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29 Monday Apr 2013
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When I started my private studio, one of the first features that I added was a monthly newsletter. Many students have told me that they look forward to reading it (probably because they want to know if they’re going to be Student of the Month!). I enjoy writing them up and find them to be a useful communication tool, especially for those parents who you don’t see very often. Plus, if you are consistently highlighting the merits of students, parents can see what students besides their own are working on and achieving in their lessons, giving them something to look forward to for their own child.
If you’re thinking about starting a newsletter or need some ideas for your current one, keep reading!
The first steps
– First you’ll have to find an e-mail marketing client. I use MailChimp – it’s easy and free – plus it comes with a nifty iPad/iPhone app which lets you track who has read your newsletter (and how many times!).
– Decide on a frequency. Once a month is ideal for me: once a week feels a bit spammy, and anything less frequent is not useful for my purposes. I send mine out on the last Sunday of every month, for the following month.
– Add a sign-up button to your website and Facebook page. Prospective parents might sign up and, if they like what they see, enrol their child.
What to include
– Your newsletter should include some recurring features that students/parents can look forward to, as well as new, interesting articles every month.
– Some recurring features that I personally use: Student of the Month, Events Calendar (showing holidays, group classes, concerts, etc. that might be coming up), and a Look/Listen section (where you can share videos/audio files of student performances).
– Newsletters are a great way to remind parents of things they were supposed to have read in your Studio Policies but probably haven’t… or maybe forgot about! Are you having a problem with too many students asking for make-ups? Have too many parents failed to pay their fees on time? How about students who consistently come to class late/early? Include a few words to gently remind parents what your policies are on these issues.
– Have you started anything new this month in your studio? Skype lessons, weekly group classes, a newly-launched preschool or adult program? Use this space to let them know.
– Other relevant musical information: practice tips, performance preparation, online musical games, where to buy books or instruments, etc. can be shared here.
– Finally, you may want to add a joke or musical picture.
Some final points
– Send your newsletter as an e-mail, but also keep a hard copy in your studio (on your noticeboard or waiting room table, for example), for those parents who don’t regularly check their e-mail, or for prospective students.
– Quadruple-check your spelling and grammar. I know you’re a music teacher, not an English teacher, but your newsletters must look professional.
I hope these tips have given you some ideas or helped you get started with a studio newsletter of your own! Do share your ideas below, and if you would like to see an example of my newsletter, let me know.
21 Monday Jan 2013
Posted Teaching
inFor over a year, my piano lived in my living room. It was fine for a while, but then my music teaching started taking over the room with whiteboards and bookshelves and sheet music flying around… so I knew it was time for a change!
We’ve been wanting to move to another apartment, but that fell through because we couldn’t find anything substantially better than this in our price range. So I thought: why not make the most of what I have? We had a dining room which was virtually unused, turning into a room where we stored our junk. I decided to turn it into my new music studio!
It took a while, because we had to convince our landlord to change our horrible gray flooring into some nice bright tiles. I went away for a week and while I was gone, my wonderful husband had the flooring changed, piano/bookshelf/other accessories moved, whiteboard mounted, etc.! I arrived yesterday and walked into a brand new house (our living room looks amazing with the new flooring and without the “music stuff” taking up so much space!). Here are some before & after shots:
BEFORE
Note the horrible floors! The piano is in my living room, near the front door, in this picture.
My dining room space, before it was converted into my music studio
AFTER
View from the doorway – that’s my music bookshelf on the right and my teaching chair against the wall
Two musical paintings on the wall to inspire me while I play and teach
No room is complete without flowers! I love these pastel lilies
I’m so happy with the wall-mounted whiteboard! It was on a stand before, which really cluttered up the room.My mum was in town a couple of months ago and helped me pick that old-fashioned sofa! I love it – it’s so comfortable and perfect for waiting parents/siblings. You can also see a small table I recently picked up, which I use for written work and games, and my music stand, which some singing students like to use. The empty space in the corner is going to be used to showcase salwar kameezes, a little side business of mine.
Not pictured:
Some drawbacks:
But, despite the drawbacks, it’s a dedicated teaching space… it’s a room where I can shut the door and not have to worry about the doorbell ringing or anything else happening in the rest of the house. It’s a sanctuary not only for my students, but for myself! Not to mention, it has totally decluttered my living room, and made it brighter and bigger (the piano was blocking out the light from the window!). I’m so, so, so happy with the space – I just want to spend all my time in that room!