Entrepreneurism


Meet the Entrepreneur: Tony Parlapiano Keeping it Simple! (Open Access)

Triangles are Tony Parlapiano's favorite shape, and the triangle between student, parent and teacher satisfaction is an especially important one to him. In this video, Tony shares the varied approaches to studio structure he has experienced through the years, ending with his current decision to move from private lessons to individually accessed online classes. .

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Meet the Entrepreneur: Alyssa Haffner Group Lessons… (Open Access)

Wondering how to begin offering group lessons? Alyssa Haffner shares a few of her successes, failures, and surprise from when she began offering group and lab piano lessons at her studio.

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Meet the Entrepreneur: Nancy O'Neill Breth The Accidental Entrepreneur

The careers of successful music teachers often take unexpected twists and turns. Nancy Breth embraces the bends in the road that brought her to a career as an entrepreneur, performer, educator, author, speaker and mentor. Her vibrant website highlights her teaching, publications, videos, pedagogy workshops, blog and more—all with photos that radiate energy and market her multi-faceted career. Here she offers some food for thought for teachers who are open to the varied opportunities that a career in music can bring.

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Meet the Entrepreneur: Davis Dorrough, NCTM, Online Teaching is Not Just for Pandemics

After most of the music profession was thrown into online teaching during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Davis Dorrough found plenty of reasons to not go back to in-person lessons. Learn why he chose this path, how he pivoted his business to an entirely virtual model, where he found new students and how he enhanced the online experience with innovative technology.

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Meet the Entrepreneur: Noreen Wenjen, Entrepreneurial Secrets to Building Your Music Studio from Within

What does a successful music teacher need to stand out in today’s competitive music studio market? In this video, I reveal my entrepreneurial secrets to building my music studio business from within. Find out why these entrepreneurial secrets will help your students beyond learning music and how it will help you and your studio grow!

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Meet the Entrepreneur: Lynette Zelis, Noteable Notes Music Academy

As music teachers, we have numerous options for our business structure—from an independent studio to a community school of the arts. The following short video highlights Noteable Notes Music Academy, a multi-instrument, three-location program employing twenty-one teachers, offering private lessons and summer camps, and founded and directed by Lynette Zelis.

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The Three-Box Solution for Innovation

Unprecedented. Fluid. Evolving. Uncertain. Pivot. We have heard these words many times during the past nine months and may be feeling paralyzed or overwhelmed—unable to even consider innovating our studio or association. …

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A Bias for Action

I am a strong proponent of strategic planning, but savvy business professionals also have a bias for action.

Strategic planning sometimes conjures an image of preparation before action, but there are often smart moves to be made during the planning process. …

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Studio Strategic Planning

As creative, entrepreneurial-minded teachers, we are very good at studio organization—policies, scheduling, curriculum. Whether starting a new studio or revitalizing an existing studio, attention to these details is essential for success and largely under our control. …

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Every Lesson—Every Day

Professionally, how do you describe yourself? Fill in the blank: I am a ____. …

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The Entrepreneurial Mind

Walt Disney. Henry Ford. Independent music teacher.

Webster's Dictionary defines an entrepreneur as "one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business." …

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Possibilities in a Tough Economy

Whether a young professional just starting out or an experienced teacher relocating to a new area, a bleak economy treats everyone the same. It's hard to make a living. …

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Smart, Single, Successful! Common Threads

Excellence in business rarely happens by accident. Consider the three young professionals in recent columns that I characterized as "smart, single and successful." …

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Smart, Single, Successful! Making A Living As An Independent Music Teacher

How can I make a living as an independent teacher?" To answer this question, three young professionals shared their stories at the 2011 MTNA National Conference during the session "Smart, Single, Successful! Effective Business Strategies For Young Professionals." …

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Smart, Single, Successful! Effective Business Strategies For Young Professionals

When I ask college students and young professionals what business topic they most want to know more about, it’s often, “How can I make a living as an independent teacher?” …

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Earn $100,000 As An Independent Teacher? Yes!

At a conference last summer, I was intrigued by the title of Kristin Yost’s session, “How I Made $100,000 My First Year as a Piano Teacher.” Yes, you read that correctly. …

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8 Recession Proof Business Strategies

If you have concerns about the recent ups and downs in the economy and how you and your music students are being affected, you are not alone. With foreclosures of family homes, job losses and shrinking budgets, there is reason for concern that music lessons may be the first casualty in family cost cutting. …

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In Search Of Excellence

How do we define excellence in our profession? Certainly high quality teaching and performing are major components. …

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Invigorating Our Studios

We all want our studios to be thriving centers of learning and enthusiasm. Yet at times, boredom, stress or exhaustion can creep into the studio of even the most enthusiastic among us. …

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