Music Teacher's Helper Blog

One of the best decisions I ever made for my teaching practice was to start distributing a monthly newsletter.  Here are five reasons why you should distribute one to your students as well.

1. A newsletter can serve as a polite, subtle payment reminder.

I distribute my newsletter the last week of the month, and I always include a small reminder that payment is due next week (the first week of the new month).  I prefer this method to invoices, because it’s more subtle.  I don’t want my students thinking I’m just out for their money, and I don’t want them to dread paying for lessons (like they dread paying their other bills).  Before I started my newsletter, it usually took until the end of the month to collect all the money.  Now, over 90% of my students pay the first week, and I usually have 100% of my money by the second week of the month.

2. A newsletter is a great way to inform parents.

Some parents keep in touch with me on a regular basis via phone calls, email, or casual chatting when they drop off their child.  Others, however, barely slow down while their child jumps out of the car in front of the music store (kidding… sort of).  The newsletter is my way of communicating policy and schedule changes to these parents I hardly see.  It’s much more efficient than leaving voicemails or playing phone tag for a week.  I also receive fewer calls and emails asking questions like “which week will you be out of town again?”  Families now have something tangible they can refer to at home.

3. A newsletter makes you appear more professional.

When I distributed my first newsletter, most parents responded with “ooh, fancy!”  Although my newsletter is far from “fancy,” it does make me look reasonably professional.  Think about other organizations that send newsletters to families, such as schools, churches, neighborhood associations, and various city offices.  You want your teaching practice to be on the same level as those organizations in the parents’ minds.  Keep in mind that most parents are completely unqualified to assess your playing skill and your teaching skill.  Parents evaluate you based on how much their child enjoys lessons and how professional/organized you appear.

4. A newsletter adds value to your lessons.

I always include at least one educational article in my newsletter.  I’ve written about many topics including (but not limited to) warming up, practicing, instrument maintenance, drum head selection, and drum tuning.  Not only does this give the students something to read/learn outside of the lesson, but parents also tend to appreciate these articles because they don’t get this information during the lesson.  Remember, the more value (or perceived value) you add to your lessons, the more you’ll be able to charge for those lessons.

5. A newsletter helps clarify your ideas (and your schedule).

Drum teachers, do you know how to tune a drum?  You probably do.  Do you, however, know how to teach the process?  Do you know how to teach the process so well that you can create a set of written instructions that can be followed by an 8-year old?  Writing educational articles, even short ones on mundane topics, will help you solidify concepts in your mind.  I encourage everyone, whether they distribute a newsletter or not, to try writing out instructions for some basic techniques on your instrument.  You may be surprised at just how unclear your ideas are (or conversely, you may be pleasantly surprised at how strong a handle you have on certain ideas).

Additionally, having my newsletter ready by the first of the month forces me to look at my teaching and performance schedule weeks in advance.  This doesn’t help my students as much as it helps me prepare for the upcoming month.

Your Turn

How else do you use your newsletter?  Leave you answer in the comments below.