Like the old saying: “The teacher teaches what he most needs to learn.”

Most of us who teach have a naturally giving personality.

In fact, a career coach I regularly work with, Barbara Deutsch, told me the first time she met with me over ten years ago that my competitive edge in any industry is…giving.

But like any good quality we may have, we always have to be vigilant to make sure we stay in balance.

I’m not great at this sometimes, okay, often…and I’m guessing many of you have your own struggles with it as well.

What are you doing to fill your own tank creatively? Personally?

As teachers, we have to be energized, rested, and refreshed if we are going to offer the very best to our clients, and there are as many ways of doing this as there are teachers….

I will give you a concrete example of how this works.

I was on a long jag of teaching…many days in a row without creating a day off for myself. Sometimes I will look at my teaching calendar and think, “This schedule is ridiculous!”

Then the voice/feeling/knowing in my gut that sounds a lot like Atticus Finch will calmly say, “You created this schedule.” Atticus will then follow up with, “And remember the time when you felt lucky to have just one client in a day?”

Yes, yes….reality check with a little gratitude always goes a long way.

But back to the concrete example…on the teaching jag, tired, and clearly not as present for my clients as I would like to be.

One especially insightful client of mine, Brenda, ends her lesson time by giving me an assignment.

She says, “This week I want you to take one day off and just go somewhere like the Getty Museum and have a day for yourself.”

As soon as she said it, I knew it was the right thing.

Arial View of The Getty

I cleared my calendar for one day and took myself to the museum, got the audio tour, and just went slowly through, looking at the beautiful things that caught my eye.

Number one, the Getty couldn’t be in a cooler location, in the hills overlooking Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and the Pacific Ocean.

The art itself was obviously inspiring and just does something for your soul, bringing you back to the knowledge that as a creative person, you get to be a little part of, a contributor to, this big sea of art and creative expression.

There was a Leonardo da Vinci sketch exhibition on at the time, so that itself was incredible. One small piece of his overwhelming body of work.

And there is just something about the Getty that is magnificent. I have a theory that it is the Italian travertine….just makes you feel all bella vita.

Getty Courtyard

In short, I left the museum rejuvenated and happy that I took some time to invest in myself.

I also picked up some great inspiration for images and ideas that helped in my teaching.

So whether it’s a museum, a massage, a football game, or time with family and friends, take the time to invest in you.

Your clients will thank you for it.

It’s also important to consider your personal professional development. Did you expand your musical knowledge last year? How many teaching or music-related books, blogs, articles or forums did you read? How many seminars, master classes and conferences did you attend? How many performances did you give? How many concerts did you attend? How many colleagues have you bounced ideas off?

One you have an accurate idea of what works and what doesn’t work in your teaching studio, start to think about things you would like to expand on or develop this year. The next step is crucial – don’t just think about your goals, take action. If you would like to go to two conferences this year, google them, note down the registration dates and block out the times in your calendar. If you aim to be more prepared for your lessons, block out time in your schedule each week to make this happen. If you want to read more music books check out your local library or order them online. Don’t just look them up and then fail to act. Finally, I schedule a reminder every week or fortnight to read over my assessment of last year and my goals for this year. This is the key to keeping on track for me. If you have any further tips or goals please feel free to share them in the comments section below.

Image: aopsan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Tip #1:  How to find the invoicing function.

Invoicing functions are found under the Billing tab, where you can select Invoicing and view Invoice History, Create Invoice(s), or work with Automatic Invoicing.

Tip #2:  Preview everything.

Any time you make use of invoicing, first preview your invoice(s) by clicking the “Preview or Print” button. You need to see what the student will be seeing – does the invoice show the right dates, the right events, and does it add up to what you expect? If not, see Tip #4. Also, make sure only the invoices you want to create are showing – if there’s more than one invoice, there will be more than one page to preview.

Once you take a look at the preview, click “Go Back to Invoicing Creation” at the top of the page, so you can either revise the invoice or send/print/record it. But beware! When you go back to the Invoicing Creation page, all the boxes you checked are still checked. This includes all students boxes, which might not all be visible if you have more than 5 students. This means that if you preview one student’s invoice and then go back to check out another student’s invoice, you have to make sure to uncheck the first student or else you’ll be creating an invoice for him/her again.

Tip #3: Invoice vs Statement.

Know the difference between an invoice and a statement. The system is set up by default to create an invoice, which is a bill for services – only what the student owes during the time period selected (by default, the current month). But if you check off the right boxes, it can be set up to display a statement, which is a record of everything the student did financially during that time period – how much they owed at the beginning of the period, what they are being charged, how much they’ve paid, and what they currently owe as a result of all this.

An invoice will show what the student owes, but not what they’ve paid. This is easily remedied, if you wish – just check off the box “Show Payments.” If you want to show how much they owed at the beginning of the period, check off the box “Show Previous Balance and Date Range.” You really have to check off this box if the student owes something, or has a credit, going into the current month (or the time period you’ve selected); otherwise the invoice will only show what they owe this month regardless of any previous balance. All the option boxes that you can check off in creating an invoice are explained in the Help section’s Knowledge Base at this link.

But remember Tip #2! If you check off boxes, be sure to preview before sending the invoice!

If you send invoices to all of your students, you will probably want to set up the invoice as a statement, including the previous balance, and all payments and charges. Unless you check off the box “Create invoices/statements even if amount due is zero”, the only invoices that will be created are the ones where a student owes you, or has a credit.

Tip #4:  Accuracy counts.

Be sure the invoice shows the correct events and amounts. A student’s invoice will display all of that student’s lessons/classes for the month (or other time period selected). Make sure you entered them all! The invoice is not just for asking for money but also for displaying what the student is paying for. It can serve to confirm the lessons that have been scheduled. Make sure those lessons are entered with the correct amount due for each one – each lesson and amount owed will show up under “Lesson Charges” on the invoice. Or perhaps you charge a flat rate for the month – this shows up above “Lesson Charges” in the “Fees and Credits” section. Both these options come from the profile of the student, where you can choose to set either a flat rate or a per-lesson charge.

If after previewing the invoice, you find some errors in events, whether in amounts charged or in the descriptions or dates of the events, just go back to the calendar and fix those entries, and try again. No harm done (unless you clicked “Do it!” to save the invoice (or email it to the student). If you hit “Do it!” by accident, see Tip #5.

Tip #5: Viewing/deleting Invoices.

When you click “Do it!” your invoice(s) will be saved and if you checked off the radio button to email it to your student, that will be done as well. To look at the invoice, or to see if it was made, go to Billing tab, Invoicing, Invoice History. Here you can see what invoices you created, when, and when they were sent to the student. You’ll want to click the “View” link to see the invoice, and that’s when you can delete the invoice if you need to, by using the Options box to the right.

Tip #6: Invoice everyone or only as needed?

If you send invoices/statements to all your students every month, you probably will want to set this up to happen automatically. I personally only use automatic invoicing for a few students who have a flat monthly rate and requested the invoices so they can pay online (the “Make Payment” link at the bottom right of the invoice makes this easy and accurate). I send manual invoices to students who have missed a payment or are confused about charges.

An invoice serves many purposes: it’s a request for money, an explanation of charges, an easy way for a student to pay you online, and makes it easy for a student to mail you a check, since your name and address is displayed in the upper left.

For manual invoices, I usually send a separate email to the student telling them I sent the invoice and that there is a payment link in the lower right corner.

Tip #7: Automatic invoicing.

This can be found under the Create Invoice(s) option. Once you are familiar with creating invoices, this option is fairly self-explanatory, but be careful to keep in mind the date range you set for your automatic invoices. I had one student who hadn’t paid by mid-month and he normally gets an automatic invoice the first of the month. I realized later that the date range for his automatic invoices had expired!

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You may well have other tips, or comments, or questions – if so, please add a comment below! I look forward to hearing from you.

She told me about Square, and I decided I would test it out and see how it worked for my teaching studio. At this point all my credit card transactions were happening through PayPal, so it seemed wise to develop some alternatives.

Square has been fantastic so far, a huge step up from Paypal in many respects. The transaction fees are lower (we will look at data shortly), I have the ability to take payments anywhere quickly, I can provide receipts on the spot, and all the money is automatically deposited overnight in my bank account.

So here’s a great example of Square in action. I played a concert Sunday. Afterwards, I went to dinner with one of my adult guitar students. During dinner, she realized she hadn’t made a payment towards her tuition this month. She asked to use Square to make a payment. She handed me her credit card, I plugged the card reader into my phone and swiped her card. She signed for the transaction on the touch screen of my Droid, and then I emailed her a receipt. (You can also text a receipt.)

So she made a $94 payment on Sunday towards her tuition. I’m going to use that as a baseline to generate data. Normally, I would I pay $3.03 to Paypal in transaction fees on that. Through Square, only $2.59 was deducted. .44 cents difference. If we take that number as a sample across 65 students per month, that’s $28.60 in my favor. Over a year, that’s $343.20 more.

With Paypal, I have to wait 3 to 4 days for the money to transfer to my bank account or use my Paypal credit/debit card. Now, all of the money processed by Square is deposited automatically overnight into my bank account. Instant. Cheaper. Faster.

I’m going to keep accepting Paypal payments, but I am definitely now a fan of Square. I plan on encouraging my students and their families to switch to paying via Square in 2012.

In one of my earlier blogs, “NAMM and the Music Educator“, I discussed what the NAMM show is and why music educators might want to consider attending. There are opportunities for networking, free workshops and events, and companies are displaying music related products. There are plenty of opportunities to do hands on demoing of products. And frequently you see products that aren’t sold in stores in your area.

I run into many music educators who don’t know that they are welcome to attend NAMM and that it’s quite easy to get a badge. Usually I send them a few links to check out and the registration information, and they become interested in attending.

NAMM is not open to the public, but you can go online and register for the event in advance. If you register before January 5th, there is a $25 registration fee. After January 5th, it increases to $50.

Check out my earlier article to find out more reasons why music educators may benefit from attending NAMM.

1. Teacher Qualifications and Experience

I will start with these two obvious ones. It takes years of private training, and then more years of formal study, to become a qualified music teacher. Then, not everyone with a music degree is experienced to teach different levels and age groups.

2. Instruments

Here is another obvious one. A good instrument is expensive, and many teachers have more than one. Then there is depreciation, insurance, maintenance, tuning and repair.

3. Supplies

Whether music books are billed separately or included in the tuition, time is spent researching and shopping for repertoire for each student. Most private studios also stock an extensive lending library, flash cards and various teaching aids. Then there is general stationary – folders, paper, pencils, ink cartridges. Then there is student incentives and awards – stickers, prizes, refreshments, medals and trophies.

4. Lesson Preparation and Reconciling

Time is spent before and after each lesson given. Time is spent planning for the lesson, making the most of the lesson time; time is spent (often subconsciously) thinking about the student after the lesson, on how well or not the student did and how to help the student improve.

5. Communication

Time is spent answering parent questions, phone calls, emails, giving advice on instruments, practice tips, writing progress reports, studio newsletters, setting up and maintaining studio website.

6. Professional Memberships and Subscriptions

There are many teachers associations and music organizations that offer student opportunities such as recitals, auditions and competitions. Most of them require a paid teacher membership fee on top of student registration fees. This can quickly add up, if the teacher wishes to provide a varied program for their students. Another category is the subscriptions to music magazines, programs, and softwares such as Music Teachers Helper.

7. Professional Developments

Continued learning through attending teacher meetings, workshops, conventions, private lessons, masterclasses, concerts, acquiring and maintaining teacher certification status, reading music education journals, publications, learning about new teaching methods, even taking the time to read this blog post on Music Teachers Helper!

8. Volunteer Work

Some teachers hold office at local music teachers associations – totally a labor of love! Sometimes a teacher is required to volunteer their time in order to enter students for certain events – example California Certificate of Merit.

9. Overheads

This can include studio space rent, utilities, home office expenses, and traveling costs. Then there is tax responsibilities, self-employment tax, private health insurance, lack of benefits and sick days. Biggest risk is instability – students go when they please, and do not always abide by studio policies.

10. Extras

This can include additional features offered by the teacher such as computer lab time, use of music softwares, recording facilities, group classes and performance workshops, as well as time spent planning for and attending student performances in recitals, auditions and competitions. Some teachers are also active performers and/or adjudicators.

Now that I have compiled my list, I think for every hour of lesson given, at least two additional hours are involved! The fact is, every musical activity we do has an effect, directly or indirectly, on the way we teach.

What do you think is included in the price of private music lessons? What factors do you consider when setting YOUR price? I look forward to your comments!

Copywright www.morguefile.com talldude07

 in a few other home businesses along the way.  Most of the businesses that I tried out were multi-level marketing businesses.  And while it was fun and challenging to be involved with those organizations, I always came back to the piano with a renewed sense of passion and determination.  The beauty of MLM’s is that they teach business skills that transfer to many different kinds businesses, so what I learned while selling cosmetics and term life insurance actually helped me run my piano studio more efficiently.  Here’s what I’ve learned along the way.

Know your stuff.  You won’t sell many facial moisturizers if you don’t understand the benefits of moisturizer.  And you’re certainly not going to be a good music teacher if you aren’t up on your music skills.  It’s important to keep learning new music, new styles, and new technology.  If you’re weak in any particular area, there are always college classes, workshops, books, and DVD’s to help.   I find that playing piano for my church provides me plenty of opportunities to learn and challenge myself.  It also keeps me excited about music that has a special purpose.

Sell yourself.  The time I spent as a hairstylist taught me something about teaching piano.  You don’t have to be the best hairstylist in the world to have lots of clients.  What you have to be is someone that people trust.  And just as importantly, you need to be who you are.  So do a little soul searching and discover your strengths.  Then promote them. 

I hope that I’m a good piano teacher, but I know that Ithere are better teachers out there.  After 15 years of teaching, I still have lots to learn!  But I try to be a person of integrity who believes in and cares for my students.  I’m also a little bit corny, a little bit crazy, and very encouraging.   I try to make lessons fun, uniquely tailored to each student, and a ‘safe’ place to try new things.  Those are the benefits of music lessons with me…what are the benefits of music lessons with you?

Don’t reinvent the wheel.  There are tons of great resources out there and you don’t have to do everything from scratch.  Find what works and use it.  If it stops working, try something else.  That goes for music, method books,  studio policies, and referral programs.
Make ‘face time’ a priority.  Of course there is always going to be some kind of prep work when you teach private lessons, but try to keep it to a minimum.  Spend as much of your precious time face to face with students as you can.  After all, its the face time that makes you money, not the time you spend alone thinking up great things to do in your studio.

Keep your customers happy.  Customer retention is far more cost effective than finding new ones.  The same goes for private music lessons.  Find out what makes your students tick, then use it to help them love their music lessons.  For active, elementary-age, boy students, I like to use the music from www.pianomusicforboys.com.   It gets them excited about sitting still at the piano for half an hour.  For adult beginners, I like Alfred’s All in One Adult Piano Books. This method is straightforward, helps students start playing immediately, and makes it easy to fit in piano practice around an already busy schedule.  I also try to accommodate my students wishes for specific songs.  If they are excited, they will keep coming back for more. 

Look the part.  I was always taught to dress successfully if I wanted to be successful.  I also feel like I am a bit more on top of my game when I look put together and professional.  And people see me differently, as well.  It seems like such a small thing, but once you try it you’ll see the difference.

Stick to your guns.  You have your policies in place and your referral program is all set.  Now, you just have to stick to it.  If you’re like me, that is the hardest part.  It’s so easy to let one person slide, and another, and another, until everything is out of control.  Just refer to your policy, enforce it, and your students will respect you for respecting yourself and them.

Love what you do.  There’s a saying that talks about love what you do so much that you would do it even if you could never get paid for it again.  Truthfully, if I never got paid to teach piano lessons I probably wouldn’t do it.  But that’s because I have time set aside for work and time set aside for non-work. If I can’t make money during my work time, I’m going to find something else that will make me money.  However, having passion, enthusiasm, and yes, love, for your private lesson studio will make going to ‘work’ each day easier and the work less tiring.  Not to mention that your passion and enthusiasm will be so contagious that your students will love coming to their private lessons.

I’ve always loved having my own business.  I love the freedom.  I love being my own boss.  I love making  money by doing something that I love.  But most of all, I love getting to share that great face time with each and every one of my students.

1. Reorganize the studio space
I decided to move my piano to the other side of the room so it is further away from the window. I also decided to hook a midi keyboard to a computer and put that in the studio for recording and other music related softwares. This means moving bookcases, rearranging chairs and tables, and rethink studio layout. I think this will result in a more efficient use of available space, as well as give a fresh look. Kind of like a make-over!

2. Prep the instruments
It is amazing how much dust can be collected under the strings inside a grand piano. It is tricky to clean – you need a long, thin stick to slowly drag the cleaning cloth under the strings without scratching them. I also remove the lid and gently vacuum away eraser debris and retrieve small objects that have fallen into the piano such as paper clips, pencils, and stickers. Then I give the piano a good all-over clean with the special piano polish, and now it is time to book the piano tuner! Kind of like giving your car a good detail and service!

3. Go shopping!
Now is the time to get great deals for stationary – notebooks, folders, pencils, erasers, sticky notes, paper clips, highlighters, and all those essentials. Don’t forget to bring your Music Teachers membership card from MTNA, or whatever professional association you belong to, and ask to join any rewards program that may be available to teachers.

4. Check inventory
Throughout the year I restock my sheet music library whenever the major publishers send out their new catalogues, so this is not such a big task at this time of the year. I just need to do a quick sorting to make sure things are put away where they belong, and may be reorder some of my favorites.

5. Budget
Consult with last year’s budget and see what are the new income and expense items. For example, I plan on attending the Music Teachers National Association conference in New York next year – that will be a big expense and I need to start saving towards the trip. I may need to cut back on some other expenses, or take on a few extra students to help me achieve that goal.

6. Calendar
Start working on the daunting task of accommodating everyone’s requests for specific times, as most parents try to work out their schedules to fit in other activities such as ballet and sports. Students who continued lessons over the summer (outside the studio break) are given first preference, followed by returning students, and then it is first come, first served. It will take a few weeks before this Mission Impossible is accomplished and the studio calendar is finalized!

Are you ready for “Back to School”? What is your to-do list? Your feedback is always welcome and appreciated!

Do you have an instrument repairer who you could call on at the last minute if something goes wrong just before a performance? Do you now teachers who you would be willing to pass students onto if your studio is full? Do you have teachers who refer students to you?  Do you have a physiotherapist who understands the nature of your instrument?I’ve made a list of people in my local music community who are vital to the smooth running of my teaching studio and my life as a musician. On many occasions I have found that the personal relationship I have built over time with the people on the list below has helped me immeasurably. So next time you go into your local music store, take the time to introduce yourself to the staff and tell them a little about what you do. Each subsequent time you visit take a few minutes to have a chat with the staff rather than merely grabbing the resources you need and racing out the door. The small investment of time now will pay off in the long run.

1. Instrument repairer
2. Music Retailer
3. Physiotherapist
4. Accompanist
5. Piano Tuner
6. Other Teachers (both those who will refer students to me, and those who will accept referrals from me).
7. Music librarians (the excellent ones who will drop everything to find an obscure edition for you at a moment’s notice!)
8. Accountant
9. Local composers
10. Sound Engineers
11. Recording Studios
12. Venue operators

If you are not teaching over the summer break, this could be a good time to strengthen existing connections or to make new ones in your local music community. If you have any other people who are vital to your teaching practice, please feel free to make suggestions in the comment box below.

Image: vichie81 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The Search

This month I am closing my West Coast Vocal Studio and heading to the East Coast. As I prepared to do this,  I wanted to assist my students in the process of selecting a new teacher. I hope the letter below is helpful to some of you!

Hello Dear Singers and Families,

Well it is that time! As we begin to prepare our move and I close my west coast studio, it is now time to refer you to other teachers.

I am copying all of you on this list of teachers, and recommending one for each of you to try first. I have taken into account the following aspects of both you and the teachers I am recommending, including :
1. Personality
2. Skill level
3. Strengths and weaknesses
4. I encourage you to give the teacher I chose for you a try first, and if you are not comfortable, try another.

It is fine to “date” multiple teachers for a few lessons while you determine your new path, but not to be “engaged” to more than one- that is not acceptable private teacher behavior.
1. Be up front that you are shopping for a new teacher, tell them I recommended you if I did, and try them a few times.
2. When you have settled on the teacher you think is the best fit for you, then tell them you have decided.
3. This “dating process” is a two way street. If the teacher feels they cannot help you or your personalities do not fit, they can say “no thanks” as well. Do not take this personally, as it is part of the matching up process! You want your teacher to be at their best, and you want to be at your best, and if your personalities and skills don’t mesh, learning may be a struggle.

As you search for your new teacher do not hesitate to try teachers I may not have knowledge of or recommended, but as you select try to:
1. Be certain that they are educated and have experience in the area you want to work on/improve/excel in. Ask to see their resume, if you can’t find it online, ask where they have performed, directed, taught. What was their favorite experience in these areas? Why? What was their least favorite?
2. Make sure that you feel good around them. If you are not relaxed, it can be hard to learn voice – remember you are your instrument- your body is your flute, and it must be able to relax to produce beautiful sound.
3. Be honest about your practice habits and the teacher’s expectations of same. Discuss this issue.
4. Do not go into anyone’s home or studio who does not come highly recommended to you by someone whose opinion you trust. Take a friend or family member with you the first time. They will be able to help you assess your feelings from that first lesson. How did you sound? What were the highs and lows? Did they catch the area you feel you need to strengthen?

As you process down your “dating” path, assess your goals, and discuss these you’re your prospective new teacher.
1. Discuss your goals
2. Can they help you achieve your goals?
3. Once you trust the teacher, that teacher may help you figure out if you have the right goal, but that should not be debated during this early stage.

This is an exciting and scary process, much like my move across the country, but remember you might be about to meet the teacher who will transform your life! Good luck in your search!

Please let me know how you assist your students when you must part ways for any reason!