How old are you? Why would I ask, you may wonder. Because the younger you are, the more value you will get from this article. The older you are, the more essential this information will be. Self-care is a broad topic, fit for all of us. For example, you might have great studio policies and marketing strategies but have ignored saving money and are headed down the slippery slope of financial insecurity.

As teachers, we all know how hard it can be to say no. We often feel obligated to take on more than we can handle, leaving us feeling overwhelmed and stressed. Thankfully, there are ways to politely decline without sacrificing our own needs. But don’t worry, we don’t have to narrow it down to just five. I may have gotten a little carried away as I came up with 75+ ways to say no, while also remembering there is value in saying yes.

An article about time management should not take a lot of time to read. So here it is, short and simple: five strategies for time management. Or depending on how one numbers them, there are eight “ate” strategies.

Teachers are emotionally connected to their work in a deep way. After all, students are more than numbers on a spreadsheet; they are long-term investments involving untold hours of planning and care. Essential as it may be, it’s that very emotional connection that sometimes leads us down the wrong path.

While reading this book, I was often stopped in my tracks by its profound and sometimes brutal truths, yet I ultimately found a great sense of peace and purpose as I worked through its pages. If you manage people, work with people or are a person, this book will help you.

I recently read The Gap and The Gain, by authors Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy. In this book, they introduce a powerful mindset shift that can transform the way we measure success in any aspect of life. They argue that people tend to focus on the gap between where they are and their ideal. This comparison trap often leads to frustration and unhappiness. Instead, they advocate focusing on the gain, measuring how far one has come rather than how far there is to go. “Always measure backwards” is a principle that has profound implications for music educators, studio owners and performers alike. By shifting our perspective from what is lacking to what has been achieved, we can foster greater motivation, resilience and long-term success.

I first encountered The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Achieving More with Less by Richard Koch in a 2014 Clavier Companion interview with Randall Faber, co-author of Piano Adventures, where he recommended it as a top book for personal productivity. I took the recommendation to heart, considering the remarkable success the Fabers have had in building a piano method empire. I ordered the book right away, and over time, the 80/20 principle has become a key part of how I prioritize tasks and optimize processes. I often apply it to everything from planning a birthday party to running my music studio, helping me make the most of my limited time and allowing me to focus on what truly matters.

With an overabundance of resources on the Internet, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. Here are three valuable resources chosen specifically to assist you in your professional life.

 

Original Broadcast: February 2, 2024

Telling our individual human stories is a powerful way to connect to one another. As musicians and teachers, we tell these stories when we are engaged with our students or an audience. Composers tell stories in their music, and the joy, surprise, tragedy and humour are woven into the text of harmony, rhythm and melody. These musical scores entrusted to us are the story scripts, and like actors, we must study, explore, and embody the story of the composer’s music. By embracing both our own stories and the stories of the music, we have a guiding purpose that links the artistic choices we make along the way. In this webinar, we will examine some of the remarkable stories in the music that we teach and perform, and explore different ways to highlight character, phrasing, timing, tone, touch and other elements of artistry to ensure that those stories are told with meaning and respect.