Students
Territory & Teaching Experience
I had an interesting conversation with a student today and I wonder if anyone has any thoughts. It started because I had a comment on an evaluation form that Simply Music lessons are overpriced. I realized that the student hadn’t attended an FIS and thus…
Workshop Questions
I have two five year old special needs boys. One, C ,was exposed to drugs in Utero and probably has developmental issues but has not been diagnosed yet. J, the other boy has Williams Syndrome. They are very different from one another. C is very…
Workshop Pacing
In regular lessons, we go at a pace appropriate for a given group/student and don’t preconceive how long it will take to get through any particular project(s). We also try to match students well so that a group will all go at close enough to…
Transitioning Traditional Students
For those of you who transitioned your previous students from traditional lessons to Simply Music, do these families attend the same FIS as new families? I will be giving my previous students a price break for the first year since I had already posted their…
My 9 year-old ‘Advanced’ Student
I have an advanced student who is 9 years old and has been playing for about 4-5 years in a traditional method. Reading is fair, but he has been playing by ear for years, and his overall ability and absorption rate is staggering. I’m starting…
Moving Existing Traditional Students to SM
I have just come on board. I have taught private piano lessons for 25 years. I found out about Simply Music through an article in the paper about a new teacher in Des Moines. I got on the web site, gave her a call, sat…
Parent is pushing reading
I have read through the teachers’ library on the topic of “Transitioning Traditional Students.” I have a parent who still wants to know more details on the note reading aspect of the SM program. I am only through Foundation Level one and do not have…
Young Students Dropping Out
This week, after one month of lessons, two 7-year-old students dropped out. The one mother was very upset. She started by saying “We have some terrible news”. She even filled out the evaluation sheet even though the little girl only knew one song. It was…
When students don’t want to play piano anymore
I’d like to get some feedback regarding when students might be in a “valley” or even worse when they are on the verge of quitting. I lost another student today, sadly. His mom said he lost interest and didn’t want to play anymore. He had…
Students Quitting
Just received this letter from a mom of twin 8 year olds: “Dear Sheri, I am seeing a tremendous improvement in (my children). I think your program is great, however, they have an interest in Violin. They asked to do Violin instead of Piano and…