08 The Way Creativity Cultivates Connection (w/ Christopher Oill)

Christopher Oill joins the show to talk about creativity, composition, connecting to students, and how to balance structure with freedom. Using creative things like improvisation and storytelling can help you connect with students on a personal level, strengthening your relationships and, therefore, increasing student retention and engagement! Chris is such a fun person to talk to because he’s smart, innovative, personable, and funny! Even if there’s no set topic of discussion, he is always engaging and I guarantee he will inspire you to think outside the box and make you laugh!  Chris and I have worked together on projects and presented together at teacher conferences. He also coached me on how to compose pieces for students for a special studio project! You'll enjoy our friendly interaction as we dive into creative approaches to teaching piano. We talk about using life experiences to influence interpretation and compositions, how relating to students help them feel comfortable and motivated, and improvising use "key sets" as opposed to thinking of scales in a traditional way. If you stick to the end, you'll see a bonus clip of us just chit chatting =)  https://www.oillpianouniverse.com/ Creative Teaching Conference