For the most part, my students are blessed with incredibly supportive parents, siblings, and other family members…many of whom accompany them to their lessons and cheer them on before and afterwards.
And while I very much appreciate that parents are not just cheerleaders — they are also responsible for setting expectations and enforcing regular practice — [...]

What ensemble experiences do your students participate in? Do you see a difference between those students who are engaged in music with their peers and those who are solitary? Do you require ensemble participation?

Two common struggles of teachers/studio owners are motivating students and keeping students long-term.   These are, of course, related to each other.  A student who isn’t motivated to practice his instrument probably isn’t enjoying the experience and isn’t progressing, and it’s likely that it won’t be long before his family feels the investment is a waste of money and [...]

Communicating with parents can be scary and intimidating. After all, they are our bread and butter and we certainly want to keep them happy. However, they deserve to know exactly how their children are proceeding at all times in their musical studies. There are many ways to handle sharing your [...]

I think the fall is probably an expensive time for most studio owners across the board as we prepare to head into another year of teaching…
Here’s what my business records show for this month:
Membership renewal in my national, state, and local teachers’ associations: $135
Ad in the local paper: $45
Ad in local parenting magazine: $100
New teaching [...]

Every Successful Business Has a Business Plan.
That being said, I have to admit that when I began my home piano studio, I did not write out a formal business plan or even a startup plan! I did, however, create professional documents such as a studio policy, studio brochure, business cards, tuition statements, and many [...]

Having been a piano teacher for nine years now, I have learned how very important it is to maintain contact with my clients.  I believe that keeping the lines of communication open with my customers results in a better lesson experience for all involved, and I’ve also learned that it helps my students and their families to feel as [...]

Social media has been a key component in the growth of my studio. In fact, I’ve never actually done any “traditional” marketing such as print ads, fliers, and so on. I jumped on the Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn bandwagon long before it was almost a necessity, and it has most definitely paid off.
But there are some things to [...]

Almost nobody likes a deadline, but sometimes, deadlines are the only way something gets done.
In pondering the subject of this blog entry, I decided to use an example from my own studio – and hope the strategies and thought-processes I have used will be helpful to you.  I would be interested in hearing your thoughts [...]

Yesterday during a break between lessons, I checked my voicemail to find three messages from parents seeking a voice teacher for their children.  Three inquiries in a week? Completely normal.  But three in the span of two hours?
I got my explanation when a teacher from another local studio called and revealed himself as the referral [...]