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Program Development

10 Jul

Interviewing Prospective Students – Part 1

by admin
in Marketing, Performance, Policies and Procedures, Program Development
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InterviewIn a recent blog, I discussed the phone interview. The next step is to meet face to face. Before I accept a student, I always meet with both parent and student in person. Whether you call it a consultation, initial mini-lesson or interview, this meeting is a crucial part of my studio procedures. It is an opportunity for both parties to discover if they are compatible; i.e., is it the “right fit?” I think of it as a two-way interview. Not only am I assessing the student, I am also providing them with a picture of what lessons will be like with me. In my studio, I do not to charge a fee for this interview. It is free for those with whom I decide to meet. However, one could certainly decide to charge a fee as it does take valuable time.

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10 Jul

Evaluating Yourself as a Teacher

by cconrad
in Performance, Policies and Procedures, Program Development
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bloggityLast month I wrote about how I use my completely non-professional equipment (as in iPhone) to record my students playing and allow them to hear mistakes, or record myself playing a passage they struggle with so they have a sample for home practice. I recently decided to use recording technology to record a few lessons and evaluate my teaching abilities.

I recorded myself teaching when I was introducing a new piece to a student, and then recorded the middle stage of the piece, where it was coming along nicely but we were working out a lot of rhythm kinks and adding layers and such. Besides being an awkward viewing experience (does anyone really enjoy seeing themselves on camera?), it was actually beneficial. I was able to pick up on little things I did well in the lesson and watch how it “clicked” with the student, and I was able to see the moments where I was losing the student’s interest. I learned from watching myself during the first recording that I have a tendency to talk and explain how I want something to sound. Certainly explaining and talking is a part of lessons, but seeing myself in action caused me to realize that I need to keep the student playing or listening to keep him engaged. I now have added awareness of this tendency and work hard to let the majority of lessons be about the student’s playing and putting into action the things we talk about.

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12 Jun

Summer in the Studio

by admin
in Performance, Program Development
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by Meridith Johnson Though the temperatures here in Dallas, Texas have screamed summer! for several weeks now, it’s hard to believe that it still is not officially summer yet!  Some of our students have been on summer break now for a couple weeks, while the remainder of public schools wrapped up yesterday.  Our official summer calendar for Studios of Sarah Strout begins next week, and with...

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10 Jun

Using Technology in Your Studio

by cconrad
in Performance, Policies and Procedures, Program Development
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iphoneI have long wanted to purchase recording equipment for my studio, but it has always been cost prohibitive. I have recently realized that I don’t need fancy recording equipment for some of the things that I’ve been hoping to do with my students.

I may be the last person in this country to purchase a smart phone, but a few months ago I took the plunge and bought an iPhone. The built-in video camera in the phone makes it easy for me to use a bit of recording as a teaching tool for my students.

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