Christina Whitlock, Beyond Measure Podcast

Today, I Confess: Not Every Connection Lasts Forever The past week has run off the rails for me. I took my children to Ohio to visit my mother, whose health has been a struggle in recent months. Long story short: an ambulance was called for her shortly after our arrival. This evolved into a much longer stay than intended, convoluted plans to get my girls back home without me, and an emotional roller coaster I'm getting a little too familiar with these days. She was released to go home on...

Today, I Confess: My student called me out last week. Over the years, I've stood on my soapbox countless times reminding you to teach the student in front of you... even if it means deviating from your lesson plan. This is one of my most fundamental Teacher Truths. Even the most predictable students have difficult days that require you to throw your plans out the window. ...but sometimes we can be stubborn to loosen our grip on our agendas. Last week, I had a student working through a piece...

Today, I Confess: It's Not Our Job to Make Students "Happy". One of the (many) things I've been learning in therapy is this: I am not responsible for regulating the emotions of others. Like many of life's hardest lessons, this sounds obvious. Of course I'm not in charge of anyone else's feelings. ...and yet... When it comes to teaching, I know I am not alone in obsessing over whether my students (or their family members) are HAPPY with their piano experience. You may recall, I kicked off this...

Today, I Confess: I Struck a Nerve Last Week (Talking About Margin) Phew, friends! My inbox has been a BUSY place since last Thursday's Confession... Apparently I'm not the only one who struggles with margin. 😅 As always, your replies assured me I'm not alone in this wild journey through Teacher Life. Sometimes I feel guilty keeping all your valuable sentiments to myself, so I thought I would do an informal reply round up from last week. Sound fun? Reading through your responses, the same...

Today, I Confess: I Struggle with Margin. Many years ago, I heard a financial expert say something akin to the following: Many of us *think* we're living within our means when we're really not. We label some purchases emergency expenses when they're actually quite predictable: ...A home will need a new roof. ...Your car will need new tires. Sure, these expenses can come up sooner than expected... but if you are not intentionally setting money aside for these purposes, it's likely you are not...

Today, I Confess: Music Reading Doesn't Have to Feel Like Math Homework ...an unprecedented TWO confessions in the same week!? I guess I'm making up for lost time... 😊 As I announced on Monday, I'm releasing a trial-run of my newest resource for teachers: Building Better Music Readers. This is a 12-week series of tools to build a deeper understanding of how music relates to the staff. While most of the 12 weeks are dedicated to implementing specific exercises, our first week includes some...

Today, I Confess: It's Been a LONG Time! WOAH, teacher friends! It's been ages since I've sent a Piano Teacher Confession your way. Pro Tip: It's perfectly acceptable to take time off for the holidays. That said, it's better if you go ahead and PLAN to take the time off, or else you'll risk feeling behind for a month+. Ask me how I know. 😉 I've been racking up conversation topics for Piano Teacher Confessions for weeks. We'll resume business-as-usual next week, but for now: let's do a list of...

THANK YOU for joining me for Studio Teacher Thanksgiving! I am already dreaming up plans for next year. 🤗 I put together a little recap in case you missed any of it, but FIRST I wanted to remind you there are only TWO hours left to save 50% on the following resources (+ be entered to win a free 30-minute Teacher Consult with me): 🔎 The Paradox of Play My latest obsession: deep-diving into the science of play and how it relates to THE ACTUAL POINT of making music. $19 with code thanks50 (code...

Studio Teacher Thanksgiving Studio Teacher Thanksgiving: Day 5 Welcome to DAY FIVE of 2025 Studio Teacher Thanksgiving! 🥂 I say the same thing EVERY YEAR and this is no exception: I can't out-give you guys! Much like the reflection I gave on Day 3; as much as I hope my creations help you, I can't help but be changed by the process as well. Being on the receiving end of your replies to this week's prompts has warmed my heart a thousand times over. Thanks for sharing your genuine selves with me...