In Measure One (chapter one), Victor, a struggling bass guitarist finds himself low on income with no upcoming performance engagements and decides that he better “practice.” Practicing scales, chords, and arpeggios, he quickly loses interest and gets sleepy. Suddenly, the teacher appears, dressed in a NASA-style blue jumpsuit with a motorcycle helmet on his head, carrying a skateboard in one hand and a burlap sack on his back. His name is Michael and he states that he is a teacher. When asked of what, he replies, “a teacher of nothing.” The discussion winds its way around to music, and Michael asks the student, “What is music?” After more dialogue, Michael finally says, “Music comes from the word mu which is the ancient word for mother; sic is an abbreviation of science. Therefore, music is the mother of all sciences.” “Music is important.”

Music teachers know that music is vitally important for many reasons. Music has the power to transform and change lives, as well as unite people of differenct cultures and backgrounds, not to mention all of the educational and health benefits that are now being discovered. While devouring the book, I realized that like the main character of the book, I too, especially in teaching, can get so stuck in the notes, the music theory and the technique, that I forget about the language. Our instruments are but a vehicle through which we express our ideas and feelings, like a pen is to a writer. Michael, the teacher in the book, guides Victor through a journey of self-discovery and spirituality through exploration of the ten elements of music. Of those ten elements, notes and technique take up only two. Of course, the notes must be learned, and the technique must be developed, but there is so much more. Here are the ten elements of music that are expertly discussed in the book:

1. Notes: melody, harmony, scales, modes, chords, etc.
2. Articulation/Duration
3. Technique
4. FEEL (groove or emotion) “You should never lose the groove in order to find a note.”
5. Dynamics
6. Rhythm, tempo
7. TONE
8. Phrasing
9. SPACE: rest, not playing, breath
10. LISTENING

This year in my teaching, I have made it a goal, even with beginners, to keep the larger picture in sight and to incorporate as many elements of music as I can into each lesson; to help students get beyond the notes to the true essence of the Music; to help them find their own unique voice with their instrument and to communicate their own story with the music.

At the end of the book, I found a profound quote that I will end with. “Strive not to practice only to make yourself better, but have the pure intention to make all musicians better – The spirit of Music herself will be on your side.”

Recently my ensemble policy has been questioned by some of my colleagues as well as a family within my studio. Isn’t it too much of a time commitment? Jr and Sr high school students are so busy. Can’t my child just keep taking lessons even if they don’t sign up for band in school? I have been tempted to make exceptions to my requirement.

Then, just a few weeks ago, I had one of my long-time students stop taking flute lessons. I was sad and disappointed but had seen it coming. I wondered if there was something I should have done differently. My student had been struggling all fall. She was coming to lessons unprepared, withdrawn, and disengaged. The change in our lessons was dramatic. I spoke with her family, we talked in lessons, I looked for music that was particularly fun and engaging. I was working hard to help her through what felt like a particularly difficult practice slump. (We all have them!) Just six months ago she was progressing through her repertoire, well-known and respected as the most advanced flutist in school music program, and she had just gotten a new flute. Then this past fall, for the first time in three years, she did not audition for the after school honors band. She didn’t want to join a chamber music class. She began to balk at playing in front of our group class. She decided not to take band in school. It was a slippery slope that ended in a wonderful, talented young girl feeling overwhelmed, unmotivated, and bad about herself.

The more I have thought about the situation, the more confident I am that my “ensemble requirement” is absolutely right on. Many of my students begin playing when they are very young (age 4-6). At that age a private lesson and group class is sufficient and they work with their parents daily at home. For my pre-teens, the parent relationship is changing. They are no longer as willing to have the parent actively working with them at home. Developmentally, it is appropriate that they are craving independence, peer interactions, and acceptance. In my experience, no matter how long they have studied their instrument, making music cannot be a solitary experience for this age group. They need to communicate, to feel like “one of the gang”, and to be surrounded by an environment of music. Sending a student to practice alone in their bedroom day after day is like a watching a beautiful plant slowly being starved of light and water. Music is a living language and it needs to be shared with others.

There is nothing more exciting than to see one of my teenage students thriving in school and in music. To know that their instrument has become their “rock” and it has helped them to weather one of the most volatile and difficult stages of growth. To see that they are well on their way to becoming what Dr Shinichi Suzuki calls “the good citizens of the world”.

What ensemble experiences do your students participate in? If you are a piano instructor, how to do manage to make playing the piano exciting and fulfilling at this every social time? Do you see a difference between those students who are engaged in music with their peers and those who are more solitary? What creative solutions have you found for your home-schooled students or those who do not fit into the typical programs? I look forward to your thoughts.

That said, I’ve never been one to implement reward programs to try to motivate a student.  I’ve known teachers who provide prizes or even monetary rewards for students who practice a certain number of times per week, but in my experience these can be ineffective and expensive.  Instead, I have found that providing students with performance opportunities motivates students to practice and in doing so, helps encourage a long-term relationship with the student and his family.

A student who is preparing for a recital or competition is likely to practice faithfully.  He doesn’t want to embarrass himself by playing poorly in front of his family and friends, but wants to impress them with his musical abilities.  A student playing for a competition or festival will, likewise, want to impress the judge and earn a good score.  A student who doesn’t practice and gives a poor performance is likely to want to turn things around the next time and prevent this experience from happening again!  Since some instruments can also be a bit isolating, hearing their peers play can also be motivating to kids.  A beginning piano student has the opportunity to hear a high school student play a famous Chopin prelude, and becomes excited about what he will be able to learn someday if he sticks with his instrument.

Parents also enjoy opportunities to see their children shine.  Hearing their children play in a recital or festival makes them proud and helps them understand the real gift they are giving to their children by keeping them in music lessons.  Hearing advanced students play also allows parents to see the rewards of a long-term commitment to lessons.

At my own studio, I try to provide students with many opportunities throughout the year to play in a variety of settings and through a variety of organizations.  I never require that a student participate in all of the events I offer, but I always make my students aware of what opportunities they have and help parents select a few that fit their child’s abilities and personalities well.  Some of the performance opportunities I provide are:

• Annual studio recitals, held at the community room of our local library
• Seasonal recitals put on by my local teachers organization at our university (allows students to play in an amazing venue on an amazing instrument)
• Masterclasses put on by my local teachers organization each spring
• Students share holiday music selections each December at a local nursing home
• Competitive opportunities through the National Federation of Music Clubs and my state music teachers organization

WHAT is it?

TAP provides a recognized national standard of musical success through an effectively sequenced course of study from beginner to advanced levels. First of all, a bit of recent history: last year The Royal Conservatory Program partnered with Carnegie Hall to create TAP. Prior to TAP, the program here in the United States was formerly called The National Music Certificate Program (NMCP) and before that, The Royal American Conservatory Examinations (RACE). Though it is fairly new here, the Royal Conservatory was founded in 1886 as the Toronto Conservatory of Music. Interestingly, its founder, Edward Fisher, was a young organist born in the U.S. The Conservatory offically opened in September of 1887 and is now celebrating its 125th year. The mission of The Royal Conservatory is “to develop human potential through music and the arts.” Notable alumni include Glenn Gould who graduated from the Conservatory with highest honors at age 12.

TAP encompasses four main areas: repertoire, technique, musicianship, and musical literacy. The program covers all instruments, voice, and the academic areas of theory, music history, and pedagogy. The Piano Syllabus consists of ten Grades with a theory assessment requirement beginning at Grade 5. Included also are elementary and intermediate piano pedagogy, as well as diplomas in Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy.

WHEN is it?

Assessment sessions are offered twice per year in November/December and May/June. Winter assessments are now over, but registration for spring assessments opens on January 17 with a deadline of February 21. If you enroll a student in this first year of TAP, you can qualify as a Founding Teacher! Further information regarding location and dates can be found on the TAP website.

WHY do it?

Some states in the country (such as my own, Minnesota) already have well-established syllabus programs. So you may be asking, why do one more thing? For me, it is a way for my students to compare on a national level. There is a common language and recognition for high achievement. In fact, to celebrate its inaugural year, TAP is hosting a special event at Carnegie Hall on March 27, 2012: national top achievers will be selected to perform in a concert and radio broadcast with From the Top and host Christopher O’Riley. Furthermore, students may be able to receive high school credit for succesfully completing Grades 8 and beyond. Also, the adjudication is excellent. The adjudicating body is called the College of Examiners. A strict selection process, training, supervision, monitoring, quality control, and unbiased third party opinion ensures that a high standard of professionalism is maintained.

The supporting materials that are available through Frederick Harris are extremely high quality and include the Perspective Series as well as sight playing, ear training, theory, and history texts. By following the curriculum, a clear path for success is set. Additionally, as a teacher, I do not have to volunteer and I do not need to fill out registration forms. Parents can simply go online and do it themselves. Some teachers, however, do choose to fill out registration forms for their students. Personally, I like not having to do it! It is nice to have the administrative and online support that the website provides. Critiques and theory assessment results are available online and can be accessed and easily stored for future reference.

This is a very comprehensive program. My students really love it and it has been a pleasure to see the smiles on their faces, and the pride in their eyes after successfully completing an assessment! I have observed that those who participate grow into fine, well-rounded, independent musicians. It is a program that will motivate the student to reach his/her musical potential.

HOW to start?

It is very easy. Just go to the website: www.theachievementprogram.org and sign up to get your teacher number. Students can then begin enrolling for assessments with your teacher number. Jumpstart the new year and consider adding this program to your music studio!

As music teachers, we encourage students through very lonely lesson experiences.  How many of you have felt isolated while practicing, facing the wall at your music instrument, wondering… “When will this be more exciting and purposeful?!”  Since the beginning of September, my studio has been gearing up for our annual Christmas recital.  And, although that is our biggest event of the year, other studios do things differently.  I have found a recital to be a solid goal for students, helping them strive for that song just above their current level, while encouraging them to continue excelling at their regular assignments.  The anticipation is half the fun!

Suggestions…
*Monthly Performance Groups – get students together in small (or large) groups to perform highlight pieces for other students… include snacks, games, and “get-to-know-you” activities to build camaraderie within the studio.

*Quarterly recitals & casual performances in venues that benefit others… retirement centers and the local mall are only a couple ideas.

*Annual recital – showcase or highlight seasonal pieces, held at any point in time.

*Encourage students to perform for their parents on a weekly basis, either before or after (or both) their lessons.  Possibly award incentives to those who go above & beyond to create performance opportunities within their family.

Years ago, a friend, my brother, and I put on a performance in preparation for Sarah & my MTNA Syllabus Exams, for our parents.  We called it the KMS Krew (Kristin, Michael, Sarah), printed programs, made cookies, and went through the entire process of announcing our pieces and giving a bow at the end.  To this day, I still have the program, and honestly believe the encouragement I received during that performance has been a driving force in the passion I put in my studio recitals today.  Encourage your students to do the same – you never know how much it will be an great motivator to them as they are able to branch out of those secluded practice sessions, blessing others with their music. 

Performance Ideas…
*Invite guest performers to give a demonstration/explanation of their instrument to the audience.  Have a Q&A session, before, after, or during the performance.

*This Christmas, we may even finish with the song Joy to the World, and invite everyone to join in the singing of the 3^rd & 4^th verses, as my student leads from the stage (singing 1^st & 2^nd verses as a solo).  Inviting the supporting spectators to participate builds community within the studio, and the student will be absolutely thrilled something like that was able to happen.

Logistics…
*Ask for volunteers.  There is NO way a teacher can pull off a successful, memorable recital without tons of help.  I have helpers assisting with setup, refreshments, pictures, guestbook, the video camera, sound, cleanup, and more.  Parents are often glad to help – just send out an all points bulletin, request help, and it will come. 

*Schedule the performance well in advance, to ensure as many students make it a priority & penned-event on the calendar.  Confirm with the venue the time, setup instructions, and parking situation at least once.

*Require either a registration fee for the recital, or that the families bring refreshments to share.  Your cost to the venue (and expenses for refreshments) is then reduced greatly.  With refreshments, families stay longer to converse, visit, and build friendships – ultimately encouraging everyone to call the studio their musical home.  Recitals are also great opportunities for local families to realize they KNOW the other students taking lessons… “YOU take lessons here too?!  That’s awesome!”

*Prepare students in advance for the “order” of their performance.  Where do they sit before playing?  When do they approach the stage?  Do they bow before & after, or just after performing?   Remind them to smile & acknowledge the audience with eye contact… if they are especially nervous, let them know at least before & after performing is fine, but that at least should be expected.

*Figure out if you would like your students to memorize their pieces, and prepare this well in advance.  Also, do you have styles to mix up the program?  Do students play duets with you?  Do they play duets with one another?  This year will be our first recital in almost 8 years to have siblings play duets with one another… several sets!  I am thrilled.

Teachers, arrive early.  Be professional in speech, dress, and interaction with families.  Be ready in welcoming everyone, thanking everyone, and encouraging everyone.  Do you play as well?  How do you order your students?  Earlier Beginner to Later Advanced?  Or, shortest to tallest (I sometimes would do this if there was a drastic difference & the piano bench were adjustable)?  Or, randomly?  Or in alphabetical order?  Or solos first, then duets, then guests?  See!  Many possibilities.  No one way is the only way.

Above all, enjoy the experience.  Be prepared.  And have fun.  Your students will treasure the experience, and any nerves they have will only serve to drive them forward in their quest to be the best performer they can be – to be like you.

E-mail

The Internet has made communicating simple and effective.  When I think of how my own piano teacher growing up had to make phone calls whenever there was a schedule change or send letters home with students about upcoming events (and rely on us actually giving them to our parents…), I realize how lucky I am to be running a studio in the age of the Internet.  I use e-mail to communicate nearly everything that happens in my studio–upcoming recitals, workshops, lesson reminders, etc.  Not only does this simple and efficent way of communicating make life easier for me, but busy parents appreciate the quick, non-intrusive updates.  I also use e-mail to tell students about events in the community.  For example, if there is an upcoming symphony performance or a great sale at our local piano store, I will send a brief e-mail to my piano families to let them know.

Newsletters

I have found newsletters to be a great way to not only get studio information into my clients hands, but also to provide motivational and educational tips and articles to my families.  This has also been a wonderful tool to promote the benefits of music education. 

Once every quarter, I send a three or four page newsletter home with each student.  The newsletter includes upcoming studio event reminders and a welcome to new students, so that parents can see that there are new and exciting things happening in the studio.  I will also either write or reprint an article from another professional that covers a topic of interest.  The article might be general tips for encouraging home practicing, or it might be a study that tells about the academic gains made in students who take music lessons.  I also include a resource section where I provide parents with information such as recommendations for local piano tuners or websites that have fun music reading games for young children.

Annual Studio Report

At the end of each school year, I provide my families with an annual studio report.  I e-mail a copy to each family and also make the report available on my website, so that prospective families can learn more about what is offered at my studio.  In the report, I summarize the performances and workshops that students have participated in during the course of the year.  I include a section that lists the new equipment I have purchased for use in the studio (digital pianos, recording equipment, etc.).  I also provide a professional update and information about events that families can look forward to in the year ahead.  When some parents are perhaps feeling burned out after a year of negotiating practice times with their child, this studio report can be a great little boost.  It reminds parents of all the things their child has accomplished over the course of the school year, and gives them some new things to anticipate.

Tool #1:
Studio Helper
I use this daily to track all clients and outstanding balances due. I encourage all clients to use the Paypal ‘make a payment’ link and so all payments flow easily into Paypal and then into Studio Helper. Essential!

Tool #2:
Paypal App
I have the Paypal App on both my iPhone and my iPad. I regularly use it to quickly withdraw funds from my Paypal account and deposit them into my Citi business account. It takes less than a minute and can happen from anywhere I happen to be in the world.

Tool #3:
Evernote
An absolutely essential tool for me that I use to basically capture any and every idea I have about how I can grow my business. For example, recently I was on the hunt for a new commercial space to hour our school. I walked the neighborhood and snapped photos on my iPhone (in Evernote) of anything I saw I liked. I then added any text notes concerning details about each property (though the contact info was already usually in the photo). I finally made a single ‘notebook’ within Evernote that included all the photos of properties and my text. After synching with my iMac at home, I could organize and decide which properties seemed worth following up on.
In addition, I use Evernote as my daily ‘to do’ capturing tool. I have a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday ToDo set of notes in one notebook. Each week I only put big picture ToDo items on those daily lists. I define a big picture ‘Todo’ as something that absolutely has to get done in order to grow my business. Ferris’ suggests that your list should never have more than 2 items on it. In other words, you need to look really hard at what is actually generating you revenue and translating into growth you want. Do not add stuff to your lists that just keep you busy. That, he argues, is pointless and ultimately causes burnout.

Tool #4:
Omnifocus
Considered by many to be the most thorough integration of David Allen’s ‘Getting Things Done’ method, Omnifocus is essentially just a task manager. But it is a task manager on steroids. It let’s me categorize tasks by project, assign due dates, assign the context in which I will complete them (i.e.. phone, email, online, etc…) and it even gives push notifications so that I don’t forget something pressing. And, it works wonderfully between all three of my devices. Everything syncs perfectly.

Here is how I use Evernote and Omnifocus hand in hand. First of all, I learned a while back that my task manager is NOT the place to keep all my ‘someday maybe’ todo items. If it was just a brainstorm of cool things I could for Brooklyn Music Factory but wasn’t essential to day to day operation, it needed to go elsewhere. What happened was that I became totally overwhelmed by my todo list in Omnifocus and lost touch with what needed to happen immediately. Sound familiar? So, enter Evernote. I use it for capturing all of my brainstorms, all my notes from reading interesting blogs or business books, all my faculty meeting notes, curriculum notes, etc. Basically it holds everything except the list of todos that keep my business afloat.

So my workflow is simplified because I have one place that holds most everything on my mind (Evernote is great for clipping from the web or grabbing an email to reference later) while living in another zone is my actual day to day todo list. Above I mentioned that I do have a sort of larger view todo list in Evernote, but that is really just reserved for the BIG things that absolutely have to get done…examples might be: invoicing or 2-3 crucial emails to be sent.

Finally, if you have staff, as we do, then I recommend sharing these programs with them and getting them to sync with the necessary Evernote notebooks or Omnifocus projects. I simply add to my administrators todo list in Omnifocus and never need to send an email or bug him. I can look and see when he has completed a specific task or if he needs more time.

When running a small business, it is key that you develop a work flow for day to day tasks for yourself and your employees. While there are still times I fall down on the job of keeping track of all the moving parts, I feel more together under my current collection of tools and how I use them than I have ever before. There are many many choices and that alone can be overwhelming. I have found that the key is picking a few tools, learning how to use them well, creating a system/work flow with those tools, and then sticking to it long enough for it to become second nature. Often times, the final step is the hardest!

Who else uses these tools? Have you found some others that do the same thing but you like better? What is your method for getting things done day in and day out? Please share…..

Such events can help make students feel that they are part of something bigger than just taking lessons from their teacher, and as a result, they will feel more of an attachment to the studio–a plus for both the teacher and the studio as a whole.

Pooling talents is the key.  An individual teacher could offer services from any location, but if you combine the skills of various teachers, you can offer something people can find nowhere else.

Examples include introductory classes, ensemble classes, jam sessions, open house festivals, recitals or demonstrations, camps, and gig services.  Let’s take a look at these ideas…

Introductory classes

Introductory classes are appealing to people who want a chance to sample teachers and offerings before committing themselves to lessons or a series of classes they’re not sure of.  You could coordinate with your teachers a way they would be comfortable working together, or working in sequence, to show prospective students something of what they can learn.  If you are a music studio, this could be a chance for people to try out different instruments, and in the process, get a sense of what the different teachers are like.  The introductory class could be a single 2-hour session on a weekend, in a workshop format; it could be a whole afternoon or day, with refreshments served; or it could be a weekly class for a short series over the course of, say, one month.  Below I’ll discuss camps, and this introductory class idea can fit in there, as you’ll see.

Ensemble classes

Ensemble classes are a great way to combine the talents of your teachers and make students more excited to come to your studio.  Discuss with your teachers ways to identify students who might benefit from working together.  You will have to work out who would like to lead an ensemble class.  Some teachers might be afraid of losing a student to the ensemble or to another teacher, so it’s good to be sensitive to their concerns, but it would be a shame not to give students this opportunity.  Usually the exciting challenges of working in an ensemble make students even keener to take their private lessons so as to keep up with the group.  It can be difficult to just put ensembles together by signup sheet but you can try it; usually teachers are best at identifying students who might benefit, and what their skill levels and interests are.  Sometimes jam sessions are a good way to warm students up for joining an ensemble class.

Jam sessions

Jam sessions are informal ways to allow students to use the skills they’ve been learning.  Sessions should be led by a teacher or several teachers, who can start tunes that they know are playable by the students.  It’s fun for students to join in when their teachers are playing too.  Session leaders need to keep an eye on students to make sure there are at least a few tunes for everybody.  Even if a student can only play a few tunes in the session, it’s going to be fun for them.  If they feel locked out of all the tunes, it won’t work for them.  Paying teachers for sessions can be tricky unless you charge for the session, and that might cut down on numbers.  A good session should have a critical mass of players.  However, sometimes, when a session is free, people are less committed, so charging a reasonable fee might help everyone, and benefits the studio for the use of the space.  Refreshments are a great idea here.  Teachers might want to do brief performances as part of the session—this gives them exposure and increased involvement, allows students to hear their teacher play, and provides more reason for people to attend, even if just to listen to their kids or friends, or to listen a time or two before joining in.

Open house

An open house at the beginning of your semester or term allows people to investigate your studio in a welcoming way.  This can generate publicity in the media for your studio, and you can post signs and flyers about it.  Teachers can be invited to do demonstrations, performances, and talk with prospective students.  Demonstrations can give people a chance to see a variety of styles of performers; you could have entertainers such as magicians, etc., as well, to make the event more festive.  A music studio could have a “petting zoo” where a company that rents instruments might come in to allow people to touch and try various instruments.

Recitals & Demonstrations

Recitals really give students, and teachers too, goals for their learning.  Participation can be as formal or informal as your teachers think best.  You could organize a recital to showcase each teacher’s studio in sequence, so no one would feel required to sit through everybody else’s performances.  You might have a good space in  your studio for a recital, but if not, the benefits of engaging your students and teachers studio-wide, and gaining publicity for the studio, can make it worth while renting a space or renting chairs, and even providing some refreshments (that’s always a plus for participants!).

Demonstrations are similar to recitals but can be quite different, requiring either a higher level of performance quality, or an MC who can make both players and listeners comfortable hearing students play what they’re working on, and appreciating them for their efforts and their progress.  You could organize demonstrations at your space, at a mall, or at a community festival, for example.

Camps

A camp can be as simple as a daily workshop for a week or weekend at your studio, or as complicated as renting a residential site by a lake in the summer for a full week or weekend of events.  To benefit your studio, you should coordinate it with your teachers and make use of them so that the camp can be representative of what your studio offers.  I’ve seen camps at a music school where a lead teacher organizes and is paid extra for that, while bringing in other teachers to help, including both teachers from the studio and guests from outside, which can add an exciting feature to the camp.  A clear theme for the camp is important – Rock Camp, Strings Camp, Woodwinds Camp, etc.  One camp I’ve run was called “Meet the Instruments” and it gave kids aged 8-12 a chance to try all the instruments over the course of a week.  This would fit into the idea mentioned above about having a camp function as an introductory class, making use of your teachers, or bringing in guests to fill in gaps, and following up on the camp to offer ongoing lessons and classes to the participants.

Gig services

Gig services are another possible way of pooling the talents at your studio, and making it bigger than just a collection of teachers.  For example, you could advertise that you can provide wedding musicians, and find a fair way to parcel out requests to your teachers.  You could have a page on your website listing teachers interested in playing for weddings or other functions and have people contact them directly.  This would be a service to your teachers that would make them better appreciate being part of your studio.  Or you could be the coordinator, and pass out gig offers to the appropriate teachers, presumable taking a cut for the studio for the service.  It would be important to have a transparent process, so that teachers don’t feel you have favorites, and feel resentment instead of appreciation towards the studio.

Hopefully these ideas will get you thinking about ways you can make your studio into a whole that’s bigger than its parts, to the benefit of all.