062: Inspiring Creativity with Juan Cabeza

In today’s episode, Spanish pianist and teacher Juan Cabeza shares how his traditional classical training led him on a journey to redefine piano education through creativity. From discovering the power of pattern-based teaching and improvisation to building a vibrant community of teachers in Madrid, Juan offers a fresh perspective on holistic music learning. He discusses the value of ensemble playing, the inspiration behind his Piano Train Trips series, and the process of creating his online course, Piano Patterns in Harmony. Whether you're looking to rethink your teaching or bring more creativity into your studio, this conversation is packed with insight and inspiration.

• Juan shared an overview of his background as a piano teacher and composer from Madrid.
• The importance of teaching students to play by ear, improvise, compose, and arrange from the start.
• He reflected on how group teaching pushed him to explore new, more holistic methods.
• How the idea of “create to learn” inspired him to focus on improvisation and hands-on discovery.
• He shared that Music Learning Theory (MLT) also influenced his shift toward a more creative approach.
• How his blog and compositions led to his first books being published by Piano Safari.
• The benefits of forehand and ensemble playing, including rhythm, flow, and fun
• He shared about the teacher meetups he hosts in Spain to share ideas and build community.
• Why playing together helps students listen better, relax, and build confidence on stage.
• Juan recommended favorite ensemble books like Keyboard Crocodile and Melodic Explorations.
• He introduced his course, Piano Patterns in Harmony, for learning harmony through improvisation.
• How pattern-based learning helps students grasp theory and repertoire more quickly.

Guest Links Mentioned

• Juan's website: Me Gusta El Piano
• Piano Patterns in Harmony Course
• Juan's books on Piano Safari
• Blog Post: Piano Repertoire for 4 or More Hands

Resources Mentioned

• Forrest Kinney's The Art of Improvising
• The Pianist's Guide to Historic Improvisation by John Mortensen
• Paul Harris's Simultaneous Learning
• Garreth Brooke’s website: Piano Creativity

Today’s Guest

Juan Cabeza is a pianist, pedagogue and composer. He teaches private and group piano students at his studio, in Madrid, where he specializes in students in the elementary and intermediate stages of study. As a result of his research in piano pedagogy, Juan created a blog, megustaelpiano.com. Here he expresses his ideas about teaching and learning piano, provides teaching resources, and suggests interesting piano repertoire. Juan Cabeza is the author of Piano Train Trips, Miniatures and the two Diversions books published by Piano Safari. He has translated into Spanish the Piano Safari Method and Create First by Forrest Kinney. He has also created the online improvisation course Piano Patterns in Harmony, which has been recently nominated for The Art of Piano Education Awards 2025.

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.

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

Thank you for tuning in!

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