Studio Management

I have an adult student asking if there’s anyway to slow down the audio songs in order to play along with them. She’s in Level 6 and would love to play along with the Gaz, and others but esp. the Gaz. Maybe something corp. adds…

• Last updated 3 years ago
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Here is something that every one of my students have above their pianos. Obviously if your students are in the lower foundations, intervals, counting would not be needed but I find it a great tool to help remind them what boxes need to be ticked.…

• Last updated 3 years ago
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Metaphor I came up with today while coaching a student, expanding on the notion of working slowly to learn quickly. Student wasn’t speaking instructions. I reminded. Student resisted, said it’s harder. I said, you know what? You’re right. It’s harder to do two things at…

• Last updated 3 years ago
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Have you ever turned down a potential student even though they really wanted to start lessons? 😬 What were your reasons? What questions do you ask potential students either during FIS or during initial interactions in order to get a better sense of whether they…

• Last updated 3 years ago
• attitudes, behavior, behavior in class, behavior issues, challenging behavior, claiming territory, coachable, lesson requirements, misbehavior, negative attitude, negative behavior, prior experience, prior reading experience, reject student, request vs requirement, requirement, requirement based studio, requirement versus request, requirement-based, requirements, requirements in lessons, Robin Keehn, student attitudes, student behavior, students with prior experience, territory, turn down student, vett student

I wanted to share something I did in my studio this semester. I held an Apprenticeship Workshop class for upper level piano, bass, and guitar students of mine. It was designed to teach them how to play in or form their own bands. We met…

• Last updated 3 years ago
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Has anyone tried doing piano ensembles within your own studio? I have come across Susan Staples Bell Music, in which she composes music and then has a group of students work together. It sounds like fun but wondering how far through would the student need…

• Last updated 3 years ago
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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 3 years 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 3 years 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 4 years ago
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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 years ago
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