21 Jan
Festival, exam and competition season is upon us. How do you prepare your students for these events? I take this part of my teaching very seriously, mostly because I had a negative experience at a music exam as a student myself. My first piano teacher registered me for a piano exam and I had absolutely no idea what to expect, was not coached on any of the components of the exam, and left feeling like a failure. Luckily, I did not lose my drive for music and instead found a much more competent teacher who took the time to make sure I was prepared. What I learned from her was invaluable to me as both a performer and teacher. Most of this is common sense, but I would like to share some of my ideas.
One of my goals as a piano teacher–and probably one of the goals of many teachers and studio owners out there–is to avoid student turnover. I understand that many students who quit piano at a young age will go on to have regrets as adults for not sticking with music lessons longer, which I find heartbreaking. I enjoy transitioning students from elementary level music to intermediate and advanced repertoire, and if a student quits music lessons too soon, I don’t get to experience this with them. I also truly believe having happy students (and experiencing little student turnover as a result) is the best marketing strategy out there. If students are happy, they are less likely to quit and leave me to quickly find a replacement before it causes too much of a financial strain. And, if students are happy, they will provide excellent word-of-mouth references in my community–free advertising!
Owning your own studio can be a bit lonely. Especially if your studio is small, and you don’t have other employees and aides with whom you interact regularly. But being a studio owner doesn’t need to be isolating. There are many professional organizations out there that can provide opportunities for comraderie and collaboration and the reasons to join them are many.