Relationships

I have run three FIS’s over the past week, and have encountered a number of potential parents who use the phrase “we want to give it a go”. Now, I know this is a phrase we don’t like to hear necessarily – as “giving it…

• Last updated 4 weeks ago
• 4-song workshop, commit, commitment, commitment to lessons, give it a go, giving it a go, Long Term Relationship, long term relationships, long-term, long-term relationship conversation, LTR, LTR graph, relationship, relationship conversation, relationship graph, sample lessons, sampling lessons, sticking with piano long term, teaching workshops, trail before committing, trial lesson, trial period, try it out, trying it out, trying lessons, workshop, workshop SHMs, Workshops

Gosh, there are SO many things I want to comment on, but at this moment, I want to encourage all of you who might be on the fence about letting someone go from your studio to just do it! I realize we all have our…

• Last updated 1 month ago
• discontinuation, discontinuation notice, discontinuation policy, discontinuing, discontinuing lessons, ending lessons, ending lessons via email, final lesson, firing students, last lesson, letting students go

Siblings in a shared lesson with 2 others, just finishing Foundation One (12 lessons) Big brother learning faster than average, and faster than his sister. Mom says they are having trouble at home because they are playing the same material, he wants to go faster…

• Last updated 2 months ago
• 30 day notice, claiming territory, discontinuation, discontinuation notice, discontinuation policy, discontinuing, discontinuing lessons, Laurie Richards, lesson requirements, Long Term Relationship, long term relationships, long-term relationship conversation, LTR, no notice ending lessons, notice, quitting, quitting lessons, reclaiming territory, regaining lost territory ideas, request vs requirement, requirement, requirement based studio, requirement versus request, requirement-based, requirements, requirements in lessons, sticking with piano long term, students quitting, territory, want to quit

Thoughts on creating some kind of buddy system opportunities for adult private students who could use some extra support beyond their own playing the coaching the role for themselves? I do have more than one, so I could approach my own to pose this to…

• Last updated 1 year ago
• adult, adult afternoon soirees, adult cocktail party, adult lessons, adult student, adult students, adults, adults in groups, buddy system, coach, coach as student, coach responsibility, coaches, coaching, coaching adults, holding coaches accountable, importance of life coach, learning without a coach, life coach, life coach for adult, life coaches, mutual coaching, no coach at lessons, no coaches, no life coach, Practice Club, teaching adults, teaching students to coach, teaching without a coach

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 12 months ago
• benefits of group lessons, benefits of online lessons, comfort in teaching groups, distance lessons, FaceTime, Google Hangouts, groups, learning online, learning via webcam, lesson bomb, lesson bombs, managing groups, Neil Moore, online, online groups, online learning, online lessons, Skype, teaching groups, teaching online, using a webcam to teach, value of groups, videoconference software, Zoom

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 12 months ago
• benefits of group lessons, benefits of online lessons, comfort in teaching groups, distance lessons, FaceTime, Google Hangouts, groups, learning online, learning via webcam, lesson bomb, lesson bombs, managing groups, Neil Moore, online, online groups, online learning, online lessons, pop-up lesson, pop-up piano lesson, Skype, teaching groups, teaching online, using a webcam to teach, value of groups, videoconference software, Zoom

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 1 year ago
• different facets of musicianship, Four Tendencies, Gretchen Rubin, learning differences, Obligers, personality, Questioners, Rebels, siblings moving at a different pace, students in groups with different abilities, students progressing differently, The Four Tendencies, Upholders

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 1 year ago
• adding students to a group, benefits of group lessons, benefits of shared lessons, break the ice, breaking down barriers, comfort in teaching groups, communicate, communication, forming groups, friends, group, group dynamics, group lesson, group lessons, group lessons scheduling, group obstacles, groups, ice-breaker, icebreaker, leading groups, managing groups, managing shared lessons, relationship, relationships, scheduling groups, scheduling shared lessons, setting up groups, shared, shared lesson, shared lesson ideas, shared lesson management, shared lessons, shared lessons management, starting groups, teaching friends, teaching groups, value of groups

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 1 year 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 2 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