Playing Piano » business

An Amazing Recital Space – and great cafe, too!

lyungling — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 06:38:36 +0000

An Amazing Recital Space

Are you looking for a great recital space with an amazing piano? I highly recommend you check out Clover’s Fine Art Gallery and Cafe on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. Clover has a beautiful space which is immaculate and spacious enough for 70 guests. She also has a brand new Petrof Grand piano! She serves alcohol and a wide array of cafe drinks as well as bakery items. Yungling Piano Studio is having its Fall Piano Recital on Sunday, December 13 at 3pm. I’ll be posting a follow up to let you know how everyone loved the venue!

Record Your Student’s Songs!

lyungling — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:33:05 +0000

I use my iMac and Garageband to record my students’ songs. Then I have them listen to the playback and tell me what they heard, what was great?, what could be improved? They LOVE it! And they improve their listening skills and take greater responsibility for applying the fundamentals of dynamics, counting and phrasing….without me having to always point it out first! Now the lessons are more collaborative.

My equipment: 20 inch iMac, $170.00 microphone, $30.00 mic stand, $35.00 usb external speakers for better playback

THE SURPRISE! I also record my students’ improvisations. This is one of the favorite activities. I then convert the files to MP3 and e-mail to the students/parents.

To my delight I found out that the parent who can’t come to lessons now feels included since they can listen to the progress on their own time AND many parents are e-mailing the files to out of town relatives who don’t often get a chance to hear the life performances! It’s bringing grandma and grandpa closer than ever.

It’s also a great way for the piano student’s sibling(s) to get excited about what goes on at piano lessons…..and perhaps come check it out!

FUN, FUN, FUN!

A Clear Piano Studio Policy Statement

lyungling — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:20:03 +0000

I’m grateful to a wonderful piano teacher in Wisconsin who enlightened me to the importance of a Studio Policy Statement. She helped me see that it is important to clearly state what is acceptable and unacceptable, what the policy for payment and refunds is, and some of the most important items: Cancellations, terminations and make up lessons.

Whether you have a website or not, a policy statement can be brief or extensive. It could also mean the difference between winning or losing a small claims court case when a student or parent doesn’t pay for services rendered.

What was most unexpected, though, was that as I began to write my policy statement, I realized who I was and what type of business I was intending to have. In the end, I developed a stronger sense of my future and how to drive forward once I had clearly formulated my policies. And….It was rather fun to do it.

Here is a link to my studio policy statement. Please use it, copy it for yourself and modify it to suit your needs.

Interviewing New Piano Students

lyungling — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:10:23 +0000

I offer a trial lesson before a student can officially sign up for lessons with me. It gives me a chance to meet them, ask them personal questions and see how they interact with their parents. I get a chance to explain my philosophy and approach as well as make it very clear what is required and expected of my students and parents. I make a point of clarifying that while they are here to get to know me and gather the information they need to make a satisfied choice, I too, must agree that the student is ready to enter my studio. In the end, I have had parents thank me for being honest when I have declined their request to join my studio. I find most people respond gratefully to genuine, kind-hearted honesty. It is also useful to have other resources and recommendations ready in case I am unwilling to accept the student.

I’d like to share a few things I look out for that are clear circumstances for me not accepting a student into my studio. Here is what I look for:

Energy & Enthusiasm
The student’s behavior with me and his/her parents
The parents behavior and attitude

No matter the age of the young beginner, if they spend the entire hour of the introductory piano lesson sluggish and unresponsive (assuming all of my talents for working with children fail) I usually will not accept them into my studio.

Additionally, if the child continually gets off the bench and runs around or simply will not try anything I offer (again, assuming all of my talents for working with youngsters completely fails), then I will not likely accept this student.

The last category applies to both the student and the parent. If the student is disrespectful to me during the introductory lesson and the parent does not intervene or correct the student’s behavior, I will certainly not accept this student into my studio. I will also not admit a student if the parent is belligerent or disrespectful to me during the introductory lesson.