Trevor and I are always on the lookout for awesome things that will make the lives of piano teachers easier, more efficient and more enjoyable. While perusing Pinterest the other day (this is a legit hobby now, right?) I came across an “Amazon Classroom Must-Haves” pin that, of course, sent me clicking away to my second favorite site (Amazon shopping is a legit hobby too, right?).
Inspired by the idea of discovering useful items for teachers, we decided to create our very own “Amazon Piano Studio Must-Haves”; in case you’re looking to up the efficiency in your studio.
Below you will find 7 awesome Amazon finds for piano teachers. Please note: These are NOT affiliate links and we don’t receive any money for sharing these items with you. We just thought they were really helpful!
7 Top Piano Studio Finds on Amazon
1. A Floor Desk: This is definitely my #1 find! We all know piano students need to change focus during a lesson, and often this means a change of setting. If you have your students complete theory activities in lesson time, if you are working on composing/note printing, or if you are playing an ear-training game, this desk is a must-have. It makes it way easier for your piano students to write while seated on your studio carpet or floor. If you’re teaching a piano camp this summer you may be tempted to get a few (especially as they come in such cute colors!) Find them here.
2. Piano Book Bins:. If you’re forever pushing aside books on your shelf to find the right one, these colored book bins may be your new best friend. Assign a color to each piano level in your studio and place the corresponding books inside. If you coil-bind digital books, this also holds them nicely on your shelf. In those times when you have a student on your bench and you’re wasting precious minutes wrestling with books, you’ll appreciate having a “system” and these bins make that system easy to create. Find them here.
3. Chair Pocket: If you have an easily-distracted student, you know that “out of sight, out of mind” reigns king. Putting away distracting materials can be an effective way of refocusing your student… but, there will always be resources you still need at your fingertips. This chair pocket is the ideal solution. As your student enters your studio, tuck away distractions in a place that is still accessible for you, yet not in your student’s line of vision. Find them here.
4. Dry Erase Lap Boards: Dry erase boards are one of the most useful things you can have in a piano studio. Having one beside you at the piano to visually explain concepts, test student understanding, track repetitions, etc. is really very handy. If you are a traveling teacher, if you don’t have wall space to hang a dry erase board, or if you teach group piano classes or camps, having “lap size” boards is extremely useful. Find them here.
5. Foam Puzzle Squares: These are a piano teacher’s multi-tool! Use foam squares to prop young piano students higher on the bench for proper posture, use them for movement activities (for example: “When I play a major chord, jump on the red square, when I play a minor chord, jump on the green square”), or draw rhythmic values on them with a sharpie and have your students lock them together to create measures of rhythm in a given time signature. They also provide a more comfortable place to sit on your studio floor as you complete off-the-bench activities. The sky’s the limit with how to use these incredible teaching tools. Find them here.
6. Lanyards: If you hand out Brag Tags as student awards, lanyards are a fun way to collect them! Give each student a lanyard and either display them in your studio/waiting area or loop them around a ring in piano binders. With a simple hole punch in the top of punch cards, technique cards, and composer cards, lanyards serve as a handy organizing tool. Find a pack of 30 here.
7. Motivational Stress Balls: If you have a fidgety student, an anxious student or a student who would benefit from some hand strength exercises, these fit the bill! Hand your student a stress ball to relieve some pent-up energy and use the motivational sayings on them to refocus and encourage (“Yes, I can do this!”, “” etc.). Some students just need something to occupy their hands as you talk; these are a non-disruptive option that also strengthens hand muscles as they squeeze. Find them here.
And Don’t Forget Amazon’s Greatest Items…
While you’re happily “adding to cart” don’t forget about our newest book releases on Amazon!
Composing for Primer Students: These story-based composing books are rapidly becoming studio favorites! Help your primer-level piano students unlock their creativity while strengthening their note reading and rhythm skills with Barnyard Brooke And The Magical Motives (Early Primer), James B. Daring And The Magical Motives (Mid-Primer) and Penny Petticrew And The Magical Motives (Late Primer). More info and flip-through previews here.
Celtic Solos For Teen Piano: The Guardians of Castlemore is the third book in our Guardians series and is the show-stopping recital repertoire your intermediate students need (Level 4). More info and audio samples here.
WunderKeys Pop Studies For Piano 1: Find out why this book receives a 5-star rating on Amazon (hint… it’s because both teens and teachers absolutely LOVE it!) Engage your intermediate students with repertoire they’ll love while teaching scales, triads, chords, LH Accompaniment Patterns and more. Pair it with the Performance Companion book filled with repertoire to create a teen method you’ll use with every student in your studio! More info on this series here.
