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You love music, love students, love piano, and would love to bring it all together by establishing a studio practise. Fabulous! Here's a basic list of considerations to help you out, and hopefully we'll meet at some professional event in the future.
Qualifications: Trinity, AMEB studio teaching diplomas; coursework in studio pedagogy via universities. Advertising: Free online; MTA; newspaper; local schools; word of mouth; biography, resume, recommendations; who/where is your market? Professional practise: Teaching philosophy/statement; networks eg MTA, Collegiate of Music Educators; online forums; blog/website; conferences/workshops/online courses. Financial: Pricepoint; how much do you want to earn? how often do you want to be paid? spreadsheets/attendance records; admin; accountant; insurance; superannuation; invoicing; receipts; student contacts/history records. Equipment: Instruments; maintenance; electronic/digital; computer; internet; online teaching equipment; furniture; teaching space; occ health/safety. Council: Permission home business; parking; toilet; access; noise; lighting; electricity; neighbours. Government: Tax; ABN; PAYG; RTA working with children check. Parents: Studio agreement; attendance policies; observation lessons; explicit pedagogy; reporting; quality of instrument and location for practising; expectations. Students: Books; practise policies; planning; relationship/rapport; expectations; goals; repertoire; performing, composing, musicology, aural; special needs. Scheduling events: Recitals; exams; recordings (eg YouTube channel, make a CD); nursing homes, shopping centres; fundraising practise drive. Scheduling teaching: Meals/breaks; hours open; weeks per year; holidays; public holidays; public calendar (iCal); babysitting.
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Here's a link to my review on Griffin's Learning Strategies for Musical Success as published in The Studio (MTA NSW). I highly recommend the MTA and encourage serious instrumental teachers to join it: www.musicnsw.com.au
Here's a great short video by one of my personal favourites, Angela Hewitt, about the importance of slow practise. She especially mentions that in slow practise, we need to include everything e.g. articulation, dynamics, phrasing etc, just in the same way as when we play the same piece at a faster tempo.
I took these photos to demonstrate to a student just how dodgy their hands and fingers were. You should have seen their face when they looked at the photos!!  I recently came across this very helpful guide for studio teachers who have students with dyslexia. The guide gives info about what dyslexia is, how to develop positive teacher/student rapport, inclusion of multi-sensory teaching methods, what to do with challenges such as performing, sightreading, and memorising. A lot of the tips are handy for all types of teachers and so can help all music students (inclusive education). The guide also contains information about examination requirements and adjustments. This is a British guide, so their info is about UK-based examination boards. The AMEB provide similar adjustments for students with learning disabilities.
Teacher Guide to Music and Dyslexia AMEB Special Needs This letter has been recently doing the rounds on the piano pedagogy forums. Establishing an early supportive, working relationship with the student, the student's parent/s, and the teacher, can really ensure student success. Karen Berger's letter addresses issues that can arise along the way. Warning - the letter is blunt!
"Dear Piano Parents: You're probably getting mailings right now about fall activities for your kids. The soccer coach wants to know if you're doing traveling team, the Little League coach is scheduling practices, the dance teacher is putting her classes together. And you're wondering about piano lessons for little Johnny or Suzie." To read more of Karen Berger's letter, go to http://musicalresources.blogspot.com.au/2011/07/truth-about-piano-lessons.html?m=1 |
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