078: Practice Incentives and Resources with Bridey Gibson

Bridey Gibson from Pianosaurus Rex is on a mission to make music lessons more fun through creative practice incentives and engaging resources. Based in Christchurch, New Zealand, she has grown her small studio into a thriving business by blending play-based learning with structured practice challenges. Bridey explains how incentives like the musical Monster Mania and simple practice charts keep students motivated and excited about their progress. Her passion for making piano education both enjoyable and rewarding shines through in this conversation.

1. Bridey shared a brief overview of her music teaching studio in Christchurch, New Zealand.
2. Her experience with different teaching formats like preschool groups and individual piano lessons.
3. Her favorite teaching format, rotating lessons, which include group workshops and time spent in practice and theory labs.
4. How she uses practice incentives to motivate students.
5. The importance of setting clear goals and tracking progress.
6. Her approach to practice incentives, focusing on achievable rewards like music challenges.
7. She recommended using short-term challenges to maintain student interest and motivation.
8. How to simplify practice incentives, using practice charts for students to track their practice.
9. The benefits of having studio-wide challenges, encouraging students to see each other’s progress.
10. She shared her creative rewards, like food treats or small prizes, to keep students motivated and excited about their practice.

Links Mentioned

1. Pianosaurus Rex Website
2. Pianosaurus Rex Instagram Page: @pianosaurusrex
3. Free Resource for Top Music Listeners: Lucky Dice Practice Resource
4. Download your latest issue of TopMusic Magazine here.

Today’s Guest

Bridey Gibson from Pianosaurus Rex is on a mission to make music lessons even more fun through innovative teaching ideas, play based learning, creative expression, and engaging resources. What began in 2010 as a side hustle teaching piano to a handful of students has grown into a music studio with over fifty pupils, located by the beach in Christchurch, New Zealand. In addition to teaching, Bridey loves creating resources that make music lessons and practice more playful and organized. Outside of the music studio you can find Bridey road tripping with her family, reading science fiction and fantasy, slowly working on creative projects, and learning to surf.

About Rachel Ehring

Dr. Rachel Ehring is a pianist, teacher, music administrator, and lover of piano teaching gadgets. She holds a DMA in Collaborative Piano from the University of Colorado Boulder and a MM in Accompanying from the University of Kansas. She currently serves as Director at St. John’s Conservatory of the Arts in Orange County, CA. Previously, she held positions at Concordia University Irvine and Henderson State University. Rachel is passionate about empowering music teachers to create engaging and exciting lessons for students of all ages. When she isn’t playing the piano, you might find Rachel reading books with her son or walking her beagle Frieda.

1. Visit her website at RachelEhring.com
2. Visit her Instagram page: @rachelehring
3. Visit her YouTube channel: @dreamlavendermusic6694
4. Visit her Etsy shop at Dream Lavender Music

Thank you for tuning in!

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