Episode186 - Christina Whitlock

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

WE DID THIS TOGETHER, FRIENDS! 🥂 Episode 001 o

WE DID THIS TOGETHER, FRIENDS! 🥂

Episode 001 of Beyond Measure with Christina Whitlock hit the airwaves 4 years ago today. 🎉

The many, many friendships born of this little project are counted among the best surprises of my life.

Thank you for embracing me as your (unapologetically-enthusiastic) Anytime Piano Teacher Friend. 😘

Two fun coincidences from Launch Day:

- Unbeknownst to me, October 5th is recognized as World Teachers Day. That’s one heck of an omen for the debut of a show celebrating music teacher life 🤍

- One of my favorite writers/thinkers, @kellycorrigan ALSO launched a podcast on the same day. Kelly Corrigan Wonders is an absolute staple of my weekly listening life and I can’t imagine life without it.

(That first episode of KCW with @katecbowler is still 🔥🔥🔥)

It is an honor to bring you weekly shoutouts of solidarity, and to remind you of core truths often overlooked in our profession.

SO, friends… on that note:

🥂 to not teaching in a vacuum
🥂 to embracing the humanity of music
🥂 to not knowing it all
🥂 to setting healthy boundaries in teaching
🥂 to PLAY
🥂 to balancing the rich traditions of our art with an ever-changing world
🥂 to quietly contributing to the success of society one student at a time

A forever favorite🥂

A forever favorite🥂

…the question we should ALL be asking more… W

…the question we should ALL be asking more…

Where do we expect our students to learn about different styles of music?

If a student tells us they don’t like something, how many times do we overlook important details in the name of catering to what they love?

Don’t get me wrong… helping them dig deeper into their musical passions is a GREAT thing to do.

…but ruling out less-familiar styles because they say they don’t like it?

Oh, friend… that’s a CHALLENGE in my book. 🤣

Check out more in Episode 188 of the Beyond Measure Podcast! 🥂

Five off-the-beaten-path reminders for studio musi

Five off-the-beaten-path reminders for studio music teachers…

In episode 188, I shared five common oversights by music teachers (all of which I’ve been guilty of myself 🤦🏼‍♀️)

I’d originally toyed with calling these “rookie” mistakes, but actually… there’s nothing beginner about them.

I hope at least one will spark something new and exciting in your studio this week! 🥂

We’re getting uber-practical today, friends…

We’re getting uber-practical today, friends…

Today, I’m sharing five oversights we can all be guilty of making as teachers.

First up?

Letting our eyes follow the music *instead* of of watching our students as they play.

Want to know the other 4 on today’s list? All you need is 18 minutes and ChristinaWhitlock.com/episode188

Cheers to a new week, friends! 🥂

Dream with me here, people… 💭 We all know th

Dream with me here, people… 💭

We all know the countless adults we’ve encountered in our lifetimes who tell us a version of the same story.

Why does the ending always have to be, “I didn’t practice so I failed?”

What if - regardless of how many years of lessons a person took - they were able to see it as an opportunity to learn and appreciate something new?

Why does music study get the reputation for being some kind of pass/fail situation, when it’s anything BUT that?

It’s time to flip the script. ⏰

I talked about this more in Episode 146 of Beyond Measure with Christina Whitlock. Check it out at ChristinaWhitlock.com/episode146.

The adult brain equates “investment” with “d

The adult brain equates “investment” with “dollars”…

…but we all know that’s just the start.

More on this at ChristinaWhitlock.com/episode187

An excerpt from today’s One Thought Thursday…

An excerpt from today’s One Thought Thursday…

Not on the email list? What are you waiting for?

Consider this your invitation. 🥂

Visit Christinawhitlock.com/subscribe

📣 BIG NEWS 📣 TTT meets this Friday… with

📣 BIG NEWS 📣

TTT meets this Friday… with a special guest!

Our repertoire study for this month is the forever-teacher-favorite, Angelfish, by Anne Crosby Gaudet.

As always, we’ll gather at 11am (eastern time) and spend 20-30 mins catching up on all our Teacher Victories/Challenges/Grievances.

Then we’ll take a look at Angelfish, talking introduction strategies, pedagogical merits, rote teaching strategies, and more.

AND: we will be joined by the composer! The fabulous Anne Crosby Gaudet will join us live on Friday. 👏🏻🤩

Sign up for access to TTT (including all past recordings) at Patreon.com/beyondmeasurepodcast.

It’s big value for $6!

…see you Friday! 🥂

ACTUAL parental investment goes beyond tuition dol

ACTUAL parental investment goes beyond tuition dollars…

…and that’s what we’re talking about on Episode 187 of the Beyond Measure Podcast.

I’m sharing a specific action item that was successful for me this year, and offering up plenty of other food for thought.

Check out the episode - including a transcript - at ChristinaWhitlock.com/episode187 🥂

My Studio Binder Fail (and more…) 🫣 Today I

My Studio Binder Fail (and more…) 🫣

Today I emailed subscribers about how my binders found themselves on the short list of what is NOT working for me in this season of life.

(Hint: the saga follows familiar themes of expectations that are too high and days/weeks that are too short) 🤦🏼‍♀️

If you’re not on the One Thought Thursday email list, you are missing out!

Check out past entries and subscribe at ChristinaWhitlock.com/blog

“Teaching is more than imparting knowledge; it i

“Teaching is more than imparting knowledge; it is inspiring change.”

-William Arthur Ward

This tree is in our neighborhood and my kids lovingly refer to it as “the heart tree”.

Some years it turns a bright, fiery red. Others are more subdued.

You may not need yet-another “fall inspires us to embrace change” type of post in your feed, but I *do* think Ward’s take on teaching as a gateway to change is worth considering.

What changes have you witnessed in your teaching journey?

…and now, for the flip side 🙃 Tell me someth

…and now, for the flip side 🙃

Tell me something NOT working at this stage of life.

My list is heading to inboxes TOMORROW, as part of the popular One Thought Thursday series.

Make sure you’re on the list by heading to ChristinaWhitlock.com/subscribe

I shared mine, now it’s your turn: Tell me som

I shared mine, now it’s your turn:

Tell me something (anything!) that *is* working for you in this current season of life.

There is power in naming the things that are making life enjoyable (or, even survivable!) right now. 🤍

Teaching related or not… let’s hear what you’ve got!

(If you want to hear or read MY list, head to ChristinaWhitlock.com/episode186)

🥂

This is your cue to explore my favorite question!

This is your cue to explore my favorite question! 🤓

Every quarter(ish) I share a peek into my list of What Is Working For Me In This Season.

Keeping consistent record of this (and the flip-side, what’s NOT working) is the very best way to stay cognizant of trends in your life you want to keep rolling… and those you don’t.

If you love today’s episode, be sure to check out the others in this series: episodes 157 and 170.

Links to those shows (and other goodies!) can be found at ChristinaWhitlock.com/episode186

🥂 to naming the things that might *feel* obvious. You’re likely to learn something important.

Episode 185 is here to help piano teachers solve t

Episode 185 is here to help piano teachers solve the Lego Dilemma.

ChristinaWhitlock.com/episode185 #pianoteacher #beyondmeasurepodcast #musicteaching #pianoteaching #musicteacher #iteachmusic #pianoteacherlife

One Thought Thursday is here! 🥂 …And it’s

One Thought Thursday is here! 🥂

…And it’s not without controversy. I’ve already received replies ranging from “I COULDN’T AGREE MORE.” to “I’m going to push back just a bit…” and, well, others. 🙃

WHICH IS THE WHOLE POINT. 🍾

0% of the work I do for teachers is designed to tell you how you should do your work. It’s *all* designed to make you think more about the ways we show up in lessons.

To read OTT 055 - and all others - head to ChristinaWhitlock.com/blog

Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a One Thought Thursday! 🥂

…and IT’S NOT! 👏🏻 Sometimes we get *so*

…and IT’S NOT! 👏🏻

Sometimes we get *so* settled in our routines we mistakenly distill the lesson experience to an endless cycle of “Assign-Pass-Repeat”.

If we want our students to approach their instruments with a sense of endless possibility, we need to model that through their time with us.

How else do we expect students to be able to PLAY their instruments “in the wild” (aka: impromptu, with no books in sight)?

Need ideas? I’ve got your back (as always).

ChristinaWhitlock.com/episode185 #pianoteacher #pianoteaching #beyondmeasurepodcast #iteachmusic #musicteacher #musicteaching #pianoteacherlife

A big bin of Lego blocks is our inspiration for to

A big bin of Lego blocks is our inspiration for today…

When kids’ only experience with Lego is building pre-designed sets, they often struggle to build *anything* without instructions.

So - if we’re not careful - the joys of creative possibility can be lost in the name of project completion.

In episode 185, we’re talking about how ALL music teachers can avoid similar traps with their instruments.

Visit ChristinaWhitlock.com/episode185 for a written transcript and more! 🥂

This one always gets me… Ours is a profession r

This one always gets me…

Ours is a profession ripe with over-achievers (ahem🙋🏼‍♀️)… and we must be ever-mindful of what *actually* deserves our A+ effort.

I can’t tell you how many times I find myself fixating on perfecting things that have no lasting significance.

🥂 to harnessing our energy for the greater good, friends!

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