table of contents · their child’s lessons until the fall – if you don’t need to keep up on...

Table of Contents

8Scratch-off Practice Charts for Summer Success

These DIY scratch-off music practice charts might just be the magic needed to inspire your students to keep up with their practice routines over the break.

5How to Handle Summer in Your Music Studio Business

Summer is a time when many music teaching studios struggle to keep income going. Find out the best summer options for music teaching studios.

10Putting the Fun Back Into Summer Lessons: An Outdoor Piano Party

With ballgames, picnics, and the pool, piano lessons aren't usually a high priority for students in the summer. So why not hijack the appeal of summer activities by hosting a piano party?

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16Really Realistic Resolutions for Piano Teachers

Spring is the perfect time for piano teachers to set resolutions. Here's how I make realistic resolutions for my studio and set about achieving them.

14End-of-Year Piano Student Goal Setting

I like to get students thinking about next year – and all the fun stuff they want to achieve – before summer break (with all its distractions) kicks off.

27Simplify Your Studio With All-Inclusive Fees

An all-inclusive piano tuition fee structure makes budgeting easier for you and piano parents while your students get the right materials at the right time.

20How to Make Any Change in Your Piano Teaching Business

Want to add buddy lessons, or raise rates? This is how to make a piano studio policy change it without upsetting or disrupting your current piano parents.

29Ask Countess Von Clavier

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Hello&

Welcome

Arecent website I visited declared that they were doing: "Business as usual in unusual times." I liked that phrasing a lot and I think it's something we teachers can take to heart as most of us move into the

summer months.

Yes, we need to change and adapt to the times. No, we cannot proceed as if a worldwide pandemic is not happening right now.

But what we can do is to look ahead and plan for the time when this is over. For some of us, that may mean saving the outdoor ideas in this issue for next summer. Others will be able to take these ideas and run wild if their community is in the clear and in the mood to celebrate together.

Whatever is going on where you are right now and whatever happens over the coming months, you are playing a bigger game than that. You need to prepare your studio for a long future of sharing music and creating musicians. The ideas in this issue will help you understand where the summer season fits into that plan this year and for many years to come.

Let's get this (socially-distant) summer party started!

How to handle SUMMER in your MUSIC STUDIO business

Summer can be a bit of a sticky wicket for music studio businesses. Families are travelling and kids are out of their normal routine – so what’s the best way to run

a music school during the summer months?

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BRIGHT NOTESthe Vibrant Music Teaching magazine

© Vibrant Music Limited 2020www.vibrantmusicteaching.com

There are a few options that work for music studios in the summer. The best fit for your studio is going to depend on your goals and your community, so keep these things in mind as we run through the options:

Will this work for my studio families, or will it be an uphill battle?

Would I be able to do this with my current students, or would I need to do a lot of marketing for new students? And if so, is it worth it?

Does this fit with my lifestyle goals for how I want to spend my summer?

That being said, let’s talk through the most common options.

Keep Up The Regular Lessons

For some, the best option is just to keep up the same routine. This is what many music teachers want to do as they need to keep their income

steady during the summer and they don’t feel they need 2 months off each year. If this is your goal – and it’s just not flying with your studio families – you may need to rethink.

In many communities, standard weekly lessons are just not going to cut it during the summer. Families may be too busy, travelling too much and/or just want a break from the usual routine.

Don’t swim upstream. Don’t keep trying to make this work if it does not suit the families that you serve. Move on to other options.

Ad-hoc Lessons

A more flexible lesson schedule can be a great fit for the summer months, for both you and your students.

Try setting up an online scheduling system through My Music Staff or Calendly and let your students or parents schedule their own lessons. You can choose which days you open up to suit your schedule too and give yourself some beach days. 🏖️

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https://mymusicstaff.com/

https://calendly.com/

If you want to still guarantee your income you can have parents/students buy blocks of lessons that they use during this time. They can use them all in one week or spread out across the whole summer and you still get the predictable income that you need.

Summer Camps and Work-shops

Camps and workshops can be great alternatives to weekly lessons during the summer. Parents are looking for things for their kiddos to do while they’re off school and they might jump at the chance to add a musical summer camp.

By scheduling a camp at the start or end of the summer break (or both) you can free up your own time and potentially make as much in 1-2 weeks as you would have made in 2 months of regular lessons. That’s a win all-round!

Take a break!

I know what you’re going to say. You can’t afford to take a break, right?

But if you structure your year and build up your business to

serve you, you might be able to afford to take the whole summer off. Spend some time with the numbers and see if this is possible for you.

In many communities,

standard weekly lessons

are just not going to cut it during the

summer.

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SCRATCH-OFF practice charts for SUMMER SUCCESS

Tell me if this sounds familiar: You go through all the work of helping your students develop a solid practice routine only to have it all fall apart during the summer. Even worse, they come back to piano lessons after a long break seeming to have forgotten everything you

taught them – the dreaded “summer slide”.

If we want our students to practice during a break from their weekly lessons, it’s going to take some serious persuasion. With their prize ticket-like appeal, these scratch-off music practice charts might just be the magic needed to inspire your students to keep up with their routine through the break.

Colourful Quest encourages students to work on 3 pieces of music which you select and label with a green, purple, and pink tab/sticker before students leave for summer break. For each piece, there are practice prompts for students to follow.

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Practice Prompts

Green Piece

• Play your piece 3 times from start to finish: Slow, medium, and then fast.• Play the last bar, then the last 2 bars, then the last 3 bars, and so on until you reach the beginning.• Circle any repeating parts in the piece using the same colour. Play.• Sing your piece while pointing to the music on the page. Then play the piece while singing along using the word "green" for every note.• Play the piece 2 times: Softly then loudly.

Purple Piece

• Play the last bar, then the last 2 bars, then the last 3 bars, and so on until you reach the beginning.• Play your piece 3 times from start to finish: Slow, medium, and then fast.• Sing your piece and point to the music. Then play the piece while singing along.• Play the piece 2 times: Softly then loudly.

Pink Piece

• Play the piece 4 times.• Sing your piece while pointing to the music on the page. Then play the piece while singing along using the word "pink."

All Pieces

• Play all 3 pieces.

Assembly

• Download and print the Colourful Quest sheet• Laminate or cover with clear plastic• Mix 2 parts acrylic paint (any colour but I suggest gold or silver) with 1 part washing up liquid (AKA washing up detergent or dish soap). The measurements don't have to be too exact!• Paint over the instruction boxes with the paint mixture, leaving the little numbers visible. You may need a few coats depending on the quality of the paint you use.• Let it dry and it’s ready to be scratched off!

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https://vibrantmusicteaching.com/colourful-quest

This annual piano party

has become the highlight of our summers, and I am hopeful that this year

will only be more thrilling!

It’s summertime! School is out, and fun is in! Bike rides, outdoor gatherings, swimming, family vacations – the list goes on and on.

For music studio teachers around the world, there’s one big problem with summer: practising the piano isn’t very high on your average kid’s list of fun summer activities.

It doesn’t have to be that way, though. Why not hijack the appeal of those fun summer activities by throwing a fantastic outdoor piano bash?

The Summer Dilemma

Some parents think that it’s fine to put a hold on their child’s lessons until the fall – if you don’t need to keep up on algebra for the summer, why keep up with music?

Putting the FUN back into SUMMER lessons: AN OUTDOOR piano PARTY

BY MELISSA QUILITZSCH

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Those students who do come to piano lessons in the summer may come in body, but often leave their soul out in the pool or on the soccer field.

Students don’t practise as they should in the summer, so it seems like you are repeating the exact lesson you gave them last week (or two, maybe three weeks ago as they missed those lessons completely).

To combat the struggle, I find myself trying to figure out ways of making lessons more exciting.

Bringing the Fun Back Into Summer Lessons

In my studio, it’s become an annual tradition to have a big outdoor piano party each summer – complete with a very casual recital.

The anticipation of getting to participate in this end-of-summer bash helps keep students engaged in their weekly lessons as they prepare their recital pieces.

This annual piano party has become the highlight of our summers, and I am hopeful that this year will only be more thrilling!

If you’re thinking of ending your summer with a bang this year, here are some things to consider to make your outdoor piano party a success.

Alternate Dates

Summer’s weather can be unpredictable, and you don’t want to be worried about rain on the day of your party. I always have the date of the event planned out but realize that we must be flexible in case of rain.

Every parent understands this. I like to have two alternate dates as a backup. I give all three dates to the parents at the start of our summer term, so that they can plan accordingly.

Setup

Ask parents to bring their own lawn chairs and blankets so you don’t have to worry about seating.

I use a small speaker with microphone input and set it up near the digital piano, so each student comes up to introduce what they’ll be playing and something fun that they’ve done this summer (outside of piano). This eliminates the need to create formal programs to hand out.

This seems like an obvious one, but make sure the sun won’t be directly hitting the piano at the time of the party. The first year that we had this type of party, I set up the patio area so beautifully about 4 hours before playing time with the digital piano in

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the shade, music-themed balloons, some plants and flowers…you get the idea. Well, fast-forward 4 hours and the sun had moved to shine directly in the students’ faces!

Be prepared for wind with plenty of butterfly clips or extra books to hold down the pages.

Photobooth

Give the parents and students a dedicated place to snap that amazing picture to remember this big event!

One of my piano moms is also our photographer, so she brings a backdrop stand. I provide a plastic music note tablecloth to hang on it, and have several props on hand for students to use.

Snacks

I like to go pot-luck style for snacks at my summer piano parties. I provide the watermelon, drinks, plates, and utensils, then each piano family brings one snack to share with everyone. One year we even made a Kit Kat bar piano – I was lucky to get a picture of it before the students gobbled it up.

Games

As with any of our piano parties, the kids look forward to and expect the games! Over the years, we’ve had a lot of popular outdoor music games such as Flyswatter Badminton, Corn-hole Note, Rhythm Tap Trap, and more.

Fly Swatter Badminton

Fly swatter Badminton is a must-do as any student, no matter age or playing ability, can participate and have the same amount of fun as older kids.

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Melissa is a piano teacher, music director and organist from central Massachusetts. As the Content Assistant for Colourful Keys and Vibrant Music Teaching, she works closely with Nicola to bring you all the awesome teaching tools you’ve come to know and love. When Melissa isn’t working, you’ll find her cheering at her kids’ sporting events, going on long bike rides with family, or checking out little coffee shops in the area.

Simply use spray paint to draw a line down the grass as the “net.” The only equipment you need is a few fly swatters and balloons from the local dollar store, plus a set of note-value flashcards.

The goal is for the students to keep the balloon in the air. If a team lets the balloon fall to the ground on their side of the net, the other team selects the next note-value flashcard from the deck. When the flashcards are gone, the teams add up the beat values of all of their cards and the highest total wins. Super fun!

Vibrant Music Teaching Games

This year, I’m looking forward to modifying some of the Vibrant Music Teaching games for our outdoor summer bash. Steppity Skippity is one that easily can be moved outside. Instead of using the game cards, I could even have the little ones playing this one in some wacky patterns drawn all over my yard with spray-paint! Have a look at the VMT library and see which games you could play outdoors.

Whatever you decide to do this summer, stay positive and keep that piano passion present!

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https://vibrantmusicteaching.com/steppity-skippity/

https://vibrantmusicteaching.com/library/

End-of-year PIANO STUDENT GOAL SETTING

Piano student goal setting is a fantastic way to keep things running in the right direction and keep your students focused. It also helps them see the big

picture, making them more motivated for their practice.

Learning to play piano is a long journey. If you think about it, there aren’t many other activities kids do where they’re still

considered a “beginner” after 3 years of study. That’s a big commitment for anyone, let alone an 8 year old.

Perhaps your student had a specific reason for studying. Maybe her ideas about it were more vague. But regardless, she’s here now. She’s in your studio – and she needs to feel like she’s making progress.

Setting goals will help her to see where she’s going, in a way she can understand. In a way she can grasp onto. That means she’s more likely to stick it out for the long-haul and get to the good stuff.

When to Set Goals

Many teachers have their students set goals at the start of each year. This is wonderful as it gets students involved and empowered to choose their own pathway for their music studies.

Recently, however, I’ve been trying something new. My students and I fill out evaluations during the last week of the spring semester, before our summer break. The idea is to get them thinking about next year – and all the fun stuff they want to achieve – before summer break and all its distractions kicks off.

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This is also a chance for personal growth for my students. Thinking carefully about practice habits, practice quality, attitude and concentration is a great way for us to round off another wonderful year at Colourful Keys Piano Studio.

Year-End Goal Setting

With that in mind, I put together a simple piano student self-evaluation form to help them think about what went well for the last year, what they want to achieve next year, and what resolutions they need to make to achieve their goals. VMT members can access this self-assessment form in the VMT Library.

Mid-Year Piano Student Goal Setting

While I find the year-end to be the perfect time to set goals, it just makes sense to check in and adjust the trajectory at the halfway point.

I like the rhythm of doing a student goal-setting exercise every six months or so. It’s the goldilocks of goal setting: not too long, not too short.

Any less often, and students will really start to forget what those goals were in the first place. (A year is a lot longer to them than it is to you. )

More often and it might get in the way of actually achieving progress. As you’re about to see, the way we do student goal setting in my studio does take time out of my lessons.

This mid-year student goal-setting exercise is a great one to refocus before a new semester. Download the mid-year goal-setting form from the VMT library and you'll be ready to go.

The Goal-Setting Process

Once you’ve decided when to do your goal setting, here’s what you do:

• Print out a free student goal-setting worksheet from the VMT library (or make your own.)• Introduce the sheet to your students and explain what it’s for.• Walk through the worksheet together in a lesson and give them enough time to fill it in as you go.• Encourage them to add more at home if they think of something else.• Keep the sheet in their folder and revisit it regularly together to see if you’re on track.

That last one is important; there’s not much point doing this if you never look at it again. You need to be checking in on the goals for them to be effective. Don’t slack on doing this in the lesson either. I know how tempting it is to send this home, but it really makes such a difference if you’re there to walk them through the process.

Borrow my entire goal-setting process and see the magic for yourself in your studio.

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https://vibrantmusicteaching.com/student-self-assessment-form/



https://vibrantmusicteaching.com/midyear-goal-setting-worksheet/

https://vibrantmusicteaching.com/midyear-goal-setting-worksheet/

Really realistic RESOLUTIONS for PIANO teachers

We have an interesting annual cycle as private music teachers. Most of us are following the school calendar,

more or less, but we’re not school teachers. We’re business owners. And that makes things a bit different for us.

Every year, I make changes and tweaks to how my studio runs and how I balance my work and my life. As a business owner, the two things are inextricably linked.

I plan these changes in spring so that I can finalise the documents (registration forms, enrolment forms, policies, etc.) and get them ready to send out to my studio families in June. This means

that they can return the forms and registration fees in July, I can create the new timetable and interview new families in August, and the whole ship keeps sailing smoothly along in September.

All throughout the year, I’m making mini-resolutions to myself about the changes I’ll be making based on my energy levels and stress levels as well as my students’ progress, among other things.

Resolving to fix these things for the next year helps to remove any possibility of resentment or fretting as I move through the year. I know I did the best I could last year and that I’ll do even better next year.

May is the perfect time to set resolutions for piano teachers. Sure, New Year’s Day gets all the hype and attention. But if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere like me, spring is a much

more realistic time for resolving and making changes.

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The kind of piano teacher resolutions you make and the changes you make to your studio based on them will depend on so many factors, but I thought I would give you some examples here so you can see how I’d tackle them in my studio policies and procedures.

Resolution 1: I will spend more time with my family/friends/pets/self.

Whoever it is you want to make time for, the challenge is the same. As a studio owner, work can too easily bleed into the rest of your life.

The first step toward solving this dilemma is to ask yourself some questions to try to get to the root of the issue. What’s stopping you from spending quality time with the people (or animals) you love?

• Are you getting texts, emails and calls at all hours of the day and night?• Are you teaching at dinner time?• Are you just teaching too many hours?• Do you spend all your free time planning your lessons?• Is your brain buzzing so much with your students that you can’t focus and stay in the moment?• Are you giving makeup lessons every Sunday morning when you could be having brunch?

The important questions here will be different for everyone. For example, I can answer “yes” to teaching right up to dinner time…but if my goal is to spend more time with my husband that doesn’t matter because he’s a chef so he’s always gone then anyway! Consider which one gets to the crux of the issue for you. Then, fix it.

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Resolving to fix these things for the next year helps to remove any possibility of

resentment or fretting as I move through the year.

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If communication is the problem, institute office hours and find a way to disable notifications and calls outside of those hours.

If you’re teaching too many hours, think about raising your rates and dropping a few students.

If you’re lesson planning at every hour of the day, leverage the tools and support from the Vibrant Music Teaching library and communicty to make it easier. You could also bring in a registration and materials fee so that you can pass the cost of the membership onto your students.

Resolution 2: I will make more money.

Want to be making more money this time next year? Nothing wrong with that!

I’m not one for sending things out into the universe, though. (Sorry, universe!) I believe in taking action to get the results you want. If you want to make more money, you’ll have to do something differently. And your choices are really pretty simple.

• Teach more lessons• Raise your rates• Teach more students at once• Add workshops, camps or other extras• Take on another job outside of teaching

That’s it, pretty much.

So which one of those do you want to do? If it’s anything other than the last option then you’ll need to bring it into your policies, communication and systems now to prepare for next year.

Resolution 3: My bathroom will stay clean and organised.

For the last example, I thought I’d go a bit off-piste and maybe a bit lighter.

Having said that though, more teachers than you might think have some kind of issue with the bathroom in their home studio. It might sound silly, but if your loo is ending up as a gigantic mess every day that’s no joke. It’s time-consuming, it might be stressful and it’s definitely ANNOYING.

Whether it’s that every family member and their uncle comes to your studio waiting room and uses the facilities, or that your students just don’t seem to have good toilet manners…you have my sympathies.

You are not powerless in this bathroom battle. Institute some clear policies around toilet use with regular reminders about going to the loo before lessons (emphasise the limited lesson time available each week) and put up some kid-friendly signs to restore order in your water closet this year.

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How to make ANY CHANGE in your piano TEACHING BUSINESS So you need to make a change in your piano teaching business? That happens. Lives and priorities

evolve. We find out about new and better ways to do things, and we rethink situations. But there’s a good way to go about making a change like this and a not-so-great way.

Whether you want to move to a no make-up policy, integrate group classes or change to buddy lessons, there’s a simple process you can follow to make sure it runs smoothly and minimise the pushback from your piano parents.

My Process For Change

Step 0: Plan It Out

The first step to making any change is to really know exactly how it’s going to work. You can’t go into this with a half-baked idea. Have you ever heard the phrase “minimum viable product”? It’s the concept of taking something to the market to test it out…and I don’t think that could apply LESS to what we do.

If you’re going to bring something new to your piano parents – be that a lesson format, policy change or new workshop idea – you need to feel confident about it. Without that confidence, you’re going to crumble at the first objection.

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The best way I know to find that confidence is to have a thorough plan. If you’re an over-planner by nature, then please skip ahead because this is only going to make you neurotic.

Think about:

• How this will work, ideally• What obstacles might get in the way and how you’ll deal with them• What questions parents are likely to ask• What questions students are likely to ask• How this will work for new students• How this will work for returning students…Will it be different? Will you make any special exceptions?

I recommend you write this stuff down. Make an outline of your plan and it will be easier to stick to later.

Then pick a start date (normally the start of a new year or term,) and let’s start our lead-up.

Step 1: Hype It Up!

This first step should ideally start about 3 months away. The bigger the change, the longer lead time you should allow.

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If your change is relevant to students (e.g. group lessons, change in format, extra lab time) then hype it to them first. This shouldn’t be some big speech or announcement. You don’t need a poster. You’re simply going to start mentioning it to get them excited.

“Wasn’t it cool when you played that awesome duet with Katie at last year’s recital? I’m hoping to try a new type of lessons next year so that we can do that more often!”

“I wish we could play that game today but we actually need 4 players for that one. We’ll get loads more opportunities to do that when we start having group workshops next term!”

Get the idea? It’s all about little hints and previews. Wet their appetites for what’s coming up.

If your change is purely policy- or payment-related, then you can do this similarly with your piano parents.

Step 2: Focus On THEM

You’ve given some sneak peeks….is it time to make the formal announcement? Not quite. We need to ramp up the enthusiasm a bit further with some more information, but nothing to sign and none of the nitty gritty details.

My favourite way to do this is in the newsletter, which I always bring out before the annual registration forms (with the formalised changes.) I do this in a section called “What’s coming up next year?” where I make announcements about new fun things I’ll be implementing in my

studio and why they’re exciting for my piano parents and students.

When you’re writing something like this, always come back to this question: What’s in it for me? Always imagine your reader asking this.

Have you written anything from your point of view? It’s very easy to fall into this trap because…well, you’re you.

You probably do have reasons you want to make this change to make your own life easier or more fulfilling, but that doesn’t matter right now. What matters is why this is better for THEM. Don’t forget that.

Step 3: Be Clear

Ok, now we’re going to spill the beans.

If you’re making this change in your piano teaching business around registration time for the new year or new semester, I recommend sending out this info along with your forms about 1–2 weeks after your newsletter. That way the parents are primed and ready to find out how this will work and sign on the dotted line.

Now is not the time for overly formal or academic language, hype or walls of text. Please keep your writing clean, clear and simple. Write short sentences. Be direct. Explain clearly.

This stuff really matters. Pay attention as you’re reading your own emails (especially if you get a lot of them.) Which ones do you read? Which ones do you just skim?

There’s a simple

process you can follow

to make sure the

change runs smoothly

and minimise pushback

from piano parents.

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Once you have a draft of your email written, ask yourself this damning question: Would your heart sink a little if you got this in your inbox?

If so, start chopping. Put in bulleted lists, shorten your sentences and take away any musician or educator jargon that has accidentally slipped in. You’re much more likely to be successful with your change if people understand and retain the information.

Step 4: Stick To It

Now comes the trickiest part for most of us: Don’t budge. (I know, I know. You can do this!)

You made a great plan, you know this was the right move to make, so don’t let anyone sway you. Yes, it’s going to be a little uncomfortable. Yes, some people might quit. But probably far fewer than you think.

If you present the plan well, your piano parents are prepared in advance and they know why it’s valuable or important, it’s very unlikely there will be a mass exodus. I promise. Just keep fielding those questions and reiterating why this is great and how it’s going to work. Which bring me to….

Step 5: Be Patient

People don’t really like change. The already knew how the old system worked and it seemed just fine to them. Plus, they’ve got a million and one things in their week, not just your piano studio.

So you need to be patient and answer in the same way again and again if necessary. You may need to block out more time for your communications for a couple of weeks. It will all be worth it in the long run.

The Process in Action

It’s one thing to think about the process of making a change theoretically; it’s an entirely different matter to make it happen. Let’s take a few of the changes that I like to champion, and see how this process would apply.

Getting Rid Of Make-Up Lessons

Anyone who still offers make-up lessons knows how draining they can be. But can you really change your policy regarding make-up lessons without making current piano parents feel cheated? Yes, you can!

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Once you’ve planned out every detail about how your “no make-up lessons” policy will work, simply apply the 5-step process.

HYPE IT UP: When parents cancel at the last minute and your packed calendar makes rescheduling a pain, give a little teaser of what’s coming next year. “Next year you won’t have to hassle over changing your schedule around because I’ll be offering video and online lessons as alternatives when you can’t make it in person.”

FOCUS ON THEM: Getting rid of make-up lessons isn’t just good for you; it’s good for piano families too.

Their schedule is surely as busy as yours, and it’s not easy for them to bring Johnny to a make-up piano lesson on Tuesday when his little sister Mary has soccer practice that day. Focus on the ways the policy change will be better for them in your newsletter, and it will be easier to win them over.

BE CLEAR: In your policies, keep it simple. Explain exactly how the policy will work in clear, normal-people language using short sentences. Don’t elaborate and don’t try to explain all the reasons why you’re making the change.

STICK TO IT: Here’s where the rubber meets the road: You can’t cave. Don’t even think of saying “OK, just this once, but it’s your last make-up lesson.” That gives the impression that the new

policy isn’t a benefit to them, but something you have to apologise for or excuse.

BE PATIENT: Your piano parents will forget, or they will have missed the emails. You will get asked again (and again, and again) to reschedule.

Simply explain the policy change using the same language, as many times as needed, without seeming annoyed or frustrated. It will get easier!

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Changing Your Fee Structure

Perhaps you haven’t raised your rates in ten years, and you want to start raising them every year. Maybe you want to stop charging by the lesson, or even switch to an all-inclusive fee structure. Changing your fees can be a sticky wicket if you’re not careful.

If you follow the process, you’ll minimise the chance of creating resentment or losing students.

What would that look like?

HYPE IT UP: Fees impact the parents, so focus your hype on the parents. If they need to buy a new book, it’s the opportunity to say “In future, all the materials will be included in your tuition, so you won’t have to go hunting for books.”

FOCUS ON THEM: Here’s where you give a broader preview, perhaps in a newsletter. Remember to keep it focused on the benefits for them, such as specific improvements you’ll be making in your studio with the increased tuition rates.

BE CLEAR: In your updated policies, outline exactly how the fee structure will work, and what they will get for their money. Be clear, be direct, and don’t go overboard with explanations.

STICK TO IT: Don’t budge! You might even lose one or two students, but you know this is the right move to make for your studio. It will be worth it in the long run. (And, remember, even if you lose a couple of students, you might still be making the same income with fewer hours!)

BE PATIENT: People don’t like change, so be prepared to answer questions using the same language from your earlier newsletter or policy. Try to remain calm, and remember Step 4: Stick to it. If you’re nervous about confrontations about tuition, practice your response in the mirror or with a friend ahead of time.

Migrating To Buddy Lessons

In my studio today, most of my students are in what I call “buddy lessons.” This means each student has some time one-on-one with me, and then overlapping time with the next student.

It wasn’t always like this in my studio, though.

In order to migrate successfully from offering only private lessons to having the majority of

my students enrolled in buddy lessons, I knew I had to be really deliberate about how to make the switch.

Here are some things to consider if you are thinking of bringing in buddy lessons:

HYPE IT UP: Buddy lessons are especially exciting for students, so hype it up with the students. You may be the coolest teacher ever, but students would almost always rather play games with other kids than with the teacher.

FOCUS ON THEM: There are countless ways that students and parents will benefit from buddy lessons, so focus on those in your newsletter or studio-wide email. More lab time? Duets and paired improv? Wider variety of game options?

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BE CLEAR: Buddy lessons can sound complicated if you go into detailed scheduling and lesson plan layouts, but in reality they are quite simple. Explain the policy from the parents’ perspective using short sentences and clear language.

STICK TO IT: In the case of buddy lessons, Step 0 (Plan it Out) is especially important. Is the new lesson format mandatory, or strongly recommended? Will your policy be different for adult students vs kids? How will the scheduling process work? Whatever your plan from Step 0, now’s the time to stick to it.

BE PATIENT: You can expect plenty of questions to arise when implementing a buddy lesson format, especially when it comes to scheduling. Brainstorm ahead of time what those questions might be, and arm yourself with clear answers so you’re not caught off guard.

Simply explain the policy change using the same

language, as many times as needed, without seeming

annoyed or frustrated.

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SIMPLIFY your studio with an ALL-INCLUSIVE FEE structure

Making your tuition all-inclusive (whether you choose monthly or term-based payments) can make it easier to plan and

budget for both you and your piano parents. It can also help you to change your piano parents’ make-up lesson mindset.

But what does it even mean? What’s included in all-inclusive fees?

What is an all-inclusive fee structure?

When I talk about my studio having “all-inclusive piano tuition fees” what I mean is simply that I never charge extra for anything. Parents pay an annual registration fee and either monthly or semesterly tuition payments and that covers:

• Their regularly scheduled piano lesson (most students are in buddy lessons)• 4 group workshops per year• 2 recitals per year• All books and sheet music• Access to the lending library of games, kids books about music and sight reading resources• Practice kits, studio bags and studio t-shirts• Folders and printed resources• Home access to Piano Maestro

The only thing I don’t include is exam fees. That’s because only some of my students take exams, and even those who do take them don’t take them every year. So it would be a big expense to factor in for only a few students and wouldn’t be fair to those who don’t do exams.

There’s a lot of chatter in piano teaching communities about the various tuition structures. But have you ever considered switching to all-inclusive fees?

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Benefits for the Students and Parents

For many parents, it’s a big relief not to have another list of books to go buy. In fact, I can often see this relief wash over their face when I mention this in our first meeting.

It’s also easier for them to budget. They know that no surprises are going to pop up in the middle of the year. The price is the price.

Benefits for the Teacher

All-inclusive tuition fees can be a huge weight off your shoulders, too.

If you include everything in your tuition fees, you don’t need to remember to chase up a book reimbursement or remind parents to buy a new practice notebook. You can set up your invoices at the start of the year knowing that they’re not going to change.

It also means that your students will always have what they need, when they need it. If you’ve ever had a parent purchase the wrong edition of a book you know what I’m talking about. Even worse is that parent who takes 6 weeks to finally get a new level of a book, while you’re left to improvise and scrape a lend in the meantime!

With all-inclusive tuition fees, you’re in control. I keep a large library of my standard and favourite books on hand in the studio, so all I have to do is grab one off the shelf. I also get to spend some time with new repertoire and play through it before handing it off to a student.

I switched to an all-inclusive system about 6 years ago and I honestly haven’t looked back since. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve made for my studio.

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Ask Countess Von ClavierDo you have a question you would like answered? Whether it’s a troublesome teen

student or a sticky business wicket, Countess Von Clavier can help. Just email: [email protected]

Dear Countess,

I would love to know your opinion about online lessons through video/audio and text recordings.

What are the pros and cons?

Which student type do you think could make progress with this teaching method?

Do you consider it a valuable method or just a weekly supplement to your video conferences?

Dear Recording Reviewer,

Recordings provide an intriguing alternative to real-time video calls for online lessons. There are definitely some upsides and downsides to each option, depending on the situation, so it's good that you're thinking this through thoroughly.

Video call lessons have the benefit of being more familiar to both teacher and student as they are most similar to in-person lessons and therefore are usually the default choice for most teachers. They do have their drawbacks, however, chiefly among them being the glitches that come with from unstable internet connections. When this occurs, making a video recording and sending it to the student is a great backup plan.

For most students, it is best left as just that – a fallback option for when things go awry. However, ongoing video recording conversations can certainly be a valuable alternative for those not suited to video call lessons over the long-term. In my opinion, this is best reserved for adult students and highly-motivated teenagers because of the need for self-motivation and organisation in this format. Although, as ever, I'm willing to be proved wrong in my conjectures.

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