Teaching Piano

9 Meaningful Ways to Celebrate Graduating Piano Students

At the end of the school year, we piano teachers often find ourselves saying goodbye to graduating seniors — students who may have spent years growing up in our studios.

In a recent email newsletter (P.S.: If you aren’t already on my email list, sign up here — I’ll send you blog post updates, along with a monthly newsletter with a personal note and other highlights), I shared about the final lessons I recently had with two students. I described a few things I did to make those last lessons feel special.

That email resonated with several readers, who wrote back to share what they have done for their own graduating students. I loved reading their ideas, and asked permission to pass a few of them along here.

Some of these ideas are simple, while others could become part of a recital or studio celebration. Either way, they give us a way to celebrate the time we’ve shared and mark the end of a student’s years in the studio.

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Questions, Studio Business

Forum Q&A | Saying Goodbye to Piano Students Before Moving Away

At our last Forum Q&A discussion, we talked about new year’s resolutions for piano teachers!  Click here to view the responses.

Over the weekend, I received an email from a reader who is preparing to move and must say “goodbye” to all her students.  I’d love to start a discusion about piano teachers saying goodbye and moving, so here goes:

Have you ever had to move and “give away” all your students?  How did you break the news?  Was there anything you were able to do for your students to make their transition to a new piano teacher easier?  What other advice can you offer to a piano teacher who is preparing to move? 

I’ll post my answer in the comments below, including the “goodbye letter” I wrote for my students last Spring when I moved after graduation.  Please add your own thoughts to the comments below!