By Julia Kossuth As the first month of lessons has passed, for this school year anyway, it’s been interesting to watch the interest, progress, and motivation for each student take shape. Here at the Studios of Sarah Strout, we use a point system in which each student can earn points for practicing, memorizing, performing for family, and more, all going towards getting as big a trophy...
Read MoreBy Meridith Johnson The days becoming noticeably shorter seems to ring in a new season with yellow school busses packed with children in every seat, excited to head back to school. Every fall seems to welcome new beginnings as students return to sports, school and activities with a blank page of possibilities ahead this year. Music lessons beginning again for our students this fall also carries with...
Read MoreBy Meridith Johnson Recently a friend of mine who also teaches piano lessons shared a story with me about a new student she began teaching for the summer. After her first lesson with the small wide-eyed five-year old boy, the parent immediately began to question her, “How is his musical talent? Does he have good rhythm? Can he understand how to read music? I just don’t...
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Problem
This year I am celebrating 10 years of being a music studio business owner. In 2002, I opened my studio and had 17 students within the first year. I now carry a load of about 40 private students. My dilemma is that I am completely full, teaching six days per week, but just a little stressed! After some attrition and a drop in enrollment about two years ago, I am once again at full capacity, which means that any prospective students must go on my waiting list.
Do you offer make-up lessons? Do you require 24-hour advanced notice? Are there make-up lessons built into your semester or yearly calendar? Do your make-up lessons ever bleed over into summer lessons eating away at your precious summer income? Do make-up lessons make you feel stressed, overworked or manipulated?
In teacher training classes, at conferences, and among music teacher friends, this is one of the most heated topics I hear about. Most people have a strong opinion one way or another. If you are an active performer and expect lots of flexibility from your students to accommodate your performing schedule, you may be one of the teachers IN FAVOR of make-up lessons. If you, on the other hand, are someone with a tight child-care schedule or teaching space limitations, you may be COMPLETELY AGAINST make-up lessons. For community music schools, preparatory divisions, or multi-teacher co-operatives, the topic of make-up lessons probably fuels many of your faculty meetings.