365: Who’s Going to Tune Your Piano? A Chat With TopMusicPro Member Nikita Wilson

The TopCast: The Official Music Teachers' Podcast

In today's episode, we're chatting with TopMusicPro Nikita Wilson, a piano teacher and electronics engineer hailing from the North West of England. Nikita shares insights into her creative teaching approach, spanning all music genres, and her passion for witnessing students' growth and personality development through music. Join us as Nikita discusses her crowdfunding campaign for piano technician training, aiming to address the shortage of technicians in her area and raise awareness of this critical issue impacting the world of music education. We delve into the roles of piano tuners, technicians, engineers, builders, and restorers, highlighting the importance of these professions in preserving and maintaining pianos. Nikita also shares her vision of passing on her skills to future generations and inspiring others to pursue careers in piano maintenance. Tune in for an enlightening conversation on the importance of accessible instrument maintenance and the relevance of piano maintenance education for music teachers.

• Nikita shared a brief overview about her music teaching studio.
• Her crowdfunding for piano technician training to address the shortage of technicians in her area.
• Importance of accessible instrument maintenance for fostering interest in music education.
• The roles of piano tuners, technicians, engineers, builders, and restorers, highlighting the need for these professions in maintaining and preserving pianos.
• The relevance of piano maintenance education for music teachers.
• Importance of opening up acoustic pianos to students during lessons, encouraging exploration of the instrument's inner workings.
• Nikita shares her experience finding a mentor for piano technician training.
• The lack of awareness surrounding piano technician careers and the challenges in promoting it as a viable profession.
• The necessity of piano technicians even with the rise of digital and hybrid pianos.
• She expresses her desire to pass on her skills and knowledge to future generations, to foster sustainability in piano maintenance.

Links Mentioned

• Nikita's GoFundMe link
• ‘We’re running out’: decline of Australia’s piano tuners hits a sore note
• AMA & APTTA Welcome Cert IV in Piano Technology Approval

Today's Guest

Nikita Wilson is a piano teacher and electronics engineer from the North West of England. Nikita teaches teens and adults in a creative way, exploring all genres of music. She loves seeing their progression, excitement and their unique personalities develop through their playing. Nikita’s goal is to attend an intensive piano technicians training course followed by several months of mentoring to fill the piano technicians skills gap impacting the world. She wants to raise awareness of this issue, inform teachers of what they can do to help and inspire others to take up this as a career.

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