Do your students tend to automatically do exams every year? I want to question that. Let’s think about what exams are and aren’t good for, and come to a more balanced view of where they should sit in our studios. Relevant Resources 100th Podcast Celebration: Lessons Learned 2019 Music Teaching Industry Report VMT031: What…
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Piano Recital Alternatives: Fresh Opportunities for Students
How often do you do studio recitals? Once a year? For many students, preparing for a performance is the best motivation to keep progressing and get the proper practice polish onto their pieces…but we can’t be running recitals all the time. If your students need a fresh challenge during your recital off-season, consider one of…
VMT089: How to Make Private Lesson Games Less Lame
Let’s face it, playing a game with an adult is not as fun as playing with another kid your age…but that doesn’t mean it can’t be enjoyable and beneficial. Get my top tricks for making games work in private music lessons in this episode. Download the Transcript Are you a Vibrant Music Teaching…
Step-by-step: The Ultimate Piano Recital Plan
This post about the ultimate piano recital plan was originally published in November 2018 and updated in March 2020. Putting together a piano recital for your students is a fantastic way to give them a performance opportunity and celebrate all the progress they’re making. But it’s not easy! There are lots of moving parts and…
VMT088: 3 Ways to Invent Time in Your Music Lessons
Do you feel like you never have enough lesson time for all the things you want to do? It’s definitely a challenge stretching those minutes to get through everything we need to cover. In this episode, I’ll give you some strategies to help you make the most of each minute. Relevant Resources Colourful Keys YouTube…
Effective Recital Communication: Before, During, and After
This guest article about effective recital communication was written by Julia Omelko. Julia is a piano teacher and performer who runs a piano studio in New York. After studying with Vincent Lenti of the Eastman School of Music and finishing her graphic design degree, Julia decided to take her teaching and mentoring more seriously, slowly…
Your Essential Guide to Teaching Piano Online
Teaching piano online is a great option to avoid makeup lessons and keep your studio running come what may. Schools might have to close for inclement weather and other emergency situations but we don’t have to! This guide will help you think through everything you need to run successful online lessons in your normally-in-person studio….
VMT087: Building (Friendly) Boundaries
How do you build boundaries in your business when you work from home, and when your students fill your brain every hour of every day? In this episode, we’ll try to get to the root of that question. Relevant Resources Battling Imposter Syndrome and Becoming a Confident Piano Teacher Leave Make-Up Lessons in the…
Piano Recital Participation: Should it Be Mandatory?
Performing for others is a valuable part of the music lesson experience. It teaches us performance skills which we can apply to other areas such as public speaking, acting and debates, and it builds our confidence in our playing. Plus it gives us an opportunity to pat ourselves on the back and acknowledge what we’ve…
VMT086: A Recital Mantra for This Headless Season
Recitals take a lot of work, but they don’t have to be overwhelming. In this episode, I’ll give you a mantra and a checklist so you feel less stressed and scattered this recital season. We got this! Relevant Resources VMT042: How to Craft the Perfect Recital Welcome Speech Step by Step to a Fantastic…