Chances are, at some point in your piano teaching career, your studio will stall. The phone will stop ringing and the email will stop dinging.
You may turn into a bundle of nerves, overwhelmed by “end-of-the-world” thinking; what if nobody ever signs up for piano lessons again? How will I support my family? I’m going to have to get a new job… back to school I go!…
And when this happens, you may make a last-ditch effort to save your piano studio by overhauling every last aspect of the way you teach, the way you run your business, or the way you find piano students.
Which leads to chaos, disorganization and bigger problems.
How To Properly Save Your Piano Studio
1) The first step is recognizing that the sky is not falling… meaning do not panic.
2) The second step is to remember that you don’t have to improve EVERY aspect of your studio… you only need to improve one aspect of your studio.
3) The third step is to convince yourself that you are average (at least for now). This is the most important step, and here’s why:
When you convince yourself that you are average, you relieve yourself of the panic of feeling alone. By its very nature, being average means that many piano teachers are also facing the same struggles that you are currently facing, which is indeed true. And “on average” most piano teachers in your position have overcome these struggles and continue to successfully operate their piano studios.
Next, when you convince yourself that you are average, then simply changing one aspect of your studio is going to propel you to the category of “above average”. And piano teachers who are “above average” are not struggling to grow their piano studios.
4) The final step is committing to that one simple, concrete task that will lead you to “above averageness”.
A Crazy Example Involving A Healthy Lawn
Let’s imagine for a moment that your “stalled studio” is akin to the front lawn of my house 12 months ago… because 12 months ago my front lawn was just average.
It looked much like everyone else’s lawn… not offensively ugly, but also not a candidate for the front page of Golf Readers Digest… or whatever magazine it is that golfers read.
Anyways, being from a long lineage of attractive lawn keepers, I decided to follow in the footsteps of those who came before me and pursue an attractive lawn.
But instead of digging the whole thing up, or throwing a ton of nasty chemicals at it, or paying out my nose for a lawn care company, I instead decided that what I needed to do was simply start off being a little better than the average lawn keeper.
I grabbed a screwdriver and a bucket, and each night after dinner I patrolled my lawn and dug out between 10 and 15 weeds.
That’s it!
It took me all of 10 minutes and was even kind of peaceful in the process.
But the very act of committing to one little task started to make a noticeable difference in the way my lawn looked. And once the invasive weeds were under control I was more motivated to fix the next thing that needed attention… edge-trimming.
And now I definitely have an “above average” looking lawn.
What Is One Small Change You Can Make To Your Piano Studio?
So, although you may believe your studio has a host of problems, if you let your “average” mindset lead you to believe that focusing hard on one small change can start you down a path to “above average” piano studio success, I’ll bet you’ll start to quickly see some above average results.
What is that one thing you can focus on? If I had a stalled studio, here are a few things I may consider focusing on:
1) The Marketing Master: Focus on dominating Facebook Ads. It seems like a crazy mess to start with, but by committing 20 minutes a day to researching how to create and run Facebook Ads you’ll eventually get it. And then give it a try with a few bucks a day.
2) In Constant Contact: Commit to sending one personalized email to every single one of your piano parents once a month. Make the email positive, caring, and educational.
3) Viral Video: Once a week, share a video of something awesome happening at your studio. To avoid many legal headaches the video wouldn’t have to involve students. Instead, it might be a video of you and your own child playing a piano game, a new piano practice incentive, a studio tour, a piano piece you composed, or a piano practice tip for parents. Videos get a lot of attention online and any video that says to your Facebook friends “Hey, remember I teach piano!” is bound to be beneficial.
4) The All Important iPad: In every lesson, every single week do one new and exciting thing with an iPad. This doesn’t have to be simply an iPad music game… it could be playing along with backing tracks, filming and watching back video for technique issues, completing theory worksheets, or emailing lesson updates to parents.
5) Practice Incentives: Consider doing a new piano practice incentive every single month. Incentives provide a studio focus, build community, and, of course, encourage students to practice.
Remember, you don’t have to do all of these things… just choose one!
Tell Us What Makes You Different!
Now, if you are a piano teacher who is rocking the music world, we bet there are many members of the Teach Piano Today community who would love it if you shared in the comments just one little thing that makes you “above average”. Even if there are a plethora of things that have contributed to your success, try to focus on the one thing that you do better than everyone else. We want to hear it!
This year I designed and made professional looking, special notebooks for my students that contain (among other things) places where they can put stickers for completing achievements. The student who gets the most stickers a month will get featured in my newsletter starting in September as student of the month. My students are so excited about this!
This is a cool idea Amy! I can see students being really excited about this!
I love the student of the month idea! Would you be willing to share pictures of your notebooks? I’ve been wanting to change my notebook system but am unsure of what to do.
Last year my one thing was games! I disc tines to your game club and did one almost every weekend. It was awesome!! Plan to continue those this year.
This year I think my one thing will be a different incentive every month. Last year I did sticker cards all year- each kid has an index card kept at my studio; for every 15-20 stickers (varies per kid), they get a prize from my prize box. They liked that! And it was motivating almost all year but it’d be fun to mix it up.
In the past I’ve done incentives for various things- a few weeks of memorizing songs (prize for every memorized song); incentives for specific skills (scales, note reading, etc); incentives for 20 min every day;
New Incentive ideas anyone?
Hi Renee, I just saw your comment! Don’t know if you’ll see this, but I do have pictures of my notebooks on my website. Here is the link: http://amycomparettomusic.com/lesson-notebooks/
Thanks for this great post! Currently my studio is over full, and I found reading your blog extremely helpful in getting to this stage. I would say regular personal contact with the parents is my main asset. When possible, face to face, otherwise via telephone or email.
Hi Deborah – we love to hear about full studios! So happy our blog was helpful in getting you there 🙂 Yes, personal contact is huge. It takes time, but it’s worth it!
I agree with you Deborah. That is one of my biggest assets too. Our school year here in South Africa starts in January and my studio is already fully booked for 2016.
Over the summer, I taught 60% of my students (summer is optional). The new thing I did with them was learn piano games from TPT Piano Game Club, and we worked through two books (older and younger) from TPT Piano Book Club.
I had some openings for the new season, so I advertised (for free) on a local homeschool Facebook page. I attached my flyer, in which I added a line that stated I offer piano games, fun supplemental music, and free wi-fi. 🙂
In 2 days I was overwhelmed by the response. I took on 6 new students and had to turn students away. For those students, I put them on a contact list and, to support my fellow local piano teachers, gave them a list of other teachers to call.
I would also like to encourage everyone to join their local Music Teachers Association, or start a group for local music teachers. On my flyer, I advertise the group I belong to. As a group, we encourage each other, teach each other, and our students meet each other through a variety of performances like festival, honors recital, grand ensemble, etc. Private teaching can be very lonesome and joining a group is benefial to you as a person and to your studio.
I’ve also been a subscriber to Piano Game Club since its inception in November, but have only played a few of the games with my students during the year. I’m in the process of laminating and organizing all the games (a monumental taks as I’ve collected 36+ games so far!) and putting each of them in a separate plastic durable envelope. My plan is to have a rotating lending library of these games to send home with students every week, much like the music lending library in my studio. I know my younger students will be more motivated than ever before! Thank you Andrea and Trevor for your never exhausting creativity!
Also, kudos to you, Denise, for helping your fellow teachers and encouraging everyone to join their local Music Teachers Association. I heartily second that!
Hi Jenny – We had a PianoGameClub lending library too and it was HUGE in involving parents in a fun way. Several families made a “Piano Game Night” at home and with my massive library they rarely had a repeat so it never got old! Siblings were in on it too and so they became interested in piano… it really is win-win! Thanks for your kind words and for your comment!
Love the lending library for games idea!! Thanks!
It’s a fantastic way to use a lot of games without taking up a ton of lesson time – and it really involves family at home (big bonus!) Cheers Kate 🙂
Great tips Denise! This year was game year for me too (obviously!) We played a new game every single week without fail. I couldn’t believe the difference it made in terms of enthusiasm to be in lessons BUT also in their actual skills and knowledge. Pure magic. Your Facebook ad idea is genius – and (it’s hilarious but true!) the mention of wifi likely pulled a few more parents in! Having piano games and motivating supplemental music is a great way to differentiate yourself and stand out – great work!
Andrea, your website has been instrumental for me in growing my piano studio! I would say the one thing that gets my inbox full of inquiries is my spring recital. My Christmas one is great, too, but in the spring, it’s the last thing we do, and students invite classmates and their families. We make it really special – my daughter and her friend stole the show with “Scooch!” 🙂 My piano schedule was overflowing for fall by the 2nd week of June this year!
Hi Erica – you’re so kind! We’re thrilled to hear that we were a (small) part of your success! You are so right – recitals can be huge for both retention and word-of-mouth. So happy that Scooch was a hit! I still love to play that piece 🙂
Wow! I love reading all these ideas! Last year I did a student challenge for the month of October. Since we were working on rhythm that month I challenged all students to learn the ‘Cups’ routine to the song (Anna Kendrick) and videotape themselves and at least one other friend or family member doing it. Parents submitted the videos to my facebook page or shared a YouTube link and I selected the best video at the end of the month. The winner received a $25 iTunes gift card. I did a similar challenge in February with note identification.
This year my ‘new thing’ is offering most of the games to parents to ‘check out’ and take home for use during the week. I spent the summer making a second set of all the games and organizing them so they could be checked out. This is my first week back to the regular (full) schedule and the response has been overwhelmingly positive! And with new games each month through the Piano Game Club I am always able to offer new, fresh, and fun games! Thank you for awesome resources and ideas!
Hi Melissa – aren’t the ideas fabulous! We’re always so grateful that this community of piano teachers is so wonderful about sharing their tips. Your student challenge idea is awesome – what a great way to bring families into home practice 🙂
You’ll see in a comment above that I LOVE having a pianogameclub lending library – I can’t believe how much it’s solidified concepts for students (and their little brothers and sisters) AND as a spin-off one Mom even said to me “After playing that game I can actually help her practice at home”. BINGO (and fist-pumps of happiness in the air!) 😉
I have a waiting list so long it’s probably going to take me 4-5 years before I get through it! And there are 350 other piano teachers – not including music schools – in my city. And I’m one of the most expensive teachers in town. This is what I do:
– I really care about the kids, and they know that. I talk to them about their lives, and they know it’s safe to open up to me. I can be strict without sounding mean/rude
– I try to do one “exciting thing” in the studio every month. Obviously Christmas, Halloween, and recitals are exciting and motivating for kids, but on the off-months I try to include fun new repertoire, incentive programs, etc.
– We play a game every single lesson, no matter what
– I teach my students how to compose/improvise
– We laugh! We have fun. We joke.
– Parents get monthly newsletters with student of the month, monthly student recordings, info about the games we’re playing/new repertoire that month, practice tips, birthday messages to students, etc.
– I use my studio FB page a LOT. I post videos, pictures, and snippets of studio happenings. Parents love it!
– I make sure learning is student-centered. While I know I’m holding the reins, students feel they are picking repertoire (out of a pre-selection by me :P), picking the order of their class, and so on.
Those are just a few of the things I do… Oh and I use tons of TPT material! The kids love it! 🙂
Leia – you are legend 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing your expertise – all really valuable tips that all make a huge difference. We’re so happy for you that your studio is thriving 🙂
I just moved and the problem with getting students is getting myself known. The students I already have are loving the lessons! I am upbeat, funny, creative, and innovative. Once the students come for lessons they are excited and motivated. Many of them don’t want the lessons to end! So I am trying hard to get them in for that first lesson. Once they come, they are hooked!
Hi Hope – it’s so true… having a personality that kids really connect with can really be all you need! Like you say, it’s all about “getting them in the door!” 🙂 Best of luck as you re-build in a new town.
I’ve also moved to a new area and have had to raise my rate to cover the studio space I am renting. There are other teachers who teach from home who charge less but there are some who charge about the same. I’m considering dropping my rate again but feel $22 is more than fair considering all of the activities I pack into each lesson, usually going 10-15 minutes over if nobody is waiting. I’ve posted tons of flyers and paid for several Facebook ads. I also give the first lesson for free. And I’ve had an open house once a month since I opened to encourage people to come in and meet me. I post on the local FB “informed” pages but I’m lucky to get one or two responses and nobody comes to the open house. Any ideas on what I could do aside from dropping my rate again?
This summer I’ve had more new students than any summer in the last 10 years and I was initially worried about losing two students – one who couldn’t continue because of pre-university demands and one whose family decided they wanted a new friend to teach this student id had for 3 years (that one hurt a lot). Anyways, I’ve got 9 new students and I really think it is partially my online presence and partially the way I give the utmost service I can to families through frequent communication and offering to help with music purchases etc. I do use my iPad extensively but have not yet filmed students for online purposes unless their parents give express consent. I know that my pianobookclub will be another huge success when I start back next month and am going to subscribe to pianogameclub and also purchase TeddTales – my students will think it’s particularly funny and cute because my dog is named Ted (Teddy as he looks like a teddy bear).
Hi Paula – Sounds like your attention to personal touch is your greatest asset! I know TEDDtales will be a huge hit too – nothing like exciting technical exercises to start your lesson off with a lot of fun! 🙂
I have a thriving studio like many of you and I also keep in close contact, offer incentives, and make the learning experience fun and worth the work. I have incorporated the 88 practice days book, Tedd Tales, games and original music from Andrea and Trevor. The tips I get in my inbox also a valuable resource for me. I recently added a tech lab to my studio and I am incorporating more tech savvy activities into lessons (the kids love to start with Tedd Tales).
One thing that I do that makes me stand out is music history. We study composers (the masters) and artists (current performers). While I use mostly the classical works, we have also studied popular performers and others who use music in the their career although it may not be their main thing (like Christ Hadfield the astronaut). I do listening, playing and coloring activities as well as improv and bios. The kids enjoy the activities and the parents love the library of resources they are developing.
Hi Wendiann – this is a really neat idea (to incorporate Composer Study) – a great “value added” component to your lessons.
Glad to hear our TEDDtales has found a happy spot in your studio along with the pianogameclub games and pianobookclubmusic! 🙂
What really made a difference for me this year was having my students play in their school talent shows. I had one student play at his school and afterwards 5 new families contacted me about lessons! I think having good relations with parents is key too, because they are the ones referring you to their friends.
That’s a great idea Mallory! Thanks for sharing.
Duets! Every student has a duet partner,and every student plays duets at the recitals. (As well as solo music.) parents love to see their children performing cooperatively with each other, also trios when possible. Group lessons, ever 5 weeks or so, are extremely popular. We always do ensembles during those.
Fantastic way to build community Louise! Having your students feel like the “belong to something” is so important and duets and ensembles are a wonderful way to do this! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I am new to your blog, Andrea, and recently joined PianoGameClub and Book of the Month Club. I will be supplementing their lesson books with pieces from the book club and playing games during group lessons this year. I am so excited about these fresh resources because the students are loving it!
Thanks to everyone for sharing your ideas!
Awesome tips, Trevor! I work for TakeLessons.com, and we’re always looking for resources to pass along to our teachers to help retain and encourage students!
Hello fellow piano teacher friends,
I am completely intimidated by the online advertising ex. Facebook, phenomenon. I don’t know where to begin. I am in the process of having a website designed. I just had new business cards made not really sure how to do it? I’m wondering if I could get a tech savvy teen in my area to help get me started. The day of hanging my ad in the local church/library is gone obviously!
I also moved this past year. In about 2 weeks I am getting the keys for a commercial studio space. Because of the added costs, my marketing needs to be extremely effective. I need to triple my student number. I am creative. My Spring Recital is in a few weeks, my students are playing a lot of wonderful and wacky music. I am working on a story narration that will encompass all of their pieces. We are ending the recital with a Grande FInale which includes another story line … Chopsticks Trio and a “Stomp-Like” rhythm band ending with home made Rhythm Mops. Right about now, the kids are giddy with anticipation! Most of them have never experienced anything like this! I have a very high standard for musical excellence, which is causing me a lot of sleepless night, but I know it will be worth it!
I also created a website and am learning to use face book for marketing.