Two Opportunities for Better Practice This Fall with Leila Viss

Two Opportunities for Better Practice This Fall with Leila Viss Surprise! This week I am popping into your feed with a bonus episode and a conversation with pianist, composer, author, and longtime independent piano teacher Leila Viss. Leila recently reached out to me after hearing about my upcoming Scrappy Circle with Molly Gebrian, author of Learn Faster, Perform Better. The timing could not have been better because Leila has been using many of Molly’s ideas and research in her own 2026 Practice Streak. So naturally, what was supposed to be a quick ten minute conversation turned into a much bigger conversation about practicing, teaching students how to practice, and giving ourselves some practice accountability too. We talk about Leila’s Practice Streak, which is open through October 31, how teachers and students can use it, some of the practice strategies Leila has incorporated into her studio, and why understanding how the brain learns can completely change the way we approach practice. We also talk about my upcoming Scrappy Circle with Molly Gebrian on October 23. Molly will join us live on Zoom for a 90 minute session about practice, learning, and the brain, including time for questions at the end. If you want to dig deeper into effective practice this fall, these are two great opportunities to do it with us. ABOUT LEILA VISS Leila Viss is a pianist, composer, author, and longtime independent piano teacher who helps teachers and students approach music with more curiosity and creativity. Through LeilaViss.com and her Space to Create community, she develops practical resources that make practicing, improvising, and composing more effective and more enjoyable. LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE Join Leila’s 2026 Practice Streak: https://www.leilaviss.com/september-2... Read Leila’s blog post about practicing effectively: https://www.leilaviss.com/blog/how-to... Explore Leila’s practice cards and Guide for Caregivers of Budding Musicians: https://www.leilaviss.com/store-home/... Visit Leila Viss: https://www.leilaviss.com Join Molly Gebrian for the October 23 Scrappy Circle: https://www.scrappypianoteacher.com/s... Learn Faster, Perform Better by Molly Gebrian: https://amzn.to/3V7m5lu This is an affiliate link. I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. See my Piano Practice Workshop: https://www.scrappypianoteacher.com/r... Read about my 2026 Practice Workshop: https://www.scrappypianoteacher.com/s... CHAPTERS 00:00 A surprise bonus episode with Leila Viss 01:02 How Molly Gebrian brought this conversation together 01:34 How Leila’s Practice Streak began 03:58 Variable repetition and juggling 06:19 Taking practice strategies beyond the piano 07:47 Can students use the Practice Streak too? 09:07 What Molly’s research helped us understand about practice 11:31 Joining the Practice Streak late 15:27 Cold checks and the illusion of mastery 17:56 Making brain science concrete for students 20:28 How to join Leila’s Practice Streak 21:48 Do piano teachers need a practice accountability club? 23:40 Teaching students to diagnose their own practice problems 26:17 Giving practice strategies memorable names 27:13 Practice cards and creating an intentional practice plan 27:40 Molly Gebrian’s October Scrappy Circle ABOUT THE SCRAPPY PIANO TEACHER The Scrappy Piano Teacher is all about helping independent music teachers build sustainable studios, think differently about their businesses, and find practical ideas they can actually use. Subscribe so you do not miss the next episode.