Effective, enforceable studio policies
January 2015; Vol. 7, No. 1
Why do I need policies? Constructing effective and enforceable policies is ultimately about preserving relationships with our piano families. By communicating our expectations formally, we are making space to concentrate on what is most important—teaching. It may feel a bit stiff to require that parents...
Making Money, Making Space
November 2014; Vol. 6, No. 6
I am excited to be bringing you the first in a series of columns devoted to the business of piano teaching! Whether you are new to teaching or have been teaching for fifty years, I hope these columns will bring a fresh perspective on how...
What are your thoughts on the future of piano teaching?
November 2014; Vol. 6, No. 6
What’s next for our profession? Clavier Companion asked twelve pedagogues from around the country to contribute their thoughts on the future of piano teaching. In the following article, each author provides a short musing on this broad question. This series will continue in future...
Are you a workaholic? Seven ways piano teachers can fight this damaging behavior
September 2016; Vol. 8, No. 5
Authors note: They say it “takes one to know one,” and I humbly submit this as someone who struggles with working too much, simply because I love what I do! I hope these thoughts and tips help you as much as they have helped me....
Six keys to enforcing an effective studio policy
March 2016; Vol. 8, No. 2
A good studio policy is only effective if it is enforced. And while it is relatively easy to write a policy, it is certainly much harder to enforce it in a kind but firm manner. Yet enforcement of an effective policy is the key to...
Five income-affecting policy tweaks
May 2016; Vol. 8, No. 3
As you review and send out your new studio policy for the coming year, it might be wise to re-examine a few important aspects of that policy. These five income-affecting policy tweaks have the potential to generate more income or more cash in hand, thus...
If my studio is full, why should I keep marketing?
July 2016; Vol. 8, No. 4
Marketing piano lessons is most often used to refer to the process of obtaining new piano students. Consequently, when our studio is full or has a waiting list, it is easy to think that we no longer need to market. But marketing is also about retaining...