Students

I promised I’d send online ideas that make it SIMPLE for beginning onliners. I’ve been doing this for a while now. It is particularly helpful I find for kids in groups online. It helps the lesson get off to a flying start at that typically…

• Last updated 4 years ago
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Although we are super pleased we have such high retention rates due to lots of long term conversations, recently we are finding (within the last year or so) that people are tactfully avoiding 1. Talking to us about issues or things they are confused about…

• Last updated 4 years ago
• business calls, calling back no shows, calling no shows, communicate, communicating where you are at, communicating with parents, communication, communication with parents, discontinuation, discontinuation notice, discontinuation policy, discontinuing, discontinuing lessons, email communication, ending lessons, ending lessons via email, exit email, no notice ending lessons, notice, quitting, quitting lessons, short notice cancellation, social media, students ending lessons, students quitting, studio communication, talking on phone, talking to people on the phone, text, texting, want to quit

I have found quite a few of my students are very emotional at lessons. When that happens, lessons are a bit of stressful for me sometimes. Do you have similar experience? My own children (now grown) never exhibited this sort of behaviors when they were…

• Last updated 4 years ago
• behavior, behavior in class, behavior issues, challenge, challenges, challenging behavior, challenging student, communicate, communicating where you are at, communication, cry, crying, disappointment, emotion, emotional, emotional limitations, emotional student, emotional students, emotions, expectations for behavior, expression, feelings, frustrated, frustrated student, frustration, managing emotion, misbehavior, mistakes, negative behavior, playing through mistakes, relationship, relationship with coach, relationships, self expression, stress, student behavior, student makes me feel uncomfortable, upset

The 12 year old son of an adult student of mine would love to take piano lessons. He can already play the violin and has a great ear, able to figure out how to play songs he hears on the piano. However, due to a…

• Last updated 4 years ago
• adapting fingering, alternate fingering for chords, big fingers, coaches, deformed fingers, deformed hand, deformities, duets, finger adaptations, finger independence, finger isolation, finger strength, fingering, fingers, injured fingers, injuries, Laurie Richards, limitations, missing fingers, mobility limitations, Neil Moore, parents of special needs, physical limitations, special needs, stiff fingers, strengthening fingers, teaching special needs, thick fingers, weak fingers, wide fingers

One of my private adult students had agreed to start RR but when I did the first exercises with her (walking with SDQ’s) she told me she did not feel comfortable as she feels this is more suitable for children. I told her I have…

• Last updated 4 years ago
• adult students, claiming territory, counting rhythms, difficult rhythm, explaining claiming territory, getting an even rhythm, helping students feel rhythm, improving rhythm skills, marching sdq, multiple thought processes, natural rhythm, not trusting the method, processing, processing rhythm, processing rhythms, reading, reading preparation, reading process, reading rhythm, reads rhythm, reclaiming territory, refusing to learn songs, refusing to play, regaining lost territory ideas, resistant students, rhythm, rhythm difficulty, rhythm fun ideas, rhythm games, RR, RR mastery, RR pacing, RR practice, SDQ, single thought process, single thought processes, singles doubles quads, STP, student processing and resisting approach, tapping, tapping sdq, teacher preparation, teaching rhythm, territory, trust the method, trust the process, trusting the method, trusting the process, trusting the program, walking sdq

Those of you who teach very young children (age 5-6), do you use a special kind of stool for them that is different from what older students or adults use? I have 2 piano stools, the one I use for very little children is a…

• Last updated 4 years ago
• adapting for young students, arm positions, bench, bench positions, feet, foot, foot rest, foot stool, piano bench, piano foot stool, piano stool, position, positioning, positions, posture, seat, seating, sitting, sitting positions, step for foot, stool, teaching very young students, teaching young children, teaching young students, young children, young students

I’m sensing my own impatience lately with some of my adult students! I also feel like I’ve been getting lots of “I’m nervous” and “it was perfect at home” from them. Maybe it’s just me… I’m not quite sure what’s going on. I’m just feeling…

• Last updated 4 years ago
• adult students, at home practice, enhancing practice, file folder analogy, frustrated, frustrated student, frustration, group lesson, group lessons, how to practice, impatience, Laurie Richards, Long Term Relationship, long term relationships, long-term relationship with teaching, LTR, managing practice, mistakes, nerves, nervous, nervousness, perfection, piano teacher effect, pract, practice, practice guidelines, practice habits, practice ideas, practice location, practicing, practicing guidelines, relationship, relationships, Robin Keehn, teacher effect

Today we had a recital. I always struggle with what to say after each student has played their song. Everyone is clapping, then I pop back up again to introduce the next performer. I say “that was great” then the next student I’ll say “that…

• Last updated 4 years ago
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One of my new private adult students (she is practicing diligently, LOVES SM, her playlist so far is very strong) wants to switch from having one (half-hour) lesson per week to two (half-hour) lessons weekly (several days apart) because she is eager to make even…

• Last updated 4 years ago
• 2 lessons per week, adult students, duration of class, duration of lesson, frequency of lessons, importance of playlist, length of class, length of lesson, lesson duration, lesson frequency, lesson length, managing playlist, managing the playlist, multiple lessons per week, number of songs on playlist, Playlist, playlist management, practice, semiweekly lesson, special needs, teaching week, twice per week lessons, two lessons per week

How would I decide whether a student would learn reasonably well using the classic Simply Music approach, or whether he & I should invest in the Gateway program? I don’t think you can really know until you start. It’s always safe to start with Gateway.…

• Last updated 4 years ago
• fine motor, gateway, Gateway training, getting started, Laurie Richards, Simply Music Gateway, understanding diagrams