Behind the Scenes: My Interview with Tim Topham

If you're in the piano teaching world for any length of time, odds are sooner or later you'll come across Tim Topham at topmusic.co. Tim is an amazing pianist, educator, and businessman who has built a brand passionate about helping teachers be both better pedagogues and entrepreneurs. A few years back I had been googling random resources for a student when I came across a free resource on his website and loved it! Without knowing much about Tim or TopMusic, I downloaded my free worksheet and in the process signed up for his newsletter.

Now in the spirit of transparency I tend to be pretty poor when it comes to email inbox management. I tend to disregard anything not urgent or work-related, which at one point led to over 40,000 unread emails in my inbox. Bad habit, I know. 😬 And for the last several years, that's exactly what happened to Mr. Topham's newsletter and emails - they remained mostly unread.

Until one email caught my attention.

"Feel like you're juggling?"

Why yes, yes I did. I love doing what I do, teaching students and watching them grow, but I just knew I could do better. I had just quit my second job as a part time choir director in Pasadena and as I looked ahead at full-time piano teaching, I really didn't know where to start. Could I even handle a full student load? How can I ensure my students really grow in music? All of these questions overwhelmed me, but in Tim's email I found what I was looking for.

Enter the 12 Week Studio Transformation course. The 12-WST as it's called is a 12 week intensive with a cohort of fellow piano and music teachers who run their own studios. You have weekly zoom meetings under your master-teachers, with regular homework and with the eventual goal of earning your TopMusic Certification (and with it, the post-nominals TMC). I enrolled from July to September and was shocked by my experience. Not only was the homework load manageable, but the value was immeasurable. I found myself inspired and launched full force into my business, and as a result have seen incredible growth not just on the business side of things, but in my teaching.

Since starting the 12-WST in July I've seen around 10 student compositions come from my studio, students thriving in transposition and creativity, as well as students moving forward in their studies at paces faster than I've seen before. I think my students see a difference too. I went from feeling like I was just showing up to lessons to feeling like I'm running lessons. Not only are my students more engaged - I am more engaged, and learning to fall in love with music again alongside these growing musicians.

I'm proud to report that I graduated the 12-WST program and successfully completed the certification process. I am now a TopMusic certified teacher, and I'm excited not just about what that means for my future, but for my students as well. As I look forward to 2026 at the studio I'm excited to see how this immersive experience will shape what I do for years to come, and to see how my students will thrive and potentially even continue on to teach future students of their own.

As my certification process with TopMusic and the 12-WST came to a close I had the opportunity to connect with Tim a bit more about my experience. When I was looking into the program Tim was a huge reason I took the leap in the first place - before I even signed up he took time to call with me and my husband and hear about the vision I had for my studio. He believed in me, and he believes in the 12-WST, and it was because of him that I took the leap of faith to dive into the program. When he asked if I'd be willing to come on his popular podcast, The TopCast to share a bit about my experience, I was honored to be able to come back to a full circle moment with him and share how much I appreciate what I've gained from the program. If you'd like to listen to our interview, you can find it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or anywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts! From the episode:

“I’m already a better teacher than I was. I’ve learned not to compare myself to other teachers, but to humbly learn from them and take on the challenge of being better than I was yesterday. I’m not a perfect teacher, but in nearly every way, I’m a better teacher than when I started TopMusic's 12-Week Studio Transformation, and I have the tools and resources to continue to grow.”

So what's next for Adelaide Music? We're just getting started.

As 2025 comes near a close I am amazed to look back and see the significant growth that has taken place. From growing the studio nearly 30%, to hiring multiple amazing teachers to join our teaching staff, to ambitious new recitals and events it's been incredible to see our little community grow and thrive. My vision and goal for 2026 is that our students will experience more growth than ever in their musicianship, have more opportunities to express their creativity, and that we can multiply this community even further!!

Are you interested in beginning lessons and joining the Adelaide Music family? We'd love to have you. Come see what families are raving about with passionate teachers, integrative learning, and personalized instruction tailored for you. We've proudly offered Santa Clarita piano lessons and Santa Clarita voice lessons for the last 5+ years, sign up for lessons today!

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