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The TopCast: The Official Music Teachers' Podcast

Tim Topham
The TopCast: The Official Music Teachers' Podcast
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  • Bonus Ep 441: Finding Your Studio Superboost with Maddy Palare
    Today we’re doing something a little different. This bonus episode features a special chat with Maddy Palare, a passionate teacher and graduate of our 12-Week Studio Transformation Program. Maddy shares how she went from teaching part-time to running a thriving, multi-teacher studio, all while navigating uncertainty, burnout, and business challenges. You'll hear how the program helped her streamline her systems, boost her confidence, and discover powerful tools for growth. Whether you're just starting out or looking for a refresh, Maddy’s journey will inspire you to see what’s possible with the right support. Maddy shared that she disliked piano practice as a child and lacked motivation during lessons.She explained that her early teaching experience with her younger brother was discouraging.How her perspective on teaching shifted after working with her first official student at age 16.How she experienced burnout and a lack of direction before joining the program.She shared why she joined the12WSTto gain business clarity and rebuild her confidence.The operations manual module provided her with structure and long-term studio planning tools.She highlighted how adding a call-to-action on her website increased student inquiries.How the visioning exercise helped her define what she wanted her studio to look and feel like.Impementing new teaching strategies that improved engagement and creativity with students.How her student with autism flourished through personalized and flexible lesson formats.How the program helped her feel more confident in her decisions as a business owner.Maddy recommended the program to teachers seeking clarity, systems, and renewed purpose. Links Mentioned Find out more about the 12wst (12-Week Studio Transformation) here.Maddy's website:Adelaide Music LLCMaddy's Instagram page:@adelaidemusicllcMaddy's Facebook page:Adelaide Music LLC  Today’s Guest Madelyn Palare is a 25-year-old piano teacher and the founder of Adelaide Music LLC. Teaching since age 16, she’s working to actively build a studio culture in her area where students become holistic, lifelong musicians—developing musicianship with confidence and joy. Madelyn also enjoys creating playful, well-designed resources for other teachers to keep learning engaging for students of all ages. She lives just north of Los Angeles with her husband, you can often find her spending time with her friends and eating sushi. Thank you for tuning in! Consider implementing the ideas from this podcast by writing several actionable steps for your teaching practice if it’s inspired you. If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, which helps other teachers find our show. Stay updated by subscribing to this show, and get automatic delivery to your device every time a new episode goes live! We publish on Mondays weekly. TopMusicPro 14-Day Free Trial Heard about TopMusicPro Membership? As a valued podcast listener, I’d like to offer you a special chance to try our community free for 14 days. You can access a treasure trove of teaching resources, professional development courses, and creative lesson ideas. Click the link below to access your exclusive 14-day free trial for...
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  • 440: Streamlining Your Marketing with Kelly Riordan
    We know how hard it can be to cut through the noise when it comes to studio marketing. That’s why I’m thrilled to bring you this special replay from our sister show, the TopMusic Piano Podcast, hosted by Dr. Rachel Ehring. In this episode, she sits down with Kelly Riordan of Outside the Bachs to unpack a practical, no-fluff 3-step approach to marketing your music studio. From crafting a profitable lesson package to building authentic community relationships, Kelly shares advice that’s grounded in experience and designed to help you grow your studio in sustainable and meaningful ways. Kelly shared a brief overview of her studio as the CEO and Co-Founder of Outside the Bachs.She shared her 3-step framework for growing a studio.Importance of setting a flat monthly tuition to simplify operations and build confidence with clients.Organic marketing strategies like school outreach and community connections.How authentic relationships with music teachers can lead to more consistent student referrals.She shared her experience of building a studio from scratch after relocatingShe highlighted the value of in-person networking.The difference between a free trial lesson and a consultation.The importance of authentic social media content. Links Mentioned Outside The Bachs WebsiteOutside The Bachs YouTube PageKelly Riordan’s TikTok PageKelly Riordan’s Instagram: @kellyriordanmusicianFacebook Group: Private Music Instructors, Piano Lesson Teachers, and Music Studio Owners Today’s Guest Kelly Riordan is the CEO and Co-Founder of Outside the Bachs, LLC – a program designed to give musicians the skills to create their own private music studios and deliver the highest quality instruction to their students. Her work has brought her to the forefront in music business education. In addition to hosting The Outside the Bachs Podcast, Riordan presents regularly at conferences and universities, with recent appearances at The NAMM Show and The Ultimate Music Business Summit, in addition to lectures at the University of Tennessee, Miami University, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Kelly Riordan holds a Master of Music (MM) in Performance and Literature from the Hugh Hodgson School of Music at the University of Georgia and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Music from the Peck School of the Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Today’s Sponsor Opus1 helps music school owners run their schools with ease, confidence, and connection. Created by fellow school owners, our all-in-one platform brings scheduling, billing, communications, and marketing together under one roof. By simplifying admin tasks and improving family engagement, Opus1 empowers music school owners to grow an average of 40% in just 18 months. Join a growing community of schools building stronger...
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  • 439: From Bankruptcy to 1000 Students with David Martin
    How do you go from total financial loss to building one of the biggest privately owned music schools in the country? Our guest today, David Martin, shares his incredible journey from teaching in his parents’ basement to serving 1,000 students weekly and eventually selling the business. This episode is packed with insights on marketing, team building, and how to grow your studio with purpose. We also touch on tools like Opus1 that are helping today’s school owners simplify operations and scale more sustainably. David shared how he went bankrupt in 2009 and rebuilt from scratch by teaching piano in his parents’ basement.He explained how early mistakes in pricing and business structure led to major financial challenges.The value of resilience and staying focused during adversity was a key theme.How he gradually scaled his business to 1,000 students across multiple locations.How strategic hiring helped him build a strong leadership team and scale with confidence.Marketing strategies like bold messaging and leveraging Google Ads were highlighted.The importance of clarity in branding and knowing your “why.”David described the process of preparing for a successful business exit and sale.How he now coaches other school owners to grow and avoid the mistakes he made.Tim and David emphasized the power of systems and automation in building sustainable music schools. Links Mentioned David Martin's LinkedIn PageExplore The Performing Arts School Entrepreneur Podcast with David Martin Today’s Guest David Martin is an entrepreneur and business coach who built one of the largest privately owned music schools in the country. Starting in his parents’ basement with no business background, he scaled to 1,000 weekly students across multiple locations before successfully selling the company. Today, he helps music school owners accelerate growth, improve marketing performance, and prepare for profitable exits. Today’s Sponsor Opus1 helps music school owners run their schools with ease, confidence, and connection. Created by fellow school owners, our all-in-one platform brings scheduling, billing, communications, and marketing together under one roof. By simplifying admin tasks and improving family engagement, Opus1 empowers music school owners to grow an average of 40% in just 18 months. Join a growing community of schools building stronger businesses — and stronger music programs — with Opus1. Book a Demo of Opus1 here. Thank you for tuning in! Consider implementing the ideas from this podcast by writing several actionable steps for your teaching practice if it’s inspired you. If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, which helps other teachers find our show. Stay updated by subscribing to this show, and get automatic delivery to your device every time a new episode goes live! We publish on Mondays weekly. TopMusicPro 14-Day Free...
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  • 438: AI Music Teaching Software Tools with Katie Argyle
    This week, we're wrapping up our technology month with something really special, a replay from one of our Spotlight Sessions inside TopMusicPro, featuring the brilliant Katie Argyle from Midnight Music. Katie’s deep knowledge of music ed tech tools always blows me away. In this episode, she walks us through powerful AI tools for music teachers, including practice apps, notation scanners, and backing track software. Whether you're curious about rhythm generators or want to strip vocals from a pop track, Katie delivers practical ways to use AI to streamline your teaching and spark creativity in your studio. Tim shared that this episode is a replay from a Spotlight Session inside TopMusicPro. Katie highlighted the role of AI in music education and why it's not entirely new. She explained how Rhythm Randomizer can create infinite rhythm exercises for free. The benefits of Sight Reading Factory for customized sight reading were demonstrated. Katie showcased Moises, an AI tool that separates tracks into stems for backing practice. She shared how teachers can mute instruments, identify key and tempo, and export audio. Ultimate Vocal Remover was presented as a free alternative for basic stem separation. She explored AI-powered feedback tools like PracticeFirst and MakeMusic Cloud. Katie showed how AI improves music scanning and notation using digital PDF conversion. Links Mentioned TopCast 437: Unpacking AI for Music Teachers with Tara Wright Download your latest TopMusic Magazine here TopMusicPro Members Link Watch the Spotlight Session Replay – The Music Teacher’s Guide to AI With Katie Argyle Today's Guest Katie Argyle is a music technology in education trainer, consultant, blogger and podcaster who is passionate about helping music teachers through her business Midnight Music. She runs hands-on workshops, presents regularly at conferences in Australia and internationally and offers online training and support to music teachers all over the world. Katie’s workshops and courses focus on incorporating technology into the music curriculum and practical tips for resource creation and productivity. Katie has been a Keynote speaker at the Australian Society for Music Education National Conference, the Music Education New Zealand National Conference and the ACT Music Educators Network Conference. In 2016, Katie launched the Midnight Music Membership Community which has become a go-to hub for hundreds of music teachers who are seeking technology-focussed professional development. She regularly presents regular live online webinars which have been attended by thousands of music teachers. Katie is the host of the Music Tech Teacher podcast which has more than 150 episodes and runs the Midnight Music Youtube channel. Thank you for tuning in! Consider implementing the ideas from this podcast by writing several actionable steps for your teaching practice if it’s inspired you. If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, which helps other teachers find our show. Stay updated by subscribing to this show, and get automatic delivery to your device every time a new episode goes live! We publish on Mondays weekly. TopMusicPro 14-Day Free Trial Heard about TopMusicPro Membership? As a valued podcast listener, I’d like to
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  • 437: Unpacking AI for Music Teachers with Tara Wright
    Today, we're diving into the world of AI for music teachers with none other than Tara Wright, our resident expert on all things tech and teaching. In this episode, we unpack what AI really is (and isn't), how it shows up in everyday studio tools, and how music teachers can use it to supercharge creativity, lesson planning, communication, and marketing. Tara also gives us a behind-the-scenes look at her new course, ChatGPT Made Easy, and the custom chatbots she's built to make AI accessible and practical for every studio. Tara explained that AI is not just chatbots, it powers many tools teachers already use. She described how AI systems learn from data and improve over time. How AI tools like notation software and backing tracks use AI under the hood. Tara highlighted that while AI can assist, it can’t replace the emotional connection of real teaching. The value of AI as a creativity partner was discussed, from songwriting to arranging. Examples of AI tools like Suno and how they can inspire student projects. How ChatGPT helps her respond to parent emails with professionalism and clarity. The importance of training ChatGPT to sound like you through tone and branding was emphasized. Tara demonstrated how AI can analyze studio data and summarize trends. She explained how AI helps with marketing tasks like writing captions and emails. How teachers can use AI to explain tricky concepts or offer analogies tailored to different learners. How AI helps personalize lessons for neurodiverse or non-visual learners. TopMusic’s custom AI chatbots like Paige, Studio Maestro, Chester and Cleo. Tara outlined the ChatGPT Made Easy course, which teaches teachers to use AI effectively. Links Mentioned 5 ChatGPT Prompts for Music Teachers in 2025 Practice Hacks for Musicians Course by Noa Kageyama TopMusic Guitar Podcast #054: 5 Ways to Use ChatGPT in Your Business TopMusic Courses Today's Guest Tara Wright is an Education and Operations Director, Creative Strategist, and Music Educator who helps music educators transform their teaching studios and businesses through innovative strategies, clear processes, and actionable tools. Known for her no-fluff advice, Tara blends creative thinking with real-world solutions to make complex systems simple and effective. With over 20 years of teaching experience and 10+ years in operations management, Tara brings expertise in branding, copywriting, and process improvement to the music industry. She has overseen the creation of impactful content, from managing digital media platforms to developing professional training materials. Tara’s work inspires music educators to build thriving studios while balancing creativity with practicality. When not optimizing workflows or mentoring teams, Tara raises ostriches, Great Danes, and other two- and four-legged friends on her farm near St. Louis. You’ll often find her taking her Jeep off-road or exploring a new hobby because learning is her ultimate joy. Tara’s advice is grounded in experience and designed to inspire action. Whether it’s simplifying studio operations, enhancing marketing strategies, or sparking creativity, Tara’s solutions resonate with educators ready to grow. Thank you for tuning in!...
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About The TopCast: The Official Music Teachers' Podcast

The original podcast for growth-minded instrumental music and voice teachers since 2015. Our mission at TopMusic is to empower music teachers to find and nurture their innate creativity so they can teach lessons that are innovative, integrated and inspiring, and that will have a positive, life-long impact on their students. Tune in weekly as we interview teachers and creators from around the world and unpack fun and exciting ideas to maximise your teaching and studio business success.
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