Episode023 – Christina Whitlock

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beyondmeasurepodcast

🎙️ Beyond Measure Podcast
🙋🏼‍♀️ Friend+Philosopher to the Piano Teaching Profession
🎶 Nurturing others to a lifelong love of music teaching

If you hold a belief but don’t truly understand

If you hold a belief but don’t truly understand “the other side”, how can you be sure?

Today we’re talking about acknowledging the merits of contrasting opinions in common musical debates.

You know… things like:
🎶 Five-Finger Hand Positions
🎶 Moveable Do vs Fixed Do Solfege
🎶 No Makeup Policies
🎶 Requiring Memorization for Performances
🎶 Paying “Per-Lesson”

…if this sounds familiar, it’s because I first wrote about this in last week’s One Thought Thursday e-letter.

(But then I decided I had MORE to say) 🤣

Today’s episode is a “beefed-up” version of One Thought Thursday No. 048.

Head to ChristinaWhitlock.com/episode149 for all the juicy details. 🤩

One of the BEST truths of teaching 🥂 We are no

One of the BEST truths of teaching 🥂

We are not beholden to the standards of music study we had when we were growing up…

…at the same time, we get to be part of a BEAUTIFUL legacy profession that carries on meaningful tradition.

I’ve been kicking around this idea in Episodes 168 and 169…

SO TELL ME, friends: What is something from YOUR musical upbringing you have chosen to make part of your own studio experience?

Ah, the mind game of teaching… We do ourselves

Ah, the mind game of teaching…

We do ourselves (and our students!) such a disservice when we fail to acknowledge either of these truths:

✅ We DO have skillsets worthy of sharing
✅ We also have MORE to learn

Both are true at the same time.

Leaning too heavily into that mess of imposter syndrome … or its ugly cousin, blind arrogance… is a recipe for disaster in the studio.

I won’t ask you to confess which you struggle with more (😂) … but know you’re in good company either way.

The important thing is to hold both together and move forward. Check out ChristinaWhitlock.com/episode168 for more!

Onward and upward, indeed! 🥂

Every student is a mystery. 🕵️‍♀️ …y

Every student is a mystery. 🕵️‍♀️

…you never know exactly who they are growing to become.

OUR JOB is to nurture their growth - day by day, week by week - the best we know how.

Teach the student who shows up. Not the one you’ve planned for.

Maybe that’s a kid all worn out from state testing that day. Maybe it’s someone who has practiced diligently all week and can’t wait to knock your socks off.

Don’t fall into the trap of teaching each student for the same outcome.

🎹Some will become professional musicians.

🎤Some will become amateur songwriters.

🤫Some will only play in solitude, never to be heard by others

…it’s all worth it, friends.

Teach the mystery. We have no idea where they will grow. ☀️

More on this analogy - and more - in Episode 168 of the Beyond Measure Podcast.

Visit ChristinaWhitlock.com/episode168 for links to listen, download a transcript, and more.

🥂

Applications for High Schoolers are being accepted

Applications for High Schoolers are being accepted through Monday, 05.20! ✍️

This year, my Summer Pedagogy Study for High Schoolers will meet in an exclusively-online format.

Designed for pianists who play at the intermediate level or above, the Summer Pedagogy Study provides high schoolers with important insights into the art of piano teaching.

Only a handful of applicants will be accepted for this summer’s session, which includes:

☀️ Six weeks of video lessons (requiring approximately 2 hours of independent work each week)

☀️ Two 60-minute one-on-one Q+A sessions

☀️ A materials package of my favorite starter resources worth over $75 (US residents only)

…and more!

Head to ChristinaWhitlock.com/virtualsummer2024 for all the details!

Hurry; the application window ends soon.

It’s 9:45am…. I’ve done two loads of laundr

It’s 9:45am….

I’ve done two loads of laundry and I’ve shipped two kids off to two different schools for the day.

I’ve showered, done my hair, drank some coffee, and am settling in to teach my first lesson of the day.

…but because I DIDN’T get up early to meet some self-imposed deadlines, and because my brain is filled with emails and projects I’m behind on, I just spent several minutes DESTROYING myself internally.

Yet, it’s 9:45am.

I have not failed the day.

And - whatever time it is where you are - and whatever you’ve accomplished (or not) today -

YOU have not failed the day.

Take it easy on yourself. That’s more important than anything else on your to-to list today. 🤍

Becoming a parent has made me an infinitely better

Becoming a parent has made me an infinitely better teacher…

…so today I’m sharing some of my favorite pieces of parenting advice that have influenced my teaching in a BIG way.

I cover a WIDE range of ideas here.

Regardless of whether or not you have children of your own, these takeaways are important for ALL of us. 🤍

Check out ChristinaWhitlock.com/episode168 for all the details.

Feeling a little “meh” about your teaching the

Feeling a little “meh” about your teaching these days? 🫤

I’ve been there.

PEOPLE are difficult. They are exhausting.

…and PEOPLE are our job.

I built the Studio Foundations Course to introduce you to 14 core perspectives that keep me happy and effective in this profession of ours.

If you need a big breath of fresh air into your TeacherLungs, consider investing in yourself through this collection of reflections.

‼️Save 20% (!) with code may20, but only through noon (eastern) on 05.11.24.

Head to ChristinaWhitlock.com/foundations for all the details.

I love to watch you play. ⚽️🎶🎻 Collegi

I love to watch you play. ⚽️🎶🎻

Collegiate athletes report these to be the most encouraging words they heard from their parents growing up.

Music students are no different.

Take a break from the corrections, pep talks, rewards/punishments, etc … and remind your children (and teachers, remind your students!) how much you LOVE to see them do their thing. 🤍

More at ChristinaWhitlock.com/episode149

20% off through Friday! 🥂 Tired of wondering W

20% off through Friday! 🥂

Tired of wondering WHY Sally prefers sports to her lessons?

I promise: this is not a hopeless cause!

Check out The Varsity Musician’s Playbook.

ChristinaWhitlock.com/sports, using code may20 at checkout for 20% off! 💰

Does your choice of method *really* matter? …of

Does your choice of method *really* matter?

…of course it does!

(But maybe in ways you don’t realize)

I’m a fan of MANY method series. They are all written by brilliant people who know a lot things.

Is there “one perfect method”? No way.

Do I use only one series? Never.

Heck, I don’t even use method books the way most do…

I take BIG issue with the notion that learning to play the piano is synonymous with making your way through method books of various colors.

There’s much more to it.

I share more in my Making the Most of Your Chosen Method starter guide, currently available for TWENTY PERCENT OFF its already low price. Just use code may20 at checkout! ✅

Visit ChristinaWhitlock.com/methods or drop me a DM for more info! 🥂

Just for fun, let me know YOUR method of choice in the comments below. 🌟

How many times have YOU confused the two? When I

How many times have YOU confused the two?

When I started telling students I expected PREPARATION and not PERFECTION, the whole vibe of my studio changed.

It’s easy to unfairly conflate the two… thinking the purpose of preparation is to achieve perfection.

…but that’s not it at all.

Perfection teaches us nothing. The process of preparation teaches us everything.

It’s an important distinction… and it’s one worth repeating. 🤍

Check out Episode 167 for a story where being prepared resulted in something MUCH better than a “perfect” performance. Find the transcript and more at ChristinaWhitlock.com/episode167

Cheers to soaking up life lessons learned through PREPARING, my friends! 🥂

ATTN. TEACHERS who wonder if they’re doing it “right”…

Are you feeling a little “meh” about your teaching these days?

…wishing you felt more inspired, but with a super low-key commitment?

I’m a firm believer we ALL have something to offer this profession. The trick is learning to embrace it.

The Studio Foundations Course was designed to help teachers invest in themselves, developing an approach to teaching that is uniquely THEM.

Join me as I walk you through 14 core principles that have kept me satisfied and effective in my work for the last 29 years.

This course explores the philosophy of play, the hardest truth of our profession, the idea of experiencing concepts BEFORE we label them, why one “bad” lesson won’t ruin you, and SO. MUCH. MORE. 🤓

The course is regularly priced at $129 and you can currently save TWENTY PERCENT by using code may20 at checkout.

Head to ChristinaWhitlock.com/foundations for all the details!

Hurry; coupon code is only good through Friday! 💰

🥂Cheers to the MANY things in life that are bet

🥂Cheers to the MANY things in life that are better than perfection…

May we recognize them more readily

…and may we help others do the same 🥂

Listen to this week’s episode, find a written transcript, and more at ChristinaWhitlock.com/episode167

Better late than never, right? 🤓 I went to bed

Better late than never, right? 🤓

I went to bed early last night, convinced I was going to just take a spontaneous week off of the podcast…

(Which, I know, would have been FINE)

…but I woke up with a renewed outlook on life and decided this message was WAY TOO IMPORTANT to wait another week.

Today, I’m sharing a story from my recent Studio Recital to illustrate a most-important TeacherPerspective: Perfection is Overrated.

Check it out to learn how a “well, I never saw THAT coming!” curveball turned into a better life lesson than I ever could have planned myself.

Cheers to pursuing a life that is far BETTER than Perfect, friends! 🥂

Check it ALL out at ChristinaWhitlock.com/episode167

…as we head into Teacher Appreciation Week… 🥂

…this goes for you AND your students… Human

…this goes for you AND your students…

Human beings are beautifully complex.

So WHY do we keep thinking of ourselves (and each other) as one thing?

Being a teacher is an AWESOME part of who you are, but - in case you needed reminded - you are SO MANY MORE THINGS.

Your students are more than musicians. They are artists and athletes and poets and scientists…

🥂May we never be guilty of neglecting the many facets of humankind. 🥂

(Check out ChristinaWhitlock.com/episode166 for more!)

SURPRISE 🥳 SALE on my teacher resources!

It’s that unique time of year where we are looking back AND looking forward at the same time.

Let me help setup your NextYearSelf for renewed success.

Use code may20 and take 20% off any of the following:

🎶Making the Most of Your Chosen Method (reg.$29)

🎶The Varsity Musician’s Playbook (reg. $29)

🎶The Studio Foundations Course (reg. $129)

Visit the Course Hub at ChristinaWhitlock.com/teacher-resources for all the details!

Do you ever just wake up in a funk and need to mak

Do you ever just wake up in a funk and need to make something good happen? 🤷🏼‍♀️

I’ve learned - in those moments - to ask myself “What would feel FUN today?”

…Sometimes the answer surprises us.

This morning, I decided a SALE sounded fun. 🤣

So, friends, HERE WE GO!

There was no plan for this, no reason to do it… I just want to help make your TeacherDays brighter with the resources I’ve created for you. 🤍

Use code may20 and take 20% off any of the following:

🎶Making the Most of Your Chosen Method (reg.$29)

🎶The Varsity Musician’s Playbook (reg. $29)

🎶The Studio Foundations Course (reg. $129)

Visit the Course Hub at ChristinaWhitlock.com/teacher-resources for all the details!

NOW TELL ME:

What sounds fun to YOU today? 🥂

…as you work through policy/tuition/curriculum u

…as you work through policy/tuition/curriculum updates for the fall…

…or, even, for summer 🙃

Remember, I am here for you!

Booking a 1-1 consultation is a terrific way to “flesh out” the ideas constantly bubbling-up in your head.

Bonus: I’ve streamlined the booking process, so it’s easier than ever to schedule our (virtual) sit-down.

Check out ChristinaWhitlock.com/consulting for all the details. 🤍

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