Teach Musically's Podcast: Recent Episodes
TeachMusically
Teach Musically is the private music teacher's resource for business and pedagogy solutions! Gain the tools you need to take control of your career and build the musical life you want!
Running a music studio involves so much more than just our pedagogical skills - it’s a business built on relationships. The way we nurture and manage our relationships with both students and parents can often be more challenging than the teaching itself. No matter how professional you are and how detailed your studio policy is, you will run into conflict with a client at some point. Learning how to work through these conflicts in a calm and professional way can help you maintain peace and comfort in your professional life. In this podcast we discuss the most common issues that arise in our business and how we can handle them.
“He plays with so much emotion!” “Put more feeling into it!”. As teachers we are all familiar with these phrases and what they mean: an abundance or lack of musicality. Musicality is what transforms notes on the pages into a captivating performance. Teaching our students to be musical is a long journey, but not an impossible one. Listen to hear about our favourite ways to develop musicality in students of all ages and levels.
Critiquing our students is a fine balance of honesty, kindness and effective wording. When done correctly, we can yield results from our students while also building confidence and problem solving skills. On the other hand, critiques that are delivered too harshly can cause frustration, stress and strain the relationship between student and teacher. Even worse, it can cause resentment towards music learning. In this podcast we discuss our approaches to effectively deliver critique to all personality types.
A detailed and well written studio policy can alleviate so much stress from a music teacher’s life. It is a great way to set boundaries and expectations for all of your clients. However, with the close connection we create with our students and their families comes nuance. At times, it can be the right move to make exceptions and break our policy rules in order to reward our most loyal clients. So when should we say yes and when should we stay firm? Listen to find out!
As a new music grad ready to start their studio you likely have lots of energy, excitement and great ideas about teaching! You can’t wait to start sharing your passion with the next generation of young musicians. But as you gain more experience and overcome challenges, you will learn even more about teaching and your philosophy will change and evolve with time. In this podcast we reflect on our first few years of teaching and discuss what we’ve learned, what we’ve changed and what has stayed the same. We cover studio policies, teaching methods and teacher burn out. Take a listen!
When it comes to music lessons it takes the collaboration of three people to find success: the student, the teacher and the parent. So often we overlook the importance of the parent's role in motivating and nurturing their child to do their best. With experience you will find that there is a lot of variety in the way that parents approach piano lessons. We’ve come up with the six most common parent personalities and break down their characteristics and the pros and cons of each approach. We also share some of our personal stories of parent interactions both good and bad.
In 2020 the world changed and along with it so did our teaching. Music teachers all over the world quickly moved their studios online out of necessity and were forced to quickly adapt to this new style of teaching. After two years, many teachers have made online teaching a permanent part of their studios. In this episode we reflect on our online teaching experiences - the pros and cons and how we will use online teaching going forward.
Memorization of music became common practice during the romantic era with the rise of the virtuoso performer. Today, it is common practice for musicians of all levels to perform from memory. This is a skill that requires work, discipline and dedication. In this podcast we share our personal stories of memory lapses and our approaches to memorization within our own studios. We also share our tips and tricks for secure memorizing.
Preparing your students for RCM exams can be overwhelming! It is important that teachers have a concrete plan of how to prepare their students step by step so they can thrive in their exam! In this podcast we go through each element of the RCM exam and discuss in detail how to best prepare our students. Leanne also gives insight into some common issues she sees in the exam room and how we can best prepare our students to avoid them.
Exams are a big part of music education in North America. As teachers, it is an asset to offer exam preparation to our students. That means it’s our job to know the system inside and out so we can best serve our students. In this podcast Leanne shares her experiences as an examiner with some tips and ticks that may surprise you!
Music teachers are so accustomed to hearing others doubt the legitimacy of their career choice. “Is that your only job?” “What do you do all day?” “You can’t make any money doing that”. If these phrases sound familiar then this is the podcast for you. We discuss how to navigate these comments and how to gain respect as a private music teacher.
The parents role in music lessons can be pivotal in the success and progress of the student. But how involved do parents need to get? For some students, having a parent sit in and observe lessons can be a tremendous help, but for others it can be detrimental. We discuss the pros and cons of inviting parents to sit in on lessons.
A studio recital is the culmination of your student’s hard work and achievements throughout the year. It is not only a chance for your students to perform, but for you to showcase what you have achieved as their teacher and to remind parents of why they should continue to take music lessons with you! There’s a lot that goes into planning for your recitals, so if this is your first time or if you’ve had problems in the past then this podcast is for you! We break down step by step what you need to do to prepare and to set yourself up for success!
Advertising and recruiting new students is often at the forefront of many private teacher’s priorities. However, in our opinion, the private music teacher’s focus should not be on gaining new students, but rather on retaining current students. The longer you keep a student, the less time, money and effort you will put into recruiting new ones. Listen to find out how to retain your students for years to come!
It is every music teacher’s dream to teach a studio of enthusiastic, dedicated students. But how can we gauge a student’s commitment level before they have signed up? How do we get committed student to choose us as their teacher? In this podcast we discuss the steps you can take to fill your studio with the highest quality students!
Private music teachers are entrepreneurs – they are in charge of every facet of their career from what they charge to who they teach. An important decision they must make is where to conduct their lessons: from their home, at a studio or in their student’s homes. In this podcast we break down the pros and cons of each type of teaching to help you decide which is best for you!
What makes the difference between a performance that sounds amateur and one that sounds refine and polished? Often the answer is a good sense of phrasing. Phrasing is such an important concept but one that can be difficult to explain and teach, especially to young children. This podcast will teach you how to integrate phrasing into your curriculum to students of all ages and levels.
One of the questions every music teacher ponders is “how can I get my students to practice more?!”. If this sounds like you, then it could be time to change your thinking to “how can I get my students to practice effectively”? If we spend time training our students to implement effective practice techniques, we can see amazing results. In this podcast we break down how to effectively teach your students about practicing with specific techniques and examples.
Piano technique is one of the trickiest things to teach our students. It takes time, patience and perseverance on the part of the student, teacher and parent. There are, however, a few adjustments you could make that could drastically improve your student’s technique instantly. Listen to find out how to take your student’s technique to the next level!
As musicians and artists, dealing with taxes is not at the forefront of things we love about our job. It is, however a necessity, and the more we can learn about accounting the more benefits we can reap. Being self-employed and working from our homes makes our tax situation a little more tricky than the average person. Listen to this podcast to learn the basics about accounting as well as some tips and tricks!
In this podcast, we discuss the importance of the studio policy and its role in creating a professional private music teaching business that protects you as the teacher. A studio policy is an essential document for any private music teacher you should not be teaching without one. A well written policy ensure you are paid on time, respected and can help negate potential conflicts with clients. Listen to find out what you need to include in your policy. Check out www.teachmusically.com for a customizable studio policy!
In this podcast, we discuss the steps you can take to dismiss a student from your studio in a professional way. Letting a student go is never easy, and can result in hurt feelings if not done with kindness and compassion. We’ll discuss in detail how to approach this difficult conversation, as well as some things to avoid.
In this podcast, we discuss how to decide when it’s the right time to dismiss a student from your studio. There will come a time in most teacher’s careers when they decide that student is no longer a good fit. We’ll discuss the signs to look for and the steps you can take when you think it may be time to let a student go. Listen to find out!
In this podcast, we discuss the do's and don’ts of designing a studio website. In this day and age, most legitimate businesses have an online presence and you should too. Most prospective clients will search the internet for music teachers so it is important that your website makes a strong impression on its visitors. Listen to find out how to make your website stand out and attract customers!
In this podcast, we discuss the steps you can take to present yourself and your music studio as a professional legitimate business. In the music teaching industry, professionalism is key in building your career and reputation. A teacher that is professional will be able to earn the trust and confidence of prospective clients and build a more successful business. Listen to find out how you can improve your professionalism!
In this podcast, we discuss 6 questions to ask every prospective client that will give you deep insight into whether or not they are good fit for your studio. Asking these questions will ensure that you are taking on a student whose approach to music lessons is in alignment with your teaching philosophy and studio standards. Listen to this podcast before your next interview with a prospective client!
In this podcast, we discuss how to structure a trial lesson/interview that will impress any prospective client. The first lesson is a crucial time to make a good first impression. We discuss how to structure the meeting, what kind of cont
In this podcast, we discuss tips and tricks for dealing with negotiators and making sure you get paid a fair rate. There will come a time in every private music teacher’s career when a prospective client will try to negotiate your rates. These situations can be awkward, uncomfortable and nerve wracking. This podcast is a must listen for all private music teachers as it’ll ensure you are prepared to handle any negotiation that may come your way!
In this podcast we discuss several factors to consider when setting your rate for music lessons. Setting a fair rate is crucial for attracting the right type of student and earning the wage that you deserve. We discuss how location, education, experience and supply and demand all factor into setting your rate.
In this podcast, we discuss the most effective ways to advertise your music studio for free! Advertising is an essential first step in promoting your business, but the cost of advertising can be substantial. Fortunately, there are a number of effective ways you can advertise your studio at absolutely no cost to you! Listen to find out how!