Who doesn’t appreciate creative solutions to common studio challenges? The following hacks aim to enhance aspects of studio organization, management and lesson planning.

1. Search Engine Hacks
   1. Looking for digital sheet music PDFs? Add this modifier to the end of your Google search query to limit your search to PDF files: filetype:pdf
   2. Seek out online communities and groups on and where you might find helpful information not seen in Google search results.
   3. Refine your search query with tools like these:
      1. “Surround in quotes to search the entire phrase”
      2. “Use a plus sign between phrases” + “to locate results that include both”

Trepidation about inflation, student recruitment, retention, billing policies? Summer is a good time for teachers to complete a five-point inspection on what they need to revamp BEFORE the students return!

Interview lesson, meet-and-greet, intro lesson, trial lesson, consultation—whatever you choose to call them, introductory sessions are a great way to jumpstart your potentials students’ success in music lessons. This article presents five steps to help you make the most of your interview lessons with new music students.

If the content of your studio stays the same year after year, it will feel stale to your students no matter what your marketing or website says. Time to mix it up and keep students wondering what will be exciting and different this year!

A home studio is not for everyone. Home ownership may not be feasible or funds may not be available for purchasing a quality instrument. I can just hear my banker friends saying "But that's why the banks are here! We can help." However, the choice to add debt may not be attractive either, especially for young professionals with student loans. Home studios/ownership may not be compatible with contemporary lifestyles that include urban apartment living, delayed marriage or a desire for mobility.

One of the most valuable ways to increase professionalism in the independent studio is to network with other teachers about successful policies. Discussing business issues during local and state music teacher associations meetings offers the opportunity to share favorite teaching practices and seek solutions to joint concerns. Such sharing acknowledges that we are not only independent, but also interdependent music teachers. An equally effective means of gathering data concerning our profession is to conduct a written survey of professional issues. Surveys provide invaluable insight into business issues, professionalism and successful approaches to pedagogy within our geographic area.

What message does the tone of our voice send? What impression does our appearance have on students and parents? Body language, voice inflection, speech habits, eye contact, facial expressions, posture and clothing all can impact the way we are perceived in the independent studio.

For many teachers, gone are the days of keeping track of financial records in a written ledger. In addition to numerous online accounting programs (such as Quicken and QuickBooks) for record keeping, there are also programs designed specifically for music teachers that can assist with studio management (including student registration, auto invoicing, lesson booking and rescheduling, payment reminders, communication with parents/students and more). Here are four excellent programs worth considering:

When you think of innovative technology tools, Google Drive may not be the first thing that comes to mind. However, Google Sheets, Slides, Docs and Forms are powerful tools that can be used to create interactive PDFs, drag-and-drop worksheets, clickable choice boards, escape rooms, auto-corrected worksheets, registration forms and so much more.

Do you stress about income as the summer months approach? These ideas from proactive teachers will help you plan ahead and keep your studio afloat when revenue fluctuates.

January is a great time to get organized! Need inspiration for how to organize your music? Deborah H. How collected ideas from more than 125 music teachers. Ideas range from DIY bins and binders to custom-made shelves to digital platforms. Personally, I love the “cello” shelves! See photos of all the ideas in this video.   

Scheduling music lessons manually can be tedious and time consuming. Every moment spent coordinating availability, sending reminders and rescheduling takes time away from the most important part of your work—teaching music! By implementing free, easy-to-use software, you can automate these activities, streamline your scheduling process, and have more time to invest in your students’ lessons.

From setting tuition rates, paying taxes and upgrading your studio, to embracing a mindset that is open to change, these resources are indeed gems!

Do you ever find yourself intimidated by confrontational conversations? Do discussions regarding policies, procedures and payment plans make you squirm, or do you find yourself externally cringing when aggressive parents raise their voices and attempt to manipulate and bend you to their will? You’re not alone. As a musician, teacher, small business owner and recovering people-pleaser, I understand how difficult it can be to assert yourself with confidence when it comes to resolving conflict with the families of students— your clients and potential customers.

Is it time to put a new spin on your recitals? For teacher and student alike, it can become tedious to experience the same recital format two or three times per year (or more!), so it can be helpful and motivating to add some creativity in planning recitals. A little extra thought will pay off!

In the January 2024 Business Digest, more than 125 music teachers responded to the question: “Do you have photos of how you store sheet music and scores? Photos are for an article in the MTNA Business Digest called ‘Show Us Your Shelves!’” .

 

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.

Have you ever felt run down? Overworked? Taken for granted? The antidote to all the above is to eat right, get plenty of sleep and develop a firm make-up policy. For a healthy studio we each must decide on an acceptable make-up policy and then abide by that policy at all times.

Are you trying to decide on the best business structure for your teaching? OR are you looking for ways to upgrade or change your current teaching situation? Besides the two traditional platforms (independent studio and university faculty) there are other attractive choices available.

Do you need fresh ideas to invigorate your studio this fall? Perhaps you are wanting to fine-tune a few of your studio policies as you go into a new school year. These podcasts and blogs provide some of the most current tips and tools that private teachers are considering in their fall planning.

Looking for ways to engage your students? When utilized well, piano exams can be a helpful tool to keep students motivated, teachers organized and parents confident in their children’s piano journey.

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. In the business world, companies constantly evaluate efficiency, assess causes for success or failure and strive to improve products and services. As independent teachers, we need to take a similarly proactive approach to create a studio with refreshed, invigorated and innovative teaching.

Times change, but strong business practices never go out of style. An annual refresh keeps a studio vibrant, relevant and meeting the needs of students and parents. Compiled by the MTNA Business Network, the highlights important studio topics that warrant regular review. Follow along as we explore these key studio topics in more detail.

Professional musicians’ careers are becoming increasingly multidisciplinary, and even within the field of music teaching, the possibilities for building a career may come in a variety of formats.

Many independent music teachers think about expanding their studios and starting a music school when their student load exceeds their available teaching hours. To start a music school that follows best business practices is not as simple as renting a commercial space, hiring a couple of teachers and printing new business cards. Careful preparation and planning are necessary to not only be financially successful, but to also be professionally responsible.

Establishing an effective policy is integral to running a studio smoothly and efficiently. But how do we actually enforce these policies to make sure we get paid on time, aren’t run over by pushy parents or aren’t allowing our lives to be consumed by resentment toward those who don’t respect our boundaries? How can we enforce our policies while still giving attention and appropriate grace to those in need? How can we be kind and understanding of our families while making sure we maintain healthy boundaries?  

Running a music festival or competition, while seemingly daunting, can be both personally rewarding and professionally fulfilling—so long as you are well-organized and have a clear strategic and financial plan.

Kristin Yost has long been a trailblazer in the world of independent piano teaching, offering innovative strategies for teachers seeking not only financial success but also personal fulfillment in their careers.

I had just finished teaching a series of pedagogy classes, covering many business aspects of running a studio (including studio policies, marketing, recordkeeping, tax returns), when one of my students, with a deer-in-the-headlights look, asked, "Can I just keep working for you (the Community Arts School) when I graduate? I'll never be able to do all this! I just want to teach."

Have you ever wondered how to create a beautifully designed recital program with a minimum amount of effort? Join us in this short two-part series to first learn how to sort and organize student information in Excel, and then to use the mail merge feature in Microsoft Word linked to Excel to produce a professional recital program.

As many of us transition back into in-person instruction, we should consider how to continue to incorporate virtual resources in our lesson plans to benefit our students’ progress. Whether you are looking to supplement your students’ weekly practice experience or are interested in starting your own master class series, below are some great resources for student and teacher, alike! One thing that music educators learned over the past few years is that online music instruction is not only possible but can enhance students’ learning experiences. A great way to do that is utilizing online master class series!

If you are looking to make the transition from physical scores to digital sheet music, there are plenty of online resources available to you! The days of lugging around bulky 100-page scores are over!

What is the independent music studio? Educational facility? Arts organization? Private business? Many would recognize their studios to be all three. Others might fear that treating a private studio as a business would take away from the artistic and nurturing nature of their work. As an increasing number of people work from the home—accountants, lawyers, writers—it is much more common for a private music studio to be seen as a small business. One of the best ways to present one's studio as a business, or at least in a businesslike fashion, is to develop written materials for the studio. Such materials save time and energy, contribute to organization, enhance studio and teacher recognition and present the independent studio in a more professional light.

The modern world has gone through rapid changes in recent years. Music teachers faced real and demanding challenges during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many were able to quickly adapt, invest and learn when presented with a more advanced technological reality. Now we are headed back to the future, including a post-vaccine reality that consists of a world where safe, in-person instruction coexists with more technologically savvy teaching. Blending our past and current experiences is essential to guaranteeing a future filled with more opportunities and increasingly effective instruction.

The AI landscape is constantly evolving and can seem overwhelming. Are you curious about how to use AI to enhance your studio and boost your effectiveness, but not sure where to start? Here are five practical ways to use AI to support some of the basic tasks in our studios.

1. Capture lesson notes with

Did you know the MTNA Business Resources section of the MTNA website has a treasure box of business resources at your fingertips? It is literally a revolving treasure box that gets updated each quarter. Yes, you heard that right! This is not a “one-stop visit and move on” feature on the website. MTNA understands the ever-changing demands that music teachers face. So, they have built a team to help you meet your needs and provide you with a vast collection of resources and continue to update based on current needs.

It is 20 degrees and snow is still on the ground here in the Midwest; what better time to think summer, or better yet, re-think summer. The superintendent of my state's largest school district, Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS), met last November with hundreds of out-of-school-time providers (such as YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, afterschool enrichment programs, church groups) and challenged them to re-think summer as "out-of-school-time" programming. IPS is championing a new "balanced" calendar that reduces the current summer break from 10 weeks to five weeks, adds three-week breaks in the fall and spring, and increases winter break to four weeks. A primary reason for this proposal is to counter the documented "summer learning loss" of children who are away from a structured school routine for two to three months. I can almost hear music teachers cheering! Our profession has long advocated that taking the summer off from music study results in skill and learning loss and the need to catch up in the fall.

A common resolution at this time of year is vowing to make more time for things that are important. Wouldn't we all love to improve our time management, including the efficiency of our business practices? Executive Director and CEO of MTNA Gary Ingle related the following story at a recent leadership meeting:

Welcome to a new teaching year! Have you updated your studio policy? The studio policy is a reflection of your professional image, serves as the foundation of the integrity and structure of your studio, and is an essential element of your business. It should be revisited every year for two major reasons—it is a legal document, and it is easier to communicate and enforce if it is up-to-date and consistent with your current philosophy and structure.