Studio Management

I’m finding in some of my small groups that individuals need some one on one that is hard to achieve in a group setting. I’m curious if any of you do ‘hybrid’ lessons when one week they might be in a group and the next…

• Last updated 1 month ago
• addressing poor technique, benefits of group lessons, benefits of shared lessons, comfort in teaching groups, different levels, different pacing in group, dislikes shared lessons, FL4, flat fingers, foundation level 4, group, group by level, group dynamics, group lesson, group lessons, group obstacles, group or private lessons, group vs private, groups, hybrid, intervals, keeping groups together, L4, Laurie Richards, leading groups, learning differences, Level 4, managing groups, managing shared lessons, mentor groups, navigating a valley, office hours, opposition to shared lessons, poor technique, private vs group, private vs shared, private vs shared lessons, shared, shared lesson, shared lesson ideas, shared lesson management, shared lessons, shared lessons management, shared vs private, siblings moving at a different pace, student mentors, student valley, students in groups with different abilities, students progressing differently, students teaching, students teaching each other, teaching groups, technique, technique questions, valley, valley on Level 4, valleys, value of groups

Funny sometimes the things that we need to teach/share with our students. This week we talked about performing without ‘giving away’ the fact that you had a stumble. After the conversation, one of my students played “Sit by My Side” with some imperfections BUT didn’t…

• Last updated 2 months ago
• errors, handling mistakes, improvise through mistakes, keep going through mistakes, mistakes, playing through mistakes

So happy about a droplet of grace that came to my studio today. A mum came up with an idea about which I am so excited that I am instituting next week. An hour long zoom SM Parent Support Session . The structure she suggested…

• Last updated 3 months ago
• coaching parents, communicating with parents, communication with parents, dealing with parents, encouraging parents, involving parents in lessons, involving the parent, keeping coaches focused, life coach, life coaches, managing coaches, mutual coaching, parent, parent involvement, parent questions, parent struggles, parent support, parental involvement, parental participation, parents, parents only, relationship with coach, Robin Keehn, working with parents

Sometimes in a shared lesson, one student is ready to move on from a project before others are quite ready. Let’s share some ideas for an extra “filler” project for that student. I’ll start: Utilize one of the Supplemental Programs – assign one project from…

• Last updated 4 months ago
• arrangement, arranging, Blues Infusion, Blues Infusion Program, Chord Drill, comfort in teaching groups, creative projects, different levels, different pacing in group, Elizabeth Gaikwad, foundation duets, Foundation Duets and Variations, genres, group, group dynamics, group lesson, group lessons, group obstacles, groups, improv, improvisation, keeping groups together, Laurie Richards, leading groups, managing groups, managing shared lessons, motivation, new variation, Notion, pacing, positive peer pressure, readiness, ready, shared, shared lesson, shared lesson ideas, shared lesson management, shared lessons, shared lessons management, siblings moving at a different pace, songs for children, Songs for Christmas, Songs for Everyone, speed of learning, speed of progress, students in groups with different abilities, students progressing differently, students speed of progress, styles, Teacher Collection, teaching groups, Tune Toolkit, variation, variations

I have a potential adult student who suffers from social anxiety. After attending a FIS she messaged me to tell me of her issue. I had noticed something during the interaction. She also told me that she just wanted to try one lesson. I suggested…

• Last updated 4 months ago
• anxiety, anxious, anxious student, claiming territory, coachabilty, coachable, coaching adults, compassion, compassionate, emotion, emotional, emotional limitations, emotional student, emotional students, emotions, managing emotion, reclaiming territory, Robin Keehn, social anxiety, student anxiety, students controlling the lesson, territory, try it out, trying it out, trying lessons

To add value to my studio, I try to do as many activities as I can. I take my students to a recording studio every year. They record their music and cut a CD to take home. It is such a blast And my parents…

• Last updated 5 months ago
• audio recording, Audio recordings, burn CDs, burning CDs, CD, garage band, professional recording, recording, recording pieces, recording students, recording studio, student recordings

Please help 🙈 I’ve been asked by two of my students to give them a grade for music (piano)? Is anyone able to advise me on the criteria for this? I keep finding myself wanting to draw from my traditionally trained brain but I don’t…

• Last updated 8 months ago
• evaluating students, formula for success, grades, grading students, homeschool, homeschool student evaluations

LONG STORY SHORT: I’m looking for advice about shared lessons and expectations about having multiple pianos for students to use during the lesson. About a month ago, I received a call from a retired Simply Music teacher. Her long-time friend had observed her joy at…

• Last updated 8 months ago
• benefits of group lessons, benefits of shared lessons, group, managing groups, managing shared lessons, mentor groups, multi-sensory, multi-sensory learning, multiple instruments, multiple keyboards, multiple pianos, observational learning, observatory learning, one instrument, one keyboard, one piano, opposition to shared lessons, round robin, shared, shared lesson, social distancing, student mentors, two instruments, two keyboards, two pianos

I’m curious about the psychology behind the brain’s ability to increase the speed of muscle memory (play a song faster), but its struggle to decrease the speed of the same task. Anyone? Not an expert neurological answer, but: Speed comes with familiarity and comfort. Slowness…

• Last updated 11 months ago
• adding expression, automatic, automaticity, competence, control the events, controlling the events, creating awareness, CTE, deliberate practice, expression, expressive playing, fast playing, flexibility, getting student to slow down, knowing, learning slowly, memory muscle, mindfulness, muscle memory, musical expression, Neil Moore, neurology, playing fast vs slow, playing slowly, playing speed, playing too fast, playing with expression, practicing slowly, psychology, self expression, slow practice, slow-steady-musical-even, slowing down, speed of learning, tempo, thoughtlessness

Hi guys, I have an 11yr old student in ons of my groups who always tries to control the events! I have to manage her alot, bring her back to the room. She is on Foundation 1 and we have just got to Chester. After…

• Last updated 11 months ago
• delay the reading process, delaying reading, outside materials, outside music, outside pieces, outside reading knowledge, outside repertoire, pieces outside the program, previous experience, previous reading knowledge, prior experience, prior reading experience, priorities, reading, songs outside the repertoire, student knowledge, student with previous experience, students with previous experience, students with prior experience, tutorial, YouTube