What If Parents Who “Wish They’d Stuck With Piano”… Actually Had?
Imagine, just for a moment, a world where they did stick with it. Not because they were forced to practice, or because a parent told them to, but because their lesson experience made them want to stay.
| Imagine if their lessons had prioritized community, belonging, and meaningful connection.
If the previous generation of students had been given that kind of experience, I don’t think they would’ve quit nearly as early.
And here’s the thing: we often talk as if teaching in 2025 is drastically different than it used to be. In some ways, it is. Today’s students have different pressures, different attention patterns, and different expectations.
But if we look deeper, the root issue hasn’t changed much at all.
Kids quit for the same core reasons they did 10, 20, even 30 years ago: Lessons felt isolating. Practice felt like a chore. Progress felt unclear. And somewhere in the process, the joy slipped away.
So instead of assuming today’s challenges are brand-new…
| What if we recognized that we’re finally naming what was missing all along?
Because if earlier generations of teachers had embraced the two shifts we’re talking about today, I firmly believe they would have kept their students far longer.
Let’s dig into them.
1. Build Multiple Points of Connection Inside the Lesson
Connection is what keeps students anchored. But most studios only create one type of connection: teacher → student.
That’s a start, but it’s not enough.
Students need layered connections so music becomes a place where they feel rooted:
✨ Connection to the instrument – Not just “press this key,” but “notice how it feels to make sound.”
✨ Connection to themselves – The emotions they’re feeling, the confidence they’re building, the identity they’re forming.
✨ Connection to a peer community – Even one moment of shared music-making can shift a child from “I take piano lessons” to “I belong here.”
When students are held up by multiple strands of connection, quitting doesn’t feel like the easy option anymore. It becomes 10x harder to walk away from something that makes them feel seen.
2. Make Lessons Less About the Teacher & Curriculum, and More About the Student
Piano teachers care deeply about doing things “the right way.” It’s why we map out curriculum plans, keep detailed notes, and try to maximize every minute of lesson time.
When I first made the shift to group lessons, I was constantly scared that parents would watch the lesson and see how much the kids weren’t doing. Would they think the games were a waste of time, and be looking for the theory books? Would they be frustrated that their kids weren’t “passing” method books nearly as fast? Would they be impatient with me for giving another classmate the extra minutes she needed, while their child waited?
But that’s also where things can drift off course.
When our focus shifts toward everything we’re “supposed” to teach, our lessons unintentionally become more about us. The method. The plan. The checklist. But students don’t stay for a curriculum. They stay for how they feel.
| When we shift our focus back to the student: their motivations, their curiosity, and their internal rewards, the experience transforms.
They start playing piano for their own enjoyment, not because someone is telling them to. And that’s when progress sticks. Those kids I was worried about not “passing” their method books? They doubled down on their practice, and leveled up a book within months!
A Better Way Forward
If we want to keep today’s students from becoming tomorrow’s “I wish I hadn’t quit” adults, we have to build the lessons we wish they had received.
✨ Community. Belonging. Connection.
✨ Teaching that centers the student, not the plan.
✨ Studios where kids don’t just learn music…they find their people.
This isn’t a trend. It’s a necessary shift that should’ve happened decades ago.
Which is why on January 5-7, I’m hosting a LIVE workshop on how to Fill Your Piano Studio in 2026 (WITHOUT Teaching More). You’ll not only learn how to consistently fill open spots without posting on social media, but more importantly how to build lesson experiences students don’t want to quit...and bring their friends instead.
Join us by saving your exclusive seat HERE - can’t wait to you see you there!