012: Tim Topham on Dreaming Big

In today's exciting episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with Tim Topham to discuss the power of dreaming big in the world of music education. Tim shares about his recent journey to the States, where he was the keynote speaker at the MTNA conference and also hosted an event in New York. From the genesis of his keynote speaking dream to his inspiring speech at MTNA, he offers valuable insights into the evolving mindset of music educators. We delve into the shift towards treating music studios as businesses and explore some exciting developments at TopMusic, including new projects and upcoming events. Join us as Tim encourages teachers to foster a positive peer perception of their students' musical abilities, all while championing the power of community support and the pursuit of dreams in the face of challenges.

• Tim shares about his recent trip to the States, where he was a keynote speaker at the MTNA conference and ran an event in New York.
• He recounts the journey of being asked to be the keynote speaker, a dream he had since attending MTNA in 2016.
• His keynote speech at MTNA, focusing on the importance of vision for teachers, studios, and personal goals.
• The shift in mindset among music teachers towards treating their studios as businesses.
• His experiences at MTNA, including connecting with colleagues and attending presentations.
• Some exciting developments at TopMusic, including the monthly magazine, live cohort courses, member meetups, and monthly missions.
• The importance of understanding chords and harmony, as they form the foundation of music, particularly in pop songs.
• Tim highlights the availability of helpful courses on pop song teaching, chord composing, and songwriting within the TopMusicPro membership.
• Benefits of allowing students to explore music without always aiming for performance readiness.
• Value of creating a positive peer perception of students' musical abilities.

Today’s Guest

Tim Topham is the founder of TopMusicCo, the world’s biggest online community of independent music teachers. Tim worked with the AMEB to create the Piano for Leisure Series 4 examination repertoire books and has reviewed syllabi, repertoire and resources from exam boards across the world. Tim has 20+ years’ classroom and music teaching experience including 10 years of music entrepreneurship. He’s an internationally-recognised speaker, author, podcaster and blogger and holds degrees including an MBA, BMus and DipEd.

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.

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