If you’ve ever felt deflated or frustrated when your student walks in and announces they have not had time to practise that week, you are not alone! Even for students who are usually in a good routine, there are inevitably times when practice grinds to a halt.

When no progress has been made during the week, it can be difficult to adequately fill the lesson time. We’re faced with options such as re-hashing last week’s lesson, attempting something new, or simply providing some sort of supervised practise session - none of which feel particularly satisfying to either party.

This webinar will equip you with strategies to enable enriching lessons for even the least-practised student in your week. Samantha Coates will present fresh and motivating lesson ideas and creative resources, all of which not only infuse a sense of progress into the lesson, but also maintain the student’s (and teacher’s!) motivation during periods of little or no practice at home.

Yes, this webinar will be recorded, but it will only be available for ONE WEEK after the recording – so it’s much better if you can rearrange your morning, sit down with a cuppa and watch it live. For teachers who are on the live call, Samantha will be giving away one of her Rote Repertoire pieces as a live bonus.

Register today. You’ll be so keen to try out the ideas from this webinar that you’ll be oddly disappointed when your students DO practice!

About the Presenter

Samantha Coates is an internationally regarded author, composer, presenter and piano pedagogue, with almost four decades of experience in both private and group piano teaching. She is the creator of BlitzBooks, a music education series which has captured the imagination of students and teachers across many continents, and has transformed the teaching of sight reading, music theory, and the use of rote teaching in the piano studio.

Samantha has Bachelor degree in piano performance, and now specialises in pedagogy. She is passionate about helping the wider piano teaching community and regularly presents her own webinars on a wide range of pedagogical topics.

In her spare time Samantha enjoys giving volunteer piano recitals at aged care facilities, in which she tailors her programs to maximise the residents’ memories and emotional connection. She also loves staring at the ocean, going for long walks, and shamelessly crying through Disney movies with her husband and their two grown-up children.

First Thursdays

These regular professional development sessions were originally the brainchild of MTA Member Annette Allerding, who wanted music teachers to be able to meet and share ideas. Originally named Keys, Cakes and Conversation (KCC) the group went online during Covid, and eventually reached numbers often in excess of 50 teachers, meeting each month on Zoom. The Music Teachers' Association of NSW is delighted to bring these sessions into our fold. We want the sessions to continue to be free to our members, but we also believe it is important to pay presenters for their valuable time. So we ask you to consider a giving a donation towards the costs if you are able. You will be given the option to donate when you book your place.