You could argue that piano teaching success depends on many different things… but I’m going to argue that piano teaching success ultimately comes down to just one really important thing:
Student Progress
Sure there are many other factors that come into play, but at the end of the day, piano teachers that do really well have students that make really good progress.
Piano progress requires two important things: great teaching and a lot of practice. And this is where things can get a little scary… because teachers can certainly determine their own greatness, but they can’t always dictate how well and how often a student practices…
Or Can They? – Piano Practice Mind Control
When your career and financial well-being depends on the choices of an 8 year old in pigtails, you can become understandably nervous. If only you could clone yourself and show up at each student’s home for 20 minutes of piano practice, imagine how your studio would grow… but you can’t… yet.
So, the next best thing is to get inside their heads and make them want to practice each and every day. And here is how you can make this happen:
4 Simple Steps To Piano Practice Success
1. This is a real deal breaker… without this step, all subsequent steps are irrelevant. So what is it?… Motivating Music! Your piano students absolutely must love some of the music that is being sent home. Of course there will be music that must be learned and must be played, but if this music is not mixed in with music that makes your students smile, piano practice is going to sputter and die.
2. Next up… show your students how to practice. I’m always amazed at how many students are told what to practice but not how to practice. Give students a clear vision of what piano practice should look like at home, and you and your students are destined for success.
3. So now what?… Well, now you need an incentive. I know… we all want our piano kids to be intrinsically motivated but after years and years of teaching children it has become very obvious… rewards work! The intrinsic motivation will come later, but young piano students need that little extra something, and an incentive program for practice can really work.
4. And finally… make it fun! I refuse to believe piano practice has to be painful. I refuse to believe piano practice has to be boring… or challenging, or fight-inducing.
That’s The Theory, Now This Is How You Make It Happen
If you click here, you can download (for free) 3 of the 88 activities from our book, Shhhh… Your Piano Teacher Thinks This Is Practice.
Our practice resource brings 3 of the above 4 steps to life… it makes piano practice fun beyond belief (this is not an exaggeration!), it provides structure to daily piano practice, and finally, the quest to complete all 88 days provides the necessary incentive for students to keep on keeping on.
All you have to do is make sure your piano students have motivating music go home with them each week, and you’re good to go! Your students will practice more, your students will progress more, and your piano studio will grow.
And remember, 88 days from now, many teachers in the northern hemisphere will begin holding spring, or end of year recitals. What better time to introduce your students to a resource so exciting they won’t even know they’re practicing?! Click here to learn more.
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