Some of you may have seen the Boston Globe article last December about a Boston University voice teacher who had allegedly embellished career milestones on her personal bio, which had been posted on the university’s website and published in university programs and brochures.  For a look at last month’s article, click here.

It can be tempting to write a bio that you think prospective students or even your colleagues want to read.  Some voice teachers I met rank their past performing career as paramount in their bios, without much mention of their current career as teacher.  For some of these teachers, it has been 15 or 20 years since their performing career, and you wonder where the information about their teaching is hidden.   And, like Prof. Daniels and Boston University, you may take what little information there is on your career, and put it in an obscure if not totally truthful light.

As teachers who are always peddling their business to prospective students, it is important to write a bio that is honest, which fully discloses your qualifications as well as your accolades in the field of teaching.  Here are a few tips on how to write a compelling, yet truthful biography.

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An assignment given to me as a grad student was to visit various successful piano teachers in the area. One studio that particularly inspired me offered a computer session with each lesson. Upon graduating I embraced the technology of the 20th century and since then have attracted many students because of the “Lab” (computer session) with the “Lesson”.

In the 21st century, most households have succumbed to the technology and expect others to do so as well. At this point, why not capitalize on the countless options provided by the virtual world? WHY NOT set up lab time for your students and hire your computer?

Why?

• More Students–show that you care and attract students by meeting them where they are–online, on the phone, xbox, iTunes…
• More Time–spend 30 minutes teaching your student and then increase his/her learning time by a 30-minute lab
• More Income–charge for the lesson and add a lab fee as well (about one-third of your lesson fee)
• More Learning Tools–with more income you are able to purchase more equipment, music, software, etc that provide a variety of options for all learning styles

When?

• Schedule two students each hour, one works with you for 30 minutes while one works on the lab assignment for 30 minutes, then switch
• Consider this schedule for students in preschool, 1st-8th graders and beyond

How?

• Create Lab Folders for each student that lists the assignment to be covered for the day
• Choose software, or activities that provide tutorials, ear training, note name drills, YOU decide
• Create a unit and choose games, drills and tutorials focused on that concept

Why Not?

• Do not attempt to add a Lab if you are NOT  interested in computers, software, internet…
• If you are NOT able to multi-task, reconsider the Lab. You must be prepared to teach one student and expect interruptions from the other working on the computer
• If you are NOT willing to spend time determining lab assignments (however, great resources like www.keystoimagination.com are available to lift this burden!)
• If you are NOT interested in learning about, acquiring and installing software More…

Last month I wrote about building community and catching the interest of prospective students through group workshops. Thanks to those who provided valuable feedback on my last article. I will continue to explore the avenue of workshops in future posts, but this month as we embark on a new year I want to give you a creative way to acomplish the two above goals during the Holiday season.

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‘Tis the season of winter holiday recitals. One more activity for the student stuffed in between a myriad of others that they are required to partake in. Some years back I decided I was tired of the traditional model of recital; ie. students and parents sit quietly in a recital hall while each student gets up and performs their solo piece, nervous and under a spot light,  lasting all of 2 minutes each before everyone claps politely. The beginning students and many of the intermediate and advanced as well look a bit shell shocked when they finish (regardless of how the performance went)  and it happens much too fast for them to truly digest the magnitude of the moment. I decided this model of recital was through. No fun for anyone involved (parents included) and it did not truly celebrate all of the hard work the students had completed. Time for a change!

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daily observations “classical music insights” Charles Noble is the Assistant principal violist of the Oregon Symphony.  He blogs about his experiences with the orchestra, as well as his deep love of good coffee.  Follow Charles on Twitter.

Dial “M” for Musicology “Music, Musicology, and Related Matters.”   “This is a musicology group blog that features the prose stylings of Jonathan Bellman (University of Northern Colorado) and Phil Ford (Indiana University Jacobs School of Music). It is a place for us to work ideas out publicly in what is still, for our field, a somewhat new medium. We are members of the American Musicological Society, but our views are entirely our own and should not be taken as representative of the AMS or any other academic organization. “Dial ‘M’ for Musicology” is an academic blog, but it wants to be friends with everyone. Welcome to all critics, musicians, bedroom air-guitarists, louche aesthetes, prickly autodidacts, and random passers-by!”  There are also several new contributors who have joined the fold.  Often thought-provoking and always interesting, this is a great place to find things to think about.  4-8 posts monthly.

dramma per musica “My name is Bob Kingston. I’m a librarian, free-lance musicologist, lapsed bass-baritone, and self-professed opera fanatic living in Portland, Oregon.  I give all of the pre-performance talks for the Portland Opera, and I also lead music history classes for the company’s Studio Artists. I love collecting historic vocal recordings, and I often use examples of these in my classes and presentations. So, don’t be surprised if I post a clip of some obscure Russian tenor or Italian baritone from time to time.”  4-12 posts monthly.  I enjoy Bob’s tweets immensely.  Follow Bob on Twitter. More…

After hearing Mannheim Steamroller’s first Christmas album (quite a while ago), I have been a huge fan of creative arrangements of holiday music. From “Jingle Bells”, to “Deck the Halls” to “Carol of the Bells”, most people from any religious preference recognize and seem to enjoy the tunes of the season. These familiar melodies attract students, and, when coupled with wonderful arrangements offered by current composers, the combination provides great tools for propelling budding pianists to new levels of playing.  Below is a list of ideas for utilizing the tunes and spirit of the season to enhance student’s learning experience and progress. Yes, I know a little late for this December–but now there is plenty of time to plan ahead for next year!

Shop Early
So many books/series include a CD that most students choose their holiday recital piece by listening to various options–usually in October (early, I know!) Every CD I own has been imported to iTunes and then moved to my iPod. Thanks to one cable, the iPod conveniently hooks to my Clavinova and high quality speakers allow students to select a favorite piece and begin to prepare early to guarantee a successful performance.

Make a List and Check it Twice
As students move closer to the performance date, they are welcomed to try out their pieces on “Bella”–my Yamaha C6 residing in my upstairs living room (instead of the piano in the studio). While there, we review the 5 p’s of performing: More…

Recently, our neighborhood in suburban Denver enjoyed the grand opening of the “Streets of Southglenn”. Once a mall, it is now a village of specialty shops, restaurants, flower-pot-adorned streets, department stores, fountains and a natural foods grocery store. This national chain store features local rock bands and small ensembles during special store functions.

One evening, while shopping and dining–yes there is even a place to dine at this organic market–a band was playing up on the balcony, an extension of the dining area. Inspired by the live music instead of the typical “musack”, I envisioned a piano up in the balcony and opening performance opportunities to local teachers and their students and local artists. More…

As I prepared for another season of teaching earlier this Fall, I was trying to think of ways to foster community among my students while at the same time allowing prospective students to become familiar with my studio. I decided that one of the best ways to do this was to have workshops on various aspects of singing and music. These workshops are small with only 3-5 participants, and have been arranged in an age-appropriate environment.

Students in grades 3-5 can learn basic singing techniques during our Disney Day sing-along, and they can also learn how to sing harmony in our rounds workshop. Junior high and high school students can broaden their horizons with Broadway, and our rounds workshop is available to them as well. Starting with junior high students, we also have a workshop that explores the meanings and emotions behind the lyrics of a song. This idea of unwrapping the package of a song culminated into a six week course on Song writing. The Song writing course is available to junior high, high school and adult students. Adult students can also participate in our rounds workshop and unwrapping the package of a song.

Other than the six week course on song writing, these workshops are 45-60 minutes, so participants can learn and have fun without being overwhelmed or quickly losing interest. I’m opening registration within the next month, and the first set will begin in January. In future articles on this topic, I’ll talk about the format and plans I have for each workshop. Do you offer group lessons or workshops in your studio? Do you open them to the public? How has this worked or not worked for you? I’d love any feedback you have, so please post in the comments section below.

This week I taught my first lesson on the Ashbury Music Hall website.

Musician David Gottesman has come up with a way for private studio teachers to reach out to students who want to have lessons, but have problems with time/availability.  David and I initially connected via Twitter in the spring @ashburymusich and @dgottesman.  I have created several videos (to go with a 10-week lesson outline).  My biggest concerns was whether or not I would have direct contact with the student, and how easy it would be to tailor each lesson to students.

I have spent several hours on the phone with David (and Justin Flores, his right-hand man) working out a way for me to feel like this was something I could feel comfortable doing (and actually be able to help students!).  Emails have been flying.

My experience has been positive overall.  It’s definitely an experiment, but one, because of Dave’s willingness to work with me and help me tweak the system to fit my teaching style, that I think will be a success, as long as we can spread the word and keep working out technical difficulties. More…

This morning I had a “meet the potential student” interview. You know these types of appointments. The parent brings their child to your studio to meet you and to discuss the possibility of taking lessons. You chat, you get to know each other, discuss books, lesson history, personalities, and the list goes on.

I’ll be honest. These “interviews” are not something I particularly enjoy doing.

While the parent comes under the guise of simply wanting to meet, I know that the real reason they are coming is to check me out; to see if I am a good enough teacher for their child, to probe me with dozens of questions, and sometimes, to get a sample lesson. More…