 A few years ago, I took a webinar about summer camps and group teaching, and I got SO INSPIRED! (You can check it out here!)
Only one problem: I don't have a studio space. My house is itty bitty, and where I live, it's really expensive to rent a space. So I was faced with a dilemma: How do I capture the energy, fun, and, let's be honest, income boosting potential of summer camps in my mobile studio? While I have not abandoned the idea of having everyone meet me at the beach every day for a week, I also understand that a big part of why parents hire a teacher who comes to them is the convenience of not having to drive their children to another activity. Thus, I came up with a few alternatives: 1. Creative Projects This idea originated with my colleague Dawn and her Young Composers Program, which totally rocks. For a small added cost to cover expenses and extra work hours, over the course of the summer, students are coached through creating a polished composition which they notate in notation software and record. At the end of the summer, every participant gets a book of all of the compositions and a CD of everyone playing their pieces. It's a really fun project that students in her studio look forward to every year! A handful of my students have participated over the years, and they are always so proud of their end product. For the past couple of years, I've expanded upon this idea in my own studio to facilitate some other creative projects. Last year I had a student make a video about how the piano works. This year, I'm offering a "Build Your Own Piano Game" opportunity, inspired by one of my young students who made up a bunch of extra rules to one of my games and made it WAY MORE FUN! 2. Quick Starts/Crash Courses/Bootcamps With these, I put together a 6 week add-on curriculum to give students a jump start in areas like chord playing, pop music, improvising, and songwriting. They usually take up about half of our regular lesson time, with homework assignments, and a final project. I'll include some examples in future posts. 3. Music Clubs I am super excited about this new offering this year, and I'm getting my students pumped up about it too. Basically, these clubs are like virtual summer camps. Students will participate in special activities during their lessons. They'll have ongoing projects that they share with other participants including games and composing activities. This year I'm planning a Harry Potter Themed "Magical Music Club" because at least half of my studio is as obsessed with Harry Potter as I am. I'll be sharing a lot more details about this project in the weeks and months to come, so if you're intrigued, stay tuned! What do you do to mix things up and make a little extra money in the summer? Let me know in the comments.
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 Have you ever thought about online or video lessons?
To be honest, until very recently, I hadn't. I like teaching in person. My piano space is limited. I don't have room in my budget right now for new tech. I don't need new students or want to extend my teaching hours. I didn't think my families would ever get on board with remote learning. All of this changed about a month ago when I started the Online Lesson Academy from the Upbeat Piano Teachers. I've taken many webinars from the Upbeats, and I'd always been so inspired by them. This past summer I took part in their Planning Academy, and it was a whole new experience. The live group coaching format of these Academies is unlike anything else out there right now for piano teachers! This Online Lesson Academy was so inspiring! Here's what you get:
What do you learn exactly? This academy is so jam-packed! You get everything you need to get started teaching online or via video. You'll learn all about the technology needed (and that you probably already have all of the tools you need to get started), different platforms you can use (and exactly how to use them), ideas about scheduling, writing policies, getting parents on board, how the lessons will actually flow, what kind of activities work well in an online format, how to physically set things up at the piano, etc. They really leave no stone unturned. So what were my favorite parts?
A caveat: do not register for this class if you are in a busy season because it is time consuming. Between the live coaching, the group discussion, and the assignments, you really do need a little time every day (and sometimes a little more than a little) to get the most out of the Academy. That being said, you do get lifetime access to everything, so you can go back at any time to watch or re-watch videos and complete assignments. The group is archived a couple of weeks after the Academy ends, but you are invited to join the private Upbeat Mastermind Group, where you can always continue the discussion or ask questions as things come up. My over-all impression: This class is WORTH IT! Even if you're just tossing the idea around in the dreamy part of your brain right now, the practical tools and ideas you get from the Online Lesson Academy can open up some brand new possibilities for your studio and your business. If you're interested in the Online Lesson Academy, you can get more information here. Registration is currently closed, but they do plan to offer more sessions in the future, so definitely check it out. Have you ever thought about teaching online or video lessons? If so, what's holding you back?  Yesterday was International Women's Day, "a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women" (link).
Piano playing developed as a generally female activity, and since it's earliest emergence as a profession, the majority of private piano teachers have been women. (If you're interested in reading a fascinating series on the social history of piano teaching, click here.) Composing, however, especially in the professional sense, was almost always relegated to men. We see very few female composers in our standard teaching repertoire, and it's very rare to hear music by a female composer on your local classical radio station. This doesn't mean that women haven't been creating great music for centuries. We just have to know where to look! Listen: For your listening pleasure, check out this Spotify playlist put together by NAXOS. Anthologies: These two collections are great for a broad overview of piano music by female composers. They both include a little biographical information about each of the composers. Women Composers in History At the Piano with Women Composers By Composer: Amy Beach:
Cecile Chaminade:
Clara Schumann: both of these collections are great for advanced players For Your Littles: Here are three great little books from Kiddy Keys: I hope these resources can get you started exploring the works of these great women with your piano students. Know of any other great resources out there on female composers? Let me know in the comments. Let's share the wealth! |
Mallory ByersI teach piano in California. Here are some of my thoughts. Archives
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