One of the challenges in scheduling piano lesson
s is that most of my clients are school aged children. This means that by the time a student gets out of school and over to my home studio it is typically 4:00. Most school aged children–especially the younger ones I tend to work with–are at their best if their lessons are over by 6:30 or 7. And since we live in an area where people tend to go camping or skiing on the weekends (myself included), Friday and weekend lessons are not a viable option. This means that I really only have about 12 hours of weekly teachable time (and income earning potential).
This past year, I’ve tried to get creative by expanding my studio offerings, and I have also observed many fellow studio owners in our area that have done the same. Here are some ideas from my experience:
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!