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26 Aug

Avoiding Studio Scheduling Anxiety

by admin
in Policies and Procedures, Program Development, Teaching
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Ready. Set. Go! It’s that time of year. For me, there is only one more week until lessons resume. If you haven’t done so already, you, like me, are probably in the middle of scheduling all of your lesson times for the fall. I dread this time of year. Even though I take the month of August off, it is always a monumental task to find the perfect time for each and every student. The problem is that most of the time I spend way too much time worrying and stressing about it rather than just getting it done! I would rather be out enjoying the last rays of summer, but my fun is spoiled with all that is left undone.

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09 Jan

Studio Field Trip

by cconrad
in Marketing, Performance, Program Development, teacher resourses, Teaching
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Conductors003Have you ever done a field trip with your studio? I’m attempting one — sort of.

Each year, our local symphony holds a children’s symphony — a free, interactive performance that plays lots of kid-friendly songs…and lasts under an hour.

While I’m not exactly organizing and transporting the 30 students in my studio to the event (I can barely keep track of my own two kids), I am encouraging everyone to attend and providing supplementary material at music classes and for parents. Here’s what I’m doing for students enrolled in piano lessons at my studio:

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09 Nov

A Recital for Charity

by cconrad
in Marketing, Performance, Program Development, teacher resourses
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charityThis month, I did something at my studio that I’ve never done before — I used my studio to raise money for a local charity.

We have a very beloved charity in our area that works with children with disabilities. Each summer, they host a camp for children undergoing cancer treatment, and invite those children and their families to spend a week in the mountains enjoying outdoor activities, musical therapy and fellowship with one another.

To make this recital unique and also get my students excited about the opportunity, I kept my expectations simple and let them have control. I gave them the option to play between one and five songs of their choice, and called the recital a “Play-a-thon”. Pieces didn’t have to be memorized, and they could be any pieces that they have learned in their time with me. Students LOVED this freedom, and even though we had a few random Christmas pieces thrown in the mix, it was fun for me to learn the pieces that they consider all-time favorites.

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09 Sep

Minimizing Early Dropouts

by cconrad
in Finances, Marketing, Policies and Procedures, Program Development
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quitterYou can pick out the family within a few minutes of conversation — the kind who tells you they’re looking to “give piano/violin/dance/etc. a try”. They don’t give the impression of being overly-committed, and within a few months — when repertoire starts to become more challenging or when the exciting “newness” wears off, the student lose interests and asks to quit, which his parents are all to ready to let him do. You cringe when this happens, thinking of the spot he has taken up while students on your wait list have likely found other teachers in the meantime.

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25 Jul

My Secret Weapons for Productivity

by admin
in Program Development
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Secret Weapons for ProductivityI’m on maternity leave this summer, so my studio is currently closed and I’m not teaching students. However, I’m still running my resource website for music teachers and therapists as well as doing lots of planning for the fall session, so that in combination with a brand new baby means I have to be super productive when actually have a few minutes to devote to my work.

Luckily, I have a few tricks and tips that I rely on when it’s time to get into gear, and since I know that running a studio involves lots of administrative work, I thought I’d share some with you.

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