It was such a pleasure catching up with Katherine Fisher again. In this episode, we revisit her groundbreaking Piano Safari method and explore how it has evolved to meet the needs of today’s students. We're going to dive into beginner piano technique, discuss why rote teaching and intervallic reading are so powerful, and explore creative ways to build technical foundations through movement, rhythm, and imagination. Katherine’s insights are grounded in deep pedagogical research and a passion for helping teachers inspire young pianists.

• Katherine shared how Piano Safari began with research-based pedagogical practices blended in a creative way.
• The importance of using rote pieces alongside reading to support beginner students.
• Why Piano Safari’s unique blend of intervallic reading and rote learning sets it apart from traditional methods.
• How early use of intervallic reading supports long-term music reading fluency.
• The value of teaching rhythmic patterns through animal rhythms to build recognition and fluency.
• How Piano Safari integrates storytelling and play-based learning to reinforce melodic contour.
• The importance of starting beginners with non-legato to develop a healthy, tension-free technique.
• The benefits of rote teaching and offered strategies for memorization and creative exploration.
• She encouraged students to transpose rote pieces early on to develop keyboard awareness and flexibility.

Links Mentioned

• Piano Safari Website
• Teaching Piano Safari Facebook Group
• Piano Safari YouTube channel:www.youtube.com/@pianosafari346
• TTTV071: Exploring Piano Safari with Dr Julie Knerr and Katherine Fisher
• Get access to Teaching Advancing Pianist Course

TopMusicPro Member Links

• 10% off Piano Safari

Today's Guest

Katherine Fisher serves on the piano faculty of the Ohio University School of Music in Athens, Ohio where she teaches applied piano and piano pedagogy, coordinates the group piano program, and mentors graduate teaching assistants. Katherine is internationally recognized in the field of piano pedagogy as a creator of the innovative method Piano Safari. Along with co-author Julie Knerr Hague, she has published well over one hundred books and pedagogical materials. The Piano Safari method and its supplemental teaching material is distributed throughout the world and is used by thousands of piano teachers and students.

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