improving as a teacher, Studio Business

Thoughts on the Teaching Philosophy

Many college education (both music and otherwise) classes require students to write teaching philosophies.  How many of you keep a teaching philosophy posted on your studio website or printed in studio materials?  Have you updated it at all since your college days?  And those of you who didn’t write one for college – have you considered writing one yourself?

Let me give you some reasons why you if you don’t have a written teaching philosophy, you should write one — and if you are using the one you wrote in college, you should consider updating it regularly.   Continue reading “Thoughts on the Teaching Philosophy”

Words of Wisdom

Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom

“I’m an interpreter of stories. When I perform it’s like sitting down at my piano and telling fairy stories.”
— Nat King Cole

Every Wednesday brings Words of Wisdom here at the Color in my Piano blog in the form of a musical quote or joke, intended to bring inspiration or humor to the middle of your week. Have suggestions? Send an email off to admin[at]colorinmypiano.com.

Giveaways

January 2011 Free Giveaway: Glass Magnets

I’m pleased to announce a new blog giveaway!

The magnets pictured in this post are handcrafted by yours truly.  I gave similar sets away to my piano students as Christmas gifts this year.  Each set includes a pair of magnets that were created using vintage sheet music.

The magnets measure in size approximately 1/2 to 3/4-inch in diameter.  They feature extra strong, Neodymium magnets (keep away from electronics, pacemakers, and children) that are able to hold 6+ pages onto your refrigerator! Continue reading “January 2011 Free Giveaway: Glass Magnets”

Announcements

Best of 2010 @ colorinmypiano.com

Here’s to looking backwards and looking forward!  Here are some highlights from 2010:

  1. 30 Theme Ideas for Music Studio Events | a list of theme ideas teachers can use for studio events or incentive programs.
  2. Practicing Efficiently | A discussion about how to make practice time more efficient.
  3. Free Board Game for Music Students |
  4. Early Childhood Music Online Resources | a compilation of resources online about early childhood music.
  5. Preparing for Student Recitals: Recording! | Discusses reasons for and ways to record your students as a teaching tool to prepare for upcoming performances.
  6. 12 Tips for Memorizing Music | some ideas for effective ways to memorize your music.
  7. So You Want to Start a Blog? | I share my experiences about blogging so far in this post.
  8. Dealing with Performance Anxiety | a list of ideas for ways to cope with performance anxiety.
  9. Teaching Music Theory: Our Responsibility | discusses why music theory is our responsibility as piano teachers and ways to incorporate theory into piano lessons.
  10. Tutorial: Using Audacity Software in the Piano Studio | tips for touching up your studio recordings using the free software Audacity.
  11. Dealing With Frustration | A discussion why mistakes are okay and about the importance of keeping lessons fun.
  12. Developing a Good Sense of Rhythm | A post about the components to developing a good sense of rhythm in students.
  13. 9 Ideas for Motivating Piano Students | a list of ideas for getting students excited about piano again!
  14. Introducing Students to New Pieces | some ideas for setting up the student for success when you introduce a new piece.
  15. Rallentando & Ritardando: What’s the Difference? | an attempt to make a distinction between two Italian terms for “slowing down.”
  16. Go For the Sound | With music, listening is crucial!
  17. Teaching Phrase: Pretend It’s Easy | Sometimes, the brain or the fingers get in the way.
  18. Teaching Tip: Engaging the Emotions | a discussion about how engaging the emotions can enhance your teaching.
  19. Musical Spins on Favorite Games | a list of links to other blogs where you can find musical versions of favorite board/card games.
  20. Best of 2009 @ colorinmypiano.com | check out some posts back from 2009.