The Ultimate Piano Teaching Conference
Melbourne, 23-24 January 2020
Brought to you by
A piano teaching conference like no other
If you are a creative, business-savvy piano teacher (or you want to become one), you'll love this one-of-a-kind piano teaching conference, where we combine some of the best creative teaching techniques with studio business and marketing insights.
A one-stream event, this piano teaching conference offers much more than presentations. Participate in workshops, experience masterminds, fireside chats, panel events and, of course, feel the camaraderie and support of your fellow professional teachers.
You will leave this conference excited and with actionable ideas you can implement RIGHT AWAY.
It's unlike any conference you've been to before!
What Teachers Have Said About The Conference
Proudly Sponsored by:
Supported by:
Why You Should Attend
DUAL Focus - Business & Teaching
We will focus on Pedagogy and Business – because a well-paid, happy studio owner makes a happy piano teacher. All our sessions are highly informative and will provide you with ideas, insights and actionable advice for teaching and business success.
Not Just Passive Presentations
Learn by listening and by doing. Experience workshops, live teaching, masterminds and implementation sessions. Rub shoulders with some of the world's most creative and innovative teachers.
Don't Miss ANY Sessions!
Don’t be forced to choose between presentations. Our one-stream event set up means we all share two days together, and listen and learn from each other.
Join us LIVE in Melbourne, and inject creativity, drive and passion into your piano studio
no matter how long you have been teaching.
Our awesome speaker line-up
​
YOUR HOST
TIM TOPHAM
Tim is a creator of enterprising, innovative ideas for music educators.
He hosts the popular Creative Piano Teaching Podcast and speaks at local and international conferences.
Tim's passion is helping teachers maximise student engagement through creativity, technology and fun.
KEYNOTE PRESENTERS
Click each speaker for more info
Samantha Coates presents:
"The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: How the Internet Has Changed our Workplace"
Anita Collins presents:
"Fireworks in the musical brain"
Carly McDonald presents:
"Learning Big Things With Little People"
Philip Johnston presents:
"The $100m teaching studio"
SPEAKERS & TOPIC EXPERTS
Nicola Cantan
Nicola Cantan is a teacher, author, blogger and creator of imaginative teaching resources.
Nicola's site Vibrant Music Teaching helps teachers all over the world include more games & creativity in their lessons so that their students giggle their way through theory and make faster progress.
Ruth Power
Ruth Power is a music publishing editor–turned online piano course creator–turned digital content queen from New Zealand with a mission to nurture natural and confident pianists in her online community PianoPicnic.com, and travel the world while doing it.
Anastasia Buettner-Moore
Anastasia is a UWA piano performance graduate and an experienced teacher in both the WA community and abroad.
She is currently on the WA Music Teachers Association council serving as Vice President. Anastasia has strong experience in many forms of movement studies, including Alexander Technique as well as experience in the Taubman Approach.
Joyce Ong
Joyce Ong is a creative business chick, six time author, educator, serial entrepreneur, international photographer and videographer.
She built a music school from the ground up, sold it, and has now founded New Heights Media, her video production company. Joyce is passionate about helping creatives get better at business. To find out more, visit www.joyceong.com
​
Lyndel Kennedy
Lyndel has run a thriving piano studio for over 35 years.
Her early visual arts career shaped her online program, InnerMusician; a multi-sensory teaching approach inspiring both students and teachers in the art of improvisation.
Paul Myatt
Paul is a founding director and co-owner of Forte School of Music, a thriving and growing franchise network of music schools with over 6,500 students across 17 locations in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
Paul is a passionate teacher, performer, coach, author, composer and workshop facilitator.
Andrew Raiskums
As AMEB's Theory Editor, Andrew has overseen the production of written and aural components of all AMEB Theory of Music, Musicianship and Music Craft examinations since 2009. He also oversees the content for the AMEB's on line examinations platform.
Andrew is also a well-known choral conductor and directs a number of choirs in Melbourne, most notably Gloriana Chamber Choir, which he founded in 1994.
​
Notice: In the event of unforeseen circumstances, event organisers reserve the right to substitute experts and modify session times without notice.
What To Expect
KEYNOTE PRESENTATIONS
You can’t have a conference without some keynote speakers sharing their wealth of knowledge with you.
LIVE TEACHING
Watch Tim Topham teach a student LIVE on stage. This is a unique experience and will allow you to see exactly how Tim teaches creatively in a half hour lesson.
MASTERMINDS, FIRESIDE PANEL EVENTS
Connect with other teachers and share your knowledge in our mastermind sessions, guided by a topic expert. Ask your questions to our panel of experts. We're here to help you.
PRACTICAL WORKSHOPS AND IMPLEMENTATION SESSIONS
Sometime you just have to DO things. After learning a variety of pedagogy and business techniques, you will brainstorm ways to implement them so you can leave the conference with an action plan.
This is going to be a piano teaching conference experience like you've never had before
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
- DAY 1
- DAY 2
8 AM - 9.30 AM
REGISTRATION & WELCOME ADDRESS
EXHIBIT HALL OPEN
9.30 AM - 10.30 AM
KEYNOTE PRESENTATION
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: How the Internet Has Changed our Workplace
​
Presented by Samantha Coates
Watch video
10.30 AM - 11.15 AM
WORKSHOP
Create musicians, not just pianists - the Whole Body approach in action
​
by Paul Myatt
11.15 AM - 11.45 AM
MORNING TEA BREAK
11.45 AM - 12.15 AM
FIRESIDE CHAT
Q&A with AMEB Theory Specialist Andrew Raiskums
12.15 AM - 13.00 PM
WORKSHOP
Mastering Your Studio Metrics
​
by Anastasia Buettner-Moore
1.00 PM - 1.45 PM
CATERED LUNCH
1.45 PM - 2.30 PM
KEYNOTE PRESENTATION
Learning Big Things With Little People
By Carly McDonald
Watch video
2.30 PM - 3 PM
LIVE TEACHING + Q&A
Easy improv for all ages and stages
​
by Tim Topham
3 PM - 3.20 PM
FLASH WORKSHOP
It's ALL Fun and Games
​
by Nicola Cantan
3.20 PM - 4 PM
MASTERMIND SESSION 1
An Introduction to Masterminding & Mastermind 1
4 PM - 4.30 PM
AFTERNOON TEA BREAK
4.30 PM - 5.20 PM
WORKSHOP
Attract Your Dream Students Through Instagram
​
by Ruth Power
5.20 PM - 5.30 PM
WRAP UP
6.00 PM - 8.00 PM
EVENING SOCIAL - Drinks, canapes and music
Notice: In the event of unforeseen circumstances, event organisers reserve the right to substitute experts and modify session times without notice.
Who Should Attend?
Are you a piano teacher or thinking of becoming one?
Do you want to stay up to date with the latest teaching and business ideas?
Do you want to run a professional, profitable studio that students & parents LOVE?
Do you want to get practical advice and go home with a plan of action?
Then this is the conference for you
!!SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS CLOSED!!
Announcing the 2020 Piano Pivot Live Scholarship
New to teaching piano?
Or perhaps currently mentoring new piano teachers?
You or your mentee might be eligible for the 2020 Piano Pivot Live Scholarship!
The scholarship aims to encourage new teachers to start their career with the habit of pursuing continual Professional Development.This will benefit both students and the piano teaching industry at large.
The Piano Pivot Live 2020 Scholarship provides a 50% discount on tickets and will be awarded to up to 3 piano teachers.
APPLICATIONS CLOSE NOVEMBER 30, 2019
Getting to the conference
Venue
How to get to the conference
By Plane
Fly into Melbourne Tullamarine Airport. From there you can either take a taxi (approx. 30 mins) or book a shuttle bus through Skybus https://www.skybus.com.au/
By Car
When travelling to the hotel from the airport, travel along the Tullamarine Freeway and take the left turn into Flemington Rd. At the roundabout, continue straight ahead onto Elizabeth St. Turn left at Victoria Parade and right into Exhibition St. The Rydges Melbourne hotel is on your left.
Parking
Parking at the Rydges Melbourne hotel is available, but please note it is limited and subject to availability. If you are a hotel guest, you pay $35 per day with unlimited exits. Please read the hotel parking rules here.
Accommodation
We recommend you stay at the Rydges Hotel. This will ensure you really feel connected to the event and other attendees.
Alternatively, here are some other options for accomodation nearby:
