ready to learn more about audiation-based piano instruction and Music Moves for Piano? Visit Music Learning Academy for online courses, webinars, and resources. Want to dive into audiation-based piano instruction? Check out Music Moves for Piano by Marilyn Lowe. Support Keys to Music Learning through the Keys to Music Learning Community! Join us on Facebook! Introduction to Audiation-based Piano Instruction and Music Moves for Piano Ready to learn more about audiation-based piano instruction and Music Moves for Piano? Visit Music Learning Academy for online courses, webinars, and resources. Want to dive into audiation-based piano instruction? Check out Music Moves for Piano by Marilyn Lowe.

In this special archival episode, we're honored to share a thoughtful 2021 Q&A with Marilyn Lowe, founder of Music Moves for Piano. Marilyn reflects on her early teaching successes and the moment she realized something deeper was missing in her students’ musicianship. Through her discovery of Edwin E. Gordon’s Music Learning Theory, she found a new path forward. In this conversation, she offers practical guidance on developing audiation, supporting students’ singing and pattern learning, and helping young musicians grow into confident, independent readers and creators. This episode is a beautiful reminder that true musical understanding goes far beyond the notes on the page. Support Keys to Music Learning through the Keys to Music Learning Community! Join us on Facebook! Introduction to Audiation-based Piano Instruction and Music Moves for Piano Ready to learn more about audiation-based piano instruction and Music Moves for Piano? Visit Music Learning Academy for online courses, webinars, and resources. Want to dive into audiation-based piano instruction? Check out Music Moves for Piano by Marilyn Lowe.

In this Between Lessons episode of Keys to Music Learning, Krista and Hannah dive into one of their favorite topics: props! From rhythm sticks and bean bags to pom poms and stretchy bands, they explore how simple materials can transform early childhood classes and beginning piano lessons. You’ll hear practical, creative ways to use props to strengthen macrobeat and microbeat awareness, support body coordination, prepare keyboard technique, and keep the musical mind fully engaged—all without breaking context. Whether you teach toddlers, keyboard classes, or even high school students, this episode will spark fresh ideas and challenge you to get more mileage out of the props you already own. Support Keys to Music Learning through the Keys to Music Learning Community! Join us on Facebook! Introduction to Audiation-based Piano Instruction and Music Moves for Piano Ready to learn more about audiation-based piano instruction and Music Moves for Piano? Visit Music Learning Academy for online courses, webinars, and resources. Want to dive into audiation-based piano instruction? Check out Music Moves for Piano by Marilyn Lowe.

In this first “Between Lessons” quick chat, Krista and Hannah dive into the world of early childhood music education, sharing fresh experiments, big questions, and joyful discoveries from their classrooms. Krista returns to teaching early childhood at a Montessori school and reflects on the power of immersion, play, and patience. Hannah shares how a summer seminar reshaped her thinking about music literacy, leading her to experiment with looping, overlapping class structures, and emergent music reading. If you teach young children, or want to better understand where audiation begins, this episode is full of practical ideas and encouragement. Show Notes Unveiling Artistry in Early Childhood by Mary Ellen Pinzino Sarah Boyd, pianovinestudio.com Joy Morin, colorinmypiano.com Support Keys to Music Learning through the Keys to Music Learning Community! Join us on Facebook! Introduction to Audiation-based Piano Instruction and Music Moves for Piano Ready to learn more about audiation-based piano instruction and Music Moves for Piano? Visit Music Learning Academy for online courses, webinars, and resources. Want to dive into audiation-based piano instruction? Check out Music Moves for Piano by Marilyn Lowe.

In Part 2 of our conversation with Amy Chaplin, we go deeper into the messy middle of learning and teaching through Music Learning Theory (MLT). Amy reflects honestly on feeling overwhelmed early in her MLT journey, how those experiences shaped her empathy for teachers, and why “micro progressions” have become central to both her teaching and her professional work. We talk about tonalities, singing, and audiation, the emotional responses MLT can bring up for teachers, and what it means to share research-based ideas without making others feel “wrong.” Amy also shares the story behind Piano Pantry, her organization coaching, retreats, podcast, and her growing readiness to speak more openly about MLT and tonal learning. This episode is an encouraging reminder that discomfort is not a sign of failure — it’s often a sign that real learning is happening. Show Notes Piano Pantry blog & podcast: https://pianopantry.com Piano Pantry Podcast: https://pianopantry.com/podcast Instagram: @pianopantryamy Hidden Potential by Adam Grant Everyday Musicality Podcast with Heather Shouldice Music Learning Theory & the work of Edwin E. Gordon Marilyn Lowe’s Keyboard Games from Music Moves for Piano Support Keys to Music Learning through the Keys to Music Learning Community! Join us on Facebook! Introduction to Audiation-based Piano Instruction and Music Moves for Piano Ready to learn more about audiation-based piano instruction and Music Moves for Piano? Visit Music Learning Academy for online courses, webinars, and resources. Want to dive into audiation-based piano instruction? Check out Music Moves for Piano by Marilyn Lowe.

In this episode of Keys to Music Learning, we sit down with pianist, teacher, blogger, and podcaster Amy Chaplin for an honest and thoughtful conversation about her journey as a music educator. Amy shares how her background in choral education shaped her teaching, the moments that left her wanting more for her students, and how she eventually found her way to Music Learning Theory. We talk about discovering MLT through graduate studies and professional development, the realities of experimenting with new approaches in the piano studio, and the freedom that comes from letting go of “doing it perfectly.” Amy offers practical insights into incorporating singing, audiation, creativity, and micro-progressions into lessons—while still honoring your own teaching style and your students’ needs. This is a rich, relatable conversation for teachers who are curious about MLT, already using Music Moves for Piano, or simply looking for a more musical, flexible, and student-centered way forward. Stay tuned for Part 2, where we dive even deeper into Amy’s teaching practices and studio work. Show Notes Amy Chaplin The Piano Pantry Podcast Music Learning Theory (Edwin E. Gordon) Music Moves for Piano (Marilyn Lowe) Keyboard Games (Marilyn Lowe) Professional Development Leadership Conference (PDLC) Support Keys to Music Learning through the Keys to Music Learning Community! Join us on Facebook! Introduction to Audiation-based Piano Instruction and Music Moves for Piano Ready to learn more about audiation-based piano instruction and Music Moves for Piano? Visit Music Learning Academy for online courses, webinars, and resources. Want to dive into audiation-based piano instruction? Check out Music Moves for Piano by Marilyn Lowe.

In Part Two of our conversation with musician and educator James Kessler, we dive deeper into what it really looks like to teach through audiation—across instruments, ages, and experience levels. James shares candid reflections on his early discomfort with singing and movement, how vulnerability became a powerful teaching tool, and why mentorship is essential when learning to teach through Music Learning Theory. We explore meaningful connections between Music Moves for Piano, Jump Right In, and Developing Musicianship Through Improvisation, including how these approaches support advanced students, ensemble skills, improvisation, and true musical understanding. This episode also honors the profound influence of Marilyn Lowe, especially her deep understanding of child development and her insistence on centering the needs of the student over the agenda of the teacher. The conversation is honest, practical, and at times emotional—offering reassurance to teachers who may feel uncertain, overwhelmed, or “behind,” and encouragement to trust the process. Whether you teach piano, band, strings, mallet percussion, or are mentoring other teachers, this episode is a reminder that audiation-based teaching is not just for beginners—it’s a lifelong pathway to musicianship, joy, and connection. Support Keys to Music Learning through the Keys to Music Learning Community! Join us on Facebook! Introduction to Audiation-based Piano Instruction and Music Moves for Piano Ready to learn more about audiation-based piano instruction and Music Moves for Piano? Visit Music Learning Academy for online courses, webinars, and resources. Want to dive into audiation-based piano instruction? Check out Music Moves for Piano by Marilyn Lowe.

In this episode of Keys to Music Learning, Krista Jadro and Hannah Mayo welcome music educator James Kessler for a wide-ranging conversation about his musical journey and the experiences that shaped his audiation-centered teaching philosophy. James shares his early immersion in classical music, his love of jazz and improvisation, and his winding path through performance, composition, and music education. Along the way, he reflects on sound-before-sight learning, solfege, human development, and how working with neurodiverse students deeply influenced his teaching. Part 1 focuses on James’s background and the intuitive practices he used long before discovering Music Learning Theory—setting the stage for his eventual connection to audiation-based approaches such as Developing Musicianship through Improvisation, Jump Right In: The Instrumental Series, and Music Moves for Piano. Developing Musicianship through Improvisation, by Christopher Azzara and Richard Grunow Jump Right In: The Instrumental Series, by Richard Grunow, Edwin Gordon, and Christopher Azzara Music Moves for Piano, by Marilyn Lowe Support Keys to Music Learning through the Keys to Music Learning Community! Join us on Facebook! Introduction to Audiation-based Piano Instruction and Music Moves for Piano Ready to learn more about audiation-based piano instruction and Music Moves for Piano? Visit Music Learning Academy for online courses, webinars, and resources. Want to dive into audiation-based piano instruction? Check out Music Moves for Piano by Marilyn Lowe.

Hosts Krista Jadro and Hannah Mayo welcome back Gregory Chase for part two of an in-depth discussion on Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)—what it is, how it manifests in children and adults, and the surprising ways it can impact learning in and out of the piano studio. Greg shares his personal journey of discovery through his son’s experience, the diagnostic process, and how music, especially when grounded in Music Learning Theory (MLT), plays a pivotal role in remediation. Ars Nova de Audiation Music Moves for Kids Support Keys to Music Learning through the Keys to Music Learning Community! Join us on Facebook! Introduction to Audiation-based Piano Instruction and Music Moves for Piano Ready to learn more about audiation-based piano instruction and Music Moves for Piano? Visit Music Learning Academy for online courses, webinars, and resources. Want to dive into audiation-based piano instruction? Check out Music Moves for Piano by Marilyn Lowe.

In this eye-opening episode of Keys to Music Learning, hosts Krista Jadro and Hannah Mayo welcome back Gregory Chase for an in-depth discussion on Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)—what it is, how it manifests in children and adults, and the surprising ways it can impact learning in and out of the piano studio. Greg shares his personal journey of discovery through his son’s experience, the diagnostic process, and how music, especially when grounded in Music Learning Theory (MLT), plays a pivotal role in remediation. Educators and parents alike will gain valuable insights into spotting early signs of APD, approaching families with care, and tailoring music lessons to support neurodivergent students. Whether you're a teacher, parent, or simply curious, this episode will change the way you think about sound, learning, and the transformational power of music. Support Keys to Music Learning through the Keys to Music Learning Community! Join us on Facebook! Introduction to Audiation-based Piano Instruction and Music Moves for Piano Ready to learn more about audiation-based piano instruction and Music Moves for Piano? Visit Music Learning Academy for online courses, webinars, and resources. Want to dive into audiation-based piano instruction? Check out Music Moves for Piano by Marilyn Lowe.

In Part 2 of our chat with Gary Pederson, we discuss his journey with Marilyn Lowe. He recounts meeting Marilyn at Missouri State University after a horseback riding accident, where she took over his classes, and how they collaborated on creating a preparatory department with music classes for young children. He also discusses the evolution of his teaching methods and the importance of audiation-based instruction, expressing optimism for its future. Support Keys to Music Learning through the Keys to Music Learning Community! Join us on Facebook! Introduction to Audiation-based Piano Instruction and Music Moves for Piano Ready to learn more about audiation-based piano instruction and Music Moves for Piano? Visit Music Learning Academy for online courses, webinars, and resources. Want to dive into audiation-based piano instruction? Check out Music Moves for Piano by Marilyn Lowe.

Gary Pederson, a Steinway artist and former professor at Eastern Michigan University, shares his journey into music learning theory (MLT) and emphasizes the importance of audiation in teaching. He recounts his early musical experiences, including informal learning and formal lessons. Pederson also discusses the practical application of MLT with advanced students, focusing on memory and memorization, and the overuse of music notation, referencing Guido of Arezzo's historical context. Support Keys to Music Learning through the Keys to Music Learning Community! Join us on Facebook! Introduction to Audiation-based Piano Instruction and Music Moves for Piano Ready to learn more about audiation-based piano instruction and Music Moves for Piano? Visit Music Learning Academy for online courses, webinars, and resources. Want to dive into audiation-based piano instruction? Check out Music Moves for Piano by Marilyn Lowe.

Sarah Boyd joins Keys to Music Learning to discuss emergent music literacy, notational audiation, and effective strategies for teaching reading and writing with an audiation-based approach. In this episode, we discuss: Sarah’s journey into researching music literacyHow emergent music literacy prepares students for notationKey research findings on notational audiation and its cognitive processesThe role of keyboard feel in the reading and writing processPractical activities for introducing notation informallyHow Sarah integrates emergent literacy into her teachingThe impact of reading and writing book clubs for Sarah's studentsRecommended resources for teachers looking to deepen their understandingListen now and discover new insights into music literacy! Show Notes: Books & Research Mentioned: Musicianship-Focused Curriculum and Assessment – Colleen Conway (Ed.)Weaving It All Together – Heather ShouldiceThinking and Playing Music – Sheryl IottThe Ways Children Learn Music – Eric BluestinePiano Patterns – Andy MullenResearch Studies: The Mental Representation of Music Notation – Brodsky (2008)Thinking in an Objective Measure of Notation-Evoked Sound Imagery (2018)Emergent Music Literacy Study – Dr. Suzanne BurtonPractical Tools & Websites: Thinking in Music Audiation TestEric Bluestine’s BlogMusic Learning Academy Webinars (featuring Sarah Boyd)Connect with Sarah Boyd: Instagram: @PianoVineStudio Support Keys to Music Learning through the Keys to Music Learning Community! Join us on Facebook! Introduction to Audiation-based Piano Instruction and Music Moves for Piano Ready to learn more about audiation-based piano instruction and Music Moves for Piano? Visit Music Learning Academy for online courses, webinars, and resources. Want to dive into audiation-based piano instruction? Check out Music Moves for Piano by Marilyn Lowe.