Relationships

Lesson bombs with Neil – has anyone told your students ahead of time rather than having it be a surprise? Would that be OK to do? Or perhaps telling them there will be a surprise guest and to choose a short piece or a 20-second…

• Last updated 2 months ago
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An idea that might be helpful, especially to those teachers in the southern hemisphere wanting to schedule a lesson bomb with Neil: I invited students to a Pop Up Piano Lesson. This was a time outside of anybody’s regular lesson time. I scheduled a lesson…

• Last updated 2 months ago
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In the last few months Gretchen Rubin’s book “The Four Tendencies” was referred to me – I have found it super insightful wrt understanding both myself, and students. Here’s a link to a brief summary – reminder that one size doesn’t always fit all when…

• Last updated 2 months ago
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Any great ice-breaker ideas for piano lessons?!?!? I’ve been recommitting to group lessons this year and so I have several returning students who are coming together in new groups. While they all know me, they’ll be new to each other and I’d love to find…

• Last updated 3 months ago
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You know how you have a little small talk before the class begins…finding out how they are and how piano was that week? Well, this week I tried a little different angle. I asked “Did you make any musical discoveries this week”. The answers surprised…

• Last updated 3 months ago
• checking in, communicate, communicating where you are at, communication, conversations, discovery, question, relationship, relationships, small talk, talking about SM

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 months ago
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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 months ago
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Sharing a requirement-based success story. I had a family recently whose two children never practiced consistently since they started. I told parents and children consistently the past week before spring break and week following that it wasn’t a problem, but that it wasn’t going to…

• Last updated 7 months ago
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How would my expert teachers out there manage a student who was absolutely adamant that they should only have 1 NEW song to practice each week. Regardless of if they get it easy or not; how can I correct this limiting belief in their psychology…

• Last updated 7 months ago
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You know how you talk yourself blue in the face sometimes to your students about basic best practices and it seems to go in one ear and out the other? Well, I decided to let the STUDENTS speak – video tape them – and share…

• Last updated 7 months ago
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