These are the things that I like to include in my Annual Studio Report:

• A summary of the events from the year. For me as a piano teacher, this includes recitals, workshops, masterclasses, festivals, and individual student accomplishments (students who performed in talent shows, accompanied a school performance, or played for a worship service).
• Professional update. Here’s an opportunity to let students know about the work we put into our jobs outside of classroom time. I like to tell my students what ongoing education and conferences I have participated in during the year and what professional organizations I belong to.
• New studio equipment. If I have purchased anything over the course of the year, I take the opportunity to remind students about this new equipment and how it has been utilized in their lessons–even simple, new equipment. For example, last year I included the purchase of gathering drums in my annual studio report and let families know that they had been a useful tool in teaching beginning students rhythms and mastering passages where both hands play at the same time. Recording equipment, theory games or additions to your music library might also be worthwhile to include here.
• Studio policy changes. If there is anything new that you are changing to your studio policy in the year ahead, it is good to let your students know at this time. If I am raising my rates or changing my teaching hours in the fall, this is when I let that information be known.
• The year ahead. I also like to let students and their families know about what things they have to look forward to when they renew their commitment to music lessons. Festivals, recitals, workshops, competitions, etc. Of course, this does take a little advanced planning on your part to have a general idea of what events you will be holding in the future, but having a head start on your teaching year will certainly make the summer months more relaxing and enjoyable!

We at Studio Helper are actively campaigning for your ideas on ways to increase students in your studio. With summer around the corner, and a suffering economy, we all need to be proactive in working together on this project. We look forward to your comments and success stories, and will post your comments, stories and suggestions on the Studio Helper Facebook and Twitter page as well.

Below is a new feature and a bug fix in April, 2012:

• New Feature: Added Filipino Peso (PHP) as an option in the currency list.
• BugFix: Some recently created invoices were missing the “Balance Due” amount. This is now fixed.

We at Studio Helper are working hard to bring you new improvements and make Studio Helper even better, based on the feedback we receive from you. Be sure and go to Uservoice and vote on Hot Ideas that  members have suggested.

But what’s most interesting is that when they come back, they’re just a little bit more focused and motivated than usual.

The same goes for me when I return from vacation. As much as I love spending some time in the sun with no responsibilities, it’s that refreshed and recharged feeling I have when I return that I like the most.

My studio is a happier, more productive place for everyone after being closed for a few days. In addition to my spring break, I greatly value the weeks off before and after the summer session and during the winter holidays.Without them, the risk of burnout — for both teachers and students — is all too high.

Most of my vacations are not spent on a beach; though, I spend much of my vacation time right here in the studio. I recharge for the next session by looking for new repertoire, reorganizing my studio, making contact with parents I might not have had a chance to speak with regarding their students, and brushing up on my own musicianship skills.

Knowing that I can take my time to enjoy these tasks (rather than cram them into a busy day of teaching) eases my stress and gets me excited about my work all over again.

Every studio has a different approach when it comes to vacation time. Mine probably takes more than most, which of course means there is less income flowing during those weeks. And while I definitely feel that financial pain after a two-week vacation period, my opinion is that the benefits more than make up for it.

What are your thoughts on vacation time? The bottom line is that no matter how much or how little you schedule in your studio, you most likely see the same positive results as I do afterwards.

Zander began his talk unconventionally by walking from the front to the back of the room. He mentioned why people choose to sit in the back or the front row. Often, people won’t choose to be in the front row because they think it is saved for V.I.P. “Back rowers” like to be able to make a quick exit, sleep or text. Those who choose to be in the front row are open to receive (we had hesitantly chosen to sit in the front row!). Since the front row seats were not full, he invited folks to move up into them.

We all have the choice to be in the front row of our lives. According to Zander, our choices can be boiled down to either an upward or downward spiral (winning or losing, succes or failure), or the “radiating circle of possibility.” He said, “The world will show up entirely in the way you create it.” In other words, the secret of life is that, “It is all invented.”

The radiating circle of possibility represents the hope that whatever happens (good or bad) has the potential to be positive. Also, every day can be perfect. When mistakes are made, hurdles or adversity encountered – our reaction can be one of three choices:

1. Resignation
2. Anger
3. Possibility – we can throw our arms in the air and say, “How fascinating!”

As musicians, we play a special roll because musicians can speak to everybody. Art is about rearranging us and opening us up to possibility. Zander stated, restated and emphasized that we as music teachers are “the priests.” Our charge is to awaken possibility in other people, namely our students. How exciting and at the same time, what an enormous responsibility. How do you know you have awakened possibility in other people? Zander says to look at their eyes and ask, “Are they shining?” And if they are not, “Who am I being that their eyes are not shining?” Analyze and figure out what you might be doing or not doing to enable possibility.

To illustrate – while teaching at Eastman, Zander’s assignment, or rather, invitation was to give all students an A, an unconditional gift. The students were then asked to write a letter to him about the person they would be at the end of the term upon achieving an A. The act of giving an A can be practiced in any relationship or encounter, such as an employee, a family member, or a flight attendant. The significance of giving an A is that it removes judgment and creates different options. According to Zander, “the A is not an expectation to live up to, but a possibility to live into.”

I have been trying this with my students and it has worked tremendously. If I remove my expectations and judgements about a particular student, I treat them differently, allowing the student to grow and blossom in their own true direction. In addition to giving an A, there are many more practices in Zander’s book. I encourage everyone to get the book and start creating a world of possibility! As Zander so eloquently stated, “Possibility is only one sentence away.”

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.

Here are some of the pros and cons I have heard about make-up lessons. First, let’s assume that if you, the teacher, misses a lesson, you either owe the student a refund or a make-up lesson. The harder question is what to do when a student misses a lesson. Was little Johnny really sick or did he want to stay playing outside on a nice day? What about the family who didn’t call in advance but picked their child up sick from school? Do you really want them feeling pressured into coming to a lesson, exposing you to illness, just “because they had already paid for it”?

Advantages of Make-up Lessons

• The student and family feel that you are flexible and sensitive to their needs
• As a teacher you are willing to give make-up lessons and, in turn, may more frequently rearrange lessons to meet your other commitments
• Make-up lessons provide consistency of weekly lessons or additional lessons during a
  “make-up period” that the student would have forfeited.
• End of semester make-up lesson periods can be used to teach a new skill or provide an out-of-the-ordinary musical experience.

Disadvantages of Make-up Lessons

• Families may take advantage of your flexibility and are likely to miss for a friends’ birthday party as easily as they will miss for an excused illness.
• Commitment to prioritizing lessons (and possibly daily practice) may be diminished.
• Unless you are very strict about your payment policy, missed lessons can lead to missed payments and conflict between family and teacher.
• Make-up lessons are more teaching time for no additional money. You, the teacher, were available at the regularly scheduled lesson time. You were most likely paying for the space. Your student was not available and a make-up requires you to essentially give the lesson for free.

One of the most common comments I hear is that families are comfortable paying for a semester of ballet lessons, the soccer season, or a summer art class. They will miss a class when necessary but, in these examples, would not expect a make-up class or refund.

So what makes music lessons fall into a different category? Is it the fact that most lessons are one-on-one? Is it that lessons are sometimes taught in our home or apartment? Is it the old fashioned view of the little old lady down the street who taught piano but did it because she loved music and kids, not for the money?

I am endlessly fascinated by what seems to be an often illogical professional decision on the part of individual teachers and music schools. As musicians, we have spent years, often decades, studying our instrument and becoming dedicated, inspired music teachers. Most often we have to accept the limitations (and benefits) of being self-employed. More flexibility and control of our own business, but no paid vacation, no sick, no personal days, no paid holidays, no comp days after a week of overtime, no 401K. And yet, make-up lessons essentially make being paid for your time optional.

If I show up for work, I want to be paid. Even for those students who attend all the lessons in a semester, a week of make-up lessons at the end of the semester is either a missed week of lessons for that student (for which the teacher is not paid), or a comp lesson from the teacher. Neither of these options feels truly professional. I would not ask my dentist to examine and clean my teeth for no charge just because it was “make-up teeth cleaning week”.

Recently I read an interesting article that cuts right to the point. In 2001, Vicki Barnham wrote the article “Makeup Lessons From and Economists Point of View”.  It is located on the website of Ottawa Suzuki Strings, a long-standing, well-respected music school. I hope it gives you food for thought.

As we enter the summer training season and the last few months of another great school year, I hope you will take a few moments to think about your position on make-up lessons. Please post comments. I will continue the conversation and include your thoughts at Institutes around the country.

So far, I have managed to avoid much student turnover and my returning student rate each fall has been between 90 and 95%.  I have found the following strategies to be successful in helping me to achieve this rate:

• Building good relationships with my students’ families.  I make sure that we have good communication and let them know up front about practicing expectations and the importance of becoming involved in the musical learning process.  If parents feel they can be open with me, they usually come to me early on when there is a problem–before it is too late and a student has already made up his or her mind to quit lessons.
• Involving entire families in events at my music studio.  In the past year I have begun offering adult piano classes and early childhood music classes.  Parents of students make up the majority of the enrollment in my adult classes, and younger siblings are typically excited to enroll in a music class and learn from the same teacher as their older brothers or sisters.  Connecting families to my studio in more than one way helps build customer loyalty.  Taking on younger siblings as piano students also helps alleviate the need for advertising since I am often able to draw from my existing pool of students!
• Providing many performances and events for student participation.  Students tend to be motivated when they are working towards an event, which encourages zeal and excitement about what they are learning and means they are less likely to become apathetic (which often results in terminating lessons).  Parents LOVE to see the progress their student is making, and are always so proud of their child after hearing him perform in a recital, masterclass or competition.  Make sure that you provide many opportunities for your student to showcase his talents for friends and families.
• Educate your families about what makes you a good teacher.  Do you belong to local teaching organizations?  Do you have a higher degree?  Do you participate in ongoing education?  Do you provide unique performance experiences?  When students and their families understand that what you are able to offer them is special and valuable, they will appreciate and respect you as a teacher and studio owner.

• On People > Families, deleting a family did not delete the entire family. This is now fixed.
• When a new expense is added and the vendor is new, an error message appeared saying you must choose a vendor. This is now fixed.
• Parent and students did not receive any email confirmation when they registered online. This is now fixed.
• The mini calendar on the calendar’s sidebar did not work for parents. This is now fixed.
• On the create invoice page when automatic billing is used. The Lesson details were not sorted by date. This is now fixed.
• Lessons Taught report did not display the lesson notes. This is now fixed.

This worked very well for a while, but as my teaching hours grew longer, this set-up interfered with my family. It was definitely time for a change.

So I made plans to turn the two spare bedrooms into a new studio and waiting room and add a dedicated entrance off of the garage. The next four months were spent turning my plans into a reality (with the help of contractors), and my new studio was ready just in time for the start of the summer 2011 session.

This upgrade completely changed the feel of my studio: my students and their families felt more comfortable, I now had more space for my business, and when I closed the door separating my studio from the rest of my house at night, I really felt like I was leaving work.

Making such a big change is not a light decision for any business owner. Upgrading my studio required a big investment not only financially, but time-wise as well.

There were a few things that I needed to consider prior to turning my plans into a reality, and I would suggest that anyone pondering a studio upgrade consider the following, too:

• Cost effectiveness (will the upgrade allow for more students, a greater tax deduction, etc.)
• Convenience (restroom, enough space for families, etc.)
• Improved working environment
• Ease of use and accessibility

The answer was “yes!” to all of those items in my case, which made the decision a no-brainer. Although my old studio was fine and I could have continued to use it, going through with the upgrade positively affected my overall business in a way that has made everyone happier (my husband and dog included!).

The Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) provides a Code ot Ethics that addresses this issue in its Commitment to Colleagues section:

The teacher shall maintain a professional attitude and shall act with integrity in regard to colleagues in the profession.

Furthermore, the last two bullets in the Commitment to Colleagues section speak to the ethics involved in transfer situations among students, parents and teachers:

The teacher shall respect the integrity of other teachers’ studios and shall not actively recruit students from another studio.

The teacher shall participate in the student’s change of teachers with as much communication as possible between parties, while being sensitive to the privacy rights of the student and families.

Direct communication is definitely the key. When I get a call from a parent transferring from a different studio, I try to find out as much as I can about why the student is leaving their current teacher. I ask if the parent has spoken with their current teacher about leaving. If they have not, I urge them to do so and ask if it is okay if I contact the teacher. The reason I do this is because someone did it for me. I have had students leave my studio to study with a different teacher for a variety of reasons. One of the first times it happenned, the teacher that the parent had contacted called me and asked if I was okay with the change. I developed a deep respect for this teacher because she took the time to call me. It felt good to have everything out in the open and I felt that the teacher displayed common courtesy towards me. Thus, I have implemented the same response when students want to transfer to my studio from a different teacher.

I have experienced the opposite – where the parent hasn’t been honest about why they are leaving and I discover that they left to study with another teacher – and I wonder why the teacher would not have contacted me. I feel an obligation to my fellow colleagues to act with integrity and professionalism because students will come and go. Relationships with colleagues are long-standing yet delicate. It is important to strive for a very high command of ethics in our interactions with each other. I challenge you to think carefully when faced with any problematic situations this spring. Use the MTNA Code of Ethics as your guide and practice integrity with your colleagues.

From the time we were young children, going to school was a given, an expectation. For many of us, that pattern of school year/summer break continued well into adulthood with college and often, further advanced degrees. But then, one day, it stopped. No more required exams. No more automatic private lessons on our instrument. No more crunch time at the end of each semester. Most of us breathed a sigh of relief. We began working, teaching, performing, auditioning, all the while acquiring new skills as we began our professional music careers.

Then one day we all come to a point of feeling comfortable in our career. We know the landscape. We are good, solid teachers and performers. We have enough students and gigs to pay the bills. But is “comfortable” enough? Do you feel knowledgable about the new technology available to music teachers? Have you expanded your repertoire of music, of teaching ideas, of different learning styles? Are you caught up on the current music education research and methodologies?

Summer is a wonderful time to transition from teacher back to student, to learn something new, to challenge your comfort zone.

Here is an excerpt by Gary L. Ingle, published in The American Music Teacher in October, 2010.

At these conferences, you – the music teacher – become the music student. This transformation is necessary, even crucial, to the continuation of our profession. For, music only lives through a constant receiving and giving away. So, all of us, regardless of age or status, are both music teacher and music student.

Recently, I read a startling statistic: Practicing physicians were surveyed regarding their continuing education practices and how up to date they were on the most recent advances in medicine. A whopping 5 1 percent were found to be lacking in contemporary knowledge of the latest advances in medical research, diagnoses, treatments and technology. Like you, I was stunned by the percentage. As a person who receives medical care, it is important to me that my physician is continuing his education and remains up to date on the latest information in medical research and practice.

As I read this statistic, I wondered about the music teaching profession in general and MTNA members in particular. Are music teachers committed to continuing their education and staying up to date on the latest advances in pedagogy, methodology, techniques, research, equipment and the like in music teaching? And, more importantly, should not music students expect their teachers to have the same commitment to continuing education we expect of physicians and other professionals? Of course, the answers to both questions should be an emphatic “YES!”

What are you doing to embrace being a Life-Long Learner? Every summer I travel to Suzuki Institutes around North America teaching coursers for teachers. Whether I am teaching an introductory Book 1 course or the final Book 9 course, I hand out a Personal Goals Sheet to every participant. At the end of the course I ask them to return the questionnaire to me. Then, six months later, I send it back to them. It is a great mid-year reminder of their own expressed goals. The areas of study I ask each teacher to create a goal are: Studio development, Professional development, Personal instrumental study, Performance, Reading or exploration of topics.

As summer quickly approaches, I encourage you to look over the following list of organizations and training opportunities. Find time to take a local or online class this summer. Attend a workshop. Participate or audit a masterclass on your instrument. Read about learning styles, current developments in teaching, or another topic that has piqued your interest. Embrace the change that summer brings. Enjoy!

MTNA summer programs: http://members.mtna.org/summerprograms

MTNA Certifications Program: http://www.mtnacertification.org/

American Strings Teacher Association: www.astaweb.com

Music Together Teacher Training: http://www.musictogether.com/TeacherTrainingWorkshop

Kindermusik Teacher Training: http://www.kindermusik.com/

American Orff-Shulwerk Association: http://www.aosa.org/

Organization of American Kodaly Educators: http://oake.org/EndorsedPrograms/

Suzuki Association of the Americas: http://suzukiassociation.org/events/institutes/

Yamaha Music Education System: http://www.yamaha.com/YMES/musicschools/

Dalcroze Society of America: http://www.dalcrozeusa.org/workshops-and-classes/adult-summer

Soundtree Institute courses: http://institute.soundtree.com/Tour.aspx

National Association for Music Education: http://www.menc.org/careers/view/career-center-continuing-education