Go Beyond the Book with Confidence

Mentorship for Music-Loving Teachers

Amie was taking classical lessons to improve her skills as a piano teacher. She came to piano teaching as a second career, and was dedicated to mastering her new profession.

But eventually, Amie realized that the lessons weren’t making her a better teacher. Instead, she was becoming an expert at something no one cares about.  

Amie heard about popMATICS and decided to try it. 

Suddenly, she was learning creative new ways to engage her students. She recently told us, 

“Tony has done more to transform my teaching than anything else I’ve ever found. The activities are immediately applicable to my students. I now have a reputation for working with students who were about to quit lessons. I keep them at the piano.

I also love how the program works.  It is exceptionally rare to find opportunities to watch someone teach in real time, with real kids and real songs, at all levels.

If you have a classical background like Amie, maybe you aren’t comfortable with pop music, chord charts, and improvising. Especially at a level where you can teach them with confidence. 

Even the best books and resources won’t transform your teaching. You need to learn these skills yourself first. Our program is designed to teach them to you.

So what exactly IS popMATICS?  

popMATICS is a comprehensive musical curriculum based on popular music.  You won’t have to change what’s already working for you in your lessons. popMATICS is the perfect supplement for any core curriculum.

Our students learn to play beautiful patterns and sounds and play along with their favorite songs from Day 1. 

The four stages of our curriculum span the range from complete beginner materials to advanced functional harmony. We focus on patterns and landmarks, playing by ear, improvisation, chord charts, and custom arrangements. We also use sheet music, but it comes at end of the process, not at the beginning.

In the past, popMATICS was only accessible to teachers through private lessons with me. But the best way to learn how to teach in new ways is through direct observation. My new membership program invites you directly into my teaching space to observe and participate. And you’ll be surrounded by a community of supportive teachers with similar goals. 

How does the program work for teachers?

  1. Join as many classes as you wish (with 50+ options each month).
  2. Observe how I work with students of all ages and backgrounds. (Direct observation is the most effective way to improve our teaching.) 
  3. You’re welcome to ask questions and participate as a student.  
  4. Take what you learn from class back to your studio! Share all of our activities, materials & resources with your own students. 


As a teacher, you will have access to—  

  • Free Chord Charts, Teaching Resources, & High-Quality Sheet Music Arrangements with new content added each week
  • The Weekly Guide delivering our class schedule and other popMATICS news
  • Full access to our Learning Community on Discord 
  • Our private Teacher’s Channel, where we “pull back the curtains” to answer your questions about pedagogy and teaching philosophy

How do I sign up? 

Our program is unique, and we want you to know it’s a good fit. 

  1. Book a Free Trial Lesson to get started. If you continue, lessons start at $108/month.
  2. Get oriented with our FAQ Video Series.
  3. Come to class as often as you want! Our monthly fee gives access to 50+ classes/month.
  4. Start using our curriculum and resources with your students to enrich your lessons!

Your first payment includes one free private lesson and a 30-day money-back guarantee. We also offer a Studio option if you’d like some of your students to join with you.

Feel free to contact us if you have specific questions you want to ask before booking your free lesson.


My popMATICS membership is GREAT! Learning from Tony has been transformative for me, both as a pianist and a teacher! His creative approach is accessible for every student.  My membership has given me a completely unique opportunity to observe him teaching real students. I've benefitted from my membership both personally and professionally, and what I've learned has been immediately applicable in my own piano studio. popMATICS is a game changer for today's piano students!

- Amie Ridges MacDonald 

I have studied classical piano at a collegiate level and have been teaching for 2 decades. popMATICS is helping me grow as a musician and as a teacher in ways I never have before.  Tony is an excellent teacher who really cares about giving value to his students. He is good at what he does, but is also patient, humble and approachable. You will love working with him! 

- Amy Benedict Stanger