Tag: piano teachers

Teacher Feature

Teacher Feature | Sara’s Music Studio

Joy Morin

As announced last Friday, today marks the beginning of the brand new “Teacher Feature” series, featuring interviews with ordinary teachers like you and I.  I’m so excited to be sharing with you today an interview with piano and voice teacher Sara Kimbell from Pennsylvania.  Read on!

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J.M.: Please tell us about your piano and/or teaching background! S.K.: My first piano lesson was from my mother when I was 5 years old. I moved around quite a bit as a child, so I had the opportunity to study with many talented piano teachers. In high school I started taking voice lessons, and made the decision to follow music as a college career. Fast forward eleven years (wow!), and I have a BM in vocal performance, a MM in musicology, an new adjunct position at a local university, and my very own music studio just three minutes from my house. This is my sixth year as a full-time piano/voice teacher, and I absolutely love my job! I love that I get to influence young ones in their path, for them to read and learn more about what it takes for various subjects involved in making music and creating a studio to play in.

What is the most unique thing about your studio? In a way, I think it’s the variety that you’ll find in my studio. My students vary widely in age and level, and every one of them has a unique reason for being there. Whether they are a young elementary piano student, intensely focused on learning music from “Harry Potter,” or an adult voice student with the goal of singing in their church choir, my students are wonderfully interesting and they always keep me very engaged! Continue reading “Teacher Feature | Sara’s Music Studio” →

Questions, Technology

Forum Q&A | Piano Lessons via Skype

Joy Morin

Last week’s Forum Q&A post was about saying “no” to potential students, and we received some great responses!  Click here to check them out.  Here’s today’s discussion topic:

Advances in technology over the past few years have changed the way we live in many ways.  Online video conferencing services, for example, allow us to chat face-to-face with friends and family across the globe….and conduct piano lessons?!  With internet services becoming faster and audio compression quality also improving, offering lessons via video conferencing services such as Skype is becoming a more and more viable option.  It certainly is something for piano teachers to consider.

So, I’ve been doing some research to see what I could unearth about the set-up, feasibility, and success of Skype lessons.  Here’s what I found:

So, what are your thoughts?

Do you think Skype is a viable option as a way for independent music teachers to offer lessons?  What are the biggest adjustments or changes that the teacher and student would have to make in order for Skype lessons to be successful?  What pros and cons can you identify?  Would you ever offer lessons via Skype? 

Leave your comments below.

Update from Joy: I’ve decided to take the plunge and start offering live online piano lessons!  Check out the link to read more about me as a teacher and about how online piano lessons work.

improving as a teacher, Professional Development, Studio Business

Determining Tuition Rates for Piano Teaching

Joy Morin

Every once in a while, I receive emails from readers wondering if their tuition rates are appropriate.  Setting rates is a difficult topic to talk about, because for one thing, rate depend largely on the area where you live.  For that reason, I can’t advise exact numbers — but with this article I hope to offer some guidelines and suggestions regarding this topic nevertheless.

The Problem

I’m sure we’ve all experienced parents/students who are shopping for piano lessons by price.  Let’s face it: many parents today (especially in America) shop for piano teachers based on price, even though they really should be “shopping” based on the teacher’s experience, education, professionalism, dedication, etc..  Parents shop by price because in their logic, little 6-year-old Suzie doesn’t need an expensive teacher unless they discover that she has a talent for piano and long-term interest.  And they don’t know any better.  Continue reading “Determining Tuition Rates for Piano Teaching” →

Professional Development, Questions

Forum Q&A | Being A Member of MTNA or Other Professional Organizations

Joy Morin

Our last Forum Q&A from two weeks ago (due to the conference) was all about dealing with rhythmic “simplification” of familiar tunes with students.  If you haven’t read all the great responses yet, be sure to do so by clicking here!  As always, it’s never to late to contribute your own thoughts if you haven’t already.

This week, I’d like to start a discussion about professional organizations (such as MTNA for the U.S. — international teachers, please tell us about what your country offers!).

Are you a member of a professional organization?  If so, for how long have you been a member?  Is it worth it?  What is your favorite thing about being a member of MTNA or any other professional music teachers association?  What other benefits can you list?  Why do you consider it important to be a member?

If you are not currently a member of a professional organization, would you like to be in the future?  What questions do you have about becoming a member?

Comment away!

improving as a teacher, Studio Business

Thoughts on the Teaching Philosophy

Joy Morin

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” →

Announcements, improving as a teacher, Resources

Michigan Teachers: 2010 State Conference October 17-19

Joy Morin

For any fellow teachers in Michigan:

The Michigan Music Teachers Association (MMTA) State Conference is to take place Sunday, October 17 – Tuesday, October 19 at the Detroit Novi Sheraton (21111 Haggerty Rd., Novi).  Click here to for more information (including a link to the conference schedule), and click here to register.

Martha Hilley is this year’s Conference Clinician and Leon Bates is the Conference Artist.  There are many other sessions that look like very promising as well!  I am so excited for the conference to get here!

Not a member of MTNA (Music Teachers National Association) or your state association?

Just a few quick reasons to consider joining a professional organization such as MTNA:

  • Continue your professional development as a teacher by attending national and/or state conferences and local chapter meetings.
  • Network and share ideas with other teachers at conferences and local chapter meetings.
  • Become a certified music teacher (read more here).
  • Enter your students in competitions, SAT testing, and other events.
  • and more!  (Share your reasons in the comments!)

Read more about joining MTNA and your state association here.

Resources, Studio Business

Studio Business: Making a Memorable Impression

Joy Morin

Last week, I came across a very interesting article about how your business cards are a representation of your business.  The article features a number of examples of memorable and creative business cards, including the “piano repair” business cards pictured on the right.

Click here to read the article for yourself: 15+ Business Cards Visualizing the Business.

This article got me thinking:

  • How can I make my business cards (and other studio handouts/materials) more memorable?
  • What other ways could I be using my studio “brand name?”
  • How do my studio business cards and other materials represent my business?  What image are they giving to my parents and students?
Stepping up your business

Stepping up unlocks significant opportunities to scale your business, but it can also mean stepping into areas that you are not used to, and this means that you may need to get professional help. From looking to hire your first team members to preparing your business to export for the first time, there can be plenty of new experiences that lay ahead for founders that are stepping up.

Food for thought!  =)

Uncategorized

Advice for Teachers Seeking to Professionalize their Studios

Joy Morin

This week, I received an friendly email from a piano teacher in Texas who is looking for ways to professionalize her studio.  I already sent her a reply via email but I was thinking that you readers may have some suggestions and advice for her too — so here are some of her questions!

  • Do I need a business license?
  • Should I maintain a webpage and how do I do that?
  • Is what I have (20 students) enough to call it a studio?
  • How do I know if I am charging enough?
  • How do I find a place for a recital that doesn’t cost much?

So please – share!  What advice do you have for this teacher?

Photo credit: th0mi | CC 2.0

Performances

Leave It Behind and Just Play

Joy Morin

What happens when you have to give a performance but your mind is preoccupied with all sorts of crazy stuff going on in your life?

In working with a vocalist whom I accompany for this week, we had a conversation about the necessity of leaving life’s problems outside the performance hall.  Of course, it’s easier said than done!

Preoccupation and the Piano Lesson

The same kind of issue can arise in the piano lesson too.  Students sometimes come distracted to the lesson and have difficulty focusing on playing their pieces and learning what is being taught.

I’m not talking about when the student won’t sit still or is distracting by other objects in the room; I’m talking about when the student’s mind seems to be deeply preoccupied with other things.  It’s tough as piano teacher: we often don’t know what is going on in the student’s life at school or at home.   Continue reading “Leave It Behind and Just Play” →

Announcements, Practicing

Dealing with Frustration: Be Okay with Mistakes & Keep it Fun!

Joy Morin

At a piano lesson this week, I observed my student grow increasingly frustrated with herself whenever she made a mistake.  She would “growl” at herself and start back at the beginning of the phrase.

After observing this continue for a few moments, I decided to stop her and address the issue.

There were three reasons why I decided to address this issue:

  1. She was growing increasingly frustrated with herself.  And frustration doesn’t usually yield positive results.
  2. I could tell this was becoming a habitual response.  When she is practicing at home, she is obviously doing the same thing there.
  3. We were sight-reading.  She had never seen this piece before, and there was no reason that she should expect to play it perfectly upon first try.  She is only 7, and hasn’t had much experience with sight-reading yet anyway.

Continue reading “Dealing with Frustration: Be Okay with Mistakes & Keep it Fun!” →