If parents aren’t yet jumping over each other to sign their children up for your piano lessons, then they will be soon… the season of new student signups is about to begin!
And, with each new student that registers, comes an opportunity to begin a piano lesson journey on the right foot… a journey that you should begin by providing parents with the answers to five crucial questions.
Oh… and if they don’t happen ask these five questions… answer them anyway 🙂
Answer These 5 Questions Even If They Are Not Asked
Question 1: What Is My Role As A Piano Parent?
By answering this question you have the chance to tell piano parents that their involvement in their children’s piano education is as crucial as your own. Stressing the importance of being a part of home piano practice, of encouraging participation in studio activities, of modelling an interest in music and of keeping lines of communication open eliminates many potential “problems” in the parent-teacher-student working relationship.
Question 2: What Should I Do If My Child Loses Interest?
You have the opportunity to save a lot of students by answering this question. Being able to explain to parents the importance of “catching” their child’s waning interest before it’s too late, of offering encouragement and support at home to prevent frustration, and of making piano lessons an extracurricular priority will help you maintain a healthy studio population.
Answering this question also gives you the opportunity to discuss the importance of teaching children “stick-with-it-ness”, and the benefits that come from encouraging “gritty” behaviour. See our podcast on grit here.
Question 3: What Can I Expect From Our First Year?
By answering this question you have the opportunity to share exactly what a first year of piano lessons looks like in terms of learning progress, home practice needs, and monthly and yearly goals. Knowing what is “normal” and what is typical allows parents to have realistic piano progress expectations.
Question 4: What Is An Appropriate Home Instrument?
This question can be a hot button topic amongst piano teachers… but the truth is, your answer is going to vary based on your personal preference, the type of lessons you teach and even your town or city. Whatever your preference, answering this question allows you to discuss the multitude of options available to piano students and how investing in their child’s interest will set them up for a much more successful lesson experience.
Question 5: Why Should My Child Take Piano Lessons?
This question is one that most parents wouldn’t think to ask. And since they’ve already taken the step of inquiring about piano lessons… it is often one that does not get answered. The truth is, more often than not, parents sign their children up for piano lessons without knowing the far-reaching benefits of a piano education.
Answering this question gives you the opportunity to share the research that shows the positive academic, social and emotional effects that piano lessons stimulate, helping parents fully understand just what a gift music can be in the life of their children.
What Other Questions Should Be Answered?
What do you wish piano parents would ask you? We’d love to hear your thoughts! Share in the comments section below.
This is great! Although I haven’t done it yet, I’ve been planning on sending a set of emails to new students after they sign up for lessons that answer one of these questions every couple days.
Most students that end up stopping lessons seem to just not how a good idea as what their role in the lessons will be or what to expect the first few lessons or even the first year.
These are great questions! I like to give new students a folder with a copy of the studio policy, calendar, etc. inside. I think I’ll turn these points into a FAQ sheet to include. Thanks as always for helping make everyone’s studio top-notch!
Love the idea of an “intro folder” Lisa! 🙂
I try to impart the idea that there’s a difference between “taking piano lessons” and “learning to play the piano.” I am not really interested in families who just want their children to have piano lessons.
Very good point! I really like this and I think I’m going to incorporate it in my monthly e-newsletters. I’ve been wanting to do a mini series in the newsletters on how parents can help their students practice better at home, but I hadn’t found the right words to segue into it. Thanks for solving that problem for me, Carolyn!