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Growing up with perfect (or absolute) pitch, I experienced high levels of success in musicianship tests in school and college. Being able to sight-sing and to write down melodies and chord sequences accurately was a breeze, and I could quote passages from set pieces in exams without having to study them. I felt a lot of sympathy for the other students who struggled to write down what they were hearing, or to sing what they were reading, and I witnessed the challenges of teachers trying to help them.

It was when I began to teach that I realized that my perfect pitch was also a handicap. All I had were the tools my teachers had used—for example, matching well-known tunes with intervals (e.g. “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” for a perfect 5^th) so that the student, presuming that they read the interval correctly, would be able to pitch it. But were they supposed to do that for each interval in the whole piece? That was hardly feasible.

Then I had an unexpected piece of luck. A friend of mine, a pianist who was having difficulties improving her sight-reading, shared that she had had a breakthrough. She had begun attending a local evening class in the Kodály Method and her sight-reading was improving rapidly. All I knew about this method was that it used do re mi, instead of letter names. Her enthusiasm was so contagious that I decided to go along and try it for myself.

There followed two years of the best musicianship training I had ever experienced. I remember driving home from the first class feeling high as a kite simply on music. Our professor, David Vinden, had been trained in Hungary, birthplace of the method and still the source of the best teaching. He immediately challenged me beyond anything I’d ever experienced before, viewing my perfect pitch as irrelevant. I began to realize, in fact, that I had a lot to learn. I had never developed a sense of relative pitch. I had simply been able to write down, for example, C-A- F# by ear, without any awareness of the distance between the notes. Now, using the do-re-mi system (the Solfa system, or Movable Do*) to sight-sing, I began slowly to experience the relationship between the pitches, and their particular function in the song. Listening to classical radio on the way home, I tried to work out which note in the melody I was hearing was do, and then from there to sing the theme using solfa pitches. I could feel new pathways forming in my brain. I began to experience the music differently.

Time in class whizzed by. We would spend time on a simple folk song (the Method uses folk song and classical music as a basis) studying, for example, how it used the mixolydian mode (the scale beginning on so). Realizing that it was simple to sing and recognize modes using the solfa syllables was another breakthrough. Understanding that mi-fa and ti-do were the semi-tones; in other words, that the solfa syllables provided valuable consistency, no matter the context, was a whole new perspective.

Reinforcing our ease with using solfa syllables, David would constantly show us new ways to work (or play) with a song— each student taking turns to sing one note only around the class (kids love that one), or one syllable only (for example, only the mis), or singing the letter names (very important to reinforce those also) or creating a simple rhythmic ostinato on their knees whilst singing. Other times, we would study the form of a song, or he would omit the final line and we would improvise our own versions. I noticed that he built incrementally from one skill to another so that we were never asked to do something without being prepared for it.

David also was generous in sharing material with me – finding exercises my students would enjoy. Finally I had tools to help my students (both children and adults), and I began sharing my discoveries with them the very next day. Most were willing to try it, and some had memorable epiphanies. Everyone’s ears improved, and we had so much fun in the process. It’s difficult to describe adequately the joy of learning using this method, as it is so experiential. I can only encourage you to dip your toe in and take a course. All levels are welcome and the atmosphere is always positive and encouraging. You can find out more information through www.oake.org (USA) or www.kodalycentre.co.uk (UK)

Further reading:

The Kodaly Method

Movable Do in Classroom Ear Training

*This method differs from the so-called Fixed Do system, where do-re-mi is always C-D-E, etc. This is the standard system in France and parts of Latin America. This system has no advantages over letter names, and is simply a system for naming pitches.

Taking all of this extra value into account, and after a good, hard look at the imbalance between how many teachers are signed up for the different plans, we think it’s time to offer some new pricing plans for Music Teacher’s Helper.

What’s Changing?

The major differences in these new plans are:

• We’ve simplified from 5 plans down to 4 and changed their names.
• We’ve increased the number of students on each plan (to 5, 20, 40, and unlimited)
• We’ve included more storage space for the file/photo area (now from 100mb to 10GB), which is something that’s been requested several times over the years.

The prices are also different, obviously, corresponding to what’s offered in the plan. All plans still include a Free studio website (a huge value in itself), Unlimited students on your Waiting List and Former Students list, secure SSL encryption (except for the Free plan), and full access to all the other features of Music Teacher’s Helper. All plans (except Free, of course) also include a 30-day free trial. We think you’ll find the prices a great value for the service.

Here are the new plans

Notice that the Free plan now offers up to 5 students for free. We hope this will give new teachers a better chance to take advantage of the benefits of Music Teacher’s Helper in their studios. Having fewer plans with a larger student span also means less hassle upgrading and downgrading as your studio grows or changes over time. We’re expecting that the Plus plan will be the most popular, allowing up to 40 students. Teachers with more than 40 students will be able to manage as many students in their business as they need on the Premium plan.

Changes take effect October 1, 2010. Current paying users will keep their current rate.

These new pricing plans are going to take effect on October 1, 2010. Anyone who signs up on or after that date will be on the new plans. We realize that some current paying members may not want to change plans, especially if they are on the current Platinum plan, which offers an incredible value at the current rates. And we want to thank our customers for believing in Music Teacher’s Helper during our early years. Therefore, all current paying teachers will be “grandfathered” in and keep their same rate for as long as they have their account, until they either change plans or cancel.

Upgrade now to keep the current rate forever

This also means that anyone who wants to take advantage of our current rates (such as the Platinum plan allowing Unlimited students for only $24.95/month), can upgrade before October 1st and keep this rate forever. Now is an excellent time to upgrade to the Platinum plan if you ever think you will have more students than you do now.

To upgrade your account before the new pricing takes effect, login to your Music Teacher’s Helper account and click the “My Account” link in the upper-right hand corner.

We look forward to continuing to provide the same level of great service we always have, including continued improvements to existing features, and new ways to organize and grow your studio. If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact our support team here.

I became so fed up with the situation that I used to supply all of the books necessary for my students, and add it to their next invoice (this can be done using the Music Teacher’s Helper ‘Charge a Fee’ feature). However, the music store closest to me has recently closed down and now the extra time it takes to travel to another store, combined with the large number of students that I teach makes it near impossible to continue to do this. So I have started to explore other options.

In my research, I came across so many articles that mentioned the Amazon Affiliate Program that I went to amazon.com to investigate it for myself. Basically, you can sign up to become an affiliate of Amazon, and then list the products that are most used in your studio on your Music Teacher’s Helper website. When a student needs a new book, audio recording, metronome, etc you simply direct the parent to your website, and when they click through to Amazon you will be paid a commission per item sold.

You can find all the information about signing up and the commission rates on the Amazon website. Whether the amount of commissions you are paid is significant or not will depend on the number of students you teach, and the rate at which they require new resources. However, I think that the convenience of being able to list the exact editions of sheet music that you want your students to use and the reputation that Amazon has as an online seller makes this a worthwhile solution to investigate.

As I teach in Australia, delivery times and charges from Amazon do not make this a worthwhile option for my students, so I am currently speaking with numerous online suppliers in Australia to set up a similar program. I have found numerous suppliers who are interested in this idea.

Once I have a program set up on my website, I plan to have a list of additional resources that students might be interested in. When I was growing up, every birthday and Christmas I received a gift voucher to the local music store and would spend hours excitedly choosing the sheet music of whatever pop music was in the charts at the time. With the demise of the local music store, I would like to compile a list of appropriate resources that might interest students (Movie Theme Song Anthologies, Pop Music Digital Downloads, collections of Christmas Music, etc).

If you currently use an online store to provide music, recordings or other resources for your students please leave a comment below outlining your experiences.

To access the mobile app, open up your cell phone browser and go to: http://www.musicteachershelper.com/mobile

We’ve kept the mobile app clean and simple. It’s not meant to be a fully-fledged version of Music Teacher’s Helper, or a replacement for it, but it should give you the information about your studio you’ll need to access while on the road. (Actually, don’t use it while driving, okay?)

On the Music Teacher’s Helper mobile app, you can review your student lists and their contact information, see a list of your upcoming (and past) lessons, reconcile your lessons, view a summary of each student’s billing status, and see your studio’s financial transactions, payments, and invoices. Currently, the mobile app only supports teacher logins – students and parents cannot login. We’ll be adding more functionality to it as time goes on.

We hope you enjoy this new way to access your studio. It’s been our number one request for quite a while, so we’re happy to finally be able to give it to you. Check out the mobile app today and let us know what you think!

The best thing about this camera is its ease of use.  I have had all my students purchase a 4GB minimum SDHC media card (they’re currently selling for $12-$20).  This allows for 1:23:37 of recording at 48 kHz, 24-bit audio.  At first use, I make sure the student knows that this card needs to be dedicated to voice lessons (warning: don’t let them give you the card out of their digital camera!), as I format the card, and then run the “New Card” program that comes with the camera.  This then places Samson’s “Handy Share” – a super basic video editing/playback program – onto the SD card.  After this one-time setup, all future lessons only require putting the card into the camera & then removing the card at the end of the lesson.  The time that I’ve been taking to save the lesson file onto a USB Flash Drive is completely gone.  My students all feel as if they’ve “gained” time in lessons.

Another completely easy part of the camera is the ease of switching between video and audio.  There is a switch on the side of the camera that toggles between video and solely audio.  There are times where I just want an audio file (such as when recording the notes of a new song), or very quickly video (for speaking a foreign language text where the student can really see what my mouth is doing for articulation).  This ease is AMAZING & well worth the purchase of the camera.

This camera is marketed for its sound:  Audio formats with video include 44.1/48 kHz 16/24-bit Linear PCM WAV or MP3 up to 320kbps; Audio only formats include 96 kHz 16/24-bit Linear PCM WAV.  The audio truly is better than anything I’ve used previously in studio (my progression has been from Sony Professional cassette tape recorder, to Sony Sound Forge & a decent microphone burned onto CDR’s – then saved as mp3 files onto USB Flash drives).  The addition of video makes it a compelling tool for me to use.

So, am I sounding a bit wishy-washy?  Well, that’s because I am.  I LOVE that there’s video.  The feedback I’ve polled for in the past week (after about a month of use), is that the video helps immensely in really seeing what I’ve been telling my students about posture, breathing, mouth/facial position.  Also, there is generally high praise for the audio quality.  The problem that I have run up against is that the “High” setting for the microphone can be too high, and the “Low” setting can be too low.  The “Auto” setting that adjusts between the two is acceptable, but at times, slow to react.  It also clips the sound when switching, so there is an audible click.  The video is also, really, sub-par.  It’s equivalent to a 3-year old digital camera, generally quite grainy.  My students have not complained of this, but I notice the difference between it and my Flip Ultra HD video camera (whose audio is nowhere near this level of clarity and crispness).

I have a few students with larger voices, but if I set the camera on “Low” for the entire lesson, what I’m saying to the student is sometimes lost, and I have had reports of not being able to hear the audio at all.  The video is recorded into mp4 format, and plays in QuickTime very easily.  I have found that playing it through iTunes allows more adjustment of volume (you can easily boost the audio levels through the info tab of each item – in fact, I highly recommend that students do this as it allows them to hear more of the nuances recorded).

The “High” setting on the microphone works well for capturing vocaleses – as demonstrated here (videos shown by permission of my over-18-year old student):Zoom Q3 Video Review – Vocalese

Also in this video I have my student take off her glasses so she can see and feel the difference.  She reported back that seeing this on camera really made a difference in her understanding of the importance of facial posture.

In this recording of my student singing the Schumann song “Widmung,” the camera audio resets itself to “Low.”  You can hear this especially at the end, where we are talking & it is quite muffled & unintelligible, compared to the previous vocalese video. Zoom Q3 Video Review – Widmung

I would LOVE the next version of this camera to have HD video and an infinite adjustment of audio available.  I would buy that camera in a heartbeat.  I don’t regret purchasing this camera, I only regret selling my Flip Ultra HD 2 Hours to finance this purchase (whose audio, admittedly, did NOT hold up in close quarters such as the voice studio and did not have ease of transfer of files).  The bottom line: the students find it helpful and have shown marked improvement in a short time, because of this additional feedback available to them.

What do you think?  Am I expecting too much out of a $200 purchase? (Oh, BTW, make SURE you purchase the AC adapter – 2 AA batteries are used up in 2 hours of recording.)  What are your thoughts on video vs. audio importance?  The slogan of this camera is “Sound makes the movie.”  Are they correct, or do we have so many HD cameras out there that this camera, only out on the market for the past 10 months, is already obsolete?  Please let me know your thoughts on the best tools to use in the studio.

When we voice teacher’s hear a singer we immediately begin to process the voice – is the sound effortless, does it move you in some way, is their too much tongue involvement or jaw tension, etc. How often do you put your mind at rest and just listen?

As teachers of voice we spend our time living in the critique mode- seeking out the flaws and embarking upon repairing and reprogramming how those sounds are made to make them more effortless, powerful, efficient, expressive. We live in the “what is wrong” and “how do we fix it” mode.

I challenge you as you embark on your fall teaching to step out of that critique box and into the audience mode. Marvel that even your weakest singers have improved upon something. Hunt for the wabbit! Share that success with the singer! If they are family dependent share that with their families too! Drop them a note or send them an email or stop everything and run out to their car as they pick up their singer and tell them how excited you are about this progress!

When I was in college in an elite music conservatory, a sought after young singer who entered with great confidence, I felt attacked by the continual stripping away and the lack of positive feedback. I lived in a world of critique. How I walked and stood was examined (Alexander Technique). How I phrased every line (private vocal coaches). How I pronounced every vowel (diction class). and of course, how I performed! By the time I hit preparing for my senior recital I was a mess! I had lost my voice for 3 months my junior year due to TMJ and GERD due to stress! I was in classes and rehearsals 8am till 10pm, practicing for 2-3 hours outside of that , studying, and auditing a dance class 5 mornings a week. This was what I thought I wanted and yet I was not having any fun! I needed someone to say to me “Great! You mastered that! Well done!” Instead I lived in this world where things were always wrong. I no longer trusted the audience’s positive feedback, or my friend’s and family’s, or my own opinion. I lived in a world of questioning how I did everything, so I learned to question how I did everything! It took me years to trust myself on stage again. Years.

My goal as a teacher of voice is to help singers find their voices. I teach a classic technique that is based on the wellness of the individual singer. Lets face it – as voice teachers we are part psychologists: if the body isn’t well, the voice ain’t working!

We must build our singer’s confidence. As teachers of voice it is our job to create a well polished, well used, and a well singer. We must look out for the heart and head of our pupils as well as for their instruments because all of these aspects are intertwined in supporting that instrument. If a singer masters an issue you are working on with them take a moment to celebrate that success! I use hugs, high fives, phone calls, email, “woo-hoo’s” and even stickers! I stop everything and celebrate the success.

I am honored to say I run a waiting list for my studio – with more students wanting in continually. I have evaluated why this is the case – I don’t advertise, it is all word of mouth. I do not yet have any singers on Broadway or at the Met or winning Grammy’s. But I do have accomplished, confident, talented, and happy singers and they tell their friends! My singers tell me they love their voice lessons – they come when they are sick, they come when they are tired, they postpone trips and come back early and change other plans to come to their lessons. I am humbled and amazed by it. But I can say that I always celebrate their successes, no matter how small, and for the most unaccomplished singer. And therein I believe lies the key. Singing should be fun! And it is in my power to make it so. I always hunt for the wabbit!

Hunt for the wabbit!

Gold Medal Winner at Piano Olympics

Dr. Randall Faber with wife Nancy co-authors of Piano Adventures

Dr. Randall Faber states that teaching an instrument is completely dependent upon students’ level of engagement at weekly lessons. As teachers, we must be involved more in the learning that is going on rather than the teaching. Monitoring students’ emotional engagement is the key to making the unfamiliar familiar, and the biggest motivating factor.

At a recent workshop, Faber listed the “facilitative factors of motivation”, in other words, the ages and stages of motivation. His insightful expertise validated and inspired how I teach. For those interested in the scientific facts of his findings see http://pianoadventures.com/about/pdf/MotivationA4.pdf

So…what does it take to motivate? First: KNOW the STAGES of Motivation:

I Can DO It! Ages 4-6. Activities during lessons must be engines of FUN which generate learning. Fun or “play” magically holds the students attention and the motivation to “DO it” (again and again) keeps the kiddos coming back for more.

I CAN Do It! Ages 7-13 At this stage, students become aware that they are capable and see that their practice pays off. Those who are not as industrious may feel inferior to their peers and may doubt their ability and in turn lose interest. Students are motivated by connecting what they achieve with their personal EFFORTS. Positive reinforcement from teacher and parents is critical at this stage.

I Can Do It! Ages 13-20 Students eventually realize how important playing an instrument is to their self-esteem and it becomes part of their IDENTITY. Motivation is sparked by the passion for making music which in turn becomes a crucial part of the individual’s personality.

So…what does it take to motivate? Second: KNOW your STUDENTS

1) Design lessons around each student’s ages, needs and interests.

Can you spell "FUN"?

2) Gather attention with “play” and follow the lead of the student in lesson activities and skill-building.

3) Continually reinforce concepts to build skills and positively acknowledge practicing efforts vs “talent”. Offer rewards for individual PROGRESS made rather than just the amount of practice time.

Bobby with Mom Performing at Whole Foods

4) Find MUSIC that inspires the student (provide selections that are pedagogically sound AND stylistically attractive to the budding musician).

5) Consider revising the coined “magic” triangle of student, teacher and parent with student, teacher and music. Parents and teachers are to encourage the budding musician to take ownership of his/her skills and develop his/her OWN passion for music and making music.

We must continue to use positive reinforcement through fun and games to keep up students competence. Confidence in skills builds self-esteem, and then identity as a fine musician follows for a life-time. If the the lower level of the “hour glass” deflates (skills become rusty, the fun or joy is lost, negative feedback, etc) the passion and self-esteem can crumble.

Faber emphasized that the dedication and focus learned while playing an instrument (what we as teachers nurture and develop at each lesson) transfers to every other area of learning. Perhaps one reason why so many musicians head to the medical field?–high expectations and engaged, focused learning are nothing new to a musician.

Graduating Senior, Brittany and her "piano made of memories"

Games, stickers, activities, standard music selections and sequenced lesson plans can be very useful tools; however, in addition, make sure to base the focus of lessons on the individual student tastes and engaged learning. Consider how you can inspire your students from playing an instrument to being passionate about music. Plan now to know and implement what it takes to motivate!

As the creator and president of Music Teacher’s Helper, I’d like to thank each of you for your help in making Music Teacher’s Helper the powerful, time-saving tool that it is. It would not be what it is today without your feedback, both in useful suggestions and in expressing how much you love it with your words and your wallets. Thank you!

You may not know that I originally wrote Music Teacher’s Helper back in 2005 to manage my own small piano studio. It was a completely different program back then! It only did a handful of basic tasks, and it also looked pretty ugly. Fortunately, teachers like you saw the value of it anyway, and with your support, it grew, changed, and has become the world’s most popular on-line studio management tool for private music teachers.

Still Growing

And while we currently have a very stable program that does pretty much everything that the majority of private music teachers want, we have no plans of stopping. We will continue to grow, to listen to your feedback, and to provide useful tools and services for you. For example, due to high demand, we recently announced that we will soon be launching a mobile application so you can take Music Teacher’s Helper with you on the road. We’re getting close to finishing the first release, and will be posting more about this on our blog in the weeks ahead.

To stay up to date on the latest improvements and updates, be sure to follow us on Twitter, where we post live updates the instant they’re launched. I want to also remind everyone to check out our Facebook page, which you can “like” to get updates and join in with other music teachers. You can also visit our new Music Teacher Forum to meet other teachers and share ideas. And for those who are finding their studio growing to the point of needing multiple teachers, be sure to check out Studio Helper, which we’ve created for that purpose.

Help Spread the Word!

Finally, if you like Music Teacher’s Helper, please tell your friends and colleagues about us! Send out e-mails, write about it on your blog, facebook, or twitter account, post about it in forums, speak about it in presentations and conferences. I know a lot of you already do this, and I really appreciate it! For those who want a little more incentive, we also have an Affiliate program where you can earn cash by referring other teachers to us. It’s free to sign up, and has the potential to bring you some good recurring income. If nothing else, it could at least help offset the cost of your own Music Teacher’s Helper account. Click here to check out the Affiliate Program.

Thank you again for loving Music Teacher’s Helper! I’m excited to be able to announce this milestone, and look forward to celebrating many more with you.

While re-reading Martha Baker-Jordan’s Practical Piano Pedagogy this week, what struck me as particularly relevant was the section on Impact/Effort Evaluation in marketing your studio (p. 67), which is the process of determining which ideas can have the best impact with the least amount of effort (and cost) associated with the implementation of the idea. In this line of thinking, the goal is to find the most effective advertising vehicles for the least amount of time and cost.

Until you’ve actually got the students signed up, your job has less to do with pedagogy and more to do with marketing and sales. The difficult part about advertising music lessons is that each community has its particular culture and methods by which its residents glean information about products and services. What you need to know about your neighborhood is which ideas work. Here are some things to keep in mind when coming to a decision:

1. The right places to advertise. Traditional advertising vehicles include putting an ad in the newspaper, door-to-door flyers (either distributed by hand where by-laws permit or using a delivery service), advertising in community centers, grocery stores, music stores or churches. Joining your local registered music teachers association can also work, as can getting to know people through your church’s music ministry. Online marketing avenues include teacher directories, blogs, and Google AdWords. Some teachers give free recitals as a way of attracting possible students. Others offer discounts for parents that refer new students to the studio.

The difficult part: different strategies work in different places. Get to know your neighborhood, its residents, and how they access information. Established teachers in your area can be a huge help in this regard.

2. The right time to advertise. What do the people in your neighborhood do in the summer? Do they stay at home? Do they move to their cottages? If so, when do they return en masse? If you live in a place where people go away for large chunks of the summer, a good time to target advertising might be the last week of August and first week of September.

Another strategy increasingly used by music schools is to go to market before anyone else, such as early May (often with early registration discounts). If you’re the first one out of the gate, you might just get the attention of families eager to get a jumpstart on their child’s music education before the end of the current school year. Conversely, mid-September advertising can work when there are busy teachers in your area whose studios are already full.

3. Talk about your MTH-enabled studio with the right advertising language. Nearly every teacher who has used the incredible array of tools available through Music Teacher’s Helper has wondered how on earth they ever got by without it. But how do you tell that to families new to these types of tools?

Online registration is one feature that is still relatively rare among most music studios. Only a few music schools have the infrastructure to offer it, and I’ve come across many teachers and administrators who still consider it the unattainable Holy Grail of music education. Something as simple as “Register Online” featured prominently in your advertising copy can get this point across quite easily.

But where MTH’s functionality shines through the most is in how its web tools can help you better deliver instruction to your students, keeping them and parents better informed about their progress through lesson reminders, repertoire tracking, and logging practice time. “Complete online resources and support” might strike a chord with prospective students, as well as MTH’s upcoming mobile support (“Get lesson notes on your cell phone”).

With any luck, you’ve had a restful and rejuvenating summer before the autumn madness starts once again. And in spite of today’s challenging economic landscape, I hope that your studio is able to grow and thrive with some strong teaching and better visibility in your community.

For some of us, organizing our music studios online takes us into the realm of interactive communications. Like me, many teachers are actively using the internet to teach lessons, seek out new students, and build and manage our reputations.

Using some of the tools from this blog along with the Music Teacher’s Helper program will help keep you organized, communicate with students around the globe, build your base, and make sure your online reputation is rock solid!

Skype and Dim Dim Web Meeting

Skype (www.skype.com) makes a huge difference in my teaching. With webcam, voice and chat all together in one application, you can make sure you’re getting an accurate idea of your student’s technique and how to improve their playing during a lesson. Many teachers shy away from doing Skype and long distance lessons because it is a little daunting to set up – but once you purchase a good camera, get a great picture of your keyboard, and do a few practice runs, you’ll see it can be a very efficient way to teach.

Dim Dim Web Meeting (www.dimdim.com) is another great tool you can use to assist students over the internet. Dim Dim is set up much like a traditional conference, but the screen share can be very effective for music teachers looking to teach online. You can help students trouble shoot applications, go along with them to effective websites that will help in their practice, and help them navigate through your own materials.

Best of all – both these programs are free when using the basic functions, and are very user-friendly.

Kompoz

Kompoz (www.kompoz.com) is a revolutionary way to play music with someone over the internet. Kompoz allows you to play and record sessions with a long-distance online. You can conduct the session privately, and lag time isn’t bad enough to hinder the recording session if both student and teacher have a good connection.

Playing music collaboratively is part of what makes advanced teaching work for many of us, so the ability to record and critique sessions, and share those with your student, can really be helpful. You can also use a simple, free recording program like Audacity  (audacity.sourceforge.net) to record voice notes over the tracks you work on with your student.

Stickam and Ustream

Looking to solicit more students online? With sites like Stickam (www.stickam.com) and Ustream (www.ustream.com), you can stream your own video or audio “show” that you can use to market your materials and get future and current students engaged in your teaching.

Many of us don’t utilize some of these free and easy tools to get new students. If you’re looking to get into music teaching globally, or you’d like to increase your arsenal of marketing materials, video streaming is a great way to do that.

Utilizing some of these tools will help increase your productivity with current students, your branding, and will help you get new students globally, if you’re looking to do so. Used alongside the Music Teacher’s Helper features, these tools could help you create a global reach with your teaching that increases revenue and efficiency for your studio. I am constantly working on new ways to expand my reach via my own website.

What other online tools do you like to use to increase your music teaching business?