Natural Born Singers? How to Assess Your Students From the First Consultation

What’s your thing?

What helped you stay afloat during adolescence, through a difficult career change, or health issue?

Is your thing still your thing now?

Gymnastics, piano, yoga, concerts, poetry, calculus, Bach, bluegrass, Capoeira, soccer, literature, meditation, friends?

Want to understand and engage someone new? Call them by their first name, and ask about their thing.

People light up when discussing their interests.

My thing is guitar.

I moved to a rural area in middle school. It was a tough time.

I locked myself in my room and practiced guitar.

I got pretty good, performed in talent shows, made friends, and played in some awesome bands.

I am ever grateful to have found my thing.

It wasn’t just finding an inclination or passion. I found a tool for survival and a means to success.

My first guitar teacher was Michael Rhodes.

My grandfather was his music teacher.

He taught in the corner of a car-battery warehouse. I remember waiting next to pallets of plastic-wrapped batteries and forklifts.

I learned "Sweet Home Alabama" and worked through Hal Leonard Method Book One.

I’ve had forty-nine music teachers since, and it all started with him.

Who was your first teacher?

Who introduced you to your "thing"?

]]>a-compassionate-strategy-for-getting-paid-on-time<![CDATA[A Compassionate Strategy For Getting Paid On Time]]>2019-08-30T00:00:00.000Z2019-08-30T00:00:00.000ZWe've had many people ask about how to get paid on time, and what do do about late-paying customers, here's my take

title: "A Compassionate Strategy For Getting Paid On Time" description: >- We've had many people ask about how to get paid on time, and what do do about late-paying customers, here's my take cover: getpaid.jpg date: '2019-08-30' tags:

Business
Payments

We’ve all had clients that don’t pay on time. We streamline our billing process, automate payments, & add late fees, yet there will always be stragglers. Late payments hurt our bottom lines, increase our admin tasks, and create tension in our customer relationships.

"I’m going to let this client go."

"I know they can afford it, they’re both doctors!”

We get it… it’s frustrating.

I’ll offer up a compassionate and business-minded solution.

Begin with empathy.

I’ve experienced not having money to pay for my children’s activities. I felt embarrassed and ashamed. I certainly didn’t want to admit my situation. I’d rather seem too busy, having not gotten around to paying. Can you remember feeling this way? Pride is a powerful emotion.

If payment is late, make a phone call.

"Hey there, it’s Eric… I see that you haven’t set up your payment information yet. I want to make sure everything’s okay. If there’s a money issue, please let me know. I value you, I enjoy teaching your family, and trust me… I’ve been there before."

Compassionate action. Here’s what you’ll find.

94% of clients will apologize profusely, insist there isn’t an issue, and enter payment right away. You won’t have this issue again.(because you’re on autopay! If you’re not, get Fons)

3% will open up to you about a hardship, and you will offer to work with them.(you charge a high enough rate that you can afford this, if you don’t, let’s chat)

2% of the time your client will apologize profusely, insist there isn’t an issue, and your intuition will tell you there is... Offer to make it easier for them if you know they are struggling. You’ll sleep better.

1% it’s time to move on. Your client would be best suited by moving to another provider.

Care about your clients, treat them with kindness,(even if you feel disrespect) and I assure you that late payments will go away.

Eric Branner

Have ideas you’d like to share? Please let us know!

Eric Branner is CEO/Co-Founder of Fons. He's also a music teacher, father, guitarist, and mama's boy. He lives in Seattle with his wife Alyson, two awesome children Edie & Huck, & his dog Happy.

Follow Eric on Twitter

]]>introducing-fons-marketplace-2d23e438dbb8<![CDATA[Introducing Fons Marketplace!]]>2019-04-17T00:00:00.000Z2019-04-17T00:00:00.000ZWe are thrilled to announce that Fons Marketplace will be released May 1st! Marketplace will connect you with new customers via a web search. Fons acquired a website called Learning Musician last…

title: Introducing Fons Marketplace! description: >- We are thrilled to announce that Fons Marketplace will be released May 1st! Marketplace will connect you with new customers via a web search. Fons acquired a website called Learning Musician last… date: '2019-04-17' cover: 1__1dK9LaQwHLLCgUdxWn__gRg.png tags:

Marketplace
Personal Training
Coaching

We are thrilled to announce that Fons Marketplace will be released May 1st! Marketplace will connect you with new customers via a web search.

Here’s the story…

Fons acquired a website called Learning Musician last year. Their founder, Michael Connelly is a bright light in the Seattle music scene as well as a friend. He attracted a fantastic community within Learning Musician. The site was a community forum, a marketplace, & had incredible SEO.(Search Engine Optimization)ie. If you were to type “banjo lessons in Little Rock Arkansas,” chances are pretty high that a Learning Musician profile would show up on the first page of search results.

We’ve parlayed that fantastic web visibility with an updated & modern profile. Each active Fons account can opt-in for no additional charge. All you need to do is add a bio, an image, your location, & keywords of your offerings. New customers will find you with a simple web search. We want you to be found!

Visibility is one more piece the puzzle as we relentlessly strive to serve our Fons community. Our continuing mission is to build the ultimate tool for running & growing your appointment-based business.

Fons users will now experience increased visibility in their communities around the world. Academic tutors, personal trainers, music teachers, wellness professionals, and coaches have a new way to be discovered.

Please let me know if you have any questions, concerns, or ideas for this new chapter for Fons. Awesome.

]]>side-hustling-dthe-southern-60s-e494739e6de5<![CDATA[Side-Hustling the Southern ‘60s]]>2019-03-20T00:00:00.000Z2019-03-20T00:00:00.000ZMy dad is a serial entrepreneur. I grew up watching him start & operate many businesses. We had a swimming pool, so naturally, he started a pool business. He owned a software company when computers…

title: "Side-Hustling the Southern ‘60s" description: >- My dad is a serial entrepreneur. I grew up watching him start & operate many businesses. We had a swimming pool, so naturally, he started a pool business. He owned a software company when computers… date: '2019-03-20' cover: 1__6X6oc18tCquLt1SBXw__YQg.jpeg tags:

Solopreneurship
Startup
Inspiration
Small Business

My dad is a serial entrepreneur. I grew up watching him start & operate many businesses. We had a swimming pool, so naturally, he started a pool business. He owned a software company when computers were bigger than my bedroom. He started a moving company. He always had at least two jobs and inspired me to work for myself.

One of his most memorable side gigs occurred in Madison, Alabama during the ’60s. Bill was working as an engineer on the first Apollo missions. He also owned a beer store in the local shopping center. He observed how the Baptist, conservative, church-going folks loved to drink, yet didn’t want to be seen buying booze. They preferred to drive to the next county so they wouldn’t be seen! He identified an opportunity and advertised a new service.

He would use a copy of your car key & deliver beer to your trunk while you shopped at the local grocery store. You’d unload your liquid treasure at night, away from the judging eyes of the local church congregation.

Nancy the church organist could go to the grocery store, park her car, and go shopping. While inside, Bill would deliver alcohol to her trunk. Nancy could finally drink like a fish without fear or social stigma.

Bill filled a need while quelling embarrassment & shame. This story always sticks with and inspires me. Know your environment & whom you’re serving. Watch, listen, & provide. Do what other people will not and charge a premium.

Follow Eric on Twitter

]]>what-to-do-with-referred-clients-254f40d796fa<![CDATA[What To Do With Referred Clients]]>2018-03-19T00:00:00.000Z2018-03-19T00:00:00.000ZGaining clients as a freelancer or contractor is no easy feat. While there are platforms like Upwork that can help connect you with clients, the best way to move up in the world is to receive…

title: "What To Do With Referred Clients" description: >- Gaining clients as a freelancer or contractor is no easy feat. While there are platforms like Upwork that can help connect you with clients, the best way to move up in the world is to receive… date: '2018-03-19' cover: 1__g__XTO3EzwGw6mc33L39ROQ.jpeg tags:

Freelance
Clients
Students

Gaining clients as a freelancer or contractor is no easy feat. While there are platforms like Upwork that can help connect you with clients, the best way to move up in the world is to receive referrals from past or present clients.

In many cases, a referral happens without your knowledge. In some instances, you can ask your clients to refer you, but these are less common. Let’s say you’ve received a new client based on a referral. What are you supposed to do? Read on to find out more from first-hand experience!

You Just Received a Referral: Now What?

If you want to receive referrals, you need to astound and impress your current clients. This will inspire them to mention you to others and even recommend your services. As an example, I have a client who I’ve worked with for years and consistently produced excellent results.

As a result, this client passed my name along to one of their co-workers who owns a website. This person then reached out to me and asked if I would like to work with them as well and write an article for the site. This kind of instant connection and mutual trust would not have been possible without my client’s recommendation.

In any case, it would have been highly unlikely for me to come into contact with a high profile client like this one. This event led to another referral because my name was mentioned to an even higher profile client.

I was excited, but I was also nervous. There was a lot of pressure here to perform well. Here’s how I handled the situation to ensure it would all go over smoothly. I recommend this method to anyone who receives a referral.

Step One: Thank the Person Who Referred You

The first thing I did, and the first thing you should do, is thank the person who referred you. You want to embrace this new opportunity while also maintaining the business relationship that brought you to this pedestal.

If you want more referrals, you should show gratitude and appreciation to your top clients. Once you’ve thanked them, you can move forward with this new venture. If you’re asking for a referral, focus on the clients who are most likely to recommend people you want to work with.

Step Two: Give the New Client a Great First Impression

The next step I took was also very important. I made sure to set aside enough time to deliver an excellent first article. I wanted the client to be truly impressed with my work. While this can put you behind on your other projects, it’s worth it to make a great first impression.

In my case, I was also unfamiliar with the subject matter, so it’s only natural that I would need more time to turn in a great product. As time goes on, you’ll get better and faster, but this first impression is key to starting a great business relationship.

Step Three: Strike a Balance

The final step is a simple, but crucial one. You must balance your workload going forward. If you leap onto this referral opportunity and fail to keep your original client happy, then you’ve missed the point of having a referral.

You’ll need to continue working with your client, while also satisfying the needs of this new one. In some cases, this new client could be a difficult one. In cases like this, it’s best to try and improve the situation through better communication and prevention of issues.

It’s a careful balance, but an important one that you should focus on for your continued success.

Final Thoughts

Referrals are a great way to progress your career as a contractor or freelance worker. Once you’ve received these referrals, it’s important to handle the process properly so you set yourself up for future referrals in the future.

How do you handle referrals? Let us know in the comments!

]]>valuable-lessons-from-academic-tutor-beth-peterson-93d6eb11b287<![CDATA[Valuable Lessons From Academic Coach, Beth Peterson]]>2018-01-29T00:00:00.000Z2018-01-29T00:00:00.000ZWe asked her a few questions about how and why she’s such a great tutor and why her business is thriving so much. I work with students from 5th grade into college helping them navigate the…

title: "Valuable Lessons From Academic Coach, Beth Peterson" description: >- We asked her a few questions about how and why she’s such a great tutor and why her business is thriving so much. I work with students from 5th grade into college helping them navigate the… date: '2018-01-29' cover: 1__w5oltkjW5lcigkiLLgDIVQ.jpeg tags:

Education
Career Advice
Clients
Students

This month’s featured Fons Family Member is Academic Coach, Beth Peterson!

We asked her a few questions about how and why she’s such a great tutor and why her business is thriving so much.

What makes you & your coaching business uniquely perfect for your students?

I work with students from 5th grade into college helping them navigate the complexities of school. Many of my clients are pretty smart but just don’t “get” how to effectively manage their time and materials, prioritize their tasks, monitor and check their work and “to do” lists. Sometimes they need more help with building memory skills, taking tests, sustaining attention and focus or writing papers.

We all can use a tune up with our executive function skills. These are important life skills that can be a better predictor of school/life success than your traditional IQ score. I know a lot of students who aren’t the smartest in their class, but they know how to “do school”, so they get decent grades.

Describe your favorite kind of coaching client!

I’ve always been drawn to the students who think outside of the box or don’t really conform to the system. I think they are the future leaders of the world. I cringe when I see their personalities shift due to chronic anxiety because they don’t quite conform to the demands of school.

It’s my goal to help teach them solid executive function skills that will help decrease their stress levels, build confidence and find joy in their day. I feel that our purpose in this world is to figure out how to optimize ourselves so we can make this world a better place.

How did you get started as an academic coach?

I was a classroom teacher for over 17 years. I tried hard to make every student feel special and help them realize that they have special strengths. I believed in every one of them. I loved seeing their confidence grow once that had figured “it” out. The “it”, however, is different for everyone and it can be such a mystery.

Coaching is like being a detective. I try to figure out what the breakdowns are and determine what tools/skills will help each student get through the roadblocks they encounter.

I decided to leave full time teaching when I went on a quest looking for a coach for my own son but I couldn’t find one. I went to workshops in New England where they have abundant EF/ADHD coaches and I have taken a variety of classes and seminars over the years to refine my skills.

I not only coach students now, but I also train former teachers to become coaches and I consult with schools and parents.

As a business owner, what’s your favorite part about using Fons?

Fons lets me do what I do best… and that’s NOT handling money. They have a great team of experts! I’ve been able to grow my coaching business because I have more time to dedicate to my expertise. If I had to continue invoicing clients and fumbling with so many spreadsheets, I wouldn’t be able to progress like I have.

Isn’t Beth Peterson great!? We need more academic coaches like her in the world!

Now, you can see why she’s this month’s featured Fons Family Member! We wanted to show her some love.

Stay tuned for more about Beth and her coaching business!

]]>how-to-incorporate-games-into-your-business-fa5ff7cf42ff<![CDATA[How to Incorporate Games into Your Business]]>2018-01-22T00:00:00.000Z2018-01-22T00:00:00.000ZIn just a few decades, video games have gone from a hobby, to a massive billion dollar industry. Major electronics manufacturers like Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo have entire segments of their…

title: "How to Incorporate Games into Your Business" description: >- In just a few decades, video games have gone from a hobby, to a massive billion dollar industry. Major electronics manufacturers like Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo have entire segments of their… date: '2018-01-22' cover: 1__PLHctR6uxV7rF0LDo7xBLg.jpeg tags:

Tools
Clients
Students

In just a few decades, video games have gone from a hobby, to a massive billion dollar industry. Major electronics manufacturers like Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo have entire segments of their business devoted to gaming.

Whether your business is directly associated with gaming or not, there are several ways you can incorporate games into your business to enhance your strategy, boost morale, and attract customers.

3 Exciting Ways to Bring Gaming into Your Business

Games are all about providing a reward to the player for their efforts. Take Foursquare for example. People started using that app to check-in at locations and receive badges or attain “mayor” status.

These rewards didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, but they did provide incentive to keep using the app. What if you could capture something similar for your business? Here are three ways gaming can be incorporated into your company:

1. Enhance Your Strategy

If you can somehow incorporate games into your business model, you’ll find that your strategy becomes infinitely more engaging for everyone involved. It doesn’t need to be a traditional game, but it can embrace concepts like these:

● Levels — give your customers rewards for milestones with your company. A perfect example are rewards programs with certain retailers.

● Titles or Status — Reward your customers with a new status like VIP for repeat or loyal customers.

● Set Time Limits — Like many video games, your time is not unlimited. Give certain promotions and offers a limited time before they expire to drive urgency.

● Tell a Story — Get your customers involved by telling them a story where they are the hero, like most modern video games.

2. Boost Morale

Games make people happy. They take our minds off of stressful things and force us to focus on and engage with something else. Consider adding some sort of leisure activity to your office or daily routine.

Your employees will feel heightened and refreshed if they can enjoy a few minutes of relaxation throughout their day. Even something as simple as a game console in the break room can go a long way towards boosting morale.

3. Attract Customers

Gamification is a major topic right now in business. How can companies apply the concepts of gaming to bring in more customers. One example would be experiential marketing. Events where businesses have some sort of activity related to their company allow customers to engage with the brand and earn rewards.

A very simplistic example, are the windy cash machines often seen at retailers or car lots. People stand in a wind tube and try to grab as much money as they can swirling around them. Whatever they catch, they keep.

More creative ideas will be needed to make the game line up with your business. You want the game to connect to your brand in a meaningful way, otherwise you’re distracting customers from the thing you want to sell them.

Over to You

Gaming is a great way to spice up any and every aspect of your business. It can add fun to otherwise boring things, keep people engaged, and boost morale with your employees. How do you incorporate gaming into your business? Let us know in the comments!

]]>how-to-set-good-goals-and-stick-with-them-1f7b3fbdec17<![CDATA[How To Set Good Goals and Stick With Them]]>2018-01-03T00:00:00.000Z2018-01-03T00:00:00.000ZYou never fully revealed your weakness and shared your goals with others who would hold you accountable. Visualizing where you want to be in one year and your perfect day gives you something to work…

title: "How To Set Good Goals and Stick With Them" description: >- You never fully revealed your weakness and shared your goals with others who would hold you accountable. Visualizing where you want to be in one year and your perfect day gives you something to work… date: '2018-01-03' cover: 1__IdDa8QeNuEwW__zpuGQfzTQ.jpeg tags:

Goals
Career Advice
Clients
Students

photo credit: Ivory Mix

“If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.”- Yogi Berra

Good goal setting is about more than just creating SMART (smart, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-sensitive) goals. In this post, we dive into why you should be creating goals that are rooted in what truly matter to you, break down your big goals into actionable steps, and reveal how accountability is humbling and rewarding.

There is something exciting about a New Year.

A new beginning.

A fresh start.

The chance to make right what did not go as planned last year.

But yet so many New Year’s Resolutions and goals don’t ever see completion.

Why do you think that is?

The pain of staying the same is never greater than the pain of change.

So, maybe your goal was not deeply rooted in what REALLY matters to you.

You never fully revealed your weakness and shared your goals with others who would hold you accountable.

All of these things could make a good goal go wrong.

Below we will dive into HOW to set good goals and actually stick with them this year.

Visualization

The first step to setting GOOD goals is visualizing what success looks like to you.

Visualizing where you want to be in one year and your perfect day gives you something to work towards. It allows you to recognize what you want when you see it.

Without goals, we lack clarity and can get stuck going through the motions without purpose.

Visualization reveals your BIG goals. It allows you to dig deep and understand WHY your goals are important to you.

A goal is useless unless you understand WHY you want to achieve it.

For example, perhaps your perfect day includes a full client schedule during the day, the ability to be home with your family in the evening, and a steady revenue stream. You currently leave the house at 6am and don’t get home until after 7pm. Your paycheck pays the bills and you constantly feel stressed about where your next client will come from and are frustrated with constant cancellations.

There will be little goals and small steps along the way, but they are all important to you because of your family.

Get clear on why you want your goals to happen and connect them to what really matters to you.

Write it down

A written goal is a powerful reminder that can keep you on track when you feel like quitting. Research has proven that writing your thoughts and goals on paper is more effective than typing. It flips a switch in our brains, so to speak, and we begin to problem-solve and make decisions.

Write your goals down in more than one place… Write them in your planner or on your calendar so you see them every day. There is power in repetition.

Break down big goals into small goals and first steps

Focusing on the big, important things in your business allows you to eliminate busy work and do things that actually move you closer to your goal.

Big big goals can feel overwhelming. And having a goal that you want to accomplish by the end of the year allows you to procrastinate.

In order to make your goals happen well, you have to take small steps forward every day.

Break each of your big goals down into three smaller, attainable goals that can be reached in the first quarter of the year.

And then decide the FIRST step you will take to reach those goals.

Let’s take the previous example.

Your goal is to have a full client schedule, end your work day by 4pm, and set up a group program to generate more money so you’re not chasing one-on-one clients all day.

Your three smaller goals are:

1. Participate in one public networking event a month to meet more people.

First step: Research local small biz groups, Facebook groups, and the Chamber of Commerce.

2. Create and launch a group program (doesn’t have to be perfect to be done!)

First step: Start writing the program content.

3. Be more active on Facebook to grow your online community and show your authority.

First step: Do a FB Live to teach my community something every week.

Focus on progress not perfection

This is such an important one.

The path to a goal can be messy. And there will be set backs.

No one is perfect and no one has the perfect plan. Let go of perfection and get comfortable with imperfection.

Focusing on progress not perfection allows you to give yourself grace and see the big picture.

Good things grow through the dirt.

Accountability

Accountability is hard because it means we have to let others in and show our weaknesses. But it is also so rewarding!

Accountability allows us to bring our gifts into the open and share them with others.

Below are four places to find accountability — and the more ways you can make these happen, the more likely you will be successful in reaching your goals.

1. A buddy — Partner with someone in a similar place as you and hold each other accountable.

2. A group — Join a group of like-minded individuals (ex: a mastermind, a support group, a membership group, etc.)

3. A coach — Hire a business coach, personal trainer, teacher, etc.

4. Your home support system — Sharing your goals with your family and close friends is powerful because they truly care about your success and will check in on you when you least expect it!

In conclusion

Setting goals that truly matter to you — and letting go of ones that don’t — allows you to find clarity, stay focused, and make things happen well. Writing your goals down and finding ways to hold yourself accountable has an unbelievably powerful impact on your success. And taking small steps forward everyday is where the magic truly happens. Let go of perfection and enjoy the journey.

Looking for a way to stay focused and get BIG things done in your business in 2018? The Business Finance Tracker and Yearly Success Planner for Goals, Content, and Marketing are done-for-you worksheets that help entrepreneurs save time, organize finances and content, and create a plan for the year.

Sarah is a personal trainer, Fitness Director at a private club, mother, entrepreneur, and writer behind The Fit Niche . She helps fitness and wellness entrepreneurs work smarter, not longer. You can find Sarah in her free Facebook Group, Fitness Biz + Blog Mastermind Community , and on Facebook , Twitter , Pinterest and Instagram .

]]>most-influential-people-of-the-year-cb5aef074a26<![CDATA[Most Influential People of the Year]]>2017-12-31T00:00:00.000Z2017-12-31T00:00:00.000ZThe year that was 2017 is coming to a close. Like any year, it was full of events that will be talked about long after the year fades into history. Among the billions of people on Earth in 2017, a…

title: "Most Influential People of the Year" description: >- The year that was 2017 is coming to a close. Like any year, it was full of events that will be talked about long after the year fades into history. Among the billions of people on Earth in 2017, a… date: '2017-12-31' cover: 1__odstHeuu4epA2Qe7bFVBXg.jpeg tags:

New Year Resolution
Goals

Photo by rawpixel.com on Unsplash

Click here to read the full post.

The year that was 2017 is coming to a close. Like any year, it was full of events that will be talked about long after the year fades into history. Among the billions of people on Earth in 2017, a select few have stood out as the most influential. These people made major shifts in the world of business, technology, and much more.

Looking back on 2017, these people will be remembered for what they did in this year, and the years to come.

5 of the Most Influential People of 2017

There were countless people who shook the foundations of politics, business, and entertainment in 2017, but these are five people that truly made their mark on the world. The lesson for us, is to learn how we can better value and our time and work, so we can be as influential as people like them.

There’s a key takeaway from each of these people’s actions. Even if you’re not working at a global level, you can easily apply some of their principles to your own business.

Kenneth Frazier ( Image source)

1. Ken Frazier: Standing Up For Your Beliefs

As the CEO of Merck, Ken Frazier widened the company’s lead over other competitors. For example, its cancer drug, Keytruda, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to be taken in combination with chemotherapy in previously untreated cases of advanced lung cancer.

Frazier also took a public stance when President Trump failed to condemn white supremacists. He went on record saying: “As CEO of Merck, and as a matter of personal conscience, I feel a responsibility to take a stand against intolerance and extremism.”

Ken’s stance shows that business leaders have a right and a responsibility to stand by their ethics and beliefs, while still prospering as a business.

Bobby Kotick ( Image source)

2. Bobby Kotick: The Lightbulb Moment

The concept of esports, or professional competitive gaming, is something that has only recently found success and proliferation. A large part of that is due to the efforts of Bobby Kotick, who is CEO of one of the largest publishers in gaming.

In March of 2017, Kotick pitched his idea to Kraft and other executives, to create a league in which professional gamers play in front of a live audience. The inaugural Overwatch League was formed, featuring teams from New York, London, and Seoul. Owners include Comcast, and Los Angeles Rams owner Stanley Kroenke.

Despite his original pitches failing to gain traction, Bobby Kotick surrounded himself with the right people who had knowledge of sports management. When he came back and pitched his idea in 2017, he found huge success.

Our takeaway here is simple: you should support your business concepts with the right resources. If you have an idea that you know has potential, you need to surround yourself with the kind of people who can help you bring it to fruition. Even if the concept doesn’t pan out, it can easily lead to something bigger and better for your business.

Geoffrey Hinton ( Image source)

3. Geoffrey Hinton: The Quiet Innovator Working With Big Brands

In the field of artificial intelligence, Hinton is leading the charge in Canada with Toronto’s $180 million artificial intelligence research center. Known as the Vector Institute, Hinton’s goal is to mix academic research with commercial pursuits.

His influence in 2017 helped companies like Google and Facebook open offices in Edmonton and Montreal. He also released two papers in October detailing “capsule networks” that offer enhanced machine vision test results and better recognition of handwriting and everyday objects.

Critics have often said that Canada’s investment into neural networks is coming at a time when the technology is reaching its limits and exists in a bubble that will inevitably pop. Hinton remains steadfast in his opinion that the technology has a long-term viability.

The takeaway here is something that everyone in the field of technology should understand. Throughout history, some of the biggest innovations in technology came from concepts that everyone wrote off as a bubble that would burst.

Innovation will always be valuable. Hinton shows us that getting these ideas into the right hands can bring the support of massive brands and influencers to the table.

Mohammed Bin Salman ( Image source)

4. Mohammed Bin Salman — Breaking Down Walls

The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia made some huge changes to his country in 2017. While his ultimate goals remains unclear, he has shown interest in selling a stake of the Saudi Arabian Oil Co., which could be one of the largest IPOs in history.

He also pushed for women to have the right to drive. This would add an estimated $90 billion to the economy by 2030, and represents a major step forward for women’s rights in this part of the world.

The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia is showing the rest of the world that traditions aren’t always set in stone, nor are they right. In business, we often follow specific traditions because we believe they are the only way to success.

What we need to remember, is that there are many pathways to success. Breaking down walls can sometimes lead to even better results.

Millie Bobby Brown (I mage source)

5. Millie Bobby Brown — Age is Irrelevant

For many of us, we assume that success is tied to both experience and age. Too often, we forget that success does not discriminate based on age. Whether you’re a business owner or someone looking to start a business, your age and experience does not necessarily translate to your level of success.

Millie Bobby Brown, one of Time Magazine’s most influential teens of 2017, is a 13-year-old actress who received an Emmy nomination for her role in Netflix’s series Stranger Things. According to her, the secret to success is not overthinking her role. For her, the character of Eleven is a piece of her.

This instinctual approach is easily something that we can apply to business. It’s best not to overthink things like age or experience. Focus on what your instincts tell you, and stick to your guns. Those are the secrets to success more than anything else.

Final Thoughts

These major players made waves in world politics, gaming, and technology respectively, but they are joined by numerous others who help influence the major industries in our modern world. Which people do you believe were the most influential in 2017? Let us know in the comments!

]]>a-year-in-review-the-best-advice-for-small-business-owners-to-take-forward-da1670b94bea<![CDATA[A Year In Review: The Best Advice For Small Business Owners To Take Forward]]>2017-12-30T00:00:00.000Z2017-12-30T00:00:00.000ZOK, this is a tough post to write. Working as the editor on Fons Amplify this year has been a huge privilege. I’ve worked with some fantastic business owners who write kick-ass copy. Choosing my…

title: "A Year In Review: The Best Advice For Small Business Owners To Take Forward" description: >- OK, this is a tough post to write. Working as the editor on Fons Amplify this year has been a huge privilege. I’ve worked with some fantastic business owners who write kick-ass copy. Choosing my… cover: 1__Q19EWoPaMZBZfINV__pJeOA.jpeg date: '2017-12-30' tags:

Productivity
Clients
Students
Tools
Career Advice
Money

Photo by rawpixel.com on Unsplash

Gemma Church

It’s not an easy task, but here are the best Fons Amplify posts from 2017.

OK, this is a tough post to write. Working as the editor on Fons Amplify this year has been a huge privilege. I’ve worked with some fantastic business owners who write kick-ass copy. Choosing my favourite posts from the year is a little like picking your favourite child…Well, not really. But here goes:

How to Attract Premium Clients

Rob Hampton’s post on attracting wealthy clients quite literally had me laughing out loud (that’s LOLing in today’s language, I believe) when I started to read it.

What followed was an informative piece that taught me to “Offer the Moon, at a Sky-High Price”. It also made me want to reach for a Bud Light. Read the full post here.

How To Get Paid For Every Minute

Getting paid for every minute sounds like an unattainable goal, right? Well, this post from Emily Ann Peterson taught me how to be lazy and uber-productive.

It may sound counter-intuitive but it is possible. Read the full post here.

Sink or Swim: Here’s How You’ll Know When It’s Time To Jump Into Self-Employment

This post from Dana Little really struck a chord with me. I struggled with the decision to quit my “real” job and become a freelance writer for months.

If only I’d had this advice available to me at the time! A great piece that really puts the decision making process in perspective.

15 Yoga Poses to Make Your Day and Career More Sustainable

Working 24/7 to build your business is exhilarating and exhausting. This post from yogi Kosta Miachin shares some simple poses you can incorporate into your daily regime to help you stay fit and recharge your batteries. Click here to read the full post.

How to Properly Manage Stress During Your Most Chaotic Work Days

If you’re struggling to keep your head above water, this is the post for you.

Kosta Miachin shares tips to identify and manage your stressors so you can more effectively run your business.

Click here to read the post.

How to Market Your Business on Facebook Without Coming Across Sales-y

I don’t know about you, but I’m not a natural salesperson so this post was a breath of fresh air compared to the often overly aggressive marketing advice you receive as a small business owner.

Sarah Skraban shares five ways to market your business on Facebook while remaining true to yourself and your work. Click here to read the full post.

Reciprocal Advantages: Asking For Help From Your Community

In a world where it can feel like we’re moving further apart, this post from Andrew Vait is a stark reminder of the importance of community to enrich your business. Click here to read the full post.

Planning for the “Unplanned”: How Improvisation Will Benefit Your Business

As the New Year looms, you may be making extravagant travel plans or a whole new direction in your business. This post from Hilary Scott Gennaro embraces the benefit of spontaneity to you and your business.

Click here to read the full post.

]]>a-year-in-review-7-lessons-learned-as-a-new-entrepreneur-6d2a17ef7eff<![CDATA[A Year in Review: 7 Lessons Learned as a New Entrepreneur]]>2017-12-27T00:00:00.000Z2017-12-27T00:00:00.000ZBeing able to accept failure and learn from setbacks allows you to grow. If you are not growing in your business, you are standing still. And if you are not failing now and then, you probably are not…

title: 'A Year in Review: 7 Lessons Learned as a New Entrepreneur' description: >- Being able to accept failure and learn from setbacks allows you to grow. If you are not growing in your business, you are standing still. And if you are not failing now and then, you probably are not… cover: 1__DsPXfTo8Qy7ett1FvG3AMA.jpeg date: '2017-12-27' tags:

Solopreneurship

Photo by Kevin Bhagat on Unsplash

Looking back on the past year and reflecting on what went well, what could have gone better, and what you hope to change can have a powerful impact on your business (and life).

Being able to accept failure and learn from setbacks allows you to grow. If you are not growing in your business, you are standing still. And if you are not failing now and then, you probably are not learning much.

This post dives into seven lessons I have learned — or that have been reinforced to me — as an entrepreneur throughout the past year.

1. Let go of PERFECTION and take imperfect ACTION

If you wait for “perfect”, nothing will ever get done.

No one is perfect and no one has the perfect plan.

Get comfortable with imperfection and take ACTION despite any resistance you feel.

Lori Kennedy from the Wellness Business Hub encourages entrepreneurs to “commit to taking imperfect action and get really comfortable with something that is 70% perfect.”

This is the BIGGEST lesson I have recently learned and it is so valuable.

At the end of 2016, I set a goal to launch a specific online product. I spent the majority of 2017 chipping away at this project. I compiled info every week but always felt like the finished product was so far off. In the beginning of the year, I told myself to just get the content down and I would make it better later. I then spent months upon months going over it and trying to make it better.

Finally, in October, right before I went on maternity leave, I decided “good enough” is perfectly good! I took ACTION and launched the product.

I surpassed my initial revenue goal. I have some extra money in my PayPal account for Christmas shopping, which never would have been possible if I waited for “perfection”.

I became more confident in my work. I realized putting something out there and launching really isn’t so scary after all. I want to launch MORE!

Let go of perfection. Start taking imperfect action.

2. Get out of your comfort-zone more often

A comfort-zone is comfortable. You know what to expect. It is not scary.

Going out on a limb may be scary because you might fail. You may lose something. But, you might also gain something…

Every single one of us experiences fear at one point or another.

Whether it is fear of failure in your business or the fear of skydiving.

That feeling of fear is not what is actually holding you back though, it is what you do with that feeling.

“You can’t wait until the fear goes away before you take action that you’re actually afraid of; the only way it goes away is by taking the action.”

Maria Shriver

Learning to embrace fear and anxiety takes time and practice.

Choose to get out of your comfort-zone more often.

When someone says “no”, don’t take it personally. They are saying “no” to themselves, not you.

When an idea flops, learn from it. Let go of your attachment to a certain outcome and focus on the joy of what you do.

Being able to act on your fears and get outside of your comfort-zone allows you to feel empowered and gives you a sense of accomplishment. This is the space where BIG things happen and you become unstoppable!

3. Your dream business is YOUR dream business

We can look at other people who seem to have it all and easily wish we have what they have. But the comparison trap is a no win situation — whether you come out on top or come out lacking. It is a trap.

For example, let’s say there is an online entrepreneur you follow who seems to have it all… A booming six-figure business, perfect hair in every Facebook Live video that gets hundreds of views and comments, and pretty Instagram pictures of her traveling the world.

Maybe what you do not see is that she is working 60+ hours a week — something you do not want. Maybe she wakes up at 3am to do her hair and makeup for videos — something you just are not going to realistically sustain. Maybe she has to travel frequently as a part of her business — and perhaps your family life just does not allow for that.

Whatever the case may be, it is important to remember that another person’s success is THEIR success.

Your business is YOUR business — no one else’s. Do what makes you happy and what works for your life, your schedule, your family, etc.

4. Invest in YOURSELF

Whether it is continued education, a business coach, or a mastermind group, investing in yourself is one — if not THE — best thing you can do for your business.

While it may be difficult to part with your hard earned money, especially when you aren’t making a lot yet, investing in yourself is just that — an investment. And the return on that investment is worth it!

Surround yourself with like-minded individuals and, better yet, those who have gone before you and know MORE than you. This will propel your business forward.

5. Give away valuable content but don’t give your services or programs away for free

You have to give in order to receive.

Offering valuable, free content — or information — shows your knowledge and authority in your field. It allows a potential client to start trusting you.

You can offer free content in the form of blog posts, YouTube videos, posts on social media and in Facebook groups, podcasts, or even emails.

You can, and should, take this free content a step further and create something a little extra special that you send your readers in exchange for their email address.

This gives you the opportunity to start building relationships, gain even more trust, and eventually, sell them something!

You want offer something SUPER valuable to your potential clients. Some examples of this include your best practices, top tips and tricks, cheat sheets, worksheets, challenges, educational video series, etc.

The free offer is a piece of super valuable information but the paid content puts all the pieces together and offers a complete how-to roadmap. Your free stuff is a little glimpse into your paid programs, products, or services.

Do not give away your paid content for free — or even at a large discount.

People appreciate free but they do not value it as much as they would if they they had made an investment.

6. Manage your energy, not just your time.

Being in charge of your day is about so much more than managing your time. You have to manage your ENERGY and ATTENTION.

Understanding the times of day you work best and the times you may need a break will save you time and energy in the long run.

If you are most focused in the morning, do your most important work then. If you feel tired and overwhelmed after a busy few days, taking time to rest and reset will allow you to come back better. Trying to complete a project when you are unfocused is not the most productive use of your time. Chance are you will spend more time on it than necessary. You will not produce your best work. And you may even have to go back and re-do it anyway.

You can never get back wasted or unproductive time.

7. The money mindset

I’ve learned that many entrepreneurs, including myself, don’t actually think they can ever really “make it big”.

We have never experienced a six-figure launch or made a million dollars in our businesses, so we have no idea what those things would feel like.

It seems like only a small handful of entrepreneurs ever really figure it out. True financial freedom is more a dream than a realistic goal. We tell ourselves it is out of our reach. We tell ourselves it may be possible for others but is unattainable for us.

The things we tell ourselves matter.

“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.”

Henry Ford

When you look at others and feel threatened or play scared, you are unable to make big moves in your business.

Visualize yourself being extremely successful. It gives you something to work towards and allow you to recognize what you want when you see it.

Muhammad Ali saw himself winning long before the actual fight. And Michael Jordan always took the last shot in his mind before taking it in real life.

Focus your mindset on abundance, not scarcity, and you will see growth and success.

There is enough money and success to go around.

In conclusion

A huge part of every success story is failure. Get comfortable with taking imperfect action and embrace failure. Choose abundance and gratitude over scarcity and comparison. Visualize your perfect day and perfect business and make it work for you! Keep learning and keep growing, my friend. You deserve to be successful!

Sarah is a personal trainer, Fitness Director at a private club, mother, and writer behind The Fit Niche . She helps fitness and wellness entrepreneurs be awesome! She also runs a free Facebook Group called Fitness Biz + Blog Mastermind Community . You can find her on Facebook , Twitter , Pinterest and Instagram .

]]>how-to-completely-change-your-business-over-the-next-year-40699c750f77<![CDATA[How to Completely Change Your Business Over The Next Year]]>2017-12-18T00:00:00.000Z2017-12-18T00:00:00.000ZAs the year comes to a close, you may start to plan your New Year’s resolutions. This year, you may just be able to stick to them. While commitment to goals is easier said than done, it’s smart for…

title: "How to Completely Change Your Business Over The Next Year" description: >- As the year comes to a close, you may start to plan your New Year’s resolutions. This year, you may just be able to stick to them. While commitment to goals is easier said than done, it’s smart for… date: '2017-12-18' cover: 1__x4skhnr9KmObqhNKzfJ4PQ.jpeg tags:

Productivity
Business
New Year Resolution

As the year comes to a close, you may start to plan your New Year’s resolutions. This year, you may just be able to stick to them. While commitment to goals is easier said than done, it’s smart for businesses to take a look at their current standing and outline ways they can change.

If your business is struggling or in need of a major shift, it’s time to find out how you can completely transform your business over the coming year. By setting your goals now, you can enter the New Year in top form.

3 Signs Your Business Needs a Major Change

Change is scary, and in most cases we tend to avoid it until it’s absolutely needed. For a business, a radical change can be a huge cost in both time and money, so it’s hard to initiate something so drastic on a gut feeling.

Instead, look for signs that your company is in need of such a change, so you have the evidence needed to make it happen:

● Your growth is slowing, and it shows no signs of picking back up again.

● Competitors that used to pose zero threat are now ahead of you.

● Your customers aren’t as happy or satisfied as they used to be.

If you’re seeing these signs, you need to start asking yourself some crucial questions. Find out what is the main source of these issues, and how you can eliminate it. Seek out data and evidence to demonstrate this connection, and then act on it.

How to Initiate a Major Change in Your Business

Once you’ve identified the issues and come up with a game plan, it’s time to put your plan into motion. Follow these steps to ensure that you handle the transition properly:

● **Maintain Communication — **The worst thing you can do, is present this change to the rest of your company without clear and factual evidence to back everything up. If you push the change out without any clear insight into the motivation behind it, rumors will begin to fill the gaps and you’ll have a communication breakdown that could have been avoided.

● **Personalization is key — **For your employees and your customers, you should be focused on providing personalized information and instructions about the change. Focus on how it benefits them, and what they can expect from the changes. For employees, focus on what you need from them. For customers, present your new changes in a way that doesn’t come across as sales-y.

● **Dedicate the appropriate resources — **The biggest thing to remember, is that change cannot happen overnight. You’ll need to give this new change enough time and resources to truly succeed. This means that you’ll need to ensure you don’t rush the early stages. Plan consistently and accordingly for the best results.

With the proper planning and dedication of resources, changes can happen organically and smoothly in your business. Give yourself a realistic time frame to make sure everything goes smoothly.

How do you initiate change in your business? What advice would you offer for those looking to transform their business for the better? Let us know in the comments!

]]>you-are-valuable-learning-to-value-your-time-and-work-e4db45cff35c<![CDATA[You are Valuable! Learning to Value Your Time and Work]]>2017-12-11T00:00:00.000Z2017-12-11T00:00:00.000ZHow much is your time worth? Do you charge enough for your services? How much is “enough”, and how do you decide? It’s important to think about everything — tangible and intangible — that goes into…

title: "You are Valuable! Learning to Value Your Time and Work" description: >- How much is your time worth? Do you charge enough for your services? How much is “enough”, and how do you decide? It’s important to think about everything — tangible and intangible — that goes into… date: '2017-12-11' cover: 1__wK62atyGm3atC6EEjMyvxw.jpeg tags:

Freelance
Money
Small Business

Part 2 — Raise the Bar — Keep Your Prices Up!

How much is your time worth? Do you charge enough for your services? How much is “enough”, and how do you decide? It’s important to think about everything — tangible and intangible — that goes into your work. Not only the time you spend specifically with clients, but also time spent preparing to provide the service. In the second of these two-part articles, I’ll share some ideas for making sure that you aren’t undervaluing your time or effort. In Part One, I explored the often unaccounted-for time spent in a small business, and some pet peeves of mine regarding value.

In my last article, I outlined the many areas where we spend time for our businesses. These include scheduling and financial management, education and training, session preparation, driving, business planning, and marketing. And these are in addition to tangible expenses like taxes, insurance, office rental, supplies, equipment, internet, utilities, holiday cards, local business association dues, etc. So, given the tangibles, and intangibles, how can we possibly decide how to value our work and set a rate that reflects the value we provide to customers?

What Does Your Business Need?

The first thing you need to consider is what you need to earn to make your business viable. Obviously, since there are many expenses involved with running a business, you need to earn quite a bit over minimum wage to make it worthwhile. If you are self-employed, the taxes alone take about 1/3 of what you make. Then keep in mind annual business expenses (a lot of which can be at least partially written off, but should still be factored in).

What Are Your Personal Financial Needs?

Are you the sole breadwinner, or does someone else contribute to your family income? Do you live simply, or do you prefer a more upscale lifestyle? Are you a teenager living at home, or a single parent supporting a child? Figure out what your annual living expenses are so you know the minimum that you need to earn to meet your monthly expenses, and ideally also save for the unexpected ones.

Are You Experienced?

Are you just starting out, or have you had your business for a while? Obviously, the more experience you have, the higher your rates should be. Especially if you are good at what you do. If you have earned awards, fame or other recognition for your work, your rates should reflect that.

Competing Engagements?

This may not be super common, but as a private music instructor, and a performing musician, I‘m often offered live performance opportunities that conflicts with my teaching schedule. When that’s the case, I usually calculate how much income I’m giving up from teaching as compared to how much I’m receiving from the gig. I also factor in whether the gig will provide other less tangible factors like audience size, etc, and make the call based on whether the benefits (financial and other) make it a worthwhile trade-off.

What is the Actual Hourly Rate? Do the Math…

If I’m booked for a four-hour show, it’s not just four hours. There’s also at least an hour of set up and break-down time, and another hour of driving. So a four-hour gig becomes a six-hour gig. If they pay $200, that comes out to $33/hour. Not terrible, but not my regular rate. And if I’m playing that gig with another person? That drops my hourly wage to $16.50. And that’s before taxes. Ouch.

What Are the Variables/Hidden Costs?

We recently had a roof put on our house. My husband got bids from three or four companies, and ended up going with one that was more expensive than the others. Why? Because this company included work that the other companies didn’t. They appeared to be more thorough in their assessment, and we liked that we wouldn’t be hit with additional costs. When you are taking on clients or work, make sure that you factor in extra costs that may pop up.

Compare and Contrast

What are similar services going for in your area, or nearby towns? It’s good to have a ballpark idea so that your rates are not unreasonable. Compare what you are offering (including your experience, etc.) with others.

We Stay High, While Others Go Low

When it comes to building your business, it is almost never a good idea to have extremely low prices. Yes, you might get some clients, but you are lowering the bar, and showing that you don’t think your service is worth much.

I co-own a small farm with my husband. Years ago, we used to raise pastured chickens for eggs and meat. We brought the eggs to a local farmers market, and charged a fairly high price for them because of the time and money we put into raising them. There were often a couple of other farmers who raised a handful of chickens as a sideline, and would bring a few dozen eggs to the market to sell in addition to vegetables or other items. Inevitably, they priced their eggs considerably lower than ours. We certainly lost some immediate sales to those farms, but when customers would talk to us about our products, they learned why we charged so much, and we built long-standing relationships with customers who cared about the quality of our product and practices, and came back to us for bigger purchases year after year.

The same applies for the services provided by small businesses. Don’t be afraid to charge what you are worth. This is your business and your life, and if you are providing a good service at a well-reasoned price, and providing good value to your clients, they will pay for your services, recommend you to other people, and support you for the long term.

Val Blaha is a music instructor, multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter based in McMinnville, Oregon. She performs solo and with her duo Luminous Heart.

Val has been teaching since 2001, and loves helping people follow their dreams of learning to play an instrument.

Discover more about Val at valblaha.com.

]]>you-are-valuable-learning-to-value-your-time-and-work-38273463c727<![CDATA[You are Valuable! Learning to Value Your Time and Work]]>2017-12-04T00:00:00.000Z2017-12-04T00:00:00.000ZHow much is your time worth? Do you charge enough for your services? How much is “enough”, and how do you decide? It’s important to think about everything — tangible and intangible — that goes into…

Freelance
Productivity
Clients
Students
Small Business

Part 1 — Where Does the Time Go?

How much is your time worth? Do you charge enough for your services? How much is “enough”, and how do you decide? It’s important to think about everything — tangible and intangible — that goes into your work. Not only the time you spend specifically with clients, but also time spent preparing to provide your service… driving, planning, marketing, education, etc. In the first of these two-part articles, I’ll explore the often unaccounted-for time spent in a small business, and some pet peeves of mine regarding value. In Part 2 of this article, I’ll share some ideas for making sure that you aren’t undervaluing your time or effort.

How Much Time?

Do you ever calculate how much time goes in to what you do? I’m not talking about the 30–60 minutes you may spend with a client. I’m talking about all of the preparation (recent and distant) that goes into you being able to provide your service. Let’s explore some of these…

Education and training… Chances are you’ve spent some time (and money) learning how to do what you do. While the bulk of your education may have been completed some time ago, what about continuing education? Do you read articles or books, attend conferences, or otherwise spend time honing your skills? All of this adds up.

Session preparation… For some of my music students, I can just walk into a lesson and don’t need much prep. But for others, I spend time writing out assignments or transcriptions of songs, listening to music to come up with a lesson plan, etc. Admittedly, this is very enjoyable for me so it doesn’t feel like “work”, but it certainly is.

Driving… Unless you work out of your home, chances are you spend some time on the road to reach your office or wherever you meet up with clients. That 10 minutes to two hours (hopefully not more!) a day is time you aren’t doing other things, and should be considered as work time.

Business planning… Hopefully you spend some time each year setting short and long term goals, making plans, and analyzing how your business can improve. This may only be a couple hours a year, but could easily be quite a bit more.

Marketing… Do you attend small business meetings, conferences, or other local events to network? Do you keep your social media presence evergreen and vibrant? All of this takes time.

Scheduling and financial management… If you use applications like Fons, you are hopefully saving some time on this aspect of your business. But it still does take time to set up, and check in to make sure you are getting paid, and that you are hitting the financial goals for your business, etc.

Notice that with all of the above, it’s time spent… not necessarily actual dollars. In addition to the time we put in to our business, there are expenses such as taxes, insurance, office rental, supplies, equipment, internet, holiday cards, local business association dues, etc. Those add up as well, and should certainly be considered when setting your rates.

Value is Valuable

A personal pet peeve of mine is when a potential new client learns my rate, and then says “so and so’s rate is half of that”. Inevitably, the person who is charging so much less is either a teenager with very little experience (and minimal inputs or financial needs), or possibly a retiree with some time on their hands. They may do a great job, and could be a great fit for some clients, but what they do is different than what I do since this is my full time business.

I’ve learned over the years that my students value my services because I’m consistent, and responsive to their needs (and darn good at what I do!) My response is usually to invite the potential client to try a lesson with me at no charge (I offer this to every new student, but that’s a whole other article topic), and then let them make their decision. Nearly always, the client ends up choosing to work with me.

Working for Cheap Cheapens Everyone’s Work

Another pet peeve I have is about venues asking musicians to play for little to no income. Would you ask your dentist or plumber to do their work for free, or for the promise of “exposure”? Probably not.

Confession: when I started out performing several years back, I fell into this trap. I played some gigs for very little money, largely because I felt I needed the “practice” or because the venue was a small local business, and I felt bad asking them to pay for my services. Now that I’ve grown older and wiser, I know that “practice” should be saved for the practice room, or for your (very kind!) family or friends. And I know that music (especially good music) brings value to venues, and musicians deserve to be paid for their contribution.

So, given all of the tangible (financial) and intangible (time) expenses, how can you make sure you aren’t undervaluing your work?

Stay tuned for Part 2: Raise the Bar — Keep Your Prices Up!

Val has been teaching since 2001, and loves helping people follow their dreams of learning to play an instrument.

Discover more about Val at valblaha.com.

]]>congratulations-beth-peterson-ba5e0d71351e<![CDATA[Congratulations Beth Peterson!]]>2017-11-29T00:00:00.000Z2017-11-29T00:00:00.000ZWe’re starting a new thing this year! We love our Fons Family members so much, we want the world to know it! So starting this month and each month in 2018 we’re drawing a name from among our top Fons…

title: Congratulations Beth Peterson! description: >- We’re starting a new thing this year! We love our Fons Family members so much, we want the world to know it! So starting this month and each month in 2018 we’re drawing a name from among our top Fons… date: '2017-11-29' tags:

Tutoring
Solopreneurship
Academic Coach

Our Fons Family Member of the Month for January 2018!

We’re starting a new thing this year! We love our Fons Family members so much, we want the world to know it! So starting this month and each month in 2018 we’re drawing a name from among our top Fons users for a basket of business goodies!

Academic Coach, Beth Peterson is this month’s featured Fons Family member!

Beth Peterson received…

an Amazon Echo! (valued at $99)
a 50-min session with Emily Ann Peterson, our in-house creative marketing consultant (valued at $300)
a month of social media love & promotion from the Fons Facebook & Twitter accounts (seen by thousands!)
an article featuring the winner & their business in the Fons Amplify publication (seen by thousands!)

Keep your eyes peeled for more about Beth’s amazing tutoring business in the coming weeks!

Want to become a featured Fons Family member?

Easy! Ensure your business has at least 2 paying clients scheduled with your Fons account — we’ll take care of the rest!

If you don’t have a Fons account yet, get started here.

]]>5-tips-to-establish-a-healthy-balance-between-your-work-and-your-life-d5ff95e6f48b<![CDATA[5 Tips to Establish a Healthy Balance Between your Work and your Life]]>2017-11-27T00:00:00.000Z2017-11-27T00:00:00.000ZWhen you start pursuing your career, you may find yourself in a situation where you work all of the time to accomplish your goals, but there are still not enough hours in the day. This is especially…

title: "5 Tips to Establish a Healthy Balance Between your Work and your Life" description: >- When you start pursuing your career, you may find yourself in a situation where you work all of the time to accomplish your goals, but there are still not enough hours in the day. This is especially… cover: 1__ubwDlIoTX__u9MNIto4BY5A.jpeg date: '2017-11-27' tags:

Small Business

When you start pursuing your career, you may find yourself in a situation where you work all of the time to accomplish your goals, but there are still not enough hours in the day.

This is especially true if you work from home. When you reach this point in your career, it’s imperative for your long-term success that you find a balance between your work and your life.

If you don’t establish a balance early on, you could find yourself quickly approaching burnout. It’s a real condition, and it’s something you’ll want to avoid at all costs.

Let’s look at five tips you can implement to keep yourself mentally and physically healthy by achieving a balance between your work and your life:

1. Stop Chasing Perfection

It’s always tempting to push yourself as far as you can, and chase that perfect work day. But in doing so, you can easily tip your balance and end up killing yourself early in the week. You can counter this temptation by setting more realistic goals for yourself. Understand that every work day can’t be perfect.

So, pick and choose your battles wisely each day for the best outcome, and remember that you can’t do everything.

2. Establish Strong Boundaries

Perhaps the most important takeaway here is to establish physical and tangible boundaries between your work and your life. For example, if you work from home, you should have an office that you can come to and leave when your day is done.

Furthermore, setting a solid schedule for yourself that you stick to can make it a lot easier to come and go. Depending on the nature of your work, you may need to stretch your hours, but having a somewhat defined structure also provides crucial boundaries.

3. Set Priorities During Your Work Hours

Time will escape your grasp if you’re not careful. To ensure every minute counts during your work day, be sure to set priorities before you start. Whether it’s a mental checklist, or a physical one that you check off yourself, this can help you see what it most important to focus on.

Setting priorities can also help you to disconnect and return to your normal life after the work day is finished, and your checklist is complete.

4. Pace Yourself

Sometimes it’s important to work hard and fast, but other times it’s equally important to conserve your energy. As you work, keep in mind how much energy you’re expending. You need energy to relax outside of work just as much as you need energy to complete your tasks.

It’s a careful balance, but one that you should keep in mind throughout your working weeks.

5. Start Small and Build Up

As you begin seeking a balance between your work and your life, start small and build up from there. Rome wasn’t build in a day, as the saying goes. You need to start with small and manageable goals that you can grow from.

If you do go cold turkey and are too regimented as you start to set boundaries, you could fail before you start.

Final Thoughts

Finding a balance between work and life isn’t easy, but it is crucial to your long term success. Using these tips, you can start to define the boundaries between your work and your life while also establishing smart goals for yourself into the future.

How do you strike that balance between work and life? Let us know in the comments below!

]]>how-to-raise-your-rates-and-keep-your-clients-d3f21ecbfe87<![CDATA[How to Raise Your Rates and Keep Your Clients]]>2017-11-21T00:00:00.000Z2017-11-21T00:00:00.000ZHave you been charging the same price for your services for a long time? If so, it may be time to consider increasing your rates. In this article I’ll discuss how to decide if the time is right…

title: "How to Raise Your Rates and Keep Your Clients" description: >- Have you been charging the same price for your services for a long time? If so, it may be time to consider increasing your rates. In this article I’ll discuss how to decide if the time is right… date: '2017-11-21' cover: 1__C9DFLQQtz2ABpdyKFi8c__Q.jpeg tags:

Business
Money
Clients
Students
Small Business
Payments

The Delicate Art of Raising Your Rates

Have you been charging the same price for your services for a long time? If so, it may be time to consider increasing your rates. In this article I’ll discuss how to decide if the time is right, address fears about losing clients, and share some strategies for raising your rates gently.

Is It Time?

How do you know if it’s time for a rate increase? If it’s been more than a couple of years, and if your schedule is full, now could be a good time to consider it, or make a plan for several months to a year out. Increasing your rate helps you can stay competitive in the marketplace, and to get the most out of your time, plus of course it helps your bottom line.

I raise my rates every three to five years. Timing is important. If the economy is in the middle of a deep recession, it may not be a good time. Or, if there is an economic downturn going on, but you haven’t raised your rates in five years, consider a small increase. Which brings me to…

How Much?

A small increase is OK, particularly if the overall financial climate is less than optimal. And small increases add up.

If you have weekly clients, a $1/increase per session, is $40/ year (based on 10 months), or $1200/year for 30 clients. Double that if you increase by $2/session ($2400), and double again if you increase $4/session ($4800).

But again, keep in mind how long it’s been since you last increased rates, and also what the monthly increase is for your clients. An increase of $4 a month is barely noticeable for most clients (it’s barely one cup of coffee!), so it may pay to raise it a bit more than that, so that it makes a bigger difference to your bottom line.

Who?

Start with new clients. It’s always easiest to introduce a new rate to new clients. I have often done this about one or two months before a rate increase for current clients goes into effect.

How?

When raising rates for current clients, make sure to give them ample notice — both written and verbal is good.

I usually write a letter with updates about my studio, and explain that the raise is coming (I include a specific date). Do this one or two months ahead of the actual raise, especially if it’s a sizable jump.

Also, let your clients know how long it’s been since your last rise in rates (particularly if it has been several years), and that this small amount for each client adds up to make a difference for you, by helping keep your business strong, and your rates competitive.

But — my longer-term/consistent clients!

It’s OK to “grandfather in” the old rate for some of your long-term clients. In the rate increase letter, I always let my clients know that they are important to me, and that I don’t want to lose them because of a rate increase.

I invite them to talk with me if the increase is a hardship. I usually have a couple of clients who do this, and I gladly offer to keep them at the current rate. Usually after a few months, they voluntarily offer to go to the increased rate.

When I raise rates, I sometimes offer discounts for families with multiple clients (usually siblings or a parent/child). In these cases, I offer to keep them at the old rate for a specific period of time — maybe six months — and offer to revisit the increase then.

Gratitude helps!

Again, when raising rates for current clients, let them know that you appreciate their business and don’t want to lose it! Thank them for choosing you and your services. This can also be a good time to check in and ask for feedback… is there anything you aren’t doing that they would like you to be doing? For my students, this might be additional musical repertoire, etc.

Will you lose clients?

It’s possible, although personally, in 15+ years of doing this, I don’t believe I’ve ever lost a client when I’ve raised my rates, except maybe one or two (out of several hundred) who were considering leaving my studio already.

People expect prices to go up. Of course, although they wish they wouldn’t, it’s a basic economic fact of life. If you’ve done the groundwork of providing an excellent service with a great attitude, and then institute your rate change gently, your clients will most likely remain loyal and stay with you.

Val has been teaching since 2001, and loves helping people follow their dreams of learning to play an instrument.

Discover more about Val at valblaha.com.

]]>how-to-properly-manage-stress-during-your-most-chaotic-work-days-3a87f7c04f25<![CDATA[How to Properly Manage Stress During Your Most Chaotic Work Days]]>2017-11-12T00:00:00.000Z2017-11-12T00:00:00.000ZStress is a part of your life, whether you like it or not. If you aren’t careful about how you manage it, stress can cause serious health issues down the road. That’s why it’s important to identify…

title: "How to Properly Manage Stress During Your Most Chaotic Work Days" description: >- Stress is a part of your life, whether you like it or not. If you aren’t careful about how you manage it, stress can cause serious health issues down the road. That’s why it’s important to identify… date: '2017-11-12' cover: 1__XWCrOtVijQ8gqcEWKuWMBA.jpeg tags:

Health
Careers
Productivity

Stress is a part of your life, whether you like it or not. If you aren’t careful about how you manage it, stress can cause serious health issues down the road. That’s why it’s important to identify and counter any known sources of stress in your daily life, especially in your career.

Join us as we look at some common sources of tension in the workplace, followed by five ways you can start taking back control of your day instead of surrendering to the chaos.

Identity Your Sources of Stress

The first step is to identify what is causing you mental anguish each day. Consider some of these common sources of workplace stress:

● Demanding clients

● Conflicts with coworkers or clients

● Workload size

● Fear of losing your business

● Lack of communication

You may be shaking your head right now because you experience one or perhaps all of these things on a daily basis. While you can’t change everything overnight, identifying stress sources can help you to better understand that you’re not crazy, and there’s a reason behind your constant stress.

Once you identified the cause, it’s time to start taking steps to control it. How you react is a huge part of the battle.

1. Monitor your stressors

Our first step is to keep an eye on your stressors. When you know what causes the issue, you should keep a closer eye on that stressor so you can be prepared when it rears its ugly head. You won’t be able to control certain stressors, but knowing what they are can help you to prepare and better handle them when they do arise.

2. Take time to relax and recharge

If you’re anything like me, you hate leaving work unfinished. You have to stop and remind yourself that you’re only human sometimes. You need to save time for yourself, to rest and recharge. If you push yourself to the point of burning out, you’re no use to anyone.

3. Set solid boundaries

In order to facilitate step two, you need to set strong boundaries between work and life. That means a schedule that you stick to, but also physical boundaries. For example, if you work from home, make sure you have an office where you can come and go when the work day is done.

4. Schedule breaks throughout your day

While it may seem tempting to work through the day to accomplish as much as possible, that’s an easy way to burn yourself out. I like to use the Pomodoro method, which you can easily track with a free online tool called the Tomato Timer.

Scheduling short breaks throughout your day with this method will keep you refreshed throughout the day so you can make greater progress overall.

5. Breathing exercises and pressure points

Finally, you can use some basic exercises to keep your stress down when it starts to get out of hand. For example, one acupressure exercise involves pressing down with your thumb between the two tendons just below your wrist and massaging the point on each arm.

Furthermore, a breathing exercise can help you relax. You’ll need to exhale forcefully through your mouth until your lungs are empty. Lean forward and tighten your abdominal muscles as you do this.

When your lungs are completely empty, inhale through your nose until your lungs about about half full. Then exhale again through your mouth. Do several rounds of this and build up the amount you can do to control your stress levels.

Final Thoughts

Controlling your stress is a massively important skill to learn. With these tips, you can identify where your stress is coming from, and how to manage it. How do you keep your stress levels under control? Let us know in the comments!

]]>5-ways-to-show-your-clients-you-care-about-more-than-just-their-money-9be1b81c2893<![CDATA[5 Ways to Show Your Clients You Care About More Than Just Their Money]]>2017-11-06T00:00:00.000Z2017-11-06T00:00:00.000ZWorking with clients is a great way to build long-lasting business relationships, but it’s also more complex than simply working with a multitude of customers where you don’t need to establish that…

title: "5 Ways to Show Your Clients You Care About More Than Just Their Money" description: >- Working with clients is a great way to build long-lasting business relationships, but it’s also more complex than simply working with a multitude of customers where you don’t need to establish that… cover: 1__Gkidf9__rMcug__jdaPKleHw.jpeg date: '2017-11-06' tags:

Small Business
Payments

Working with clients is a great way to build long-lasting business relationships, but it’s also more complex than simply working with a multitude of customers where you don’t need to establish that rapport.

With clients, the experience is paramount. Your attentiveness should be a top priority. Your results must surpass your clients’ expectations every time if you want them to work with you in the long-term.

Delivering great results is only the start of a fruitful relationship with your clients. You also need to stand out from other providers by giving them a personalized experience that engenders long-lasting loyalty and continued business.

Here are five simple ways you can show your clients you care about more than just their business. These tips will help you provide a memorable experience that keeps them coming back time and time again:

1. Remember Your Clients’ Names and Preferences

Personalization may sound like a tall order, but it’s actually very simple. If you monitor the correct information, you can easily make your clients feel special by making them feel like they have your undivided attention.

It all starts with their name. When you address them via email or any form of correspondence, always address them by their first name. Beyond this, try to keep a spreadsheet or notes about their preferences.

Here are some preferences to consider jotting down:

● Their last purchase or project you worked with them on

● Their exact specifications or preferred options when working with you

● Their personal story

● Major milestones from your time working together (yearly anniversaries, holidays, etc.)

2. Support Any Businesses They Have

Let’s say your clients are fellow small business owners. You may work together or offer your client advice on running their business. So long as it doesn’t interfere with your own work, why not send some talented people or customers their way?

You don’t want to create competition for yourself, but if you refer talent and customers to your client’s businesses, it shows that you care about more than just your pay check. You want their business to thrive as well.

3. Ask for Their Honest Feedback

It’s always important to keep growing in both your skills and your results. No one is perfect, so ask your clients to provide feedback. For example, every six months you could ask them to take a quick survey and provide feedback on how you can improve your work with them.

You don’t want to overwhelm them with solicitations for feedback, but it doesn’t hurt to check in with them every now and then to see how you’re doing in their eyes, and how you can do better.

4. Stay Positive and Tell Jokes

Professionalism is incredibly important, but if you’re always serious, you may come across as too stoic. Remember, you’re working with people just like yourself. Keep things light, even when deadlines are tight and tensions are high.

Crack a tasteful joke every now and then. Always stay positive in your outlook and in your conversations with them. Bringing down the mood doesn’t really help anyone.

5. Own up to Your Mistakes, Apologize, and Fix Them

This one requires you to swallow your pride, which is difficult for some of us, myself included. When you make a mistake with your clients or you mess something up, it’s incredibly important to own up to it and apologize.

If you can’t acknowledge your mistakes, than you can’t improve. It also shows humility, which is something many professionals lack.

Final Thoughts

Clients are concentrated customers that are crucial to your business. You need to go the extra mile to show them you care about them. These tips are easy to implement into your practices, and will go a long way towards making you stand out in their eyes.

How do you show your clients you care about them? Let us know in the comments below!

]]>how-to-market-your-business-on-facebook-without-coming-across-sales-y-243e522ebfd7<![CDATA[How to Market Your Business on Facebook Without Coming Across Sales-y]]>2017-10-30T00:00:00.000Z2017-10-30T00:00:00.000ZFacebook is a great place to connect with your ideal clients. And being a small company or single person can actually give you an advantage. Here are five ways to market your business on Facebook…

title: "How to Market Your Business on Facebook Without Coming Across Sales-y" description: >- Facebook is a great place to connect with your ideal clients. And being a small company or single person can actually give you an advantage. Here are five ways to market your business on Facebook… date: '2017-10-30' cover: 0__Olg6g6A9AceeMY__8.jpeg tags:

Social Media
Clients
Students
Tools
Small Business

Source: pixabay.com

If you are a small business or solo-entrepreneur, I guess you don’t have a marketing manager, sales team, or large budget to promote your work. This article covers five ways to market your business on Facebook without coming across sales-y and without spending any money!

Facebook is a great place to connect with your ideal clients. And being a small company or single person can actually give you an advantage.

As Jon Goodman says in his book, Viralnomics: How to Get People to Want to Talk About You:

“Big companies come of sales-y, but people trust people. People choose what they see in their feed. People fill their feed with friends and family members — be someone they want in their feed and someone they trust.

Feeds are like reverse search engines — showing people what they want to see before they think of it.

But, unlike search engines, people who click your blog post or website because it showed up in their feed, already know you and trust you. When someone searches blindly for something via a search engine and is taken to your site, you have to gain their trust. More times than not, they are looking for something, they either get it or they don’t, and then leave your site. That is of no benefit to you.”

Here are five ways to market your business on Facebook while remaining true to yourself and your business (and without spending a cent!):

1. Share value on your personal page and become known as the “expert” among your friends

Share tips and glimpses into your business now and then on your personal Facebook page. People have to know and trust that you actually know what you are talking about before they can even consider working with you.

Take this a step further by commenting, liking, and connecting with your friends so you stay in their news feed. Social media is about being social after all!

When the time comes that they have a question or are in need of further support (or have a friend or family member in need of your expertise), you will be the first person they think of.

This approach takes time, but once you start getting a few clients and they start sharing their experiences with their friends and family, it can really snowball into a valuable potential client list!

2. Join relevant and local FB groups and/or start your own Facebook group

I run two Facebook groups and one of my BIGGEST pet peeves is when people only comment to promote their own business. And it happens quite a bit. Usually when entrepreneurs do this, they also post the exact same post in various other Facebook groups. Please don’t do this.

Join Facebook groups that are relevant to your business and where your ideal clients hang out. Use the group to make connections, learn from others, and help and support fellow members.

If you have a really valuable tip that would benefit the group, share it. Become a name that people see in the group frequently and appreciate the value you add… for free.

To learn more about finding relevant groups to join and connect with your ideal clients, you may find this post helpful: How to find and connect with your ideal clients with Facebook Groups.

Take this a step further and start your own group!

So many entrepreneurs have or have recently launched a free Facebook group to connect with potential clients.

Starting your own group allows you to provide value to your ideal clients, establish yourself as an authority in your field, stay in front of potential client’s mind, and strategically promote your programs or services.

Learn more about how to start a successful Facebook group here.

Here are three possible free Facebook Groups you could create:

1 — Start a general fitness group for your local community targeting a specific population or goal. For example, I run a local fit moms Facebook group.

2 — Create a Facebook community that coincides with your blog or business (just don’t promote your business or blog posts all the time — that gets annoying).

3 — Create a private Facebook group that coincides with a free challenge and use it to support one another and add extra value to the challenge. You can then turn this into your community that has a theme related to your business.

If you already have a group or are looking for engaging content for your FB page, be sure to grab the freebie → 30 Facebook Post Topics Ideas for Health, Fitness, and Wellness Entrepreneurs

3. Create a Facebook business page

While Facebook is giving priority to video, Facebook groups and paid ads, having a business page is a MUST.

For one, it is a place for people to look you up and learn more about you. These days, people look online — especially social media — to find businesses to buy from. If you are active and responsive, people are much more likely to do business with you than a company with no Facebook presence or a poorly run page.

Your business page is a great space to share tips, more about your business, and occasionally promote your services — without bombarding your personal page.

Secondly, you need a business page to run Facebook ads.

Thirdly, a Facebook page allows you to gather leads and send people to your website through posts and the customizable button at the top of the page.

Finally, creating videos — and then posting those videos in your Facebook Group or on your blog — will boost engagement on your page and allow your potential clients to get to know you better.

Here are 8 steps to starting a Facebook page for your blog or business.

4. Do LIVE videos on your FB business page

As much as many of us may hate the thought of being on camera, Facebook is giving priority to video — and especially Live videos.

Video is central to Facebook’s vision for the future of the platform. In 2014, CEO Mark Zuckerberg was quoted as saying: “In five years most of Facebook will be video.”

And, if you do run Facebook ads, video will result in more engagement and lower costs.

A few ways you can use Facebook Live in your business:

Discuss a topic your audience is interested or a recent blog post you wrote.
Give a behind- the-scenes look into your business or life. This is a great way to really make a connection with your audience.
Announce and promote an upcoming event or program. Before you go live, let fans know you have a special announcement to make. Then, share specific details about your event on the Live video.
Give a sneak peak into a product or service you offer.
Do a Q&A. Gather a few questions before hand and answer them all in the video. Open the Live video up for questions from viewers at the end.

Before you plan to go Live, be sure to post on your page (or group) letting people know so they can tune in.

5. Run a free challenge or give something away for free in exchange for an email address

Running a free challenge or offering a free product or service does two things: it shows potential clients you can alleviate some struggle they have and it gives you the opportunity to collect their email addresses to eventually sell them something.

You can offer a free challenge within your Facebook group or just right on you personal or business page, prompting people to sign up on a Google form.

By over delivering and building relationships with challenge participants, you leave them asking: “what’s next?”

Even if they do not buy from you after the challenge, you have the opportunity to continue to build trust and stay in the front of their minds by sending occasional, beneficial-to-them emails.

In conclusion

As more people turn to their mobile devices to discover new things, small businesses need a strong online strategy. Facebook is the mobile solution for 65 million businesses pages. And the best thing is there are plenty of ways to market your business without spending a ton of money on advertising.

If you are just starting out, creating a Facebook page is a great first step. You can then become more active in groups, create your own group, make time to interact with others, do videos, and create amazing content to WOW your potential clients.

Big things have small beginnings.

Sarah is a personal trainer, Fitness Director at a private club, mother, and writer behind The Fit Niche . She helps fitness and wellness entrepreneurs work smarter (not longer!) and grow their businesses — without breaking the bank! She also runs a free Facebook Group called Fitness Biz + Blog Mastermind Community . You can find her on Facebook , Twitter , Pinterest and Instagram .

]]>the-secret-to-building-the-right-team-for-your-business-3264591b60aa<![CDATA[The Secret To Building The Right Team For Your Business]]>2017-10-24T00:00:00.000Z2017-10-24T00:00:00.000ZI am in awe of single-person-run businesses. Sara Blakely, the entrepreneur and former-CEO of Spanx, comes immediately to mind. Have you listened to the first episode of “How I Built This”? It is…

title: "The Secret To Building The Right Team For Your Business" description: >- I am in awe of single-person-run businesses. Sara Blakely, the entrepreneur and former-CEO of Spanx, comes immediately to mind. Have you listened to the first episode of “How I Built This”? It is… date: '2017-10-24' cover: 1__JeYSmoHYja8O63__5drAE2Q.jpeg tags:

Solopreneurship
Career Advice
Small Business
Business

I am in awe of single-person-run businesses. Sara Blakely, the entrepreneur and former-CEO of Spanx, comes immediately to mind. Have you listened to the first episode of “ How I Built This”? It is riveting to listen to Sara talk about building her business from the ground up; bumping into trees and knocking them down. She built an empire on a product line that empowers women around the globe, and she did it virtually by herself. Some of us, however, need a little more help.

When I moved to Seattle to begin my career as an independent musician, I had very little help. I moved to Washington on a whim, leaving the majority of my industry connections in Miami, Florida; at least, the ones who didn’t move immediately to New York City or Los Angeles. Using my scantly-prepared business skills acquired from precisely one “music business” course at University of Miami, I set out to pave my career path. I bumped into many trees and rarely knocked them down.

Think Small

The key ingredient to building a successful team is to keep the ingredients to a minimum. It’s tempting to chase after the thought leaders of your industry who receive the most press and seem to have *it* figured out. As you have likely experienced, they are either a) prohibitively expensive or b) not available to you. I, instead, rely on the advice my high school choral director gave me upon auditioning for college music programs: “ Go with the one that wants you the most”.

I would add to that sage advice: only enter into clearly symbiotic and well-communicated agreements, at least in the beginning. Call it a handshake deal. As you are seeking a product fit, it will hinder your business to sign away equity or assets before you have comprehensively researched the needs of your audience.

Tattoo it on your forehead: Never sign a contract without discussing specific deliverables from a key partner.

If you can do it yourself, do it yourself

Take another look at Sara Blakely’s story — she understood the needs of her consumer before even creating her product, and she didn’t find a product fit immediately; she amended her garments based on critical feedback and resisted outsourcing creative control. She is currently worth $1.1 billion.

Over the years, I have had the extreme fortune of surrounding myself with kind, educated, free-thinking partners, and together, we have grown a business of which we’re exceptionally proud. We started small and, through trial-and-error, we’ve kept it small with few exceptions over the years.

We made the initial error of hiring out positions to those rank-and-file industry players who promised big and delivered little. Fortunately, we followed our own advice and were able to terminate toxic business relationships before we became embroiled in contracts and financial obligations. We follow the litmus test that if it feels like we are handling our business internally, we have the right team. If we’re scratching our heads wondering what they do (especially if they are being paid), we have to take an honest look at why we have hired them.

Sustainable growth is often incremental. Don’t expect to deliver the next Spanx to the marketplace, but do follow Sara Blakely’s model of doing everything in your power to do everything in your power YOURSELF.

]]>how-to-balance-your-business-time-and-keep-learning-30a4ca1240d7<![CDATA[How To Balance Your Business Time AND Keep Learning]]>2017-10-12T00:00:00.000Z2017-10-12T00:00:00.000ZAs an entrepreneur, you may feel overwhelmed and overstretched when it comes to running your business. The demands of work and home life can mean you take less (or no) time off and end up working…

title: "How To Balance Your Business Time AND Keep Learning" description: >- As an entrepreneur, you may feel overwhelmed and overstretched when it comes to running your business. The demands of work and home life can mean you take less (or no) time off and end up working… date: '2017-10-12' cover: 1__Yn9PI5kPJBGr44XEnd__IqQ.jpeg tags:

Solopreneurship
Business
Productivity
Career Advice
Tools

Photo credit: Ivory Mix

This post dives into ways to balance your own needs as a business owner with your business’ needs.

As an entrepreneur, you may feel overwhelmed and overstretched when it comes to running your business. The demands of work and home life can mean you take less (or no) time off and end up working long hours.

There is an interesting article in the Harvard Business Review that talks about the devastating impact chronic overwork has on your productivity, health, happiness, and business’ bottom line. When you are chronically exhausted and stressed, you make poor judgment calls, make more mistakes, and lose sight of the bigger picture.

So, how can you set up your day, life, and business to take time off from work (for vacation, sleep, continued education, and so on) without feeling like you are falling behind?

How do you keep learning and growing in your business, when there are already not enough hours in the day?

Manage your energy and attention

Being productive is NOT just about managing your time and getting as much done in that time as you can. You have to manage your energy and attention.

By eliminating distractions and focusing on your most important or creative tasks in the morning, you are able to give the BIG things in your business the energy and attention they deserve.

Distractions are costly.

A temporary shift in attention from one task to another, such as checking an email or taking a phone call, can increase the amount of time necessary to finish a task by as much as 25%.

It’s far more efficient to “batch” your work and fully focus on ONE thing at a time, take a true break, and then fully focus on the next task.

Focusing on one project or assignment at a time makes it simpler for your brain to process information and solve problems, instead of constantly jumping between unrelated tasks.

People have various rituals and hacks to be more productive: they turn their phone off, meditate, take deep breaths, plan their day or week in advance, etc.

The key is to know where you are spending your energy and attention, the times of day you need a break, and what will distract and derail you — and plan to eliminate those distractions the best way you can!

Once you understand this, you will become more productive, feel less stressed and more balanced, and (finally) happier!

Continued education is non-negotiable

As a business owner, you are well aware that there is always something you can improve on, a new skill to be learned, or more knowledge to be gained. However, your business already keeps you pretty busy, where do you find the time?

Ask yourself: “What can I do to make continued education NON-NEGOTIABLE?”

We all have the same number of hours in the day.

How is it that some people have time to go to the gym in the morning, meditate in the afternoon, and learn something new every day?

They make these things a habit and a non-negotiable part of their day.

As a personal trainer, I meet individuals all the time who say they “just don’t have the time to work out.” Then, a heart attack or medical issue arises and they somehow find the time to get healthier.

If it is important to you, you will find the time.

Find the time to keep learning.

Make continued education non-negotiable.

Entrepreneur and best-selling author Tony Robbins says: “If you improve yourself, your skill, your ability, your talent, you’re going to be able to do things nobody else can do.”

Ways to keep learning and invest in yourself:

**Attend conferences **— While these can often be pricey, the knowledge you gain and connections you make will help boost your bottom line.
Invest in a business coach — Almost every successful online entrepreneur I have come across has invested in a coach or coaching program at one point in their career.
Join a mastermind — Being an entrepreneur can be lonely. You have a great idea but no one to bounce it around with or to hold you accountable. Or you keep recycling the same ideas over and over. You fail and take all the blame and responsibility. You succeed and celebrate quietly. Joining a group of like-minded individuals will push you to learn and grow as a business owner.
Listen to podcasts and read books — There are so many good ones out there! And podcasts are free.
Take online courses — If you don’t have the money to invest in a course, look for free ones, for fresh ideas and ways to think outside of the box.
Get active — Some of the best investments in yourself have little to do with work itself. A study in 2013 by Stanford University’s Department of Psychology found that physical activity improves brain power.

Below are a few powerful quotes to encourage you to keep going, keep learning, and keep doing better!

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” — Thomas Edison

“Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.” — Jim Rohn

“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” — Bill Gates

“An entrepreneur is someone who jumps off a cliff and builds a plane on the way down.” — Reid Hoffman

“If you’re not making mistakes, you are not making decisions.” — Catherine Cook

Sarah is a personal trainer, Fitness Director at a private club, mother, and writer behind The Fit Niche. She helps fitness and wellness entrepreneurs work smarter (not longer!) and grow their businesses — without breaking the bank! She also runs a free Facebook Group called Fitness Biz + Blog Mastermind Community. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

]]>15-yoga-poses-to-make-your-day-and-career-more-sustainable-9706a0354d66<![CDATA[15 Yoga Poses to Make Your Day and Career More Sustainable]]>2017-10-04T00:00:00.000Z2017-10-04T00:00:00.000ZWorking all day can really wear you out, while sitting or standing for too long can leave your muscles and joints cranky. Check out this list of easy yoga poses you can do at work to reinvigorate…

title: 15 Yoga Poses to Make Your Day and Career More Sustainable description: >- Working all day can really wear you out, while sitting or standing for too long can leave your muscles and joints cranky. Check out this list of easy yoga poses you can do at work to reinvigorate… cover: 1__uVcbfgPIsdWq48kGQhE__tQ.jpeg date: '2017-10-04' tags:

Health
Personal Development
Personal Training
Yoga

Working all day can really wear you out, while sitting or standing for too long can leave your muscles and joints cranky. Check out this list of easy yoga poses you can do at work to reinvigorate your day, inspire creativity, and say “thank you” to your body.

Mountain Pose (Tadasana)

Mountain Pose is the most basic yoga pose. Stand straight with your shoulders back. Really take the time to align your spine and breathe deep. This pose straightens and stretches your back, the perfect way to refresh your posture after a day of work.

Tree Pose (Vrksasana)

Tree pose is a quick pose that can be done anywhere. Stand tall, press the bottom of your foot against the inside of your opposite ankle or thigh, and try to balance. Because balancing poses require patience and concentration, they can be a great way to regain lost focus.

Child’s Pose (Balasana)

Child’s Pose is a yoga classic for good reason. It can help you stretch your neck, shoulders, and lower back, all areas that take a beating during the work day. Sit on your knees on the floor then lower your chest and arms to the ground and reach forward while you pull your hips backwards.

Cow Pose (Bitilasana)

Cow Pose is a simple way to warm up the spine, so if you’ve been sitting at your desk, it’s time for a break. Get into the tabletop position on the floor on your hands and knees. Inhale as your arch your back, then relax. For a flow sequence, you can pair this pose with Cat Pose. This is also a great option to try seated at your desk.

Reclining Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana)

According to Hindu thought, emotions are held in the hips, which can lead to blockages in creativity. Try this to open up your thighs and hips. Simply recline on your back and bring the soles of your feet together. Bring them closer to your body to increase the intensity. If you’re tight, you might need a block to prop up your legs. Use a box of tissues or a book in place of a block if you’re at work.

Crescent Moon Pose (Urdhva Hastasana)

Crescent Moon can be done seated or standing so it’s a great option for the classroom, office, or even sitting in traffic. First assume Mountain Pose, then lace your fingers together over your head. Lean your body in one direction to the side, stretching your entire side body.

Cow Face Arms (Gomukhasana)

If you’ve been sitting at a desk all day and can feel your shoulders and neck getting tight, take a timeout for Cow Face Arms. Reach one arm over your shoulder towards your back and grab onto your hand with your other. This helps you take deep breaths and stretch your shoulders, hips, and thighs.

Thread the Needle (Parsva Balasana)

Start in tabletop pose and reach one arm towards the sky. Then lace this arm underneath your other and rest on your shoulder. Thread the Needle releases pressure from the neck and helps to broaden your back.

Rag Doll (Uttanasana)

Rag Doll is a fan favorite when you need a moment of relaxation. Bend your knees slightly to accommodate any stiffness and lean forward. Let your upper body sway back and forth for an extra stretch.

Two Knee Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)

www.yogaoutlet.com

Two Knee Twist is a spinal twist pose which can help to improve digestions, release toxins, and keep your back flexible. Lie firmly on your back and bend both of your knees in a 90 degree angle. Now slowly lower your knees to one side while keeping your shoulders firmly rooted into the ground.

Extended Triangle (Utthita Trikonasana)

Stand with your legs apart and one foot facing forward while the front foot is turned to the right. Stretch your torso forward then touch one hand down behind your leg while the other reaches upwards. This pose helps to strengthen your hips, legs, and thighs.

Puppy Pose (Uttana Shishosana)

Puppy Pose, as the name implies, is a milder version of Downward Dog. From the tabletop position you can stretch your hips upward while you lower your chest to the ground, helping to slow down your mind while giving your spine and shoulders a much needed stretch.

Legs Up the Wall (Viparita Karani)

If you’ve been on your feet all day, this is your pose. Give your legs a break by resting them straight up the wall. You can even put a pillow under your hips for added relief. Really savor the way this pose relaxes your nervous system.

Half Lord of the Fishes (Ardha Matsyendrasana)

Also known as Seated Twist, this is a great pose to do at your desk. Just bend your right knee and place your foot on the other side of your left leg. Now twist towards the right to cleanse your body and squeeze out tension. Don’t forget the other side!

Corpse Pose (Savasana)

Every yoga practice should end with Corpse Pose. Just lay comfortably on your back and allow your mind to become still. Don’t be afraid to use props like pillows! This is the perfect way to end your day.

]]>how-do-i-keep-my-bookkeeping-straight-e81794c8cec0<![CDATA[How Do I Keep My Bookkeeping Straight?]]>2017-10-02T00:00:00.000Z2017-10-02T00:00:00.000ZThere is a dark cloud that hangs over the heads of small business owners that takes form in boxes of receipts, lengthy email chains, invoices unpaid, and unreturned emails from tax professionals. The…

title: How Do I Keep My Bookkeeping Straight? description: >- There is a dark cloud that hangs over the heads of small business owners that takes form in boxes of receipts, lengthy email chains, invoices unpaid, and unreturned emails from tax professionals. The… cover: 1__t7sM4fxibFbzO3eAkbx3Wg.jpeg date: '2017-10-02' tags:

Taxes
Business
Payments
Small Business
Solopreneurship

There is a dark cloud that hangs over the heads of small business owners that takes form in boxes of receipts, lengthy email chains, invoices unpaid, and unreturned emails from tax professionals. The disillusioning and disorienting nature of bookkeeping is a great enough threat to turn even the most organized entrepreneur into a nine-to-fiver.

Grass is greener

If there ever was a grass-is-greener professional lifestyle, it might be that of a freelancer. Work from home? Every darn day. Want to share a work space? There’s one on practically every city block. Take a long weekend? Who’s going to stop you? Make your own hours, create your own policy, hire whomever you want — the perks are practically unbound. Yet, always lurking in the shadows of the ultimate professional freedom is the fact that there is no “Jerry” in Accounting, reporting your income to the IRS and quietly filing your tax papers for you with a smile and a nod over his coffee mug labelled non-ironically, “Jerry From Accounting”. That Jerry is so real to an entrepreneur, it hurts from longing.

As a small business owner, I have struggled my way up the learning curve ladder that is bookkeeping for my business. What started as a manilla envelope full of odd receipts to be read aloud at my yearly CPA meeting has turned into a smooth and easy process not unlike skipping through a field of poppies — if not equally coma-inducing.

It starts with a small team

Think very small. If you are confident in your organizational skills and are adept at using a program such as Quickbooks or other accounting applications and your LLC is a sole proprietorship, you may be able to run solo until your business outgrows your ability to keep up with your own bookkeeping. Give yourself a pat on the back! This, however, is not for me.

A Certified Personal Accountant (CPA) will take organized information like total income earned via 1099 (tax form), miscellaneous income earned, gas mileage totals, and other business expenses — aka deductions or write-offs — (to be differentiated from personal expenses like gym memberships and phone calls to psychic mediums which cannot be written off; believe me, I’ve tried), and report this information to the IRS on your behalf. A reputable CPA will pay for itself (generally between $150–350 per account depending on the level of service) by finding legal loopholes in the IRS’ system for deductions.

In order to take full advantage of a CPA’s services, you have to be organized.

A note worth making at this juncture: there are generally two types of bookkeeping styles: Quickbooks, which is also not for me, and Spreadsheets (specifically, in my experience, Google Spreadsheets, so that documents can be easily shared if you’re working with a team larger than just a CPA). I prefer the latter for its simplicity and cost-effectiveness.

1. Deductions

A manilla envelope full of receipts is a fine start, but a CPA may charge you additional work hours to sort through them. Best to filter them on your own time using Quickbooks or a spreadsheet service using this handy guide. Show up to your CPA meeting with this level of organization, and you will get a *bronze star*!

2. Income Earned

To keep track of my monthly income, I keep a Google Spreadsheet open and simply enter the totals earned, the date of the receipt of revenue and by whom I was paid. This simple task will make your year-end gross income easy to calculate. Some employers will ask for a W9 before contracting your services — especially if your estimated income will exceed $600 — and that employer will submit electronically or by mail a 1099 at the end of the year, which will provide an accurate year-end total income received from that employer. Still, you should keep a separate tab on your income and subtract the 1099 amount from your tracking to report to your CPA. Any miscellaneous income will fall through the cracks and be forgotten forever (or until you are audited by the IRS), so this step in organization is critical to keep clean bookkeeping records. Show up to your CPA meeting with accurate year-end income totals and you will get a *silver star*!

3. Monthly Profit and Loss Statements

If you are engaged in business under a LLC (Limited Liability Corporation) larger than a sole proprietorship, you will be required to submit monthly profit and loss (P/L) statements. I just set mine up yesterday for my band using Google Spreadsheets. I started by downloading our monthly bank account statements and copying them over to the Google spreadsheet and separating an expenses (any number lower than $0) from income (any number greater than $0). I created two tabs for each month: Expenses and Income. In a separate tab, I set up a monthly P/L that deducts the expenses from income. A year-end balance sheet can be created by reconciling the total balance at the beginning of the year with the total balance at the end of the year. Keep this document running, and you’ll get a *gold star* at your CPA meeting. Good job!

Bookkeeping can be as easy as it makes sense for you. Try not to overthink it, and put in place a few reminders to stay on top of it, and you should be good to go!

If you have a different method, or comments on how I keep track of my bookkeeping, please leave a message in the comment section!

Andrew Vait is a singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and educator. He currently lives in Seattle, WA and performs and records with his pop band, SISTERS

]]>how-mindfulness-can-inspire-your-business-26a1efc3686f<![CDATA[How Mindfulness Can Inspire Your Business]]>2017-09-25T00:00:00.000Z2017-09-25T00:00:00.000ZRunning a business is hard. You need so much more than a college or university degree, a heap of industry experience, or being a marketing whizz to survive and thrive. You need resiliency…

title: "How Mindfulness Can Inspire Your Business" description: >- Running a business is hard. You need so much more than a college or university degree, a heap of industry experience, or being a marketing whizz to survive and thrive. You need resiliency… cover: 1__1PNYtfVYYFInoBSd6P35Xw.jpeg date: '2017-09-25' tags:

Solopreneurship
Productivity
Clients
Students
Money
Small Business

Photo by Les Jay on Unsplash

Mindfulness seems to be another corporate trend. Is it worth the hype and how can you bring the principles of mindfulness to improve your business?

Running a business is hard. You need so much more than a college or university degree, a heap of industry experience, or being a marketing whizz to survive and thrive.

You need resiliency, perspective, and the ability to face your fears every day. It is not for the faint of heart.

The right mindset can help you to feel grateful instead of bitter, choose generosity over fear, and keep going when you want to quit.

That’s the basic premise behind mindfulness and here are six mindset tactics every entrepreneur should embrace to help them cope with the pressures of running a business:

The Acceptance of Failure

It’s OK to fail. A huge part of every success story is failure. Instead of fearing failure or avoiding it all together, try embracing it.

Consider each failure a learning experience and expect to fail at new things. When trying any new thing, let failure be a part of the path and not what derails you. Fail enthusiastically and keep going.

“Winners are not afraid of losing. But losers are. Failure is part of the process of success. People who avoid failure also avoid success.” ~Robert T. Kiyosaki

Running a business takes resiliency to failure.

Failure is feedback. And we can worry all day about the potential outcomes, but until we just try, we can’t really know.

“If you want to succeed, double your failure rate.” ~Thomas J. Watson

Generosity + Thankfulness

There has been a shift in online marketing in recent years. Instead of getting in people’s faces and screaming at them to buy, entrepreneurs are now being as generous as possible! They are showing a genuine interest, providing real solutions for potential customers — for free — and building a relationship with readers over time.

It’s about giving and over-delivering because you want people to get better.

Taking time to feel gratitude, even in the smallest of things, reinforces all the positive things that have happened in our day, business, and life.

If you are thankful, you enjoy the journey.

You are not worried that your customers are going to disappear or that they are only going to take your free content. You are grateful for each customer you have made an impact on.

Adopt the Abundance Mindset

There is enough success, money and happiness to go around. If you are constantly looking at what your competition is doing and worrying that “everything has already been done” — you will constantly feel threatened, play scared, and will be put off making ANY moves in your business.

We are living in a world where pretty much everything has been done before. Chances are you are not creating or offering anything brand new. If you do a simple Google search, you will find people and companies doing what you do.

It’s OK. There’s enough to go around.

When you focus your energy on abundance and not scarcity — you choose abundance and are able to grow!

Your Time Has Worth

Time is your most valuable asset. How you spend your time will dictate how successful you are in your career.

Sometimes, there is a need to give your time or products away for free. Whether this is for promotional purposes or not, you need to ask yourself what the return is on your investment.

These are just a few examples of questions you should be asking yourself:

Will a free training session potentially lead to a sale?
Will spending extra time with this challenging client make me a better teacher?
Will teaching a class that pays very low open the door to connect with potential clients?
Will participating in this giveaway reach my target audience?

You need to consider what you will gain, or what you could lose.

Adaptability

In the book ReWork, there is a chapter entitled: “Planning is Guessing.” The chapter just flips the whole “failing to plan is planning to fail” mindset completely over.

Plans sometimes change… roll with it.

You shouldn’t skip thinking about the future and what your long term goals are, but you also don’t want to be so stuck in your ways that you have a hard time improvising.

If you are stubborn with how you want your vision to turn out, you may not be open to changing directions or picking up new opportunities when they are right for your business.

Think about what you can start doing now that will make you money tomorrow or next week. See what works and what doesn’t. It doesn’t have to be perfect right now. Build your plan as you go. (Rework)

Facing Your Fears is Non-Negotiable

What are you afraid of?

Afraid you will fail? People will think you are a fraud? Worried what your friends and family will say?

Ask yourself…

“Do I have something of value to offer that can help people?”

Of course you do.

Remember this: You only have to be one step ahead of the people you are helping.

This perspective will help you through times of self doubt.

Some might even say, if you DON’T put out what you know, you are denying people the opportunity to get better because you are withholding valuable insights and tools!

Talk about a mindset shift!

When you KNOW your knowledge and experience has worth, you feel more obligated to put it out there and help someone.

The time is never going to be “just right.” We are never REALLY ready. But our inadequacies are just our perception. No one is perfect, no one has the perfect plan — we are all just figuring it out as we go!

When you realize this, you begin to forgive yourself and you will realize that you do have something amazing to share or do in this world.

You should put yourself out there and face your fears every day. This is when BIG things happen.

]]>is-a-coworking-space-right-for-your-business-5afc73478554<![CDATA[Is a Coworking Space Right for Your Business?]]>2017-09-08T00:00:00.000Z2017-09-08T00:00:00.000ZFinding the right space for your business is a headache. It’s difficult to find a workspace that matches your needs, those of your clients and doesn’t cost the Earth. You could choose to run your…

title: Is a Coworking Space Right for Your Business? description: >- Finding the right space for your business is a headache. It’s difficult to find a workspace that matches your needs, those of your clients and doesn’t cost the Earth. You could choose to run your… date: '2017-09-08' cover: 1__QyyrvWJrWkLDRu2veC1aQw.jpeg tags:

Business
Tools
Small Business

Finding the right space for your business is a headache. It’s difficult to find a workspace that matches your needs, those of your clients and doesn’t cost the Earth.

You could choose to run your business from home, or you could hire out a permanent office space. Both have their advantages and disadvantages — while your home office is free to use, you may struggle to stay motivated and bring that air of professionalism your work demands. A permanent office space may look the bee’s knees and give you all the amenities you need, but you’ll also be tied into a (potentially) expensive rental agreement.

There is another way. Coworking spaces are riding the wave of popularity with small business owners, freelancers and those that have thrown off the shackles of a 9–5 job to work in a more flexible way.

A coworking space is, essentially, a shared workspace where you rent a desk or a private office on a day-by-day basis. You can use the space as and when you need so you’re not forking out for an office that you only need to use occasionally. And the coffee and tea is usually free too.

In fact, there are a tonne of benefits around coworking. You just need to work out which ones matter to your business:

1. You’ll never have to work in a cubicle again

Every space is different, but most have a versatile range of spaces that you can use for your work.

For example, out of all the many NYC coworking spaces, The Farm SoHo has a fleet of hot desks, dedicated desks (if you’re the territorial kind), private offices, meeting rooms, nap pods (yes, that’s right, nap pods) and a really cool NYC events space where they host everything from some great social nights (did I mention there’s a raised DJ booth?) to serious business meetups for the NYC startup scene.

The Farm’s event space.

So, work out what you want to use the space for. If you need privacy in your work, then find a space with private offices. If you’re a social butterfly itching to spread your wings, find a space where they emphasise the importance of community and offer a load of friendly break out areas. Which leads me onto my next point…

2. No more talking to the kettle

Confession time. Sometimes, if I’ve had a long stint of working solo from home, I start to go a little teeny, tiny bit crazy. I found myself talking to the kettle the other day as I waited for it to boil.

So, one of the perks of coworking is that you’re going to be part of a kickass community. Every space is different in its approach and the sort of people it attracts — but I’ve found my fellow coworkers to be a very friendly bunch ( Huckletree in London is one of my favourite coworking haunts because it has a real emphasis on community).

You can brainstorm, chat and interact with a load of like-minded individuals you’d never get the chance to meet if you were tucked away in a private office or working from home.

It really beats the solitude of home and the sterile environment of your usual office spaces.

Huckletree’s Shoreditch site.

3. Did I mentioned the networking?

And here’s another great thing about coworking. If you need to build more connections for your business then a coworking space is a networking goldmine. As a freelance writer, I’ve regularly benefited from forging connections with coworkers and often entered into work exchanges (I’ll write you a blog post if you design me a logo, for example).

Also, I’ve met new clients. It’s amazing how a chat over the kettle (to a REAL human!) can lead to more work. Most spaces will happily help you further promote your business by, for example, helping you organise an event, practice your pitching technique or using its connections in the wider community to help you reach out and get more work.

Coworking spaces tend to alternate in their focus. Some spaces want to attract a generic crowd of freelancers and small business owners. Others want to attract those working in a specific industry. The Cohere Bandwidth space, for example, is dedicated to musicians and offers a great practice space. Make sure you match your space to your business so you can boost your networking opportunities.

4. And remember to check out the perks (as well as the price and location)

I’ve used a lot of coworking spaces and my advice is this: check out the location (is it close to where your clients are, or your home office? And what are the local amenities?), check out the pricing plans (do you need a daily, weekly or monthly spot?) and ALWAYS visit a space before you sign up to chat with the community manager.

They’ll be your go-to person in a space and can help you answer all the questions you have about a space’s suitability for your business. Also, ask if you can try out a space by working a day for free and make sure you get a tour of the space too.

Oh, and ask about the perks. You’ll most likely get free drinks, snacks, wi-fi and other usual office amenities — but you may also get some other cool stuff (peanut butter and jelly bars and treadmill desks are two particularly unusual bonuses I’ve read about).

That’s the great thing about coworking spaces. They’re such dynamic and diverse spaces — you’re bound to find one that’s a fit for your business.

So, get out there and see what you can find.

Your days of talking to the kettle are over.

Gemma Church is “ the freelance writer who gets tech ”, a specialist journalist, blogger and copywriter for the science and technology sectors. You can follow her on Twitter here .

]]>reciprocal-advantages-asking-for-help-from-your-community-4fbfbe6bae42<![CDATA[Reciprocal Advantages: Asking For Help From Your Community]]>2017-09-06T00:00:00.000Z2017-09-06T00:00:00.000ZFor small business owners, our dreams can be as big as mountains are tall. Growth to rival the next Amazon.com might be part of your five-year-plan, and when you shop for partnerships and…

title: 'Reciprocal Advantages: Asking For Help From Your Community' description: >- For small business owners, our dreams can be as big as mountains are tall. Growth to rival the next Amazon.com might be part of your five-year-plan, and when you shop for partnerships and… date: '2017-09-06' cover: 1__SlqXnCgIswi3FhCSEWnDZg.jpeg tags:

Small Business
Tools
Money
Business

For small business owners, our dreams can be as big as mountains are tall. Growth to rival the next Amazon.com might be part of your five-year-plan, and when you shop for partnerships and endorsements, it can be tempting to bypass local businesses in favor of larger companies and corporations.

But, in order to incrementally grow your business, you must focus on harnessing the support of those around you who are executing successful business plans and models.

When I walk through my neighborhood due west of downtown Seattle (it’s called West Seattle — we have pride), I am transported to a time when behemoth cities were in their precocious state. I feel as though I am in Minneapolis or Nashville in the 1940’s; the modern world hasn’t yet forced upon us its bustling, fast-paced clip. The store fronts have scarcely been updated and we’re just now seeing an uptick of hip, cultural businesses popping up in agreement with the massive influx of West Seattle-dwellers, being that West Seattle is one of the last affordable neighborhoods in Seattle (and barely, at that, with the median one-bedroom apartment hovering around $1,800/month).

West Seattle-ites LOVE living in West Seattle. It operates much like one of the larger islands in New York City; it’s a kinda difficult to get to and even harder to leave with all the amenities of downtown Seattle on display in our cozy, medium-sized neighborhood. Part of what makes living in West Seattle so special, aside from the views, are the businesses that fill each side-street and arterials (California Ave, who are we kidding).

We have businesses like the Husky Deli, family-owned and operated since the 1920’s. We have Thunder Road Guitars, which is a big deal if you are one of the multitudes of musicians harbored within West Seattle’s gates. We have new restaurants and old restaurants juxtaposed within one city block as if designed by Ryan Henry Ward as a take on Norman Rockwell. Every shop has an air of familiarity; of family, in fact.

As an entrepreneur, I see these businesses as more than just a unique shopping experience. I see an opportunity to grow my business through reciprocal marketing.

In February of this year, my band SISTERS performed an in-store concert at the legendary Easy Street Records, located in the very heart of West Seattle, on Valentine’s Day. The shows there are always free and all-ages, but it takes a fairly well-known artist to fill the store with people. We’re a relatively new band, so we decided not to take any chances.

We hit the streets of West Seattle with posters and fliers for the event at Easy Street, and we hit every. single. business. in. West. Seattle. It was an easy sell for whomever was working behind the counter of whatever business — “Hi, we’re in a local West Seattle band called SISTERS, and we’re performing at Easy Street Records on Valentine’s Day, and we wanted to personally invite you to the show.” It took all of about two afternoons to make connections with each business, make a store visit, and follow up close to the date of the event. A small investment of time resulted in a HUGE return.

On February 14th, 2016, West Seattleites lined the streets to catch our in-store performance at Easy Street Records. It was thrilling, to say the least, to see our guerrilla marketing campaign succeed with flying colors. A fringe benefit in exacting this relationship with Easy Street is that we sold enough records that day to be listed as their top seller for the week.

Other local businesses are more likely to pony up with cash and product endorsements if you are able to demonstrate that your neighborhood community already supports your business.

So. The next time you are walking through your neighborhood, stop in a business that feels inviting and say hello to the owner. You never know what good may come of it.

_Andrew Vait is a singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and educator. He currently lives in Seattle, WA and performs and records with his pop band, SISTERS — _ www.sisterstheband.com.

]]>how-to-get-paid-for-every-minute-c3bc88290d07<![CDATA[How To Get Paid For Every Minute]]>2017-09-01T00:00:00.000Z2017-09-01T00:00:00.000ZI’m a productivity junkie. I really get a kick out of knowing that I’m not wasting time. I do this almost to a fault: making a list of errands in order of geographical convenience and logic is…

title: "How To Get Paid For Every Minute" description: >- I’m a productivity junkie. I really get a kick out of knowing that I’m not wasting time. I do this almost to a fault: making a list of errands in order of geographical convenience and logic is… date: '2017-09-01' cover: 1__7nR1CA8n2TsjxvJHzKF3ZQ.jpeg tags:

Productivity
Small Business
Money
Payments

(Psst! I previously wrote another article on Time Blocking!)

Why My Craving for Stress-Free Living Fuels My Almost-Insane Productivity

I’m a productivity junkie. I really get a kick out of knowing that I’m not wasting time. I do this almost to a fault: making a list of errands in order of geographical convenience and logic is second-nature. I say all this, not to merely toot my own horn, nor to raise your eyebrows, but to preface this sentence…

I might be the laziest person I know.

Hear me out.

Yesterday, I watched TV ( more than I care to admit here in this article) and I loved every second of it. I procrastinate like nobody’s business. I love last-minute deadlines. Sometimes, I’ll have a project on my calendar for months and decide: “Meh, I’ll do it the day before.”

Four more things you should know about me before we continue…

Getting older lifts the veil of shame and guilt about your own laziness. I’m 31 — old enough to have seen some serious stuff. There are plenty of worse things than “being lazy”.
I’ve slowly and sometimes dramatically come to terms with how not ideal our American culture of go-go-go is.
At the age of 27, I was diagnosed with an Essential Tremor in my right hand. The symptoms of this degenerative, neurological shaking in my right hand are significantly worse if I’m stressed out.
I don’t drink caffeine. (See above facts.)

The thing tying all of that together? My craving for precious down-time fuels my productivity. So, if you’re curious how I’m able to pull it all off, then allow me to walk you through the basics.

Step 1: Keep a Reverse To-Do List, a Done List.

You might not need to go for a whole month on this. Sometimes, a week will provide you with plenty of information to make some significant strides. Think of this like a reverse to-do list. It’s a Done list. But get ruthless about it. Write down everything, even that little Facebook rant you just left. Be sure to leave notes about how long it took you (i.e. Facebook rant, 14 minutes).

If you already use a digital calendar, (good on ya!) I suggest getting into a practice of retro-actively marking down how your time was spent. Did that meeting go 15 minutes longer? Fine. Make sure that’s reflected in your calendar. Did you accidentally spent 14 too many minutes posting a rant on Facebook? Okay, then — mark it down.

Keep track of these things for a day, a week, and in some cases a month. You’re collecting information that will help you later on in the next steps…

Step 2: Attach a Value to Each Item on That List

Before you go and roll your eyes about how capitalism is ruining everything, hold your horses and un-bunch your undies. The purpose of this step is to highlight whether that Facebook rant was actually valuable to you. Maybe it was! If so, that’s awesome because you just freed yourself from the guilt of spending your afternoon on Facebook!

Example: If your business/career is politically driven, then a Facebook rant about the state of your local government might be a really great way to spend your time.

Create Your Own Scale of Value

If attaching dollar signs next to “Time with Family” makes you want to launch your lunch into the trash can, then I recommend creating your own scale of value. For instance, if family time is invaluable for John Smith then he should mark it down as worth 1 million Smithees, a just-now-made-up currency. Maybe for John meeting with his employees is worth 10 Smithees, and meeting with clients is 150 Smithees.

The purpose of this step is to intimately understand how much you value the way you’re truly spending your time.

The last time I did this, I realized that I was spending WAY too much time reading sales emails. They were clogging up my inbox and I was mindlessly choosing to go through them. What did I do about it? Read on.

Step 3: Automate & Delegate

Creating systems, processes, and automation for as many things as you can, (and especially your lower item tasks) is going to save your behind someday. I promise.

Automate Everything.

Here’s what I did about those silly sales emails: I knew I didn’t want to unsubscribe from them completely, since that’s how I keep tabs on my colleagues and all the cool stuff they’re up to. But I still knew that I didn’t want to get distracted from my really valuable work in the middle of the week. So, I created a Gmail filter which would automatically cause those emails to skip my inbox and go directly into a corresponding folder. Some folks stop there. Not I! Because I still value the task of reading these emails, I scheduled a 30-minute spot late every Friday afternoon in my calendar. Boom. Automatic email labels. Automatic calendar event. Systematized email reading once each week.

Here’s what you could do about those Facebook rants: Let’s say you know an occasional rant does the body (or business) good. Great. There’s this fantastic feature on Facebook now, “Save Post.” See a good thing to rant about but don’t want to rant about it right this second? Put it in your Saved Posts and then schedule a regular time to dive into that folder.

Here’s what you can do about all that client stuff: I use Fons for all my client billing and scheduling. Easy peasy. Fons automatically sends reminders to my clients, charges my clients, deposits that money into my bank account, and even provides options for monthly billing or reschedules. My clients have access to my office hours and all the confirmed appointments show up in my Google calendar! My clients only have to enter their payment info once and have access to a browser app or mobile app. Again, automatic and easy.

Here’s what you can do about that valuable Family Time: Sometimes “automating” is as simple as managing expectations. I have colleagues and even my own Father (a college professor) to who makes it known to their co-workers and clients that if one of their family members calls mid-meeting, that meeting gets paused, no questions asked. Again, ask yourself, “What can I do to delegate, automate, systematize the expectations here?”

Here’s what you can do about standing in front of your closet: Deciding what to wear can suuuuck the life out of me emotionally. What’s clean? What shirt goes with which bottoms? Do I like how I feel in it? I got ruthless in this area. It’s been a slow journey, but I’ve managed to travel enough this last year to prove to myself that I really only need 30 items of clothing. Each item will go well with any of the other items in my closet. Thereby eliminating the need to stand there naked in front of my closet wondering what I should be when I grow up.

Here’s what you can do about all that BBS: “Boring Business Stuff” is different for everyone. Some folks hate spreadsheets and paying taxes. Great. I bet you anything that if you hire someone else to even just help you with that stuff, that you’ll end up saving time in the long run. Some folks hate social media. Sweet Baby Moses, hire someone to help you! There are people out there just dying to help you do your job AND they’ll do it 1,000 times better than you!

Here’s what you can do about standing in front of the refrigerator: Let’s face it. Sometimes I don’t have the forethought to think past the keyboard under my fingers as I type this. Come to think of it, I still don’t know what I’m having for dinner tonight. No problem! Again, I’ve scheduled a weekly trip to the grocery store and have a pre-written note that I save on my phone with a list of basic, weekly items. This means that as I type this, I know there’s at least one frozen pizza and makings for a salad in my refrigerator or veggie chilli makings in the cupboard. (I’m also looking into some of those tasty food delivery boxes out there too!)

Step 4: Take all that extra time and do something valuable with it!

Most folks are OK with just saving a bunch of time. That’s fine. But I’ve chosen to take the majority of that extra time I’ve saved and use it for good!

Example: I used to spend more than 10 hours every week billing clients and dealing with scheduling and rescheduling. Whether I liked it or not, I was choosing to value those 10 hours in that way. *Barf* Thankfully, I woke from that nightmare and now have most of it all automated via Fons. That choice to value my time differently has freed up more than 520 hours each year!

What did I do with all that time? Well, a lot of things, but most obviously life-changing: I launched a podcast! The Bare Naked Bravery podcast and community of listeners has completely blown my mind with awesomeness and I could not have done it by wasting time with all that BBS (Boring Business Stuff).

My encouragement to you is to go back over your list of valued tasks and do more of the higher value things. Not only will your clients, family, and employees thank you, but eventually the world will thank you too. You see, we all deserve to spend our lives doing the things we are called to do, the things we love to do, and the things we’re really really really stinkin’ good at. It makes the world a better place and I mean that in the most hippy dippy, woo-woo way possible!

Emily Ann Peterson is a singer-songwriter, teaching artist, marketing consultant, and creative entrepreneur. Her podcast, Bare Naked Bravery, features conversations with everyday heroes about the quiet successes and loud failures required to do the brave things for which we know and love them.

Peterson’s mission is inspire a global resonance and magnanimous community through the marriage of art and whole-person development.

]]>how-to-create-your-niche-to-stand-out-72efea460eab<![CDATA[How to Create Your Niche To Stand Out]]>2017-08-31T00:00:00.000Z2017-08-31T00:00:00.000ZYou may have just earned a degree or certification, or you’ve read every book and knuckled down to some serious research. Either way, you have all this knowledge that’s ready to be put to use…

title: "How to Create Your Niche To Stand Out" description: >- You may have just earned a degree or certification, or you’ve read every book and knuckled down to some serious research. Either way, you have all this knowledge that’s ready to be put to use… date: '2017-08-31' cover: 1__qruizGqmFfM2TkwSgTwG__g.jpeg tags:

Marketing
Small Business
Clients
Students
Tools

photo cred: https://ivorymix.com/

Niching down and getting crystal clear on your messaging attracts your ideal clients, builds your brand, and allows you to run a fulfilling and profitable business — not to mention saving you a heap of time and money.

When you first start out in your field, you want to help everyone.

You may have just earned a degree or certification, or you’ve read every book and knuckled down to some serious research. Either way, you have all this knowledge that’s ready to be put to use.

While you quite possibly COULD help everyone — you shouldn’t… at least not for long.

Helping anyone and everyone will slow your progress in your business. You will spend hours creating custom programs and lessons for very different clients — and less time actually getting paid to work with clients.

When you can help similar people with similar problems, you do not have to constantly create new content.

If you are just starting out, niching down may seem unwise because you will be turning away potential clients — and income.

But being afraid to niche down and being unsure which niche to choose are two very different things. However, the answer to both quandaries is the same: Niche down anyway! There is no secret to success here. Niching down and getting really clear on your messaging just works.

Afraid to niche down?

If you were having chest pains, would you rather see your family doctor or a cardiologist? Narrowing down your niche allows you to be seen as an expert in your field and attract your ideal clients.

Niching down means you get to work with clients that you truly enjoy helping — therefore your “job” is fun and exciting.

Your business should NOT be all things to all people. You can be good or mediocre at many things, but you cannot be the go-to expert in everything. There are literally just not enough hours in the day.

Unsure which niche to choose?

If you are unsure what kind of clients you want to work with then, by all means, dabble in a little of everything. You will start to see a pattern of people who are attracted to you and the clients you enjoy working with.

For example, I have worked with a wide variety of clients in a private health club. From kids, to 30-year-old moms who like to be pushed, to 50-year-old men who want to improve their golf game, to 70+ year olds who just like to keep moving and enjoy the guidance.

Golf is big where I work, but I do not enjoy it. When I first started, I spent hours upon hours creating golf-specific programs for various clients. It was exhausting and stressful. While it was a great learning experience, I now know that working with women in their 30s and 40s who want to live an overall healthy life and youth athletes bring me the most joy. And that is where I spend most of my time and effort.

And, here is the really cool thing about running your own business, it is your job to try different things and see what works! So, even if you choose a niche at first, you can always refine it and change it later as you grow.

Niching down allows you to get crystal clear in your business

Once you niche down, you can stop guessing what your ideal client wants and start to KNOW what they need!

Understanding your ideal clients enables you to talk directly to them and build your brand. People like to feel a connection. They want to be able to relate to you.

When you get clear on your mission and purpose, your passion will shine through and you will connect with those clients who resonate with you. Those are the people you want to connect with. They are the ones who will buy from you.

Your story and personality won’t appeal to everyone — and, while sometimes a hard pill to swallow, this will save you time (and money) in the end.

If you are trying to talk to everyone, people will overlook you.

Niching down simplifies your business

Once you define your ideal client, what he/she is struggling with, and how you can solve that struggle — your business becomes very streamlined.

You now have similar clients with similar struggles and you have a go-to solution to their problems.

Sure, there may be layers inside your niche and spin-offs to the struggles, but once you create a signature program, product, or lesson plan, it only has to be slightly tweaked and improved on as you go.

The importance of creating a signature offering

A signature program or offering is one amazing piece of material that offers a solution to a problem for a very specific group of people. It could be a course, plan, product, etc.

If you focus on making one or two AMAZING signature offerings, this allows you to spend more time creating quality content within that offering versus just pumping out a bunch of mediocre content on a variety of topics.

It will also save you time because you do not have to recreate the wheel for every new client.

And, since your signature offering is your “baby”, you put all your research, resources, and effort into making it really great — which allows you to get referrals, build an amazing brand, and charge more as you attract premium clients.

In conclusion

There is no secret to success. Niching down works. Stop trying to be everything to everybody.

It’s OK to change course and direction in your business — in fact, you should! If we are not growing, we are standing still. And if we are in the same place now as when we very first started, our businesses will never be successful. Keep learning. Keep trying things. And keep making your products or services BETTER.

Niching down will allow you to run a fulfilling and profitable business versus a stressful and hectic one.

Sarah is a personal trainer, Fitness Director at a private club, mother, and writer behind The Fit Niche . She helps fitness and wellness entrepreneurs work smarter (not longer!) and grow their businesses — without breaking the bank! She also runs a free Facebook Groups called Fitness Biz + Blog Mastermind Community . You can find her on Facebook , Twitter , Pinterest and Instagram .

]]>the-double-edged-sword-of-amazon-prime-e02b3ab4b8d2<![CDATA[The Double-Edged Sword of Amazon Prime]]>2017-08-28T00:00:00.000Z2017-08-28T00:00:00.000ZAs I wait for my brain to settle, imagining the creative juices that are responsible for my very career in the arts are reaching a rolling boil, preparing to write about Amazon Prime, I am tempted to…

title: "The Double-Edged Sword of Amazon Prime" description: >- As I wait for my brain to settle, imagining the creative juices that are responsible for my very career in the arts are reaching a rolling boil, preparing to write about Amazon Prime, I am tempted to… date: '2017-08-28' cover: 1__6J__QnnpTmrvtO5pZGZfDmg.jpeg tags:

Tools
Money
Small Business
Teaching

Photo by Jiří Wagner on Unsplash

As I wait for my brain to settle, imagining the creative juices that are responsible for my very career in the arts are reaching a rolling boil, preparing to write about Amazon Prime, I am tempted to check for deals on Amazon Prime. I don’t check for deals on Amazon Prime, largely due to sheer willpower, and partially because I’m driving through Idaho writing on my laptop and my phone is dead.

But I want to check Amazon Prime, because I’m obsessed with using it to grow my business.

As musicians, we learn early the rush of spending money on gear. I had my first taste (and God, what a lasting flavor) walking into a snowmobile parts store that doubled as a music shop in my hometown of Homer, Alaska. I wanted a distortion pedal because I was just mad for Nirvana at the time, and to my blissed-out 13-year-old boy joy, that shop miraculously carried the same iconic Boss DS-1 as is pictured in the corner of one of the photos in the liner notes of Nivana’s live album, From The Muddy Banks of the Wishkah.

I bought it (with my parents’ money), and I opened a door that I’m not sure will ever close. Eventually, I would play paid gigs using that very same pedal. Thus, on that fateful day in Homer, Alaska, I was unwittingly making my first gear purchase to grow my business.

My band, SISTERS, now utilizes an intricate live rig consisting of our own personal mixing system and in-ear monitors, a bevy of synths and other electronic instruments, as well as drums, guitar amps, saxophones, and vocals with individual microphones and cable looms for each.

As our live set evolves, our gear needs to (inevitably) change. We need steady access to a reliable source for everything from iPad holders and chargers to XLR tips for building our own custom-length microphone cables, and we often need them at a couple of days’ notice, and always for a competitive price. We’re not always familiar with the brands of gear we’re purchasing, so customer reviews and product comparisons are critical. Enter (need I say it?): Amazon Prime.

Having an efficient live rig is essential for growing our business, because with live music, from the moment we load into the venue, every move is on the clock, and any time spent fiddling with malfunctioning gear eats into our allocated time on stage. When the band is up and running on stage, it has to sound as though the Gods themselves are smiling from across The River Styx (b/c it’s rock and roll), which means we need the best gear our budget will allow. Amazon Prime makes keeping up with gear stock needs as easy and pleasurable as licking the last of the custard from a dessert spoon. But it isn’t without its drawbacks.

Spending money frivolously on Amazon Prime is as easy as licking the last of the custard from a dessert spoon. It’s always sweet to smash that “Buy With 1 Click” button, and it’s always like your birthday when those tidy little packages arrive on your doorstep. Every. Day. Jeff Bezos and Co. make you feel like the generous boss you never had until your bank account is empty and you’re left with a room full of 73 backup sets of Tortex .6mm guitar picks.

Creating a quick and simple spending budget is a very mature big-kid business move and completely necessary for understanding your spending patterns. Kindly copy and paste your wish list from Amazon Prime into an editing document, and divide that list into two categories:

Must Have
Nice To Have

By all means, purchase the must-have items. Your business can’t grow if you don’t have access to the resources you need. You could use a quarter to strummalum the guitar strings, but those strings will break, and you’ll need to buy new strings in no time — you can borrow a pack of Tortex guitar picks from me.

As for those Nice To Have items? Oogle them as you nod off with your phone on Night Shift mode (never done that). Fantasize about the day you are playing stadiums and your personal shopper, Raz, who is conveniently your exact size, is acting as a living mannequin, displaying wardrobe options for the world tour upon which you will embark as soon as your Pomeranian, Cappuccino, is back from his day at the spa.

If that big sync from House Hunters hits your bank account and you want to treat yourself, chuck that Amazon Prime piggy bank against the wall and go full hog. You’ve earned it.

]]>sink-or-swim-heres-how-you-ll-know-when-it-s-time-to-jump-into-self-employment-e2fae5412ba8<![CDATA[Sink or Swim: Here’s How You’ll Know When It’s Time To Jump Into Self-Employment]]>2017-08-23T00:00:00.000Z2017-08-23T00:00:00.000ZWorking for a studio, company or school in a job you mostly love is mostly good, right? I mean, if you enjoy the arena you’re in, you’re pretty good at what you do, and you get paid almost enough to…

title: >- Sink or Swim: Here’s How You’ll Know When It’s Time To Jump Into Self-Employment description: >- Working for a studio, company or school in a job you mostly love is mostly good, right? I mean, if you enjoy the arena you’re in, you’re pretty good at what you do, and you get paid almost enough to… date: '2017-08-23' cover: 0__E__QdZ8tExZzLOEP2.jpeg tags:

Solopreneurship
Careers
Productivity
Money
Small Business

Dana Little

It’s all about losses and gains (Hint: It’s not about money)

Working for a studio, company or school in a job you mostly love is mostly good, right? I mean, if you enjoy the arena you’re in, you’re pretty good at what you do, and you get paid almost enough to pay the bills, isn’t that enough? Well, maybe.

Can we all just admit that — sometimes — we find ourselves in a place of employment that is pretty darn good…even deceivingly so, that we get blinded for a while by the idea that pretty good is good enough? Jobs like this can seem (emphasis on seem) wise to hold onto for several reasons: we want to look responsible — heck, we want to be responsible (well, most days), and most of us are out there trying to make wise, reasonable decisions with our money, time and passions, right?

If you’re with me, read on. If you’re sort of with me, just give this a whirl and see where you land:

Pretend you’re considering an employment change. You’re toying with the idea of working for yourself as a private music teacher, yoga instructor, counsellor, or in that *one* field that makes your heart skip a beat just thinking about it.

While we’re pretending, let’s just pretend your current job is a ship. (Yes, in this paragraph and this paragraph only, a BOAT is the symbol for your present place of employment and YOU are currently on that boat as the lovely, dedicated — potentially worn down, burned out — employee that you are.) So, you’re saying you want to take a leap from the ship of safe-employment and land in the sea of self-employment? Well, you can, but remember: anytime you “jump ship”, you’re going to rock the boat.

It’s an age-old reality: You risk losing stability when you leave a current job. And who actually likes instability? I mean, when there’s no ship to keep us feeling safe and secure, it’s a little risky out there. No ship — right? ;)

All ship-speak aside, sometimes even the risk of instability or loss that comes from leaving safe-employment for self-employed is enough to keep you stuck in a job that’s no longer actually best for you, for way…too…long. Logically-speaking and all pretending aside, it’s risky to leave.

But I’ve been thinking: What if you risk losing more by staying put? What if, in your current job, you’re actually losing:

Sleep and restfulness? Due to stress, dissatisfaction or a pesky feeling of overall “unsettledness” in your current job.
Sight of your dreams? While you’re busy supporting someone else’s dream or business by being an awesome employee, if you notice you’re feeling a tiny bit too complacent in your current job or caring a little less about the details, that’s a hint that something might need to change. Or if you’re losing your previous sense of passion, enthusiasm or drive, it might be less about bucking up or grinning and bearing it, and more about the pull of your future, dream job. Don’t push your dreams away for too long or you might lose sight of them altogether.
Time and patience? If it feels like being at work is a waste of time or energy-zapper, listen to that (zap!). If you catch yourself dreading the start of your work-week or spending time fighting someone else’s fires you don’t really care about, notice that nagging. If you’re dealing with tasks and processes you know you could do more efficiently if left to your own devices or you’re stuck in the middle of a workday that never ends (and where the heck is Friday?!), then — by all means — you’re losing time at your job and your patience is probably at least running thin. Drat!

But wait, there’s more (to life).

What if what’s best for you is actually a bold, brazen employment switcheroo? If you’ve already been considering a leap, here’s a look at how you could flip those “losses” on their heads and put a positive spin on #1–3 above.

What if a change of scenery in your work (you know…that place where you spend anywhere from four to six days a week?!) could help you gain:

Sleep and rest! Imagine…the chance to wake up to a job you love or go to bed resting in the fact that you’re doing what you love five days a week (or more or less…because, hey!, it’s your dream job and you’re the boss!). Doing what you love gives you peace of mind, no?

Source: http://www.quoteswords.com/

Vision! Can’t keep your dream job out of your sights? Seeing you have more to give? If the idea keeps popping up about going out on your own to create a job with the perfect this-and-that, listen to this (and that). Or if the daunting task of setting up a studio that “feels just right” or a Saturday trip to IKEA to buy the perfect waiting room furniture for your dream workspace sounds “right up your alley”, don’t push that aside. (Also, don’t go to IKEA on a Saturday.) Perhaps you even catch yourself daydreaming about your next job while driving to your current job (even at your current job!). If so, that’s a tell-tale sign that you’ve got more to give. You have your sights on what’s next. You’re not greedy or a bad employee — you have vision!
Your time back! Imagine going out on your own, doing work that you love, that you’re passionate about. The hours you put into it each week might be mind-boggling (you’ll likely spend more hours on “work” being self-employed than you do at your leave-it-at-the-office job), but it will be more fulfilling, less of that “watching the clock” feeling, and more of a sweet perception that the time you’re spending is valuable, because it’s where you want to be! And really, if you’re sensing that the time is creeping up to put your energy, talents, skills and heart into your work in a new way — that’s not back burner stuff. That’s when you know it’s time to start making waves.

Look before you leap: Some ideas to help you navigate where and how to land

Talk your self-employment ideas over with a couple trusted, supportive (and honest) friends or mentors. Can they see you making this change? Even better if they’ve taken a similar sort of jump in their work so they can help you learn a bit about what to expect!
Consider reaching out to a business coach or consultant to go over some ways to smooth out the transition from being employed to being self-employed. Look up a few in your area and be sure to ask if they offer a complimentary consultation. Find one that’s as down-to-earth, artsy, heart-driven or as logically-minded as you. They’re out there!
Finally, research the possibilities online. And really, if researching and digging through resources about “what’s out there” in the world of self-employment you’re dreaming of is keeping you up at night, maybe it’s time to get a little rest and start following your dreams.

Dana Little is a singer-songwriter, imaginative entrepreneur and teacher in Seattle, WA. Her colorful, cozy home studio, The Piano Parlor, points to her serious knack for bringing out the fun and whimsy when working with her music students.

When she’s not teaching, she’s playing piano, singing and writing for indie-folk duo, The Preservation Society.

]]>how-to-balance-daily-profits-and-high-quality-projects-ff5479d7ed7e<![CDATA[How to Balance Daily Profits and High Quality Projects]]>2017-08-21T00:00:00.000Z2017-08-21T00:00:00.000ZAre you trying to find a balance between paying the bills and following your dreams? Are you spending too much time managing small details, and not enough time working on bigger picture projects? As…

title: "How to Balance Daily Profits and High Quality Projects" description: >- Are you trying to find a balance between paying the bills and following your dreams? Are you spending too much time managing small details, and not enough time working on bigger picture projects? As… cover: 1__06tMACA4flMczg__wO0IAag.jpeg date: '2017-08-21' tags:

Productivity
Small Business

Are you trying to find a balance between paying the bills and following your dreams? Are you spending too much time managing small details, and not enough time working on bigger picture projects? As a business owner, figuring out how to do both the necessary daily work while attending to large-scale projects can be tricky. I’ll share some time management tips that might help you achieve a better balance.

Time management… self employed perspective

My bread and butter is teaching private music lessons. I average 40 students on my weekly roster, and I spend about 20 hours a week in lessons. I spend another 1–5 hours doing billing, scheduling, and lesson preparation, plus about five hours a week commuting.

Apart from the 25–30 hours a week I spend working my “day job”, I also co-own a small ranch, where I work a few hours a month, plus I’m a wife, and the mother of one child, so I have the duties that go along with that. In addition, I volunteer anywhere from 1–16 hours a month at school-related activities. So, all of that leaves little time for my “big picture” project which is my performance career.

In order to reach my big picture goals, I have to find time to sit and write, as well as perform, and also record the music I’ve written. So how do I balance my daily work with my bigger projects?

Compartmentalize!

I schedule my clients in blocks five days a week. On these days, I have a set amount of time that I teach, and I assign students to time slots within my blocks. I sometimes have students that want times that are far outside those times (Like really early in the morning! Do they not know I’m a musician?!). But, sometimes, I just have to say “no” to those students whose schedules just don’t work with mine.

Sort and combine tasks

If I have several students asking for new assignments that I need to research, I set aside time in the morning or evening to work on those.

The same goes for monthly billing. I dedicate an hour or so late in the month to work on billing for all my students. This allows me to get into my “math” brain, focus on the task, and get it done so I can move on to other projects. Obviously, I’ve saved a lot of admin time but using the Fons app to help me bill and schedule all my appointments.

Use any down time

If someone cancels a lesson, I pick up a guitar and practice. Or work on writing. Or do something that helps my bigger picture project. Whatever it is, make use of unexpected blocks of time, even if it’s just 10 or 20 minutes.

Weekly goal and daily task lists

I always set some goals for my week. For example, maybe one goal is to book five new shows. Then, I can break the goal down into tasks such as: researching venues, contacting venues, making sure my website is current, planning my schedule, etc.

Once I know what I want to accomplish for the week, I’ll sit down at the end of each day, see what I completed and what still needs work, and write a to-do list for the next day. This way, I have concrete plans and tangible actions waiting for me every morning.

Daily long term project time

I love my mornings at home. If I can stay off social media (except for marketing related to my long term projects!), I can usually carve out at least a couple of hours a day to work on projects. This is greatly aided by some things I’ve already mentioned, like compartmentalizing my schedule, and setting goals. Ideally, when I get up in the morning, I head straight to office to look over my daily task list, and then dive in.

Know yourself

Understanding when and how you work best is important for accomplishing self-driven goals. For me, this means that while mornings are great for getting certain tasks completed (communications, research, practicing, etc.), my creativity is often more easily focused in the early evening.

So, I try to set aside an hour or so during this time a couple of days a week to work on songwriting or arranging. For an introvert who often spends my afternoons working with six or more clients, this has the added benefit of allowing me some quiet “alone” time that is also productive.

One day a month

Lastly, one great way to get a big block of work done on your long-term projects is to schedule a day each month to focus solely on the project. Having a large block of time is helpful… the creative juices can really get going when you don’t have to shift gears after a couple of hours. Designate solid goals and tasks for the day, give each area an approximate time goal, and get to it!

Balancing big projects with daily work can be challenging. Hopefully some of these suggestions will help you find your way to equilibrium, satisfaction and tangible success!

Val has been teaching since 2001, and loves helping people follow their dreams of learning to play an instrument.

Discover more about Val at valblaha.com.

]]>4-steps-to-grow-your-email-list-and-stay-out-of-the-spam-folder-d331cac9a9a3<![CDATA[4 Steps to Grow Your Email List and Stay Out of the SPAM Folder]]>2017-08-11T00:00:00.000Z2017-08-11T00:00:00.000ZSocial media is a great place to connect and engage with your potential clients, but it is not a great place to sell. An influential marketing blogger, Derek Halpern ran a test where he sent his…

title: "4 Steps to Grow Your Email List and Stay Out of the SPAM Folder" description: >- Social media is a great place to connect and engage with your potential clients, but it is not a great place to sell. An influential marketing blogger, Derek Halpern ran a test where he sent his… date: '2017-08-11' cover: 1__7SmOaltvThjHMOZskoEwBw.jpeg tags:

Marketing

How to Offer a Freebie on Your Blog + a MailChimp Tutorial for Beginners

In this post, you will learn why email marketing is the most effective way to make money in your business, why you need to create a great free offer to attract your ideal clients, why you want a reader response right away, how to provide extra value to your readers, and tips for setting up an automated welcome email sequence.

Social media is a great place to connect and engage with your potential clients, but it is not a great place to sell.

An influential marketing blogger, Derek Halpern ran a test where he sent his latest blog post to the same number of people via both email and Twitter.

The results:

300 people clicked on the article from Twitter
4,200 people clicked on it from email.

Email marketing has proven to be the MOST effective way to actually make money in your business.

Many online entrepreneurs and bloggers state that they wish they had started growing their email list earlier in their business.

Below are four steps to growing your email list and staying out of the SPAM folder

STEP #1: Create your free offer

The BEST thing you can do for your business is create a free opt-in and start building your email list.

This gives gives you the opportunity to start building a relationship with your ideal clients.

There is so much free content out there nowadays.

In an article from 2010, Google CEO Eric Schmidt stated that: “every two days we create as much information as human beings from the dawn of civilization up until 2003.” Just imagine how much this has compounded and how much MORE info is out there since 2003?

Asking people to just “subscribe to your blog” or “sign up for your newsletter” is not very enticing anymore.

People need a really good reason to give you their emails address. They want VALUE.

Enter your freebie — or free offer.

Many business owners have not created a free opt-in yet because they simply do not know what to offer.

Here are a few questions to consider when deciding what to offer your audience:

Who is your ideal client?
What do they need and want?
How can you fill that want in the easiest way possible?
And how will you over deliver and WOW them?
How does your free opt-in line up with your paid product, program, or services?

Just because the information is already out there, does NOT mean you should not create something with amazing value to offer people who know you, like you, and trust you.

People like to feel a connection to someone. And many times, they care more about WHY you do something than WHAT you actually do. This is what makes you unique from the millions of other professionals and businesses that do what you do.

Helpful resources:

Free 5 Day Email Challenge to craft your perfect freebie

STEP #2: Promote your freebie

Once you have created your freebie, be sure to share it everywhere and every opportunity you get.

Note: Be sure not to just plaster “hey, sign up for my freebie” all over social media. Talk to your followers like you would talk to a friend and explain how your freebie will help them.

The 80/20 rule applies well to marketing: provide great, free content to your readers 80% of the time and promote 20% of the time.

Here are a few places you can share your free offer:

Put a link your freebie in the header of your website
Create images in Canva (the free version works just fine) and put an image and link to your freebie on your blog sidebar, below every post, within your most popular posts, and as a pop up.
Write a blog post around the freebie topic, give the photos names that include search terms your customers would use, and create at least one long, pinnable image.
Pin your images to Pinterest in your personal and group boards.
Update your Facebook header picture to include an image or text directing people to click the SIGNUP button below the header. You can create this in Canva.
Update your Twitter cover with some information about your freebie.
Update the link in your Instagram profile to direct people to the sign-up page of your freebie.
Share it on all of your social media channels and in any Facebook groups that allow it.
If you do any guest posting or podcast interviews, make the content relevant to your freebie and share it there.
Include a link to your freebie in your email signature.
Run Facebook ads to your freebie.

STEP #3: Stay out of the SPAM folder

Once someone signs up for your awesome free offer, they are now on your email list. Congrats!

The first email you send your potential client is the most important! That first email should include:

A thank you for signing up
The freebie that was actually promised
Something of a little extra value
And a question that will get the reader to hit reply (it could even be, “hey, just let me know if you got this!”)

There are three important things you can do to stay out of your potential customers SPAM folder.

One, get a response right away from your reader.

If you can get the person to hit reply, then their email server now recognizes your email as a trusted sender and you are way less likely to end up in their SPAM or promotions folder.

Two, include white list instructions at the bottom of your email.

Tell new subscribers to add you to their “safe senders” list to ensure they continue to get their valuable content.

Three, email frequently so that people remember who you are and actually open your emails.

If you wait a month to email someone after they get your free gift, they either won’t remember who you are and delete your email or your random one off email will end up in SPAM because their email server does not recognize you.

STEP #4: Set up an automated welcome series

The next and final step to growing and maintaining your email list is to set up an automated welcome series. After that first email is sent with the free gift, you want to have a series of emails that will go out to new subscribers.

The frequency of these emails is up to you and varies from market to market. I would suggest once a week to start — it is not too frequent that the emails become overwhelming or annoying, but is not so far apart that people forget who you are!

The exception to the frequency schedule is during a launch or flash sale. When you are selling something, you will send more emails than usual.

As for the content of these follow up emails, below are a few tips.

Look back at popular blog posts — or if you already send emails to your list, look for the ones that got the most opens and clicks — and include this content into your welcome series emails.

Be YOU. People don’t really care WHAT you do but they care WHY you do it. Allow your readers to get to know you and trust you. Start to make a connection with them, build a relationship, and deepen that relationship by writing to them like you would a friend. A great way to do this is to share a story. Storytelling helps people relate and understand you.

Make sure you are creating a need and desire for your product or service. Even if you do not have something to sell right away, you want to make sure that your content lines up with what you plan to offer eventually.

You always want to ask for a response or a call to action in each email. The call to action can be to click a link or reply to your email. This will help you build an engaged audience who is more likely to open and interact with (and eventually buy from) your emails.

Keep your emails short, be very clear, and offer actionable tips. No one wants to scroll through a ridiculously long email.

Your email subscribers are your most loyal followers and your email list should be one of your highest priorities. Consider every subscriber on your email list a potential customer.

Sarah is a personal trainer, Fitness Director at a private club, mother, and blogger behind The Fit Niche . She helps fitness and wellness entrepreneurs work smarter (not longer!) and grow their businesses — without breaking the bank! She also runs a free Facebook Groups called Fitness Biz + Blog Mastermind Community . You can find her on Facebook , Twitter , Pinterest and Instagram .

]]>listen-the-world-wants-to-teach-you-how-to-succeed-3536f0b6da38<![CDATA[Listen — The World Wants To Teach You How To Succeed]]>2017-08-09T00:00:00.000Z2017-08-09T00:00:00.000ZNear the middle of my sophomore year at University of Miami, I approached one of my professors with a question during a rehearsal : “How do you learn songs by ear?” I wish all of my problems could be…

title: "Listen — The World Wants To Teach You How To Succeed" description: >- Near the middle of my sophomore year at University of Miami, I approached one of my professors with a question during a rehearsal : “How do you learn songs by ear?” I wish all of my problems could be… date: '2017-08-09' cover: 1__Go__P00FzhVVudulaFyuBXg.jpeg tags:

Music
Career Advice
Small Business
Teaching
Business

A three-step guide to learning by mimicking great work

Near the middle of my sophomore year at University of Miami, I approached one of my professors with a question during a rehearsal : “How do you learn songs by ear?”

His answer was simple: listen for the bass, find the melody, fill everything else in.

“Oh,” I said.

Listen for the bass
Find the melody
Fill everything else in

I wish all of my problems could be solved with such a simple set of instructions. It was a profound lesson in setting parameters for a problem, identifying the variables, and sleuthing toward the final answer via trial and error. At least, that’s how I interpreted his response.

Of course, it took me several years to master the process; even the most straight-forward of problem solving techniques take habituation, but it has worked for me ever since.

In my business endeavors, I learn by studying the successes of those around me. I’m hungry - like a vacuum for disorganized information. I don’t always find the fastest route to sorting out the pertinent from the irrelevant, but by absorbing that information in an active and mindful way, I am usually able to proceed to the next couch cushion for another round of “the ground is lava” — aka LIFE.

I spend the majority of my time seeking creative ways to get my music into the ears of new people. A large segment of that time-pie is spent learning and analyzing songs that I enjoy, so that I may bite off a piece of the magic to be used at a later jingle. It’s like how I imagine engineers spend countless hours studying the blue prints of historic buildings; from their ground-breaking (literally, sorry) foundations to the effects of air-flow at their highest points and everything in between.

Listen for the bass, find the melody, fill everything else in.

The Pairing of Threes

As a voice teacher, I tend to distill concepts into three component parts — I errantly refer to it as the Pairing of Threes, which makes it sound like it’s a thing.

I tell my students that the human voice is powered by three component parts: the breath (duh), the voice box (duh), and the mask (like the 1995 Jim Carry movie? No, the structure of bony mass in your face, duh). Understand the bottom (breath, in this duct-tape-of-a-metaphor), determine how it affects the top (the mask, aka where sound comes out), work on everything in between.

Similarly, I tell my students that the human voice has three distinct registers: the chest or belt, which is every conceivable sound up to the point where your voice cracks, the crack itself, which is commonly referred to as the mixed voice, and anything above where your voice cracks, which is referred to as the falsetto or head voice.

We work on consistency from the bottom of the vocal register to the top in order to make the entire range sound like one consistent instrument; not, say, a french horn at the bottom and a bassoon at the top *student giggles or DOESN’T*. Learn what powers the bottom to inform the top, and everything in the middle will be revealed.

When I sit down to learn a song, I start by cat-pawing at my piano until I find a tone that sounds like the bass (the lowest-played note). This usually gives me an idea of what key the song is in, but all is not yet revealed. Next, I identify the melody, which is a series a notes that usually confirms my suspicions of what key the song is in, but still, all is not yet revealed. It is then that the real work happens: I try different combinations of chords, single notes, short harmonized lines, pedal tones, repeated patterns, and different chords to hone in on the true nature of the song. After guessing, confirming, second-guessing, and confirming again in as many repetitions as my back side can handle sitting on the piano bench, I have Learned A Song By Ear. Thank you, college professor :)

How To Use This Technique in Your Business

As an entrepreneur, I use a similar strategy when I sit down to strategize the release of my band’s new album, EP or single. I look up the release of a modestly successful local band, and I retrace their steps.

Listen for the bass. “How did they announce their release? Did they partner with a label? A brand? Who premiered the first single?”

Find the melody. “What is the tone of the pitch to their audience? Is it consistent? How does their branding match the sound of their music?

Fill everything else in. *gasps for breath* “Why did they choose to wear green outfits? Who took their photos? Why did they choose to premiere using a YouTube video instead of SoundCloud link? How many people did they message privately to get their daily plays to that number? Who built their website? What makes them so good?

Entrepreneurs are expected to absorb their surroundings and read between the lines; to extract answers where there aren’t any clear answers.

Competitive businesses will attempt to disguise their process —leaving you to dust for prints in an open metal container the size of one hundred football fields, squared and rounded up.

How can you break this cycle?

Listen for the bass; find the melody; fill everything else in.

What is your process for learning from those around you? Please leave a comment below.

]]>planning-for-the-unplanned-how-improvisation-will-benefit-your-business-b3c171b97af6<![CDATA[Planning for the Unplanned: How Improvisation Will Benefit Your Business]]>2017-08-07T00:00:00.000Z2017-08-07T00:00:00.000ZWikipedia defines musical improvisation as: “the creative activity of immediate (‘in the moment’) musical composition, which combines performance with communication of emotions and instrumental…

title: "Planning for the Unplanned: How Improvisation Will Benefit Your Business" description: >- Wikipedia defines musical improvisation as: “the creative activity of immediate (‘in the moment’) musical composition, which combines performance with communication of emotions and instrumental… date: '2017-08-07' cover: 1__JNKhzbu7lR64rrqg3HyFTA.jpeg tags:

Tools
Teaching
Creativity
Small Business
Music

Hilary Scott Gennaro

Wikipedia defines musical improvisation as: “the creative activity of immediate (‘in the moment’) musical composition, which combines performance with communication of emotions and instrumental technique as well as spontaneous response to other musicians.”

How can this type of immediate creativity help you hone your skills in your business whether or not you are a musician? Further, how can it help your clients?

Here are four ways to incorporate improvisation as a valuable tool to increase confidence, expand creativity, and grow your business.

1. Confidence Infusion

As a music instructor, I’ve seen improvisation make my students more confident in their abilities. In any sort of discipline, if a student begins to rely too heavily on a textbook, a set of rules, or a standard practice, they may feel blocked, or doubt their ability to truly understand the discipline they are learning.

Improvisation usually means making a few mistakes, but we learn from these mistakes, and also come to realize a mistake is not the end of the world, it’s another tool in our arsenal. Whether you’re learning an instrument or trying a new cooking technique, using what you already know to create something new, or venturing into uncharted territory — improvisation is a confidence booster.

It’s not only students who benefit from this “unpracticed practice” — no matter how advanced or knowledgeable you are at your particular discipline, you can grow through improvisation.

2. Overcome Obstacles

As a teacher, throwing away a structured lesson plan and improvising according to a student’s changing needs is imperative. What works for one student may not work for the next, and what works for a student for a certain period of time, may not work indefinitely.

That sounds simple but I know that, as one example, the pedagogy surrounding music instruction is very structured. It is simple to start to rely on the materials available rather than seeking creative ways to approach material. My best opportunities for improvisation have come when I meet a student with a particular challenge, or a particularly keen skill. I have one student who has both the challenge of having difficulty reading music, and the keen skill of learning quickly by ear. The standard music books don’t work as well for her, so I’ve improvised her lessons to include much more composition, rote learning, and ear training.

How can you build your business around each individual client’s needs? Sometimes planning doesn’t work, and “in the very moment” you come up against a challenge with a student or client, you must use your instincts and quickly change course. As with a musician who must listen to the ensemble members around her to decide which move to make next, you must listen to your clients, and also your own instincts. This can be a bit scary at first, but the more you do it, the easier it becomes.

3. Smash Boredom

In a simple sense, improvising means “making something new” or “making it up on the spot”. There is something incredibly exhilarating about acting, making decisions, and creating without a plan.

In theater, improvisation takes actors on a journey to build plot, character, action and dialogue, creating a story — in the moment — where once there was nothing. Real life is similarly unscripted. Improvisation will help hone your creative and critical thinking skills, as well as make you a better problem solver. Finding new ways to approach a subject or solve a problem with only the tools at hand can lead to innovation in your business, your art, and your life.

Ever decided on a whim to take a road trip with no real destination in mind? Opened the refrigerator and just made a meal with what was there? These are, of course, forms of improvisation, and they prevent us from getting bored with routine.

4. Be a Team Player

In music, improvisation requires intense listening both to yourself and other players to make sure you connect on a musical level. Sometimes what initially sounds like a “mistake” or aimless musical wandering, can result in a beautiful creation as the musicians begin to understand and adapt to what the others are doing.

In business, in teaching, in life — you can improvise with your connections. Seek out professional retreats, plan cooperative services with local organizations and businesses, offer a trade of services, and see what develops. Your business may take an unanticipated and beneficial direction.

Hilary Scott is an award-winning singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. She also teaches private music lessons on a little island nestled in the south Puget Sound. She and her music have been featured in publications such as Billboard, No Depression, Yahoo Music, Maverick and more. She is always working at improving her craft, expanding her business, and finding new ways to reach students and listeners. Learn more about her at www.hilaryscott.com or http://www.patreon.com/hilaryscott. And you can find her on Facebook and Twitter.

]]>how-to-attract-premium-clients-c7ab70b80c18<![CDATA[How to Attract Premium Clients]]>2017-08-04T00:00:00.000Z2017-08-04T00:00:00.000ZI want to teach you how to attract wealthy clients, and just writing those words makes me feel like Rodney Dangerfield’s crass character in Caddyshack. As much as we Americans like to think we’ve…

title: "How to Attract Premium Clients" description: >- I want to teach you how to attract wealthy clients, and just writing those words makes me feel like Rodney Dangerfield’s crass character in Caddyshack. As much as we Americans like to think we’ve… cover: 1__d__nFFhGrWODWG4Ogild__Kw.jpeg date: '2017-08-04' tags:

Teaching
Clients
Students

Photo by William Stitt on Unsplash

Rob Hampton

Caution: I’m about to be rude.

I want to teach you how to attract wealthy clients, and just writing those words makes me feel like Rodney Dangerfield’s crass character in Caddyshack. As much as we Americans like to think we’ve transcended class, we still have a long list of unspoken rules on how we talk about money, and I’m about to break several.

It’ll be worth it though. I’ve benefited so much from working for wealthy clients — I teach some of the richest people on the planet — and if this is your goal, I’d love to help.

Just lemme throw on my plaid sport coat, light a cigar in the non-smoking section, crack a Bud Light, and get right to it.

Commit

If you want to work for wealthy clients, you can’t just add a premium feature to what you currently offer. You have to choose them as your ideal customer, or “avatar” in business-speak, and then align your business toward them.

My own pivot toward teaching wealthy people was a violent U-turn. When I got out of college, my plan was to give back to my community by teaching English in a public high school and, if I’d been any good at it, that’s where I’d be today. But I quickly burned out and, after a couple miserable years as Seattle’s Worst Handyman, decided to try private guitar instruction.

It was a business-savvy friend who brought my avatar into focus. He was helping me design my website when he asked: “So, who’s your ideal student?”

I considered the typical rate for music teachers in Seattle —$60 an hour — and decided that income wouldn’t go far in supporting a family or making mortgage payments. My first priority, then, would be to make my business sustainable. Once I had food on the table, I could return to saving the world.

“I want to charge top dollar,” I said. “$80 an hour. So…my ideal student should be able to afford that.”

“Dude,” my buddy responded. “If you want to aim high, you should charge twice that. You should teach Bill Gates’ kids.”

Bill has yet to give me a ring, but that simple suggestion gave me a snapshot of my ideal client, so that when ultra-wealthy clients (or rather, their personal assistants) did call, I was ready.

Polish Your Brand

Your brand is how other people perceive your business. If you want to attract wealthy clients, you should broadcast “I am a premium service” in all the ways you present yourself and your business to the world. That means a professionally-designed website, good grooming, and a beautiful workspace.

But by far the most important way you convey your premium brand is by getting your clients excellent results. In fact, if you’re known as the greatest yoga instructor in New York, you could probably get away with teaching sun salutations to Michael Bloomberg while wearing torn jeans and eating a Reuben.

Chances are, you’d land that job not because of your nice website, but because Bloomberg asked his golfing buddy if he knew a good yoga teacher. And his buddy was so confident in your ability to deliver results, that he felt comfortable recommending you to someone who could hire any yogi in the world.

Offer the Moon, at a Sky-High Price

Photo by Andrea Reiman on Unsplash

The first time I taught a guitar lesson in a student’s home, I charged a paltry $5 extra. I quickly discovered that $5 didn’t begin to reimburse me for the commute time, fuel and car maintenance, and discomfort of being on the road. I considered never offering in-home lessons again.

But I finally realized that instead of spurning students who wanted this service, I should simply price in-home lessons so that they were worth my time. The travel fee I arrived at, that I still use today, seemed obscene: it more than doubled the price of a lesson. Most students could not afford it, but the ones who could became my first wealthy clients.

Since then, I’ve learned from selling online products that it’s good to offer both a “basic” and “premium” version. The basic buyers feel like they’re getting a good deal, the premium buyers get the exceptional experience they’re seeking, and you make better money.

Also, by offering multiple price tiers for your services, you’ve made them accessible to a variety of students, wealthy and not.

If, like me, you want to be inclusive while still targeting wealthy clients, you can expand your impact further by teaching online. Ironically, my income from teaching wealthy clients has helped me circle back to the goal I had as a public school teacher, because it’s allowed me enough free time to develop my online teaching.

I now offer excellent, free guitar instruction to millions of people, many of whom could never afford even the cheapest guitar teacher.

I’ll raise a can of Bud Light to that.

Rob Hampton is a guitar teacher and business coach in Seattle, WA. He’s the author of Rob’s Totally Awesome Guitar Teaching Handbook, teaches guitar online at Heartwood Guitar, and helps music teachers inspire their students and grow their business at Greatest Gig.

Wondering if you’re charging enough for music lessons? Check out his super cool Rate Calculator.

]]>how-to-find-your-perfect-clients-with-facebook-groups-665d28c79dff<![CDATA[How to Find Your Perfect Clients with Facebook Groups]]>2017-08-03T00:00:00.000Z2017-08-03T00:00:00.000ZIn March of 2017, there were more than 1.94 billion monthly active Facebook users — which is an 18 percent increase year over year! Then on June 27, Mark Zuckerberg announced that there are now two…

title: "How to Find Your Perfect Clients with Facebook Groups" description: >- In March of 2017, there were more than 1.94 billion monthly active Facebook users — which is an 18 percent increase year over year! Then on June 27, Mark Zuckerberg announced that there are now two… date: '2017-08-03' cover: 1__J1R0iNtMorhLpyo__jJY4Vg.jpeg tags:

Social Media
Tools
Clients
Students
Teaching

Photo by Damian Zaleski on Unsplash

Facebook Groups are a great way to find, connect, and build trust with your ideal clients. You can learn how to provide valuable content that will make a difference in group members’ lives and, become a name potential clients know and trust. Here’s why you should start your own Facebook Group, and how to build a really engaged audience!

In March of 2017, there were more than 1.94 billion monthly active Facebook users — which is an 18 percent increase year over year!

Then on June 27, Mark Zuckerberg announced that there are now two billion monthly active Facebook users.

Facebook is not going anywhere and, most likely, your ideal clients are hanging out on Facebook.

However, Facebook has recently made getting your Facebook business page in the news feed of these potential clients harder and harder. Facebook is giving priority to live videos, paid ads, popular content (posts that get a lot of engagement right out of the gate), and very specific content that pertains to each reader.

So, I’d suggest spending less time on your business page and more in Facebook Groups!

Facebook Groups are a GREAT way to connect and interact with your ideal clients — and they are FREE! Groups are also more visible because members of the group can get notifications about new posts (although they can turn these notifications off if they choose).

But where should you start? Here are my top tips to help you understand and use Facebook Groups to your business’s advantage:

Join groups where your ideal clients hang out

There is a group for everything on Facebook — at the last count you could join up to 6,000 groups! But that doesn’t seem like the most effective approach — so focus on joining groups that will have the MOST impact on your business.

To search for relevant groups, use the “Search” field in the top left corner of Facebook. You can search by topic (ex: yoga), your location, or even type in something like “Groups joined by people who like (your page name)” or “groups of friends by people who like (your page name).”

If you are in the health and wellness business and you know many of your ideal clients have used or tried Weight Watchers, you could even type in “Groups joined by people who like Weight Watchers.”

You can also go into the “Groups” section of Facebook, click “Discover”, and Facebook will suggest groups that your friends belong to, local groups, and other relevant groups you may like.

Read the description of the group and determine if it is a good fit for you. Most groups are closed so you have to join to actually see the posts. You want to find groups where people are engaged and helpful. Groups where people just share their own content all the time become promotional and spammy.

Make the MOST out of three to five Facebook Groups

Facebook groups are a great place to make connections, ask questions, give and receive advice, and offer your expertise. While you may join 10–20 (or more) Facebook groups, it would be unrealistic to be consistency active in so many. However, it is still beneficial for you to keep your eye on them if your ideal client hangs out there and listen to what people are talking about.

Choose a few Facebook Groups where your fans and ideal clients are and post or comment at least once a week in them.

People take notice when they see the same name popping up over and over again, and they might just want to get to know you better!

Remember earlier when you searched for “Groups joined by people who like (your page) ?” If your Facebook fan(s) are in a particular group, it’s likely the other people in that group are interested in similar things and you have the opportunity to connect with potential fans and clients.

Provide valuable information in the group and become a resource. Offer your expertise and ask for nothing in return. You are just getting your name out there and providing great content. People will eventually start to remember your name, ask you questions, and seek you out.

Start your own Facebook Group

Why start a Facebook Group

Creating your own group allows you to really establish yourself as an authority and build trust. You are creating an online community that knows you, appreciates you, and will spread the word about you.

Your own group also allows you to gain valuable insights about your ideal audience. Get to know your ideal client. Understanding what your audience wants and needs versus just guessing allows you to grow your email list, create and market your programs, and gain new clients!

Connect with your group members

This may sound obvious, but the most important thing to do in your group is show up! Have a list of topic ideas (you could have daily themes), ask questions that elicit responses from your group, and provide lots of great value and resources.

A challenge is also a fun way to kick off a group.

For example, if you had a group for moms who want to lose weight, you could put together a free ebook or something to help them prepare quick and healthy meals in the kitchen. Ask daily questions and provide check-ins in the group to get people talking and connecting.

You also want to start collecting email addresses from the members of your group. Put together a great freebie (ex: freebie mentioned above) that provides extra value and include it in the pinned post.

The next thing you want to do is watch and listen to what group members are talking about and the questions they are asking. One of the best ways I have found to gain this valuable insight is to welcome all new group member every week and ask them to introduce themselves and share one thing they are struggling with when it comes to xxx. Then, make a list of all the pain points and create a poll within the group.

One of the most powerful tools of a Facebook group is the ability to poll your members and find out exactly what they want and need. You can poll your group on everything from names to free content topics to product or service ideas.

Be sure to balance the free and paid content you provide. If you are constantly just saying, “hey, come buy this!” people will see that and leave your group. The goal is to get people to know you, give them great free content so they trust you and want more, and then subtly sell yourself.

Create an engaging group

Investigate similar groups or Facebook pages and watch which posts are getting likes, comments, and discussions. Then create similar posts in your own group.

Be genuine. Talk to your group members and not AT them.

A few great ways to get engagement and excitement in your group is through Facebook Lives, open ended questions, celebrating successes, and doing giveaways.

Share your group

Be sure to share your group everywhere!

Share your group on all of your social media channels (include images — they get more engagement)
Post to your personal Facebook page and tag people who may be interested in joining
Put a link your group in the header of your website
Create images in Canva (free version works just fine) and put an image and link to your group on your blog sidebar
Write a blog post about your group and include a pin-able image
If you do any guest posting or podcast interviews, share the group there
Share your group with your current email list
Include a link to your group in your email signature
Run Facebook ads to your group

If you are interested in learning more about HOW to start a successful Facebook group from scratch, you may find this article helpful: How to start a successful Facebook Group to grow your business

Facebook is changing the way of marketing. Unlike years ago when we had to pay for any kind of advertising (newspaper ads, radio commercials, billboards, mailings, etc), Facebook allows us to get in front of hundreds of potential clients and promote our services for free!

If you are not currently using Facebook for your business, I encourage you to start small (join a few relevant Facebook groups) and start looking for and listening to what your ideal clients are talking about.

Sarah is a personal trainer, Fitness Director at a private club, mother, and blogger behind The Fit Niche . She helps fitness and wellness entrepreneurs work smarter (not longer!) and grow their businesses. She also runs a free Facebook Group called Fitness Biz + Blog Mastermind Community . You can find her on Facebook , Twitter , Pinterest and Instagram .

]]>listening-to-new-music-how-to-boost-the-vitality-of-your-business-68c7757077ec<![CDATA[Listening to New Music: How To Boost the Vitality of Your Business]]>2017-08-01T00:00:00.000Z2017-08-01T00:00:00.000ZAs a music instructor, I’m always looking for ways to capture and keep the interest of students. While some students choose Beethoven over Beck or Liszt over the Lumineers, many others enjoy playing…

title: "Listening to New Music: How To Boost the Vitality of Your Business" description: >- As a music instructor, I’m always looking for ways to capture and keep the interest of students. While some students choose Beethoven over Beck or Liszt over the Lumineers, many others enjoy playing… date: '2017-08-01' cover: 1__hY8____VJ2G4ZbJvWr7ocKTQ.jpeg tags:

Music
Tools
Clients
Students
Teaching
Business

As a music instructor, I’m always looking for ways to capture and keep the interest of students. While some students choose Beethoven over Beck or Liszt over the Lumineers, many others enjoy playing and listening to more recently-written songs.

When I listen to new music, I’m able to do a better job as a teacher. And keeping current with trends can have many benefits, no matter what type of business you run. Here are some of the benefits that I have discovered.

Keeping Your Thinking Fresh

Whether it’s playing certain patterns on my guitar, or writing songs, I find that it’s very easy to fall into a rut. But if I listen to an artist that I’m not familiar with, I’ll start thinking about what works, or what doesn’t, what I like or what I don’t like.

If you keep walking down the same paths every day, you can lose your creative edge — the edge that is so necessary to propel a business forward. Paying attention to new ideas can help you branch out, and hopefully lead to innovations.

Connecting With a Different Audience

It’s often difficult to predict who will walk through your door next. And every new client brings their own life experience, which may be different from yours, especially if there is an age or culture gap. If I’m talking about Bob Dylan to a teenager who listens to 21 Pilots, I’m not going to make the same connection as I would if I started strumming the chords to “Ride” or “Stressed Out”.

I’ve met other music teachers who say that they don’t like any new music. I really feel that they are missing out, not only on exposing themselves to some fantastic stuff, but also on the chance to connect with all of the people out there who didn’t stop listening to new music in 1992.

And this applies to any business… it’s important to have an open mind in order to be able to reach out to people who may not share your background or experience.

Discover New Technology

I remember the first time I watched a live performance by someone using a “looping” machine, which allows the performer to record short sections of music, and then continue to play live over the recordings. As someone who often performs solo, and misses having a richer sound, it was revolutionary.

There is so much new technology out there for all kinds of businesses — it’s important keep your eyes, ears, and mind open, and to not fear these new things. Often a new program, app, or tool may be just the thing that will help propel your business into the next level.

What’s Missing From Your Skill Set?

As a lifelong pianist, I will admit that for years I was a bit haughty about the idea of playing the ukulele. But listening to many of the performers today who are playing the ukulele completely changed my mind, and has helped all aspects of my business.

It adds musical color to my live shows, and it has increased the number of instruments that I teach (and the number of students on my roster!)

Maybe you had seen a tool or process in the past, but disregarded it because it didn’t seem useful? Now is the time to re-examine old prejudices, and see what helpful skills you could be honing.

Moving Your Business Forward

It’s the 21st century… is your business digital yet? I love having access to basically any song via my phone - it’s so useful when I’m working with a student. I can turn on my music player (or head to YouTube) and pull up the song we’re studying. Now, I love the good old technology (like records and CDs) as well, but if I had to use them in my daily lessons, we’d lose a lot of valuable time.

The same principle applies to digitizing your business. There are a lot of ways computers can be invaluable. In my small appointment-based business, using an online calendar helps me coordinate my schedule with my husband and his business, as well as with our family activities.

If you have a store with a large inventory, keeping track of products and sales on a computerized system can help save you time and money, and improve employee productivity. Also, if you have a business that you may want to sell in the future, it will be easier if the records (including inventory, sales, lessons, etc) are readily accessible.

One of my favorite things about owning a small business is the freedom it gives me. I’m free to choose how I run my business. I’m free to develop my own ideas and practices. I’m also free to open myself up to new ideas and experiences.

If the way I’ve been doing my scheduling for the past 15 years is no longer efficient, I’m free to research and find a better way. And if I want to listen to Harry Styles instead of Harry Belafonte, I’m free to do so!

As a fellow small business owner, you have the same freedom. Open up your mind, take a chance, and listen to something new… you might like it, and it might just expand your horizons!

Val has been teaching since 2001, and loves helping people follow their dreams of learning to play an instrument.

Discover more about Val at valblaha.com.

]]>3-smart-strategies-for-working-with-multi-client-families-e3634f0f4c45<![CDATA[3 Smart Strategies For Working with Multi-Client Families]]>2017-07-31T00:00:00.000Z2017-07-31T00:00:00.000ZThey look alike, they walk alike, sometimes they even talk alike — and they’re your clients or students for a heck of a lot of time each week, depending on your specific line of work. We’re talking…

title: 3 Smart Strategies For Working with Multi-Client Families description: >- They look alike, they walk alike, sometimes they even talk alike — and they’re your clients or students for a heck of a lot of time each week, depending on your specific line of work. We’re talking… cover: 1__nDgAmE__SkH6__0GJUnrvX5w.jpeg date: '2017-07-31' tags:

Education
Clients
Students
Payments

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

Dana Little

How Siblings Can Bring Great Fun And Great Challenges To Your Business

They look alike, they walk alike, sometimes they even talk alike — and they’re your clients or students for a heck of a lot of time each week, depending on your specific line of work.

We’re talking siblings. You know — those multi-client families who are in your studio, classroom — or let’s just say “turf” — for the better (err…major?) part of the afternoon? Whatever your role is in their lives — teacher, coach or otherwise — you have the distinct role of getting to work with more than one member of a family in the same arena. No big deal? Well, it depends on your definition of “big” and “deal”. (Hint: my mind quickly snatched the word arena out of thin air, so yeah, big deal over here.)

Siblings might be similar in many ways but, the truth is, working with students from the same family can really do a number on us unless we count on them to be different. It doesn’t matter if we’re teaching them to play an instrument or paint a portrait or coaching them on the baseball field, siblings are siblings (…are siblings).

Though it comes as little surprise that no two siblings are exactly the same (even those clever twins I’m teaching right now), I’ve found a few commonalities among my multitude of sibling students. Yes, I said multitude. (Half of my schedule is currently comprised of siblings, so it’s quite the family affair in my studio these days.)

Lately, I’ve been extra tuned in to the subtleties (and the less subtleties!?) of working with siblings, since compared to a one-and-done student, teaching or coaching siblings can be a whole different ballgame. Here are the top three observations I’ve gleaned from these super-related and super-unique students along the way:

#1 Families Come With a Shared Experience

I tend to greet families with something cheery like: “How is everyone?”, and most weeks I get the usual: “Good! You?” That is, until one mom of two replied: “You know, most weeks we’re just fighting and yelling in the car on our way here…!” If I handed out points for honesty, I’d give this mom a solid five points.

The truth is, I loved her candid answer and it’s a good reminder: families are in it together. They come to us having just fought on the drive from school to the studio for the past 10 minutes … or their family pet has been missing since the weekend (or sometimes, of course, they have cheerier family news to share). Getting even a quick family update — some background that might, in fact, affect the foreground of our next lesson — informs us of the mood or morale that siblings walk in with. Ask questions or just be ready to listen, and teach accordingly.

#2 Siblings Need Their Own “Thing”

Whether they like it or not, it’s a safe bet that the siblings we teach have spent a good part of their week together, sharing oodles of space (in the car or messy bedroom), and time (at meals, visiting Grandma, and even screen-time!).

Photo by kychan on Unsplash

All this togetherness means a one-on-one session with us may provide a rare, golden opportunity for a student to do their own “thing”, separate from their sibling. This is their time (or it’s, at the very least, their time slot) and it might even be the most one-on-one time they’ve had all week! This makes me want to be all the the more vigilant at every session to notice each student’s unique, stand-out qualities as well as look for cues about a student’s current morale. Here are a couple of recent examples from my studio:

An older brother who loves Star Wars songs and his sibling who just wants to write music. Each brother gravitates towards something different in our sessions. So, our back-to-back lessons look vastly different from each other. I love seeing where this enthusiasm takes each student.
The older brother who, after his first lesson, was mad that he couldn’t learn a new song — just — like — that (insert finger snap). Thinking I could easily encourage him — just — like — that — I asked: “How many times did it take before you could ride a bike?” His emphatic answer?: “It took my little brother twice — it took me 14 times.” There it was — the clear and present pangs of comparison. Ouch! (And his brother isn’t even a student of mine!) So, at his next lesson, we revisited the previous week’s song — differently this time — he nailed it (high fives ensued), he learned a new song, had some cool light bulb moments, and was beaming by the end. How cool that we get to open the door to new successes each week, with each student. I love getting to say: “See what you can do?!”
A younger student asking: “When do I get my second book?”, because her older sister has two books and hers is an all-in-one. This provided me with the perfect chance to remind her we aren’t using the same books, that her book is jam-packed with music, and we moved on to selecting new assignments — just for her.

#3 The Same and Different Approach

Just like siblings have similarities and differences when it comes to personality, strengths and quirks (we can’t all be the “normal” siblings, right?), teaching with a balanced same and different approach has been my favorite approach when working with siblings. Here’s what this could look like:

Teaching the same technique with a different focus or angle, as needed. Find out what helps a student relax and take in what we’re working on — is it humor? Helping the student feel less self-conscious? Copying the teacher? A video example of the technique being demonstrated?
Teaching from the same books or materials (I love checking with parents for input on this beforehand, because: sibling rivalry!), while still keeping the variety coming for each student, presenting assignments at different times between siblings or in a varied order, always highlighting what each student is working on and towards.
Bringing the same enthusiasm to each session to learn what makes a student tick, then setting goals and celebrating successes based on a student’s unique progress.

Our sibling students might be learning the same skills and they might even have fun sharing what they’ve learned with each other, but giving each student a chance to learn in an intentionally unique way… that’s the experience I want to provide for each student — the expressive and reserved siblings, the spotlight-lovers and the quiet, thoughtful creators among our studio families.

When she’s not teaching, she’s playing piano, singing and writing for indie-folk duo, The Preservation Society.

]]>how-to-use-your-clients-best-tool-a-plain-old-notebook-5e6fac2389b6<![CDATA[How To Use Your Clients’ Best Tool: A Plain Old Notebook]]>2017-07-26T00:00:00.000Z2017-07-26T00:00:00.000ZEvery business owner has a preferred way of helping their clients stay organized and keep track of notes and assignments. Mine is a plain old 8.5 x 11 inch spiral bound notebook. As a music teacher…

title: "How To Use Your Clients’ Best Tool: A Plain Old Notebook" description: >- Every business owner has a preferred way of helping their clients stay organized and keep track of notes and assignments. Mine is a plain old 8.5 x 11 inch spiral bound notebook. As a music teacher… date: '2017-07-26' cover: 1__JsboW3EhHT0x__vUNGeNzrQ.jpeg tags:

Writing
Tools
Teaching
Productivity

Every business owner has a preferred way of helping their clients stay organized and keep track of notes and assignments. Mine is a plain old 8.5 x 11 inch spiral bound notebook.

As a music teacher, I’ve used assignment sheets and journals provided by clients, but I’ve always found a notebook to be the most versatile tool. I don’t use notebooks with my youngest clients (instead, I use color sticky tabs so they can find their weekly assignments) but for all others I either ask clients to bring in a notebook to their first appointment, or I provide one if I have some handy. (Hint: buy 12 to 15 when school supplies are on sale in July!)

Why am I so specific on size and style? I like spiral bound books because they are easy to flip open, and they stay open. (I avoid notebooks that are bound across the top — it’s so difficult to flip to previous pages.) I also like larger sizes, like 8.5 x 11 inch, because I can use one whole page for an assignment, and can write in BIG letters when I need to highlight specifics. Finally, a three-hole notebook can be put in a binder to be collected with other materials as needed.

So, what do I use the notebook for?

1. Assignments

The most obvious use for a notebook is to write in my clients’ weekly (or monthly) assignments. Single “assignment sheets” could also be utilized (and collected in a binder), but even when I’ve designed these for my own use, I find that the section labels are often not as helpful as I would hope. Instead of a one-size-fits-all sheet, I can customize each client’s assignment in their individual notebooks to help them keep track of where they need to put their focus.

At each appointment, I write the date, plus the day’s topics and exercises, with any suggestions or goals for each one. For clients who need it, I’ll sometimes write details about further resources and page numbers to reference material.

During an appointment, I refer to the prior page to see what I had assigned, and whether the student had met the goals we had set. I’ll often check off things that have been accomplished, so the client can look back and see their progress.

2. Mid-Week Tips & Planning

As a music instructor, I feel that I’m not only assisting clients with how to understand various music-related concepts, but also how to learn to practice effectively and efficiently between appointments. To this end, the notebook is valuable because I can include suggestions for day-to-day use. I always use the first page (front and back) of the notebook for this.

I might title the front side of these pages “Practice Tips”. These are specific suggestions or “hints” that I’ll discuss with a client during their appointment, and demonstrate how to utilize them. For example, for piano students I often encourage them to make sure that each hand can play correctly in a song. In the notebook, I include “ hands alone” to remind them that if they are having trouble with learning a passage, this is something that they can try. My goal for this page is to have a central spot where clients can look between appointments to find ideas that they can apply to their study.

On the back side of the mid-week tips page I write in a suggested schedule. I include the number of days to practice and a reasonable goal for the number of minutes a day (sometimes I’ll include a range instead of a set time). Then I break it down further into warm-up, exercises, works-in-progress, etc., and approximately how long to spend on each. I usually add this to a client’s notebook, and discuss it with them, within 4–6 weeks of the first appointment.

3. One-page “101”s

I find it’s often useful to use one whole page of a notebook to outline a topic. For music clients, this might be something simple like a clear diagram of note values, or something more complicated like chord transposition for guitar players. (I might title the page “Transposition 101”.)

Using a full page to write out details in large print as I explain the concept usually helps the client comprehend the ideas better, and they can refer to the page as needed in the future.

4. Quick Reference Guides

The inside front cover is a great place to put information commonly needed for reference. For string players, I’ll draw the neck of their instrument, and label the strings, and later the individual notes. For piano students, I draw the treble and bass clef staves, and add the mnemonic devices for the notes (FACE, Every Good Bird Does Fly, etc.) In addition, I’ll often add a drawing of a keyboard octave with keys labelled with note names. I’ll refer back to the inside cover as needed during appointments.

5. Client Wish List

This is one of my favorite uses for a notebook. Ask your clients to identify goals, and write them down on the last page of the notebook (facing the inside back cover). This can be during appointments or on their own. For example, I encourage my clients to start a list of songs they would like to play. If they don’t have specific songs, I encourage them to list songwriters, musicians or composers whose work they like and/or would like to learn. This helps me learn more about my clients, and also gives me a list from which to draw tailored topics or materials for our appointments.

A notebook… so simple, and inexpensive, yet it’s become an indispensable tool for myself, and for many of my clients. Not only can it help organize assignments and topics, but clients can look back and see how much progress they have made over time, and hopefully it will inspire them to continue and strive further in their quest for musical excellence!

Val has been teaching since 2001, and loves helping people follow their dreams of learning to play an instrument.

Discover more about Val at valblaha.com.

]]>real-world-lessons-equal-real-world-skills-f474f316da8<![CDATA[How Real Life Experiences Build Real World Skills]]>2017-07-14T00:00:00.000Z2017-07-14T00:00:00.000ZI’m sure there are a host of reasons that might accurately explain the phenomenon of the “millennial side hustle”. As a millennial, I was raised, like most millennials, without the irritating notion…

title: "How Real Life Experiences Build Real World Skills" description: >- I’m sure there are a host of reasons that might accurately explain the phenomenon of the “millennial side hustle”. As a millennial, I was raised, like most millennials, without the irritating notion… date: '2017-07-14' cover: 1__tZvv1KhpAI__XNTVZ__yi51w.jpeg tags:

Music
Careers
Career Advice
Life Lessons
Teaching

I’m sure there are a host of reasons that might accurately explain the phenomenon of the “millennial side hustle”. As a millennial, I was raised, like most millennials, without the irritating notion that my greatest ambitions to pursue a career in Shopping Mall Architecture (3rd grade), Horror Movie Director (4th grade), Science Fiction Writer (5th grade), and finally, musician (6th grade — today) would be anything but a finger-tips’ pluck from the vine of destiny. As it stands, I use every ambition I ever imagined every day in my pursuits as a musician, business owner, educator, and would-be-horror-movie-director, because my real life experiences inform my real world skills.

The way I was trained in music and the way I was raised in life make it a natural step to infuse my business (private music lessons) with practical skills. These skills are meant to transcend the practice room and, if the Gods of discovery smile upon us, transcend beyond the very pursuit of music.

I’ve never reprimanded a student for taking the same shortcuts that I use in my everyday life. To me, it’s not a natural step. And so I am left with one option: teaching real world skills.

I pay my bills by performing, writing, and teaching music. You might call it a blessing; I call it obstinate. Today, at a music camp at Cornish College, I recounted my personal entry into a career in music: “I decided early on I would play music, and that was that.”

I might be paraphrasing, but the kernel of truth is there — I never considered another option. The real world would accept me as the song-birding, saxophone-toting, guitar-slinging, ivory-tickling man I would become. My mentors would sigh at my bravado; parents of friends who had “given the biz a go” would raise their eyebrows and shake their heads, but no one had the influence to convince me there was anything but a career in music quietly assembling itself in the back room of my future.

I wish, in this moment, that my business plan included even a morsel of business acumen. But hindsight doesn’t pay the tax man. And thus, I feel obliged to pass along to the generations marching boldly in my footsteps how to skip over *a few* piles of baloney.

Peering Beyond The Classroom

I was not trained to teach music lessons. A younger me would say I was forced to teach, but I’ve moved beyond passing off the opportunity to educate as circumstantial. Frankly, I love teaching.

I love the human connection. It’s thrilling to help people solve problems, not just regarding lyrics or intonation, but about relationships and anxiety; self-worth and personal health. My students open themselves to me — they share their insecurities and ambitions, and I listen as carefully and often as I can, because it would be a terrible waste to miss out on hearing a good story, even if the path to it is winding.

I remind myself that we are sharing with each other, so I take my turn, and I walk and gesture through the formalities of music theory and correct posture, and I share about my life as a gilded rock star, gracing stages the world over that are too small, too dark, too late, too early, and every so often, almost just right.

Some of my students want something like this for themselves. They tell me that’s why they have come to me. I ask them if they have been kind to themselves along the way. I slip a backwards low-five to them with a note that reads, “You Are Not Your Successes Or Failures”.

I lose track of the target when I go too long without connecting what I’m teaching to something I actually do to make a living. If we’re talking about the benefits of habituation, I’ll tell them about my time spent creating vocal ID’s for a radio station in the UK, which was long and tedious work. Then, I’ll sing one of the hooks that I can remember for them three times in a row, and we’ll talk about which iterations would have made the track and which would have been replaced.

We talk about paying taxes as an independent contractor, and how, until the Affordable Care Act, none of us had insurance except for John Mayer. We talk about how most of us still don’t, and how it looks like it’s going to get harder before it gets easier.

We talk about what a career in music means to me, and I talk about building community by actively trying to participate in community. They ask me about key signatures and we talk about what equality means between sexes because, inevitably, they have heard the acronym, “Every Good Boy Does Fine,” and we come up with a new one that feels more gender inclusive. We talk about the implications of living on the road and how difficult it is and would be to leave our loved ones for swaths of time.

I tell my students about my early pursuits as a Horror Movie Director, and we collectively cringe at the working title of my then-masterpiece, Bloody Hell. (The cover depicted a Freddy Krueger-esque character holding a bloody fish.)

We always laugh, and sometimes we openly cry. We commiserate about crushing defeats and ecstatic triumphs and we discuss what to do with ourselves between them.

I tell them in any case to try to do it a little better tomorrow, but that your best is more than good enough.

]]>goals-are-great-but-whys-are-better-a91a078ae2ca<![CDATA[Goals are Great, But Whys are Better]]>2017-07-11T00:00:00.000Z2017-07-11T00:00:00.000ZThe dictionary defines goals as: “the object of a person’s ambition or effort; an aim or desired result.” Goals are a target we aim at. Goals can be wonderful. They give direction to focus attention…

title: "Goals are Great, But Whys are Better" description: >- The dictionary defines goals as: “the object of a person’s ambition or effort; an aim or desired result.” Goals are a target we aim at. Goals can be wonderful. They give direction to focus attention… cover: 1__Ge7eHVznDOg8prKC__TOeNQ.jpeg date: '2017-07-11' tags:

Goals
Clients
Students
Teaching
Education

Andrew Ingkavet

The dictionary defines goals as: “the object of a person’s ambition or effort; an aim or desired result.” Goals are a target we aim at. Goals can be wonderful. They give direction to focus attention and motivation in times of resistance. They can be a way of measuring our progress. With guidance, setting goals is an extremely powerful and effective method to improve a student’s skills and knowledge.

If goals are set properly, we know specifically what needs to happen before we say “success.”

How Do We Know if a Goal is the Right Goal?

To Do This We Use S.M.A.R.T. Goals

By asking if the goal meets the S.M.A.R.T. standard, we know we are on the right track.

S pecific — Is the goal specifically defined? I will lose weight.
M easurable — How much weight? I will lose 10 pounds.
A ttainable/Achievable — Sure. I can lose 10 pounds by eating less.
R elevant/Realistic — Yes, 10 pounds is definitely within reach.
T ime — I will lose 10 pounds by December 1st of this year.

Even Santa uses this S.M.A.R.T. standard! When I was a young child, I would always know exactly what I wanted for Christmas. One year, it was a toy Winnebago camper with the Mom and Dad dolls. It was very specific! It was measurable, attainable, realistic (maybe) and had a definite deadline. Of course, I needed to tell Santa how much I wanted it!

Goals are Great, But Whys are Better

Why do you want to achieve this goal? The reason we choose to take action is often not examined. By linking into our core beliefs, values and motivations, we can supercharge our desire and action.

Above is a short video clip by Simon Sinek, author of the book, Start With Why. He discusses how knowing your why can also make it clearer for your customers.

I highly recommend you take some time to do the exercise in this worksheet. By knowing your why, you can recharge yourself when the going gets tough.

In the first module of my training for music teachers, the Musicolor Method, I ask: “Why are you a music teacher?” By taking the time to reflect deeply on this, we can tie into some very deep motivations.

How to Find Your Why — Ask Yourself These Questions

And to really get beyond the surface level of that question, you can continue with subsequent questions:

1 — “And why else?”

2 — “How?”

3 — “And what more?”

For example:

Why Do I Teach Music?

I teach music because I have a great love of music.

And what more?

I want to share my passion and skills with the world.

Why else?

My life was transformed by music. With music I gained access to a social group who shared similar passions. I found an identity.

How?

Through my musicianship, I was no longer seen as an outsider, but one of them. Along the way, I developed the vital skills of focus, problem-solving, how to learn, and perseverance.

And what more?

I want to teach music to practice other life skills. It’s a vehicle to mastery of life, no matter what profession or field of endeavor.

And why else?

We are all vibrating beings. From the smallest nano-particles to the largest galaxies, there is motion, vibration, frequency. You can say we are all made of music. By learning to listen, harmonize, we become better humans.

That’s why I teach music.

Your Inner Core

By knowing your why, you tap the inner core and find original passion from when you started your business. When you articulate specifically and clearly without holding back, you reveal the truth behind all action. This truth is your inner core. Your strength. It’s what make you “you” and not Picasso, Beethoven, Bird or Kafka.

Goals are great, but whys are so much more powerful. Celebrate your true mission and revisit your why daily. Carpe diem and bon chance!

About the Author

Andrew Ingkavet is a music teacher with a thriving school in Brooklyn, NYC. He is the CEO/ Founder of the Musicolor Method ®, an online curriculum/training for early childhood music education and author of “ The Game of Practice: with 53 Tips to Make Practice Fun.” Andrew is passionate about the importance of music education to develop life skills in children.

]]>how-to-stop-putting-out-fires-time-blocking-101-70a269beb8ba<![CDATA[How to Stop Putting Out Fires: Time Blocking 101]]>2017-07-05T00:00:00.000Z2017-07-05T00:00:00.000ZSo there you are: It’s the end of your week, the end of your day and for the life of you, you canNOT remember what you actually accomplished and worse IF you actually accomplished anything at all…

title: "How to Stop Putting Out Fires: Time Blocking 101" description: >- So there you are: It’s the end of your week, the end of your day and for the life of you, you canNOT remember what you actually accomplished and worse IF you actually accomplished anything at all… date: '2017-07-05' cover: 1__xEWjSgpKSFIz3VXcNS2T0w.jpeg tags:

Productivity
Scheduling
Tools

Going from Crisis to Calm with Your Calendar

So there you are: It’s the end of your week, the end of your day and for the life of you, you can_NOT_ remember what you actually accomplished and worse IF you actually accomplished anything at all. The day felt like a big one. It felt like you accomplished a lot, but there’s no record of any of it anywhere.

A similar feeling might occur when you crack open your calendar on Monday morning bracing yourself for a clean, fresh start, filled with potential and productivity… only to realize your time is officially no longer yours, every spare second has already been claimed by someone else: the dog, the kids, the clients, the employees, the spouse… Even though you love it all very dearly, you’re beginning to resent it.

In my podcast Bare Naked Bravery, we talk a lot about “power of choice” — We often give away our power of choice before we even realize what we’ve done. Every time, we’re unconsciously victimizing ourselves. A calendar is a symptom, tool, and definitely no exception to this phenomena.

Drum roll please…. bdbdbdbdbdbdbd[drumroll]bdbdbdb…

This is why I am a long-time, super fan of time blocking.

It’s pretty simple really: block out time before someone else does.

I use Fons for my consulting client’s scheduling and payment processing because it cuts down on my administration hours by at least 75%. I use Google calendar for the rest of my life’s adventures. For my time blocking, I’ve created multiple calendars for each type of activity in my life: Admin, Fons Office Hours, Marketing, Networking, Artistic, Product Planning, etc. This way I can clearly see how my week is being invested. If the time blocking is doing it’s job, every week is a very colorful experience.

To get to time blocking nirvana, you can do the same thing with the following steps by grabbing a sheet of paper to outline your ideal week, then compare it to the reality.

Start with your personal values. What really matters to you? At the end of your life, what will you never regret spending time on? Family? Making banana pancakes and sheet forts with your kids on Saturday morning? Brunch with the ladies? Beers with the dudes? Creative studio work? Achieving that business goal? Making that new idea a real thing? Block it out. Even if you don’t know *exactly* when that brunch will be held, even if you have to flip through to a couple weeks from now, block it out now, before someone else does.
Identify your responsibilities. What are the things you have to do? What are the things that empower you to keep your business and life running smoothly? If these things get left out, everything else becomes an emergency (i.e. electricity getting shut off due to forgetfulness). Paying bills? Daily email check-ins? Client Hours? Picking up the kids from school? Sending a weekly email newsletter? Posting on social media? Quarterly appointment with your accountant? Put these in your calendar now. Even if you don’t have something set in stone just yet, that’s okay. You can move things around later! This just ensures that the time is reserved for now.
With the space left, reserve some planning or prep time. This might be taking an extra 15 minutes before your meeting to catch up on all those emails that went back and forth since last time. Maybe this is the long vacation or creative strategy weekend? Maybe this is the extra 20 minutes it will probably take to get your kids out the door? For me, this is usually giving myself an extra 15 minutes in the morning to wake up and drink tea. I always underestimate how long it takes for me to wake up in the morning.
Compare this to your current calendar (if you have one.) How does this ideal time blocking calendar compare to your current one? More time doing things you love? Less time doing things you hate?

Remember: the goal of time blocking is not to turn your life into a regimented calendar boot camp. That sounds like a terrible time (to me, at least). The goal of time blocking is to ensure YOU are the holder-of-the-reigns of your own calendar. You are creating an automated system of holding your boundaries with your calendar. ( Click here to read more on doing the important stuff even when it’s difficult.)

Are you an avid fan of time blocking? Are you new to it? Hate it? Love it? Let me know! I’d love to hear all about it!

Peterson’s mission is inspire a global resonance and magnanimous community through the marriage of art and whole-person development.

]]>5-surefire-ways-to-ease-your-students-stage-fright-c14516096112<![CDATA[5 Surefire Ways to Ease Your Students’ StageFright]]>2017-07-03T00:00:00.000Z2017-07-03T00:00:00.000ZHave you witnessed the look of fear on the face of a student who has just realized that they’ll have to perform in front of an audience? One very important aspect of our work as music instructors is…

title: "5 Surefire Ways to Ease Your Students’ StageFright" description: >- Have you witnessed the look of fear on the face of a student who has just realized that they’ll have to perform in front of an audience? One very important aspect of our work as music instructors is… cover: 1__47BuwzRS5df__xIVbPsTZbQ.jpeg date: '2017-07-03' tags:

Music
Teaching

Have you witnessed the look of fear on the face of a student who has just realized that they’ll have to perform in front of an audience?

One very important aspect of our work as music instructors is to help our students overcome their fears about performing. I personally think that the best way to do that is to teach your students what to expect in a performance situation, and how to be well prepared.

I hold one or two recitals a year for my students. I also encourage them to perform in talent shows, open mics, and other opportunities that may come their way. I don’t require my adult students to perform (although I help them if that is one of their personal goals), so I’ll focus here more on several things that teachers can do to help their younger students have an excellent recital experience.

1. The Fear Factor: Reassurance Is Key

One of the first things I do when I talk about an upcoming recital with a student is to make them a promise. I always tell them that I won’t let them perform if they are not ready. Not that I won’t “make” them perform, but that I won’t “let” them.

This does two things. First, it helps the student to realize that performing is a reward for working hard. If they don’t do the work, they won’t perform. Second, and more importantly, it reassures them that I will be looking out for them, and will help them prepare so that they are ready when the time comes.

2. Let Students Choose the Music

Your student performer is going spend a lot of time with their recital songs, so I strongly believe that they should be the one to choose the songs, and that they should be songs that they enjoy. I’ll usually provide some guidelines, such as that it should be something that an audience would enjoy (which precludes scales, for example). I’ll also veto a choice if the student learned it too long ago, or if I feel that they won’t have time to prepare the song adequately, but otherwise, I let the students choose.

3. Mandatory Memorization

I’ve already written about memorization in music - and how to set your students a simple memorization challenge. I can’t stress enough how important this skill is, especially for solo performers.

I’ve been to student recitals where teachers have let poorly-prepared students perform… it’s often painful to witness and I imagine it’s not a very enjoyable experience for the student. Although memorizing can be scary (having sheet music onstage is like having a very comforting security blanket!), it also ensures that the student really knows the music and will almost always turn in a much better performance.

4. Use Their Lessons as Dress Rehearsals

Give your students as much practice as possible in performing before the actual recital. I use about 5–10 minutes of the last couple of lessons before a recital to have the student play their songs.

I’ll walk the student through what to expect (where they’ll be sitting, how to bow, and even why they should bow). Next, I’ll call them up to perform, and afterwards I clap and encourage them to take a bow. We’ll then discuss what was successful, and what might still need work. I also encourage them to perform for family and friends at home at least a couple of times.

5. Wrangle the Butterflies at the Recital

I always encourage students to show up early for their performance. For students with their own instruments (guitars, etc.), I make sure they’re tuned, and that they know where to put their instrument on stage, as well as what to do with the instrument after their performance.

For piano students, I have each one come up on stage before the performance to run through their songs one time to get a feel for the piano. Sometimes, students are nervous to do this, especially if parents or other students are already sitting in the audience. For younger students, I’ll often stand right by them, blocking their view of the audience so they can just focus on playing through their song.

Performing in student recitals provides many benefits to students, from building confidence and poise, to reigniting interest in studying music. However, for those benefits to occur, the recital needs to be a positive experience.

By utilizing the suggestions above, you should be able to ensure — as much as possible — that each student’s recital performance is successful, fun and rewarding!

Val has been teaching since 2001, and loves helping people follow their dreams of learning to play an instrument.

Discover more about Val at valblaha.com.

]]>6-killer-tips-to-improve-your-lesson-planning-2601caaa62f2<![CDATA[6 Killer Tips to Improve Your Lesson Planning]]>2017-07-03T00:00:00.000Z2017-07-03T00:00:00.000ZOne of my favorite quotes is: “I love it when a plan comes together”. I especially love it when a good lesson plan comes together. All good lessons start with a good plan, and it is essential for…

title: "6 Killer Tips to Improve Your Lesson Planning" description: >- One of my favorite quotes is: “I love it when a plan comes together”. I especially love it when a good lesson plan comes together. All good lessons start with a good plan, and it is essential for… cover: 1__J6oHtbLval__9G5dsetekKQ.jpeg date: '2017-07-03' tags:

Education
Teaching

Erica Darr, M. Mus

One of my favorite quotes is: “I love it when a plan comes together”. I especially love it when a good lesson plan comes together.

All good lessons start with a good plan, and it is essential for teachers to have a good grasp of writing effective lesson plans. Lesson planning can seem intimidating at times but if you keep these six tips in mind, you will have more confidence in the process.

1. Start With The End In Mind

Initially, it seems odd to think of planning a lesson starting at the end, but it actually makes the most sense from a planning perspective.

Let us use the analogy of taking an extended trip. It makes little sense to get in the car and start driving without having mapped out a location for the end of the trip. Instead, you would pinpoint where your journey would start, where it would end, and plan out various stops along the way.

Planning out lessons should function this very same way, and starting at the end gives you a purpose and destination to progress towards.

2. Set Goals and Benchmarks Throughout

If we stick with the analogy of an extended trip, it would be necessary to plan stops along the way.

In a lesson, these ‘stops’ are reflections, checks for understanding, and assessments. These components have to be a part of the plan because it is important to constantly and efficiently check student progress. There are many different means and methods that can be used for these reflections and assessments.

However, regardless of the methods used, assessment must be included in the plan to confirm that students have learned what you attempted to teach them as they navigate towards mastery of the lesson objectives.

3. Anticipate Challenges

How many times have you gone on a trip and packed a first-aid kit or spare cash? We do this, not because we know we will need them, but if an emergency strikes, we want to be prepared.

The same goes for a lesson. For skills and techniques that are more complex, it is always best to have multiple ways to teach them. This can be an active part of the lesson, or simply a backup in case there is a need to attack a concept from a different perspective. This part of the planning process requires a good working knowledge of your students so you can fully anticipate which skills, concepts, or techniques will be challenging.

4. Incorporate Three Levels of Skills and Concepts

Any fun, engaging trip includes a variety of activities to keep the trip interesting and to get everyone involved. When planning a lesson, this means incorporating what I call: “The Three Levels”.

Level One involves activities that are review or slightly below their current level. It helps to reinforce and review the basics of important concepts.

Level Two includes activities that are right where they are at that moment.

Level Three activities provide a challenge or something slightly above where they are. I have found that this approach ensures that students retain and review the basics, focus on present skills, and also expand their thinking into something challenging.

5. Include a List Of Needed Materials

My husband and I always make a packing list when we go on trips. We started making these lists because no one wants to pause vacation time to run to a local store to buy the swimsuit that did not get packed!

Effective lessons should also include a materials list. I did not always do this, but one day I had (what I felt was) an awesome lesson planned, only later to realize that I needed index cards and I did not have any! Had I made a list ahead of time, I would have been able to grab a pack from the supply room down the hall, but instead I was stuck tearing up pieces of paper to improvise on the spot.

It was not one of my best teaching moments. Ever since, I have always made a point to make a list of all the materials and technology that I need for each lesson. This includes items that I will need like a visual prop or metronome, but also materials that the students will need, such as their music theory book, headphones, or a repertoire piece.

6. Put Yourself In Your Student’s Shoes

One of the best pieces of advice I was ever given about lesson planning was to put myself in my student’s shoes. If I was a student, would I be getting the greatest benefit from this lesson? Is this lesson relevant and meaningful?

If the answer to these questions is no, then consider some additional ways you can make the lesson connect with your students and with the world. Is there a way to connect this new skill with something they already know? I love using popular music to demonstrate theory concepts because it makes the concept real to them.

It is important to be goal-oriented and to meet objectives, but always remember that we don’t just teach lessons. We teach students.

Erica Darr is currently the director of choral activities and guitar instruction in the Greater Nashville area. She has taught for 13 years in public school and private studio settings. Connect with her on her Well Fed Music Ed blog , as well as on Twitter and Facebook .

]]>how-to-gracefully-turn-away-a-mismatched-client-98f6f618ded0<![CDATA[How to Gracefully Turn Away a Mismatched Client]]>2017-06-28T00:00:00.000Z2017-06-28T00:00:00.000ZTurning money away at the door doesn’t seem like great business advice, BUT IT IS! Growing pains within a client relationship are natural, but when that client starts to groan with those pains, it’s…

title: How to Gracefully Turn Away a Mismatched Client description: >- Turning money away at the door doesn’t seem like great business advice, BUT IT IS! Growing pains within a client relationship are natural, but when that client starts to groan with those pains, it’s… date: '2017-06-28' cover: 1__2UjGTtrE7biwnnMJURYMHw.jpeg tags:

Freelance
Clients
Students
Solopreneurship
Business

There will come a time in any small business owner’s career when they find themselves in one (or probably both) of the following situations:

a current client has outgrown your services
a potential client has characteristics that might not mesh with you or your business

Turning money away at the door doesn’t seem like great business advice, BUT IT IS! Growing pains within a client relationship are natural, but when that client starts to groan with those pains, it’s time to let them go. Not only will you make room in your client’s life for appropriate growth, but you’ll do the same for yourself! Win-win!

Here’s what I mean:

Let’s say Client A has been with your business for five years. They’ve done their homework diligently, turned in their work way before deadlines, and generally been a supremely angelic client. A is for angel after all! But they’ve done so well that your expertise is now feeling stretched. Deep down, you know they would be better off in someone else’s expert, caring embrace. This kind of “goodbye” is always a good one, albeit never easy (for me at least).

Now let’s say Client B has been with you for six months, long enough to feel the pains of their totally inappropriate demands. (For example: emailing you at all hours of the day, not respecting boundaries, late payments, complaining about pricing, showing up late every single time, etc.) It’s almost as if you woke up one day to realize this client had the word “NO NO NO” written across their forehead, only somehow you missed it and are just now seeing it.

Now, let’s take Client C, maybe they just sent you an email with their first question about your services being “How much do you charge for…?” even when that information is clearly right there on your website. Umm… Maybe they show up to their initial client consult 30 minutes late and don’t apologize for it. Rude. Maybe they show up without pants and try to give you a bear hug. Yikes. Whatever it is, Client C is figuratively (or let’s face it, possibly literally) rubbing you the wrong way. You know that if you accept this certain individual into your life and business, you might as well invite the Tasmanian Devil over to have tea with your frail grandmother. Ain’t gonna happen.

So What Do You Do With a Mismatched Client?

For Client A types, I sit down with them (usually at a quarterly planning session) and we talk about all the wonderful things they’ve accomplished. We list out all the things they’ll need to meet their goals. Usually after making that list, it’s pretty clear to all parties involved that it’s time. It’s for this reason that I always have on hand a list of peers (aka niche-mates) who I can “pass the baton” to with my full trust. Depending upon the situation, I’ll allow the client to “go shopping” on that list or I might have a perfect person in mind.

For Client B types, I follow my 7 Steps to Setting Difficult Boundaries. Sometimes a frank conversation is required, but most of the time these situations resolve themselves by me just standing firm in my policies and personal boundaries. (For example: Morning after the 2am crisis, “Thanks for your text, I’ll respond via email when I’m at my computer next.”) I have found that if they can’t work with those kind of boundaries, they will find an alternate solution without your help.

For Client C types, I’m super honest (but kind). For my one-on-one clients, I build in some sort of application into their initial consult scheduling process. I include questions that will show me any obvious red flags right away. For me, these are questions like “What will you be doing in five years?” or “How would your life be different with my services?” or “What are you looking for in a teacher?” This way I can choose to either deny them an initial consult or have a further conversation. Either way, if a client is a mismatch for my services, then I tell them quite honestly…

If for whatever reason, I wouldn’t pass the client on to a peer, I respond via email “I’m so sorry! Based on my availability this season, I’m unable to work with you.” (Optional: “Keep in touch! If you don’t find someone else in six months, reach out to me again.”)
If I think the client might be a good match for another peer’s expertise, I respond with “You know what? I’ve got a friend who I think would be a perfect match for you, even better than me! Let me introduce you! I’m pretty sure you two will hit it off swimmingly!”

Usually one of the above solutions will fit any mismatched student who comes my way. My motto with my business is to run it like a well-oiled machine: automate and smile as much as possible!

Being joyful and helpful wins every day.

How do YOU turn away a mismatched client? I’m curious! Leave your magical methods in the comments below!

Peterson’s mission is inspire a global resonance and magnanimous community through the marriage of art and whole-person development.

She is available here: www.emilyannpeterson.com

]]>how-to-unlock-your-music-career-while-teaching-private-lessons-77f05646980a<![CDATA[How to Unlock Your Music Career While Teaching Private Lessons]]>2017-06-22T00:00:00.000Z2017-06-22T00:00:00.000ZThe path to education is different for every teacher. Whether you rely primarily on teaching to provide a stable income or want to supplement your performance or writing career with teaching…

title: "How to Unlock Your Music Career While Teaching Private Lessons" description: >- The path to education is different for every teacher. Whether you rely primarily on teaching to provide a stable income or want to supplement your performance or writing career with teaching… date: '2017-06-22' cover: 1__gdejYOb5aK1bpQm6dTju5Q.jpeg tags:

Music
Career Advice
Teaching
Careers

The path to education is different for every teacher. Whether you rely primarily on teaching to provide a stable income or want to supplement your performance or writing career with teaching opportunities, there is an art in balancing each pursuit.

My experience in education has led me to a very interesting career in music, where teaching has both informed my performance career and helped to finance my musical goals. Critical components to achieving this balance include:

Clearly defining your music career goals,
Establishing a teaching schedule that complements your career goals, replete with a straight-forward and fair private lesson policy — a topic I covered in a previous blog post,
Being kind to yourself as a teacher and creator.

Mitigate Expectations

I moved to Seattle in the fall of 2007 after graduating from the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music jazz program in the Spring of that year. As I settled into the city I would call home for the subsequent 10 years, I contemplated my professional options and potential revenue streams from my cousin’s couch (i.e. responded to every Musician Wanted ad on Craigslist). I recalled walking through the graduation hall at University of Miami with a dizzying sense of freedom, purpose, and — of course — an obligatory and generous helping of naïveté. “How young — how foolish — I was those long five months ago,” I pondered, moving from one end of my cousin’s couch to the other.

Ironic to the headline and content of this piece, the only career standard I set for myself upon moving to Seattle is that I would not teach. I responded to those Craigslist ads; I showed up early to jam sessions, I asked to sit in with the house band at dive bars, I would only accept the best gigs in town. I waited for the call to join the next touring outfit out of Seattle, but that call did not come. At least, it didn’t come right away.

In a stilted demonstration to move off my cousin’s couch (upon my cousin’s loving but firm request) into the city that showed me no immediate mercy , I clandestinely answered a teaching ad at a music school in Fremont — you know, where the troll lives. I got the job and was set up with my first two voice students in January of 2008. I established a two-day-per-week practice — Tuesdays and Wednesday, as it were — to leave weekends open for touring. I have been teaching private lessons ever since.

A Routine That Works

I will be the first to admit that I went through the motions for my first few years of teaching private lessons. That isn’t to say that I didn’t help my students or that I demonstrated an outwardly negative attitude toward teaching, but I quarantined teaching as a means to an end; a temporary patch on my basic financial needs until my music career blossomed. I developed a resentment toward my professional path — I felt that my teaching was somehow inhibiting my performance career, but I couldn’t afford to quit teaching because, in reality, there was no performance career to support me.

I spent years relaying to my students what scraps I could remember from a few sporadic voice lessons in college. I was a jazz saxophone major at University of Miami and transitioned to jazz voice in my junior year. You could say my formal training was…scattered. I recognized a stagnation in my lessons after hesitantly exploring my anxiety surrounding teaching and, paired with the fact that I was still not touring with any regularity, I took voice lessons again for myself and made a commitment to my private teaching practice. Much to my chagrin, I began to enjoy teaching.

The Challenge Of Being A Better Teacher

Right around this time, my music career blossomed. My then-new indie pop project, SISTERS, quickly garnered critical praise and a dedicated local and regional following, and I started getting more calls for touring and studio work. As the demand for my musical offerings grew, so did demand for my teaching services.

In retrospect, I can’t help but wonder if my change in attitude toward teaching invited a holistic overhaul to the entirety of my music career.

I currently maintain an extremely flexible teaching schedule during workday hours because I can no longer commit to any specific day of the week. It took almost 10 years of structuring and restructuring to achieve this balance.

Mitigate Expectations (Again)

I still find myself daydreaming about that opportunity that will take me away from *this life* and catapult me into the stratosphere of tour buses surrounded by successful musicians and their celebrity friends. You could view this as a healthy dose of fallacy and ambition — the combination of which will keep you hungry and satisfied. I find it most productive at this mark in my life to remind myself that success in my music career is not mutually exclusive to an enjoyable and lucrative career in teaching. Each pursuit can — and will — inform the other, if you give them each the space to do so.

How have you found success in balancing performance with teaching? Please share your experiences in the comments below.

]]>8-outstanding-ways-to-use-playlists-with-your-business-41847c18311c<![CDATA[8 Outstanding Ways to Use Playlists with Your Business]]>2017-06-21T00:00:00.000Z2017-06-21T00:00:00.000ZWhether we’re talking about SoundCloud, Spotify, Pandora, or YouTube — audio or visual — playlists are my secret weapon in my business. I use them ALL the time. Here are my top methods grouped into…

title: "8 Outstanding Ways to Use Playlists with Your Business" description: >- Whether we’re talking about SoundCloud, Spotify, Pandora, or YouTube — audio or visual — playlists are my secret weapon in my business. I use them ALL the time. Here are my top methods grouped into… cover: 1__psXMBsiPLL1__TgmueCG__yg.jpeg date: '2017-06-21' tags:

Music
Clients
Students

Spotify, YouTube, SoundCloud, Oh My!

Whether we’re talking about SoundCloud, Spotify, Pandora, or YouTube — audio or visual — playlists are my secret weapon in my business. I use them ALL the time. Here are my top methods grouped into three of my favorite main usages: Ambience, Education, and Collaboration. Maybe you’ll get a few stellar ideas from this list too!

Ambience — Create The Mood

This one is the obvious go-to usage for playlists, especially music playlists. Creating an atmosphere that promotes the experience you want your customers to have is such a powerful tool. There’s a reason malls across America use playlists filled with easily accessible music — they’re promoting a culture of easily accessible products. Think about it. Going shopping with experimental noise grunge for background music doesn’t always make you want to whip your credit card out… That is, unless you’re a regular customer of Hot Topic.

I encourage you to take a minute to think about the emotional landscape you want to usher your clients into.

Workshops and Events — Before and after a business event is a perfect way to use playlists. By subtly or overtly promoting a desired vibe for your event, your customers will be more likely to be in a perfect frame of mind! (Be ethical about it though, come on. No one like to feel manipulated.)
Landing Pages — Why take your customers to a plain old “Thank You” page?! Put a killer dance party in it too! Or if you’re in the business of before/afters, provide them with a little extra motivation by dropping in a playlist of YouTube videos featuring all your previous clients’ successes!
**Online Courses **— Some of my favorite online courses use YouTube music videos to make hilarious (and very effective) points. If you’re a business coach teaching your clients how to create products from their customer’s requests, then your online course is begging for a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
Extra Pizazz— Providing your clients with a surprise playlist for their personal use is a perfect way to to go above and beyond the excellence they expect from your business. For instance, Suzanne Yada of Signal Boost Collective suggests: “If your customers are athletes, a running playlist is awesome.”

“When you use other people’s property, you need to ask permission” — ASCAP

Seriously. If your business is the type to use playlists for ambience, don’t be a jerk. Ask permission before plugging in. An easy way to get a business license for playing music is via Spotify’s Business account. It’s $35/month, which is a lot cheaper than a lawsuit. If you still have questions about why this is necessary, read all about it here.

Education — Point to the Knowledge

Even if it’s just the FAQ section of your website, many businesses out there are education oriented. Playlists are a fantastic method to communicate an idea or technique with your customers!

**Gathering Experts **— Let’s be honest. There’s a lot of garbage out there, which is why collecting a playlist of all “The Greats” is a wonderful way to care for your clients or students. Not only will this make things easier to reference when you’re with students, but it’ll also help them find other experts (approved by you) to learn from.
Display Examples — I’ve been known to collect a playlist or two for my students: playlists filled with examples of what not to do, and what to definitely do. This might apply to teaching your students a specific technique, how to approach public speaking, or how to use your product. Sharing with your students (in a respectful and appropriate manner) all the potential faux pas and oops-moments can really help their learning acquisition.
Save Your Breath — Quit sounding like a broken record. I’ve had a few students before who needed me to repeat myself all. the. time. This is fine. In fact, some (aka most) folks need repetition in order to learn something. But not every teacher or coach has the patience nor the vocal power to sound like a broken record. Create a playlist! Record yourself (video or audio) saying “the thing,” put it on YouTube or in Dropbox and email them the link! Boom.

Collaboration — Connect with the People

Every business is about people. Even if you’re in the robot biz, your business is still about people. Connecting with those people is crucial to the success of your business.

Build Community — Spotify has this awesome new feature to build collaborative playlists. I love it and it’s a great way to encourage your entire client base to interact, support, and encourage each other.
Understand Your Customers — Assigning your customers or clients with the task of creating their own playlist around a certain subject, emotion, or pursuit will tell you SO much about who they are and where they are in their customer journey. I’ve been known to plan an entire client’s curriculum around their first playlist they gave me at our first meeting. Doing this was the best thing I could’ve done for that client, because they got a completely unique-to-them approach and delivery.

Here are some suggestions from other business owners like you…

“I take the ideas that I want students to reinforce the most, turn them into videos, and group them into YouTube playlists that kids and parents can use at home to make the most of their practice time. Subscribers get to stay engaged with our studio throughout the week as they see what the other kids and me are all working on. Here’s one of the playlists!” (Neil Fong Gilfillan of Chili Dog Strings)

For me, since I also am a musician, I’ve included playlists for moods and situations I think my fans will enjoy, and I put my own songs on them. I also do a bit of brand alignment, so if I think people who like Tori Amos will like my music, I’ll make a playlist of artists big and small that I think will work… It solves a problem for them, I get traffic on my site, I can then retarget them through Facebook for my music. Win, win, win. Here’s an example of just that.

Biggest advice to brands who want to start using playlists in their outreach: find a problem your customer wants to solve with just the right music. If your customers are athletes, a running playlist is awesome. If you’re a B2B, perhaps a playlist that will make board meetings more epic (so basically the Game of Thrones soundtrack). Or a relaxing playlist for when your customers are the most stressed.

DO be careful that you are not making a playlist so that another business can play in the background for your customers. That music needs to be licensed properly through ASCAP or BMI if you are playing music in a public setting. You can’t just put on a Spotify playlist for your customers without the licensing, especially if you’re a place of business. (Suzanne Yada of Signal Boost Collective)

I put together a YouTube playlist of medleys during my “melody vs medley” month. [My students] loved getting to choose from my piano medley playlist (Disney, favorite pop artists, Star Wars, movie soundtracks, etc.) and hear their favorite songs played in a new way as we learned about melodies and medleys. (Dana Parker of thepianoparlor.com)

How do YOU use playlists in your business?

Please share your thoughts in the comments below!

Peterson’s mission is inspire a global resonance and magnanimous community through the marriage of art and whole-person development.

She is available here: www.emilyannpeterson.com

]]>fons-now-supports-subscriptions-tuition-payment-models-83d200febca<![CDATA[Fons Now Supports Subscriptions & Tuition Payment Models!]]>2017-06-15T00:00:00.000Z2017-06-15T00:00:00.000ZOne of the most requested Fons features has been support for tuition payment models. Our top-notch designers and developers devoted their heart and soul into building this for you, which is why we’re…

title: "Fons Now Supports Subscriptions & Tuition Payment Models!" description: >- One of the most requested Fons features has been support for tuition payment models. Our top-notch designers and developers devoted their heart and soul into building this for you, which is why we’re… cover: 1__hl9EC5XpAhZFhzAJkawIzQ.png date: '2017-06-15' tags:

Fons
Payments

One of the most requested Fons features has been support for tuition payment models. Our top-notch designers and developers devoted their heart and soul into building this for you, which is why we’re so excited to announce…

IT’S HERE! Woohoo!

Here’s a brief overview of this fancy new feature…

You can now set a rate and duration (1 week, 1 month, 3 months, etc…) for your subscription offering. After a client’s first confirmed appointment, Fons will automatically bill the full amount upfront and start the client’s subscription. Teachers retain control of the number of appointments per subscription period.

Here’s how to get started right away…

Once you’ve created your account, click “Account” then “Client Billing.” You’ll find the brand spankin’ new fangled option to select one or both payment models for your organization! Easy peasy!

If a teacher selects both payment models, then each client’s profile now includes an option to adjust their billing cycle as seen here…

A Couple FAQ’s

Does Fons keep track of how many lessons a subscription student can receive? or will those students have unlimited access to my calendar?

At this time it’s up to the discretion of the teacher. Teachers retain control of the number of appointments per subscription period. The client can request as many or as few as they want while the teacher can choose to decline those that exceed whatever number of appointments they agreed upon.

Teachers can see all the appointments a student has scheduled within a subscription cycle as seen here…

I don’t have an upgraded Fons Pro account, can I still get this feature?

Of course! Both the Fons & Fons Pro memberships include this new subscription payment model feature! We’re happy to share this capability with the whole world!

What are you waiting for?!

Log into or create your Fons account to check it out right now!

]]>memorizing-101-tips-for-teachers-and-students-983d1a9d28ca<![CDATA[Memorizing 101: Tips for Teachers and Students]]>2017-06-14T00:00:00.000Z2017-06-14T00:00:00.000ZAah, the “m” word… memorize. This word filled me with fear as a child pianist, especially when faced with the daunting challenge of memorizing a several page long work by Mozart or Chopin. I don’t…

title: "Memorizing 101: Tips for Teachers and Students" description: >- Aah, the “m” word… memorize. This word filled me with fear as a child pianist, especially when faced with the daunting challenge of memorizing a several page long work by Mozart or Chopin. I don’t… date: '2017-06-14' cover: 1__VvDywmby4lb4rJ7XFrG__5g.jpeg tags:

Education
Teaching

Aah, the “m” word… memorize. This word filled me with fear as a child pianist, especially when faced with the daunting challenge of memorizing a several page long work by Mozart or Chopin. I don’t recall specific instructions about memorizing from my youth, or even from my three years of studying music at a university. But as an adult performer I’ve had to memorize hours of music, and so over the past few years I’ve worked with my students using methods that I’ve found helpful, so that they can gain confidence and skill at this very important part of music learning.

Conscious Memory vs Muscle Memory

Many students find that they memorize songs just by playing them many times. This is part of memory work and it is useful, but usually it’s not enough just to have the song “in your hands”. When a student gets into a higher anxiety situation like a performance, they may find that they blank out or can’t recall sections of the music. I often can identify when a piece is in this state of memory because the student will try to play faster, willing their fingers to remember the music.

When working with students, I distinguish between muscle (or what I call “unconscious”) memory and conscious memorizing. Conscious memorization occurs when a student goes through a song section by section, learning each one well enough that their brains — not just their fingers — are fully and consciously engaged.

Short Sections Are Key

Memorizing short sections is helpful because students are more likely to memorize all the detail. It also provides “safe” places where a student can go back to if necessary, and gives students achievable goals. Memorizing a two-page song may seem overwhelming, but deciding to start with a line of the song is a more realistic, immediate goal.

The length of a section depends on the difficulty of the music, and on the student’s ability. For easy songs or younger students, often a measure or two is long enough. For more advanced students, focusing on phrases is usually a good idea, because it makes sense musically.

I encourage students to play a section looking once at the music, and then once looking at their hands (or closing their eyes), and repeating the passage several times without looking at the music, unless needed. Once they are confident, repeat this with the next section, then put the two parts together.

This is like using building blocks — students just keep adding to what they have memorized until the whole song is done.

Slowing It Down

An excellent way to determine how solidly a song is memorized is by slowing it down to half speed or less. Often, if a student has relied too much on muscle memory, or didn’t take enough time memorizing specific sections, when a song is played at a slower tempo, mistakes and memory lapses will show up. Students can discover the areas in their songs where they need more work using this method.

Memorizing During Lessons Equals Confidence!

Occasionally, I have young or newer students who lack confidence and doubt that they could memorize a song. For these students, I work with them in lesson. I’ll say something like: “Before you leave today, you’ll have memorized this line of music”. (They will often be very doubtful!) Pick a goal you know the student can achieve (even if it’s only a measure or two). Work with them, using the ideas from above.

Often, students will achieve their goal in only five or ten minutes. When that happens, I make sure to point out how little time it can take when they are practicing using helpful methods. The satisfaction and confidence boost that a student gains by actually achieving a goal during lesson is priceless. It will usually inspire them to go home and continue the work on their own, which is a great outcome!

Playing for Family and Friends

We all play so much better when we are alone! My adult students will attest to this. When they play for me in lesson, so many will say: “I did it much better at home” — and I fully believe them! Playing for an audience, whether it be a friend or a teacher, often brings out any unstable sections in a piece of music. That’s why I encourage students who have memorized a song to play for their family. Ideally, any trouble spots will come out during these performances, and the students will know where they need to focus more time.

Lesson As Rehearsal

If we are preparing for a recital, I’ll create a mini “dress rehearsal” (minus the dress) in lesson. I’ll even sit in a different place in my studio to try to recreate a performance situation where adrenaline or anxiety might cause a student to stumble. I’ll do this in the final few lessons leading up to a performance, and I’ve found that my students are usually prepared for anything that might happen on the actual performance day.

Stuff Happens

Even with the best preparation, our memory can slip. Perhaps someone in the audience sneezes loudly, or a baby cries. Maybe we get distracted by our hands being slippery because it’s hot in the room. We can’t control everything in our performance environment, but by helping your students prepare and solidly memorize their songs, they should be able to do a performance of which they can be proud. And more than that, well-learned music will usually stay with students for many years to come.

]]>rescheduling-private-lessons-how-to-be-fair-and-flexible-a32bc230e293<![CDATA[Rescheduling Private Lessons: How To Be Fair and Flexible]]>2017-06-12T00:00:00.000Z2017-06-12T00:00:00.000ZIt is a Tuesday afternoon, and I have a full day of teaching private lessons ahead. I have commuted to my teaching space, and I am waiting for my first student to show up. And I wait…and I wait…

title: "Rescheduling Private Lessons: How To Be Fair and Flexible" description: >- It is a Tuesday afternoon, and I have a full day of teaching private lessons ahead. I have commuted to my teaching space, and I am waiting for my first student to show up. And I wait…and I wait… date: '2017-06-12' cover: 1__UZmdEM__l6GgFxS0bBe4Lng.jpeg tags:

Education
Teaching
Business
Clients
Students
Scheduling

It is a Tuesday afternoon, and I have a full day of teaching private lessons ahead. I have commuted to my teaching space, and I am waiting for my first student to show up. And I wait…and I wait.

Every teacher has some experience (read: an overabundance of experience) with students cancelling or no-showing to lessons. You may require that your students pay in advance for a month of lessons — in this scenario, you have likely outlined your cancellation policy, and it isn’t likely very flexible. It may look something like this:

Any cancellation, no matter how far in advance, is a lost lesson with no exceptions for makeups or refunds with little to no wiggle room for the student — or the teacher, for that matter.

Does this sound familiar?

Policing A Policy

In my teaching career, I have struggled endlessly with a firm yet fair approach to rescheduling missed lessons. I taught at a myriad private lesson music schools before starting my own private teaching practice, and the missed lesson policy for those schools was invariably parallel to the aforementioned: any missed lesson is a lost lesson.

As a young teacher, I recognized that this policy felt unfair, but I nevertheless took advantage of a system gamed in my favor.

Of course, there are arguments for this policy: a student is paying for a block of time that can’t be filled on a moment’s notice, or even a couple of weeks in most cases. The teacher has already spent the time organizing their schedule and have already committed to the commute for the day when a cancellation occurs. My former music school director likened it to paying for Comcast: “You wouldn’t go on vacation and ask Comcast to refund you for a week away.” Or a college class — if you skip class, you’re not going to go to the admissions office and ask for a refund for that class. Still, this system always felt unfair, and it was difficult to impose on parents who didn’t share the school’s enthusiasm for said-policy.

Conversely, my performance career has dogged my teaching career with more conflicts than I can recount. For years, I maintained a single teaching day — Tuesdays, as it were — and I would do untold somersaults to keep my Tuesdays open for teaching. In the rare event I was forced to miss a Tuesday for a performance or tour, I would insist on making up every lesson, so as to not miss out on the income. As my performance career blossomed, I found myself missing more Tuesdays than even I was comfortable with. The stress of finding “makeup” days in addition to my scheduled teaching day (Tuesday) eventually became too much to bear. A paradigm shift was in order.

A System That Works For Everyone

It is a teacher’s primary responsibility to create an infrastructure rooted in trust and respect that flows both ways; from teacher to student and vise versa.

In my private practice, I have moved away from collecting monthly tuition; for myself, as a performer whose demand is steadily increasing, and in today’s quick-paced world with kids and adults alike pursuing a multitude of interests, it is hardly practical for me to maintain a weekly lesson schedule. Instead, I give my students the option of paying for a one-off lesson at a commensurately higher rate, or an option of purchasing four lessons at a slightly reduced rate, to be redeemed anytime my student and I find an agreeable time to meet at my home studio.

If something comes up and the student isn’t able to attend, I take care of other business. We live in a mobile world, and as a performer, educator, and entrepreneur, there are endless tasks to which I can attend in the event of a no-show. To pretend otherwise is to create a scenario in which the teacher’s time is viewed as invaluable and the student’s time is viewed as disposable. This is not a recipe for mutual respect and it is unlikely that students will be easily retained.

The payments I receive are more sporadic, yes — but the difference in income is more than met with the opportunity I am choosing to take outside the classroom. This is, of course, a sliding scale system, wherein your consistency in availability should dictate your personal policy practices.

What policy works for you? Please share your experiences in the comments below.

]]>how-to-get-started-teaching-in-a-new-city-ccd041be10b0<![CDATA[How To Get Started Teaching In A New City]]>2017-06-07T00:00:00.000Z2017-06-07T00:00:00.000ZA brand new city with new people and opportunities to explore is an invigorating experience for most people. However, a move will also mean you have to relocate your studio as well. The thought of…

title: "How To Get Started Teaching In A New City" description: >- A brand new city with new people and opportunities to explore is an invigorating experience for most people. However, a move will also mean you have to relocate your studio as well. The thought of… date: '2017-06-07' cover: 1__XtaN1WMO7oK__R3__nh__rE__Q__2x.jpeg tags:

Business
Marketing
Solopreneurship
Clients
Students

Erica Darr, M. Mus

A brand new city with new people and opportunities to explore is an invigorating experience for most people. However, a move will also mean you have to relocate your studio as well.

The thought of relocating your private studio can be a bit intimidating at first but if you already have an established studio in your current city then the transition, though not effortless, can still be smooth and steady.

Good planning is key

You have to plan your teaching life in a new city before you actually get there.

Private studios are typically filled from word-of-mouth referrals. Here’s how to make the most of them:

Before you leave your current area, talk with your students and associates to see if they have any referrals they can give you in your new area.
If they do not know anyone actively searching for a teacher, perhaps they have a contact or two that could help spread the word about your arrival, helping you make some connections before you ever place roots in your new city.
Ask your current students for recommendation letters and offer them assistance finding a new teacher. Recommendations and referral letters from those who know you best can help you establish a positive reputation in your new city.
Going the extra mile to help place your current students with a new instructor will not only make their transition easier, but yours as well. Knowing that your students have been left in the good, capable hands of a colleague can give you one less item to worry about during your move.

Get yourself online

Consider starting a digital portfolio or user-friendly website in advance of your move, if you do not already have one (check out this great checklist if you are revamping or launching a website).

It’ll really help raise your profile in the following ways:

Many potential students research teachers online and an online portfolio can give those students a chance to learn more about you, your teaching style, and credentials.
Use the global reach of social media to your advantage. One of the wonderful qualities of social media is that it brings the entire world a little closer. You can sit in your current area and start connecting with people in your new area before you get there.
I have always had great success with Facebook groups. Most major cities have well-established Facebook groups that allow people to connect with their neighbors in general conversations, as well as post advertisements or ‘wanted’ postings. With a little time and effort, you can both advertise your arrival and teaching services, as well as seek out people in those areas who could become potential students.
You can also seek out groups related to your profession and/or content, such as groups for piano teachers or vocal coaches. These types of groups can be a great way to connect with teachers in your new city that can give you an inside track on finding students specific to your new city. Of course, always abide by the group’s rules regarding postings and member interactions!

After you relocate

Once you get settled in your new location, all of the preparations you made before you moved should start to pay off. However, it will take consistent effort after the move to keep the momentum going.

Follow up with any referrals you received before you moved by letting those individuals know that you are now in the area and ready to start taking new students. Plan to get them started as soon as possible to start the process of getting a consistent studio schedule established.
Reflect on when you first started your past studio and consider the activities that worked well for you then. Is there a way to use any of those strategies in your new area? If it worked well for you once, it may work well again.
Let business cards do some of the work for you while you explore your new surroundings. Have a steady supply of business cards on hand to give out or leave on bulletin boards everywhere you go. Leave a card on the community bulletin boards at your new local post office, grocery stores, fitness center, and public library. Did you find a new hairdresser? Leave them with a business card too!
Connect with ensemble teachers at local schools and ask permission to share your studio information with their ensemble students or to be placed on a referral list. As a school teacher, I work with a large number of students and am sometimes approached by parents seeking private instructors for their children. Believe me when I say that it helps to have a go-to list of vocal coaches in the area that I can refer them to right away. Partnerships with public and private school teachers can help you reach a large number of potential students.
Try setting up at local festivals and fairs to spread the word about your studio, and get as many referrals and leads as you can. Drawings and giveaways are a great way to get a large number of leads at once. Have people enter a drawing for two or three free lessons, draw one winner, but be sure to offer every participant a chance to join your studio.
Group lessons can be a great way to gather several potential students together all at once. Once you have gathered a large number of leads, set up a free Studio Open House event featuring sessions of group lessons over the course of a day or two. Encourage each attendee to bring someone with them, perhaps offering them a free individual lesson if they bring someone who also signs up for lessons.

Be patient

Lastly, the biggest tip I can give is for you to be patient. Establishing yourself in a new city takes time.

Planning ahead of your big move gives you the advantage of momentum. It then becomes possible to arrive in a new city with leads, referrals, and a positive presence in the community already established.

In addition to setting up your studio, you may also have other general moving items to tend to, and it can easily get overwhelming.

However, with a little time, effort, and advance planning, the move can be an invigorating and energizing undertaking for both you and your studio.

]]>the-memorization-challenge-one-month-three-songs-9d9fd4761e77<![CDATA[The Memorization Challenge: One Month, Three Songs]]>2017-06-02T00:00:00.000Z2017-06-02T00:00:00.000ZAre you looking to prepare students for an upcoming recital, or just want to encourage them to take a step beyond learning some songs? The “Memorization Challenge” can help! This is a fun, month-long…

title: "The Memorization Challenge: One Month, Three Songs" description: >- Are you looking to prepare students for an upcoming recital, or just want to encourage them to take a step beyond learning some songs? The “Memorization Challenge” can help! This is a fun, month-long… date: '2017-06-02' cover: 1__gc7qEK9JURnfxTbg4rZ2Uw.jpeg tags:

Music
Teaching
Education
Personal Development
Health
Lessons
Creativity
Practice

Are you looking to prepare students for an upcoming recital, or just want to encourage them to take a step beyond learning some songs? The “Memorization Challenge” can help! This is a fun, month-long challenge that I’ve done with my students for several years, with great results.

I started the challenge for several reasons. As teachers know, students often go through ebbs and flows of energy and enthusiasm about their study. Late winter can be one of those ebb periods, especially here in the Pacific Northwest where the months of grey skies often wear us down!

So, when I considered what would be fun and helpful during the month of March, I realized that it wouldn’t hurt to get students prepared early for their upcoming Spring recitals and performance opportunities. Also, even for students who don’t have upcoming performances (I’m thinking especially about my shy adult students here), it’s great for them to have some songs ready to play when asked by parents, spouses or friends.

How does it work?

I challenge all of my students to memorize a minimum of three songs over the course of about four weeks. About a week before the challenge period starts, I explain it to each student, and send a letter home for the parents so they can support and encourage the student.

At each lesson during the challenge period, I ask every student if they have any songs ready for the challenge. If they do, I invite them to play it for me without their music in front of them. Students can choose to try multiple songs a lesson, or one each week. I encourage students to start early in the month because it often takes more than one lesson to successfully memorize a song. Very few adult students usually participate, but nearly all of my younger students do.

Music choices

The students choose which songs they wish to memorize. The main guideline is that it should be something an audience would want to listen to — so scales and exercises are usually out. I also ask that at least two of the three songs were learned recently — ideally within the past one to four months. The beauty of the challenge is that students at all levels can do it — they aren’t competing against each other, but only trying to complete the challenge at their skill level. (For more advanced students, I will sometimes let them just complete part of a piece of music.)

Assistance with memorizing

I will sometimes sit with a student in lesson and help them memorize sections of their songs. This is especially useful for newer students to whom the thought of memorizing anything seems overwhelming. If you can help them get at least a couple of measures down solidly during lesson, they’ll usually gain confidence and be able to do more at home. I’ll have another article soon about specific suggestions regarding memory work.

Judging readiness

As sole judge, I base my decision on whether the song “passes” on several criteria, including accuracy of the notes and rhythm, inclusion of dynamics and articulation, and overall solidity of the memory. I will often let the student play the song a second time if needed. If the student meets the criteria, I write the song down in a notebook I keep handy during the challenge month.

If the song isn’t quite ready yet, I talk with the student about how it could be improved, and encourage them to try the song again at the following lesson. They are not penalized in any way if this happens… it hopefully just reinforces the idea that music learning is a process, and that more time and work should achieve results.

Self-assessment

I always have my own opinion about whether a song is ready. However, I often find it helpful to ask the student to consider the question: “If you had to get up on a stage and perform the song right now, do you think you’d be ready?”

Nearly always, the student’s assessment and mine are the same. (This can be helpful if you have a particularly sensitive student who needs more time with a song.)

Rewards

The most basic reward is having the songs memorized, but I sweeten the deal by offering a treat of some kind at the end of the period for everyone who has met the challenge (gift certificates for an ice cream cone are a good choice). I also do a draw for a few gift certificates to local music, toy or bookstores, as an added bonus for all the students that have successfully risen to the challenge.

Three songs and beyond!

I occasionally have students (usually newer piano students) who are so excited by the challenge that they memorize more than three songs. I love when this happens, and welcome it.

For each additional song memorized (beyond the original three), the student can get another sweet treat. I don’t enter their name in the gift certificate drawing again because it seems to give an unfair advantage to students with shorter songs, and I don’t want to discourage my more advanced students from entering. But I love when my students just keep adding to their repertoire of memorized music!

The “Memorization Challenge” has been a successful way to stimulate energy and excitement among my students, and also accomplish the goals of encouraging them to memorize songs and prepare for upcoming performances. I hope you’ll find it useful for your students as well!

Val Blaha is a McMinnville, Oregon-based private music instructor and singer/songwriter. She teaches piano, guitar, mandolin and ukulele, and has been offering private lessons since 2001. Her original music and upcoming shows can be found at www.valblaha.com .

]]>7-steps-to-setting-difficult-boundaries-5d205de99dd3<![CDATA[7 Steps to Setting Difficult Boundaries]]>2017-05-31T00:00:00.000Z2017-05-31T00:00:00.000ZIf you’re reading this, most likely you’ve found yourself at one time or another feeling like a friend, family member, client, or student has stepped on your toes. Maybe a client is chronically late…

title: 7 Steps to Setting Difficult Boundaries description: >- If you’re reading this, most likely you’ve found yourself at one time or another feeling like a friend, family member, client, or student has stepped on your toes. Maybe a client is chronically late… cover: 1__aJQJtCGmlxwo__E1G__i8ypA.jpeg date: '2017-05-31' tags:

Solopreneurship
Teaching
Education
Clients
Students
Payments

How to hold your own, stand strong, and show up confidently.

If you’re reading this, most likely you’ve found yourself at one time or another feeling like a friend, family member, client, or student has stepped on your toes.

Maybe a client is chronically late to their appointments? Maybe they go way over their allotted time with you? Maybe they have perpetually late payments? Or last minute and unreasonable demands? Maybe they talk over you while you’re trying to say something important?

Emotional boundaries, relational, or professional boundaries — getting those lines crossed does not feel good. Speaking from personal experience, it causes me to be the kind of person that I’m not always proud of (because I’m second-guessing myself, trying to catch my breath, or worse coming from a place of defensiveness and fear).

It doesn’t matter whether I’m teaching a music student, conversing with a family member, or working with a marketing client, here’s what I’ve learned about setting difficult boundaries that have already been crossed:

1. Find Your No

When I first got started teaching music students, I’d get caught up in the moment of instruction and wouldn’t realize until after the appointment that a line had been crossed. I’d be standing in the door waving goodbye to the student and their (difficult) parent, only to close the door behind them and think “Why on earth do I feel so yucky? so angry? so [insert odd emotion here]?” This sensation would also happen after strange interactions with friends or family members.

I quickly learned that if I didn’t listen to that initial question, nor try to find the answer to it, then an even bigger line would usually get crossed later down the line. (Payments that were 4–8 weeks late? Yuck! Parents on their phones for the entirety of their child’s lesson? No thanks. Clients assuming I had nothing else going on that weekend? Think again.)

The first step of setting difficult boundaries is to recognize where exactly is your “no”. Even if you think they’ve only tread upon the grey area of the boundary, it’s still important to acknowledge to yourself where the definitely-not-no-way-absolutely-do-not-go-there boundary is.

Maybe for you the grey area is a client arriving 5–10 minutes late. It happens, right? But you know that 30–45 minutes late is an absolute no. Maybe a grey area is one week of misconduct due to other life stresses. But you know that two months is way too much drama. Maybe a grey area is one small verbal criticism, but 10 stingers in under 30 minutes warrants a full-stop, walk-away moment.

Identify for yourself where the no is and this will empower you while you’re setting the boundary, and also inform your future boundary setting.

2. Observe H_ow_ the Line was Crossed

When you’re setting a difficult boundary, it helps to acknowledge the ingredients that made up for the crossing-of-the-line in the first place. Are they perpetually late to everything in their life? Do they not care that they’re late? Or are they forgetting? Do they need an automatic reminder? Do they need two or three automatic reminders? Is the street parking really godawful? Is the traffic that unpredictable?

Not knowing these ingredients can feel like standing knee-deep in water inside a boat while hoisting buckets of water from the hull and exclaiming: “I don’t know how on Earth this water keeps getting in here?!?!?” Take a step back and acknowledge exactly how the boundary has been encroached upon.

3. Find Your Yes

This is especially important when dealing with clients or customers (or toddlers for that matter!) Find your yes. Find the thing you want them to do. Identify the way things can ideally be. If the world were a perfect place, how would things have gone differently for the better?

Knowing your “yes” will equip you with the tools to highlight the positive rather than the negative with your client. For example, telling a toddler “Keep your food on your plate” is sooo much more effective than “Don’t throw your food on the floor!” This is because the child hears the desired behavior, rather than an enforced negative behavior. Same goes for other difficult conversations with more (hopefully) grown-up individuals.

4. Decide How to Set Your Boundary

I am such a huge fan of clear and frequent communication. I learned the hard way that if I merely sat silently, the situation would never change. That said, sometimes it is appropriate to say nothing. This is why it’s so important to decide in advance how you’d like to make your boundary known.

Perhaps laying down an iron fist policy change in a mass email to all your clients is not the best solution for this instance? Perhaps a casual problem-solving conversation is best? (Example: “I’ve noticed you’ve been late to your lesson the last two weeks. Is everything OK? Let’s brainstorm, how can I help you get here on time?”)

At one time in my teaching career, I chose to inform chronically tardy students that after 15 minutes of waiting I’d leave my teaching studio to use their appointment time for a bonus (paid for) coffee break and lock the door behind me. When they showed up 45 minutes late without notice, to a locked door and called me asking “Where are you?” it was then that I’d respond, “Oh! You weren’t here. I didn’t hear from you, so I went to run an errand and get some coffee.”

Again, different situations will warrant different methods of enforcing and informing about the boundaries. If you have observed your own responses and ingredients of the breaking-of-the-boundary, then this step will be much easier.

5. Take a Deep Breath

If your situation is asking for a roll-your-sleeves-up brave moment of speaking up for yourself, then I highly encourage taking a deep breath before making your next move. It really does help. Your brain and emotional well-being will need all that oxygen to break out of the fear-filled loop of reaction.

Get yourself grounded. Remind yourself of the all the previous steps mentioned above. Take a deep breath. Or two. Or three. And then…

6. Set the Boundary

Have the conversation. Write the text/email, press send. Do the thing.

My professional work with students and marketing clients has told me time and time again that the worst part of a scary feat is the preparation for it. Creating the website might take months, but launching it happens with the click of a button. Same goes for sending that difficult email with a new set of boundaries or having the conversation.

If this is a boundary that you’ll have to enforce frequently, know that it will get easier over time. Also, know that enforcing it is worth it.

7. Their Reaction is Not Yours

If you have intentionally and carefully done the above steps, even if everything can goes smoothly as possible, sometimes it doesn’t pan out. This is just a fact of being human, not everyone will love us equally and unconditionally. (Deep thoughts, huh?)

Depending upon the person and the boundary you’re setting, you might lose them. Your friend’s feelings might get hurt. They might feel “boxed in”. It’s important to remember that their reaction is not your responsibility. This new boundary is there to protect all parties involved. In most cases, the boundary exists to nurture the relationship, even if the nurturing comes in an uncomfortable form at first.

This is why I like to throw in the next bonus step…

Bonus! 8. Participate in Self_-C_are

In most cases, the setting of these new boundaries already qualifies as self-care. However, if you’re like me and you’re facing a more difficult reaction, then a post-conversational solo walk or bubble bath is in order. My personal favorite act of self-care? A good roll-down-the-windows-turn-up-the-music sing along head-bang session.

Setting difficult boundaries can be tough as nails, but I know that I’m more likely to enforce a future difficult boundary if I care for myself and my own emotions afterwards.

Knowing that you have a sense of safety, confidence, and place to be yourself in the world?

Worth it. So worth it.

Peterson’s mission is inspire a global resonance and magnanimous community through the marriage of art and whole-person development.

She is available here: www.emilyannpeterson.com

]]>how-to-work-with-adult-students-f4096cfa63ce<![CDATA[How To Work With Adult Students]]>2017-05-30T00:00:00.000Z2017-05-30T00:00:00.000ZOver the years as a teacher, I have taught young and old — and there are many similarities — but also many differences between teaching an adult compared to a child. For example, whether you’re…

title: "How To Work With Adult Students" description: >- Over the years as a teacher, I have taught young and old — and there are many similarities — but also many differences between teaching an adult compared to a child. For example, whether you’re… date: '2017-05-30' cover: 1__jNxQyNigorUl2ZiNrpFe1g.jpeg tags:

Education
Teaching
Clients
Students

Judith Barrass looks at the ways to understand the needs of your adult students as a private teacher

Over the years as a teacher, I have taught young and old — and there are many similarities — but also many differences between teaching an adult compared to a child.

For example, whether you’re teaching children or adults, you need to talk in their language to help them understand and enjoy your class. But you also need to alter your approach from all angles, so let’s look at some differences and how to achieve an adult friendly learning environment:

Different motivations

A key difference is the reason an adult decides to take your class. This impacts on the attitude they bring to your class and that has a knock-on effect on their ability to learn.

Years ago, I taught a course that was half full of students aged 18 to 25, which you would class as young adults, and the rest of the class were over 25-years-old. The younger group had their fees were paid for by the government, the older group paid for themselves.

As you can imagine, the older group never missed a class, they were never late to hand in their homework, and constantly asked questions to further their knowledge. They were like sponges and it was a pleasure to teach them. The younger group needed more motivating. While some were keen, their enthusiasm didn’t come anywhere near the older group.

Yes, you’ve guessed where I’m going with this. It was all down to who paid for the course.

The older group were there because they wanted to be, they were hungry for the knowledge and willing to pay. The younger group may have wanted to be there, but they were not as hungry.

This meant often I stayed behind with the older group as they had more questions they wanted answering. They had done their research, wanted my opinion and we often had interesting discussions that may have gone off subject slightly, but I felt these discussions brought context and background knowledge to the class, so would help with the main theme.

When doing exercises and tasks, I would mix the groups up as I knew the older group would keep the young ones on track. However, it was also good for the older ones to get the younger perspective. And for me it was a win-win situation to use all the expertise I had in the room from whatever background.

If the younger group did miss a lesson I did a recap session and the older group were ready with the answers and happy to show off their new found understanding. This method consolidated the knowledge with the older group and gave them time to practice or discuss, and the younger ones hopefully got the chance to catch up.

Learning a new skill

The older group in my previous example were also coming to my class to change their career. They were entering the fitness industry and so they needed both the theory and also practical skills to succeed in their new career.

So, the adult learners were coming to class not just for fun, but to enhance their lives and to transform their hobby into a credible new job. The well-known saying ‘do what you love, love what you do’ applied to this older group — and that made them keen and easy to teach.

With this in mind, we need to keep the adult student interested. You may want to set goals but with adult students it may or not mean exams. Again, it depends on the ‘why’ they are there.

If they are coming to your class to learn a skill, they may need a qualification to further their career or keep their job, for example, and this may create pressure, which we as teachers need to take into consideration.

Balancing work and study can be a stressful time and it may have been quite a few years since these adults were in an exam environment. On exam day, don’t presume that as adults they are not nervous. They may even be worse than the average 16–year-old, especially if there is a lot riding on the result. Make sure they are well prepared to try and alleviate some of that anxiety. Perhaps a practice session in exam conditions or lots of past papers may give them the confidence they need for the day.

Time management may be something you could include in one of your sessions. This doesn’t have to be a dull lecture, try becoming a facilitator and let the group come up with ideas for what works for them. Perhaps even share your own stories, as (to be where you are now) you must keep up your skills/ qualifications/continuing professional development — and so who better to share?

As adults there will probably be lots of knowledge and skills in the room, that have been acquired over the years, that you can tap into. Use it to your and their advantage.

A quick note on cost

Cost also may be an issue for both adult and child learners. Some may not be able to afford the qualifications they need, but (as a means to an end) they may be stretching themselves financially to obtain this new award.

However, I feel cost is another whole other area for discussion. It’s not your place to decide if someone can afford your services — so don’t start adjusting your prices. People budget in different ways and you are not in a position to know what’s going on financially in your student’s life.

However, do be aware if there are any grants your student can apply for. There may be different options available for mature students (or children) so make sure you’re up-to-date with this information. If you’re really savvy with your knowledge of such grants and awards, use this as a marketing tool to stand out from the crowd.

Work or play?

Not all adult learners will come to your classes to push their careers forward, many will see your class as their “me” time and an opportunity for them to escape from a stressful lifestyle or job.

Those students looking for a break from a rigorous routine will have a different attitude to learning, many with the emphasis on fun.

If it’s ‘playtime’ then the pressure is off and we can be more relaxed in our approach to learning.

Here’s a quick video of one of my adult classes enjoying a bit of twerking — you’re never too old!

Friendships can be forged

Confidence can also be an issue, don’t assume because they are an adult they are comfortable in a new environment. Make them feel welcome and at ease, introduce other members of the class and new friendships may blossom.

Adults sometimes need you to break the ice for them. Not only is it nice to build relationships with your peers, but these friendships may encourage your adult learners to stick with your course.

Judith Barrass is a sports therapist with 30 years experience in the fitness industry, which includes health promotion and wellness.

]]>feeling-down-on-your-teaching-visit-your-teachers-847e59ee5644<![CDATA[Feeling Down On Your Teaching? Visit Your Teachers]]>2017-05-19T00:00:00.000Z2017-05-19T00:00:00.000ZThose of us who teach know that teaching is a challenging and demanding profession, but also a rewarding and satisfying experience. Challenges come in all directions when you are a teacher —…

title: "Feeling Down On Your Teaching? Visit Your Teachers" description: >- Those of us who teach know that teaching is a challenging and demanding profession, but also a rewarding and satisfying experience. Challenges come in all directions when you are a teacher —… cover: 1__KetSgqsyfIn2dQEWCH5iNw.jpeg date: '2017-05-19' tags:

Education
Teaching

Erica Darr, M. Mus

Those of us who teach know that teaching is a challenging and demanding profession, but also a rewarding and satisfying experience. Challenges come in all directions when you are a teacher — deadlines, events, expenses, difficult parents and students, personal challenges, and more.

Those of us who have taught for several years now understand the roller-coaster of events that take place within a teacher from school year to year.

Those who are new to teaching, however, are sometimes surprised by the sheer workload, as well as the mental, physical, and emotional demands of teaching. It is easy to get down on one’s teaching when you do all you can and students still do not grasp a certain concept or when one even wants to quit. We look to ourselves and often get down on ourselves as a result of the setbacks.

What is a teacher to do when the going gets tough?

One often overlooked strategy is to return to your own teachers, your mentors, and to look to them for sage advice, leadership, guidance, and a listening ear.

Why your teachers? Simply for this reason — those who have taught and/or mentored you know you as both a student and colleague. They know about being a teacher, and above that, they know about being YOUR teacher. Going back to those individuals allows for you to get an outsider’s perspective on your situation, as well as personal notes on how to manage the ups and downs of yourteaching career.

How should you go about doing this?

I might not always call and speak to my former teachers, but I will often find myself thinking about those individuals and how I hope what I do makes them proud.

I think to the lessons they have taught me in and out of the classroom and of ways to apply those lessons to my current situation. Sometimes that can be enough to not only help me think through my situation in a more objective manner, but also reignite the passion for teaching that gets lost in the midst of deadlines, stress and negativity.

Other times, I need a little bit more. Those are the times I have to reach out to a mentor to ask questions, seek advice, or sometimes just to vent. Again, these individuals know me as a teacher and student.

I have sometimes even had the pleasure of hearing my former teachers share stories of me as a student. Hearing those stories from their perspective make me think of my own students and remind me WHY I went into teaching in the first place. I did not start teaching for the salary or for special recognition. I went into teaching to make a difference because so many people in my life made a difference to me.

It is those thoughts that keep me together when I have one of ‘those’ days in my classroom (and we ALL have those days sometimes!)

Going back to those who taught us can also remind us that we are never alone on our journey. As someone who has taught for almost 14 years, I have not only been on the side of the mentee, but also the mentor.

The one comment I usually find myself saying the most is: ‘You are not alone.’

I would challenge you to spend time today thinking about those teachers and other mentors who impacted on your life and what exactly made them stand out to you. And the next time you have one of ‘those’ days, think of them, and think of why you went into teaching yourself.

It could be just what you need to help you get your second wind, renew your strength, and help you finish strong.

]]>how-to-use-spotify-to-be-more-than-just-a-music-teacher-3a8722dbd38e<![CDATA[How To Use Spotify To Be More Than Just A Music Teacher]]>2017-05-15T00:00:00.000Z2017-05-15T00:00:00.000ZIf you’re a music teacher, you’re probably not thinking about your super powers. “I’m just a music teacher,” you say. You are a cultural ambassador — opening doors to an entirely new world. You are…

title: "How To Use Spotify To Be More Than Just A Music Teacher" description: >- If you’re a music teacher, you’re probably not thinking about your super powers. “I’m just a music teacher,” you say. You are a cultural ambassador — opening doors to an entirely new world. You are… date: '2017-05-15' cover: 1__deiWr684Mu6fDZFD6aOWyQ.jpeg tags:

Music
Teaching
Education
Tools

Photo credit Gavin Whitner musicoomph.com

Cue the record maestro! Andrew Ingkavet teaches you how to bring the latest music services into your lessons

If you’re a music teacher, you’re probably not thinking about your super powers. “I’m just a music teacher,” you say.

You’re wrong.

You are a cultural ambassador — opening doors to an entirely new world. You are the curator with a unique opportunity to introduce a world of music, history and culture. You are the DJ, music programmer and taste maker. (And, often, you are a mentor, role model, counsellor, and friend.)

Just the mere mention of an artist, a song, a style and you have planted a seed in your students’ fertile minds.

Oh, what powers! But use them responsibly! Because with great power comes great responsibility.

From Grooves To Bits

Over the last few decades, how we access and enjoy recorded music has undergone a radical transformation. We went from analogue vinyl records to cassettes (eight tracks for a brief moment) and then CDs and MP3s. For a while, illegal downloading of music via Napster was a problem.

(Note: Napster is now back as a legal streaming service — Rhapsody purchased them in 2011.)

In October 2001, Apple introduced the iPod — a device that held thousands of songs in your pocket. Incredible! And it was easy to use and legal. The sound quality wasn’t as good as vinyl or CD, but who cares when it’s so convenient?

“What’s on your iPod?” became a popular meme.

But all these formats used a similar metaphor. You purchased a container that held the music. And then you owned the music.

A New Model For Listening

Today, this model has almost disappeared.

A new subscription model has emerged in which you don’t own the music, but merely rent it when you want. It’s similar to the home video market where Netflix has won (for now) and Blockbuster video is a forgotten memory.

Today, you can listen to a majority of the world’s recorded music with just a few clicks.

The biggest players are Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Prime Music, Google Play Music and Tidal. Each has a huge catalogue of artists with some exclusive deals as well.

Most offer a free plan and then an upgrade without advertisements or restrictions for a monthly charge of around $10. It gives you unlimited streaming of music to your computer, app or other devices.

Never before have we had instant access to the world’s greatest music! And this is extremely useful in the classroom or teaching studio.

My Jukebox

In a recent lesson, I wanted to teach a young guitarist the song Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison. The song has an excellent intro riff using sixths (or thirds in a simplified version). He had never heard it.

So, using my Amazon Tap, I spoke the magic words, “Alexa…play Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison.”

Within two seconds it was playing.

I couldn’t even search on my phone as quick as that. Using voice activation technology like Alexa from Amazon and Siri from Apple, I can rapidly cue up music from 500 years to five minutes ago.

Another time, I wanted to teach the song “Mean” to a young girl who was a big fan of Taylor Swift. For this, I had to use Apple Music as Taylor Swift is not on Spotify.

This time I said: “Hey Siri…play Mean by Taylor Swift.” Within two seconds, it was playing on my iPhone speaker.

I can quickly introduce music to my students.

The History Of Music

I can also use it as a music history and comparative analysis tool. Teaching young students about what came before and each period of music greatly enriches the understanding and hearing it is so much more effective than me just talking about it.

I can say, for example, listen to this piece by Palestrina from the 1500s.

And then go through examples from the 1600s, 1700s, etc.

My students got a big kick out of hearing Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring as I told them how the first audience was so shocked, some of its members had to receive medical attention.

Theme and Variations

Another way I use Spotify is to demonstrate the fluidity of a song.

Many students do not realize that songs can be changed into whatever genre you like — a country version of a rock song, disco — whatever. And the key signature can change according to the singer.

Just as contestants on The Voice reinvent a song, they want to do that too. So, hearing what others have done with a certain song can be very valuable.

The folk song, House of the Rising Sun, is from 16th century England! But in 1964, the British Rock band, the Animals, recorded a now classic version.

But for a more modern version, we can hear American Idol contestant Haley Reinhart.

Or, Joan Baez:

Or, Doc Watson:

It really opens up the sense of possibility in a single song.

Put Your Students On Spotify

Another thing that is so cool is the ability to get your student’s music on Spotify and other such services.

Years ago, I had a songwriting class where each student had to write music to public domain poems. After we worked on the melodies and harmonies, we recorded them. Here’s a track that came from that class by my son when he was around seven years old. It’s called the Friendly Cow:

Flipping The Classroom

Perhaps the best part of using Spotify or similar service is the share-ability.

I can send home required listening for my students before the next lesson. This way, I can ensure that we have a maximum use of our lesson time.

We have “flipped the classroom” by assigning the listening at home and then we can work on delving deeper in the lesson.

Differences in Streaming Services

There are other streaming music services you may have heard of like Pandora, iHeartRadio, and TuneIn. This is more akin to a radio station experience. You choose a style of music or artist you like and it gives you more in that vein. Very convenient, especially if you are driving and want to hear some music in a particular style.

But it does not allow you to play a specific song when you want to. For that, you need to be using Spotify or the others I mentioned.

How Do You Use Spotify In Your Class or Studio?

How about you? Are you using Spotify or similar services in your classroom or studio? I’d love to know. Please share in the comments below.

About the Author

]]>five-ways-to-make-great-money-and-be-happy-teaching-lessons-this-summer-99dd7697cb73<![CDATA[Teaching Music This Summer?]]>2017-05-10T00:00:00.000Z2017-05-10T00:00:00.000ZSummer will be awesome for your teaching business. Here are some ideas that keep a studio thriving over the summer months! Summer is coming! The teaching forums light up this time of year. Music…

title: "Teaching Music This Summer?" description: >- Summer will be awesome for your teaching business. Here are some ideas that keep a studio thriving over the summer months! Summer is coming! The teaching forums light up this time of year. Music… date: '2017-05-10' tags:

Education
Teaching
Payments

Summer will be awesome for your teaching business. Here are some ideas that keep a studio thriving over the summer months!

Hey! Shouldn’t You Be Practicing?!

Summer is coming! The teaching forums light up this time of year. Music teachers and academic tutors often express anxiety over staying gainfully busy over the sunny months. Perhaps you’re worrying about students going on vacation and not taking as many lessons? Or students wanting a temporary or permanent break from lessons over the summer? It’s easy to feel nervous about an impending summer…

Don’t fret! You will survive! You will thrive! This summer will be awesome.

I’ve made it through 18 summers as a full-time, private music teacher. In the early years, summers could be lean months. Students were off to camps, on vacations, playing video games, and just needing a break from the structure of the school year. Over the years, I learned that summer is actually the best time to learn!

Think about this...

If you’re teaching now, you probably spent your childhood summers beefing up on your practice. Perhaps you went to interest-specific camps to get better at your craft. I spent all four of my high-school summers practicing 4–8 hours a day. I took extra lessons with new teachers. I had the bandwidth and time to get on a serious practice schedule and commit to it. I was so happy!

Here are some ideas to make this summer your favorite and most productive ever:

1. Teach Your Best Students More Lessons! Use Summer Intensives

Every year, I ask a few of my really fiery, passionate students if they’d like to use the summer break to get WAY better. I offer additional private sessions and groups…sometimes three per week. What a win-win.

You get to spend more time with your favorite students, and they get a lot better. Your less motivated students can take a healthy break too, and you won’t lose any income or teaching time. You can be so creative with how you spend this time… try some new methods, technique, theory, repertoire, and improvisations, for example.

2. Summer Camps!

Conduct summer camps for your current students and their friends. You can also market your camps locally to attract new customers. There are a million great resources on how to do day camps, so I won’t go too deeply into it here.

I’ve taught groups of friends, entire families, and business groups how to play music together. I generally do mornings or afternoons, five days of a week, culminating in a performance.

My most favorite camp, “Camp Branner,” occurs late in summer. I take my top high school students on a week-long excursion. We rent a lodge in the North Cascade Mountains, set it up as a recording studio, and spend the week practicing, jamming, and performing! The overnight camp is a whole different trip than the day camp, and I encourage it only when you’ve got a quiver of rock-solid, trustworthy students.

Happy Campers! Camp Branner

3. Seize the Day! Day Teaching

Summers are awesome. Students aren’t in school! You can schedule lessons whenever you like.Teach day times instead of the school-year evenings. Offer lessons in the morning and watch your calendar fill up.

Often, families want to get out and enjoy summer afternoons and evenings. I’ve found that evenings are difficult to keep packed during the summer months.

So, embrace the summer. … Go outside and get some vitamin D in the afternoons. Meet your friends at a patio bar for dinner, because you won’t be able to come the fall!

4. Teach New Students!

Summer is a great time to hustle and get new students, or pull from your waiting list if you have one. I always start a ton of new students over the summer while many current students are on vacation. At summer’s end, I rebuild my fall schedule from the students that are best suited to my studio… and send the rest to other teachers. This has been a path to great vibes in my studio for the last decade.

5. Plan a Show or Project!

At summer’s end, I host my annual Guitarbeque. More than 200 people show up to eat great food, and hear friends and family perform their best repertoire.

This event is my numero uno way to keep all students engaged and motivated over the summer. I love hosting the event, students love performing, families love watching. I’ll add that this recital is the only marketing I do for my teaching business aside from word of mouth.

You could also consider a rad summer project for your teaching studio. You could rent out a recording studio for a day, and have your students record some music. You could create outreach performance opportunities. Farmer’s markets & retirement communities love some live music! Mix it up.

6. Get Your Business Together!

This summer can be the summer you really dial in your business. Maybe it’s time to automate your payments and scheduling, give up invoicing, and enforce that cancellation policy you’ve been so lax about. You can save ten hours a week and countless stress headaches by adopting something like Fons for your studio.(I’d be happy to show you how I automate my studio if you’d like. Just ask.)

If you feel great about how your business operates, the first month of summer is the time to forecast how you want to grow your business over the next year. The natural lull in regular students offers a window to consider raising your rates, setting your schedule, and growing your studio. Set some goals!

6. Take Time To Recharge! Go With the Flow!

These tips will help you stay fed and sheltered over the summer months. However, some teachers love a reduced teaching load that can naturally occur with summer. If you can swing it, a break is a lovely thing. Taking a few weeks, or even a month off from your teaching schedule does wonders for the spirit. I know it’s scary to imagine your students running off to another teacher… but they won’t. And if they do, it was time!

Happy Days

Living in Seattle has really inspired me to enjoy the sunny days and relaxed schedule of summer. We’ve had perhaps the gloomiest winter of weather EVER! Seattle outdid itself this winter! Summer is going to be awesome.

I hope these ideas give you a bit of comfort and inspiration for the coming season. We’d love to hear your ideas for how you make summers work! Let us know your secrets to awesome summers in the comments below!

]]>five-things-i-wish-i-knew-before-setting-up-as-a-private-instructor-f00c0bba88dd<![CDATA[Five Things I Wish I Knew Before Setting Up As A Private Instructor]]>2017-05-04T00:00:00.000Z2017-05-04T00:00:00.000ZThroughout my freelance teaching career, I’ve stumbled upon some best (and worst) practices for my studio. Here’s the advice I wish I had received when first starting out. I know many new teachers…

title: Five Things I Wish I Knew Before Setting Up As A Private Instructor description: >- Throughout my freelance teaching career, I’ve stumbled upon some best (and worst) practices for my studio. Here’s the advice I wish I had received when first starting out. I know many new teachers… cover: 1__CUsSR6xYeY5__Qz9JJ5GxNQ.jpeg date: '2017-05-04' tags:

Music
Education
Clients
Students
Payments

Steve Treseler shares his insights for anyone who’s interested in going into private teaching

Throughout my freelance teaching career, I’ve stumbled upon some best (and worst) practices for my studio. Here’s the advice I wish I had received when first starting out.

1. You’re Ready

I know many new teachers are insecure about not feeling ‘ready’ or qualified, especially when they compare themselves to established teachers.

If you have some expertise, are enthusiastic about serving others, and are committed to growing as a teacher, then you’re ready! We all have to take the leap and learn as we go.

2. Focus on Referrals

Imagine a student who you would be delighted to work with. How would this student find an instructor? They might start with Google or Craigslist, but chances are they will ask a friend or teacher for a recommendation. One of the most important business assets you can build is trust with people who can potentially refer students to you.

I stumbled across this strategy by accident. I teach saxophone lessons, so I receive most referrals from band directors. One of my first teaching jobs was teaching at a Summer music day camp. The faculty included several local band directors who saw me show up every day and build rapport with the students. Because I built trust and good working relationships with these teachers, they have referred me students for over a decade.

One or two enthusiastic referrers can fill your studio.

3. Strong Relationships with Students (and Families) are Essential

On-boarding is the process of building relationships with new clients by addressing their questions and communicating the scope of your services. I mostly teach kids, so setting up an informal meeting with prospective students and their families has been a huge boost to my studio.

We get to know each other personally, and I can communicate all of my studio policies in person. Since setting up these meetings, I have had very little friction over scheduling and billing, and families are more loyal over the long term. An in-person meeting can also help you screen prospective students.

4. Have Clear and Well-Communicated Policies

I’m a laid back and flexible person, so when I started my studio I didn’t have clear lesson policies, which turned into a big headache. Make sure you and your students are on the same page about scheduling, billing, cancellations and make-up lessons before the first lesson.

5. Build a Website

Once someone is referred to you, they may search for you on the web. Your site doesn’t have to be elaborate — a simple homepage with a photo and bio can make a great impression with prospective students. (Beautiful DIY websites are easy to build with templates on Squarespace, even if you don’t have experience with web design or coding.)

Also, consider sharing recordings of music and include a teaching page with info about your studio and teaching philosophy. This will help you attract and connect with more of your ideal students before you speak in person.

I hope you’ve found these tips helpful — if you’ve got any advice to share with our community of private teachers, please leave a comment.

Steve Treseler is a Seattle-based saxophonist, teaching artist, and author. He is on faculty at Seattle Pacific University and teaches creative music workshops across the U.S.

Download a free digital copy of his book Creativity Triggers for Musicians at stevetres.com

]]>do-your-students-need-to-do-exams-a53d10ddc2c6<![CDATA[Do Your Students Need to Do Exams?]]>2017-05-03T00:00:00.000Z2017-05-03T00:00:00.000ZThe pros and cons of music exams are, I should hope, fairly obvious. They offer a ready-made syllabus, a target for students to aim for, and more often that not a great sense of achievement once…

title: "Do Your Students Need to Do Exams?" description: >- The pros and cons of music exams are, I should hope, fairly obvious. They offer a ready-made syllabus, a target for students to aim for, and more often that not a great sense of achievement once… cover: 1__XcMvyAKt5xlMikB9P5T8ZQ.jpeg date: '2017-05-03' tags:

Music
Education

George Bevan examines the pros and cons of exams as a private teacher.

The pros and cons of music exams are, I should hope, fairly obvious. They offer a ready-made syllabus, a target for students to aim for, and more often that not a great sense of achievement once we’re through the other side. On the minus side, one hears horror stories of children spending a year or more learning the same three pieces in order to pass the exam — or in some cases failing — but either way immediately beginning work on the pieces for the next grade. A painful cycle of struggle, for pupil and teacher alike, and to what end?

Personally, I like exams but in weighing things up I still find myself with a much longer list of negatives than positives, the main source of these being the misuse of exams by pupils, parents and teachers.

An examination is a test, a thorough check that everything is working well. What wouldn’t be good about this? Well, I guess it’s not so good if you have something to hide. I remember going to my piano lessons as a teenager, sometimes with the specific intent of trying to get through a tricky passage without my teacher realising that I was far from mastering it. That’s madness!

Our teacher, like a sports coach, is the one who needs to know all of our weaknesses; it is only in performance that we need to be able to pull the wool over our audience’s eyes (and ears) and persuade them that all is well.

Nothing frustrates me more than the approach that ignores thorough preparation. Music exams are designed (albeit some better than others) to encourage the development of specific skills, but there are all too many who sidestep this in favour of their single aim: to ‘get’ the exam.

With all of the exam boards, it is entirely possible to pass the exam by working hard at the repertoire, having a stab at the technical work, and doing your best in the sight-reading and aural tests.

In one respect, this is all fair and good. But surely with this approach, we have lost sight of the goal? For me, the goal in our teaching should be to equip our students with everything that they need to become self-sufficient musicians, and if we are entering them for an exam that includes repertoire, technical work, sight-reading and aural tests, then we should be preparing them for all of those things.

What message is it giving our students about the value of these things if we are encouraging them to use diversionary tactics?

A better approach

Not so long ago, I went to a talk given by a senior examiner, who shared with us what it was like to be on ‘the other side of the desk’.

Included in her anecdotes was the case of a piano pupil of hers who couldn’t sing, and she proceeded to give us a variety of tactics for how to cope with the aural tests for such a pupil. Amongst the many creative solutions, the one which she didn’t suggest was to teach her pupil to sing. Too difficult? Too time-consuming? Not relevant for a pianist? She didn’t say, but needless to say, I was less than impressed.

You can pass the Grade 8 piano exam without singing, but if singing is a skill which is going to help you to be a better musician (it is, by the way!) then you should include that in your teaching too. You can pass Grade 8 singing without being able to sight-read, but sight-reading is a great skill to have, so why not teach that too?

A couple of years ago, I took on a piano pupil and in due course prepared her for Grade 3 ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) exam. She passed all of the tests with full marks, which is no mean feat, but the comments about her pieces and the corresponding marks highlighted what I already knew (I could have written the entire comment sheet myself) — her playing was a little bland across the board.

For the next year, we explored a wide variety of repertoire, and my teaching focus was purely on how to draw out character in her playing. She is a very shy but obedient student, and it was not an easy task. But come Grade 4, our hard work was evident — a distinction, and more importantly, a delightfully characterful playing of her pieces.

I include this last example to show how I think exams are best used. As a teacher, I value process above outcome; in other words, the quality of the learning, and ultimately the empowerment of the pupil, is much more important that any snapshot assessment.

These assessments are useful, undoubtedly, but they in themselves are just a small part of an ongoing process which should guide both teacher and pupil in their overall technical and musical development.

George Bevan is director of music at Monkton Senior School near Bath, UK.

]]>should-you-take-the-plunge-and-switch-to-private-teaching-67579e1a7b01<![CDATA[Should You Take The Plunge And Switch To Private Teaching?]]>2017-05-01T00:00:00.000Z2017-05-01T00:00:00.000ZI recently jumped into the ocean with more than 15 sharks and stingrays swimming around our boat. Actually, I did it twice in one week. But my past life is filled with too much overthinking. So, I…

title: Should You Take The Plunge And Switch To Private Teaching? description: >- I recently jumped into the ocean with more than 15 sharks and stingrays swimming around our boat. Actually, I did it twice in one week. But my past life is filled with too much overthinking. So, I… date: '2017-05-01' cover: 1__muSfOm2fXNF7CrsrojEXvw.jpeg tags:

Education
Music
Career Advice
Careers

by Beth Peterson

Thoughts about leaving the mainstream and launching a private teaching practice.

I recently jumped into the ocean with more than 15 sharks and stingrays swimming around our boat. Actually, I did it twice in one week.

For a split second, I knew I probably shouldn’t do it.

But my past life is filled with too much overthinking. So, I chose to not give it much thought and I just did it.

I thoroughly grilled the captain about all the marine species before jumping to my fate and the crew assured me that no one had died doing it…yet.

It was a little scary and exhilarating. No, I’m lying. It was VERY scary but I loved it.

This is such a cool metaphor for starting a business. It involves risk, it’s a bit scary, and there are a lot of unknowns. There comes a time when you just have to get off the fence and jump in.

Doing something scary is probably a good thing for cautious control freaks like me.

For most of us, we don’t know if our overthinking freezes us from taking action or if we truly might be making the wrong choice. I guess the anxiety that accompanies serious decision-making can cloud our judgment at times.

Taking risks tends to be reserved for my three sons. If there were an Olympic event for risk taking, I know they would all tie for the gold. I’m more conservative with my thrill seeking activities. Why is it hard to take risks as I get older? In Dan Siegel’s book, Brainstorm he explains why teenagers act the way they do. He says this adolescent time is not a hardship to endure but rather a time to embrace their courage, creativity and power. That generation can learn from us, but we can learn so much more from them. He suggests that it should be a partnership of sorts.

He states that one of the four vital features of adolescence is novelty –seeking where the brain shifts its dopamine system. Teens try new things and have courage to do the unfamiliar, uncertain and potentially dangerous activities. Adults really can live a full life if we don’t let ourselves lose these vital factors, which Siegel says aids the growth of our brain throughout our lifespan. Our mature malleable brains really can grow and change when we have novel experiences. Neuroplasticity is real and it helps keep us lively, engaged, and full of life.

So, I guess starting a business is risky and exhilarating, therefore it can help our brains stay healthy and vital.

When I set out to start my coaching business, I knew it would be scary and I knew that I could talk myself out of doing it. So, I eventually just had to jump knowing that there would be risks.

A few things helped point me in the right direction to build my framework for my business. I am pretty sure most business owners go through a reflective process. Let me share the steps I took, just in case you are feeling the desire to launch into the private teaching arena.

Don’t quit your paying job yet

I was a classroom teacher for 14 years before I started my full-time academic coaching practice. During that tenure I took workshops, classes and volunteered coaching students after school hours while raising my three sons. (Yes, and my wonderful husband worked 10–12+ hour days too.) It wasn’t easy, but I loved helping students navigate the murky waters of their school day.

Seek out experience and knowledge

I was always searching for someone who did what I wanted to do. I’m in the Pacific Northwest, and couldn’t find a lot of local Executive Function (EF) coaches around. So, I went to some workshops in the Boston area, reaching out to people along the way, gleaning what I could.

I asked educational psychologists and speech language pathologists for feedback. I read anything and everything I could find. By the way, there’s no book called Starting your EF Coaching practice for Dummies. I checked.

Don’t get me wrong, there are coaching businesses out there. But I couldn’t find an EF coaching business with an experienced educator running the show. Life coaches are awesome and serve an important role. However, I found that it’s invaluable having a coach who has years of classroom experience, who understands the curriculum, the politics of education, and understands what causes stress for students, parents and teachers.

Find time for self-reflection

One thing I did that was incredibly helpful was shutting myself off for a few days to do some serious self-reflection. I recently found my journal from those few days and I’m proud to say that the plans I made then have all come to fruition. I wrote down my elevator pitch, decided my mission, and articulated my one, five and ten year goals. I established my business plan as well. I also figured out who I could reach out to for support along the way. It’s hard to do this alone, so find your tribe.

Go slow

Yes, that’s the Belizean motto, but it works for building a solid foundation for your business too. Going too fast can cause problems — and with more than your finances.

It can wreak havoc on your reputation and that spells disaster in this market. Pace yourself. I had paying clients before I left my job and I had no overhead since I was providing services at school sites and my home office. I had the opportunity to grab an office space, but it didn’t make sense. My house is surrounded by schools so it was easy to stay put and keep costs down. Yes, I chatted with my insurance agent too.

Invest in your website and business cards

I lucked out and found a website designer fairly quickly. We collaborated for a few months and she ended up designing a nice site for me. Check it out: www.petersonacademiccoaching.com. Email me at beth@petersonacademiccoaching.com if you want her contact information. (Notice my domain name? Invest in that too!)

She also did my business cards and recommended a great online printer who was extremely reasonable.

Lasting relationships are extremely important when you’re building your business, but remember that first impressions count. And that first impression usually comes from your website — so make the most of it and start doing your research now.

If you have the inclination to branch out and start your own private teaching business, then JUMP… you might as well jump! Van Halen wasn’t so wrong…. was he?

If you dare nothing, then when it’s all said and done, you’ve gained nothing. Good luck. Feel free to reach out to me if you want me to be a part of your tribe.

Beth is a former classroom teacher and mom of three boys. She is an academic coach and consultant in the Pacific Northwest. Peterson Academic Coaching serves students from grade 4 to college helping them plan, organize and prioritize to achieve school success, maximize their strengths and boost self-confidence. Check out some resources at: www.petersonacademiccoaching.com

]]>how-to-talk-the-same-language-as-your-students-b34d89250439<![CDATA[How To Talk The Same Language As Your Students]]>2017-04-28T00:00:00.000Z2017-04-28T00:00:00.000ZWhen I attended my first ever teaching course, the lecturer told me: “Make sure you talk in your students’ language.” Over the years, I always come back to this piece of advice. And the more I teach…

title: "How To Talk The Same Language As Your Students" description: >- When I attended my first ever teaching course, the lecturer told me: “Make sure you talk in your students’ language.” Over the years, I always come back to this piece of advice. And the more I teach… date: '2017-04-28' cover: 1__m__2Nra5yeKS1vV8BNBnpkQ.jpeg tags:

Clients
Students
Teaching
Education

by Judith Barrass.

When I attended my first ever teaching course, the lecturer told me: “Make sure you talk in your students’ language.”

Over the years, I always come back to this piece of advice. And the more I teach, the more I realise how true this is.

I teach young people, more mature people, beginners, advanced students and everything in between. More recently, I’ve started teaching students whose first language is not the same as mine. For each group, I need to change the language I use to teach to match the style of the class and to ensure the students can understand what I’m trying to communicate.

Here’s an example. You want to describe something with four legs. You need to back your description up with plenty of information. After all, something with four legs could be a table or a dog, so you need to clarify.

Here’s another example. Crackers can be biscuits for cheese, fun things at Christmas or a slight derangement of the mind, so we need to make sure the students understand what we are talking about.

My classes can be very physical. So, sometimes I want to portray the image of a four legged table you can balance a tea tray on. Sometimes, the table becomes a bridge with an arch or a cat in a bad mood.

A young person may relate better to one analogy, a more mature person another, and perhaps you also need to consider the culture of the person you are teaching.

Your students may also come up with a description of their own when you’re trying to describe a concept or object. Use it and remember it — then you have another one for your internal teaching dictionary of terms, and one you know truly works for this specific group of students — as they came up with it.

Pick a tempo

Speed of speech also needs to be considered. For example, you may need to slow down the speed at which you talk. Older people often prefer a slower pace but this may be true of younger people too. A slower pace may be advisable for someone coming straight from a stressful job or situation into your class. A soothing voice may be just what they need to calm the mind so it can absorb the information you are imparting.

However, there will be times when you need to speed up, especially if you need to get some energy into the class. Changing the pace and tone of your voice helps to keep the class interesting — and interested. A change in tone also helps to save your vocal chords ( check out my previous blog on posture and voice). If you sound interested and passionate about a subject, this may rub off on the students.

Laughter is the best medicine

Humour always helps to keep the class interested and studies have shown that the use of humour helps people remember an event and information.

Try laughing at yourself if you make a mistake — it makes you appear more human and your students can laugh along too.

You’ll also be more approachable if you integrate humour into your lessons and the students will relax, and therefore be in a better frame of mind to learn.

There are plenty of ways to bring humour into your classroom, but again, remember to relate this to the age and culture of your students.

In their shoes

It’s useful to become a student again yourself. It reminds you that attending class, especially for the first time, can be stressful. Another teacher attended my class last week and confided in me that she is always nervous about going to other people’s classes.

So, if teachers get nervous, students can easily be. This stress can sometimes hamper the learning process and, until a student becomes comfortable with you and your style, then you may need to take extra time to express yourself, change your vocal pace or use a little humour to break the ice.

Put yourself in their place, become a student again, attend another class or course, and learn from the experience of putting yourself in their place. Plus, you’ll get the chance to learn some further teaching skills from another teacher.

Every day is a school day for us all.

]]>the-private-music-teachers-website-checklist-7060016de99<![CDATA[The Private Music Teacher’s Website Checklist]]>2017-04-26T00:00:00.000Z2017-04-26T00:00:00.000ZIt’s extremely rare that a music teacher won’t need a website. However, it’s not unheard of. Take, for instance, my very own mother who is a Wyoming piano teacher with a long waiting list of future…

title: The Private Music Teacher’s Website Checklist description: >- It’s extremely rare that a music teacher won’t need a website. However, it’s not unheard of. Take, for instance, my very own mother who is a Wyoming piano teacher with a long waiting list of future… date: '2017-04-26' cover: 1__B5FlNnY__uwG__aXP1iT22Hw.jpeg tags:

Teaching
Education
Tools

A Definitive List of Things Your Website Will Probably Need

First, Do You Need a Website?

It’s extremely rare that a music teacher won’t need a website. However, it’s not unheard of. Take, for instance, my very own mother who is a Wyoming piano teacher with a long waiting list of future students. She has no website. I was chatting with her the other day about this website subject and her response was: “Well, I asked all my students and their parents if my having a website would enhance their experience, they all seemed really ambivalent about it. So, I don’t think I’ll ever need one.”

The culture in her local economy doesn’t rely heavily on technology. For this reason, she gets most of her students like every other local Wyoming business gets their customers: through word-of-mouth.

So, before you build up your anxiety over whether your website has everything it needs, do yourself a favor and triple check that a website is absolutely necessary.

However…

If You’re Like Most Businesses These Days, You Will Need a Website

Even if your website is a one-page, online business card. That’s fine! Having something is often a lot better than nothing. (In fact, I’ll probably build my mom one of these next time I’m at home for Thanksgiving.)

There are plenty of tutorials out there for how to build a website. I highly recommend Google for this pursuit because every teacher is a bit different with their technology needs and abilities. However, my favorite and by far the easiest place to get your website going is Squarespace. I use them for my own site and encourage all of my creative marketing clients to do the same.

Yes, I know there are a lot of free options out there. (Wix, Weebly, Wordpress) But my reasoning for sticking with Squarespace is simple:

I’d rather spend my time teaching my students, not fussing over my website.

This conveniently brings me to the reason you’re reading this article…

The Checklist: Things You’ll Need On Your Website if You’re a Private Music Teacher

The Basics

Name — You’d be surprised how many “Strings n Things” teachers totally forget to use their own name on their website. This is crucial especially if you want to teach students who care that they’re taking lessons from a human.
Welcome Message or Personable About Me Blurb — More important than a resumé or super official bio, is a personable “welcome mat”. I’ve seen really effective websites without any photos or fancy graphics. Those sites are effective because the copywriting (marketing lingo for words) speaks directly to the reader in a clear and personable way.
Instrument(s)—Even if you think it’s obvious that SuzysPianoBench.com is for a piano teacher, make sure you mention your instrument inside your welcome message too. Also, just because you specialize in French horn doesn’t mean you shouldn’t list your experience with recorder, ukulele, and beginner piano on your site. Even if only folks interested in the French horn are visiting your website, the fact that you list all your instruments might only enhance their opinion of your skills. But that’s up to you. Some teachers will want to communicate a high level of expertise. In which case, a French horn professor might not need/want to list a recorder… you get my point.
Location — Some folks are hesitant to list their home studio’s address online. That’s understandable, but it’s still worthwhile to list a general area or neighborhood that you teach in. This will prevent you from repeating yourself when every new student asks that same question.
Contact Method — Be it a contact form, or simply listing your email address. Provide your preferred method of communication. For instance, I don’t list my phone number because my voicemail inbox is known for being the place where voicemails go to die without being heard. This is why I only provide email as a communication option (it’s also why I leave my voicemail box full) it ensures that a new student inquiry will get a response via a method I know will have a timely response.

Brownie Points/Optional

Studio Application Form — All my new student inquiries go through a pretty extensive application form. It’s filled with questions like “What are you looking for in a teacher?” and “How many years do you see yourself playing this new instrument?” The answers I get usually give me a spot-on picture of whether that new inquiry is the right fit for my studio.
Rates/Tuition — It’s surprisingly unnecessary to list your rates publicly. This is especially true for teachers whose students simply get a big kick out of having a super awesome, talented, friendly, engaging teacher. Yes, money is a big factor of any business, but for a lot of music teachers that subject is brought up in the meet and greet/trial lesson, this makes it not always necessary to list it on your website.
Photos of Previous/Current Students — If you’ve got pictures from previous recitals AND if you’ve received permission to use those photos from all relevant parties involved (privacy is important!) then go ahead and put those on your site! A picture is worth a thousand words, so they can be a powerful tool in communicating happy, successful, satisfied students.
Mission Statement — Are you trying to change the world one student at a time? Say so! Your future students (and current ones too) will really appreciate knowing what fuels every lesson that you teach.
Description of Your Ideal Student — This is a particularly good thing to list for those teachers who really don’t teach three year olds or 93 year olds. It’s okay to have a list of “Students in My Studio are…” list professions, ages, hobbies, anything that will help folks visiting your site know whether they might fit in your teaching studio or not.
_Studio Calendar _— At one point in my own teaching studio we had a ton of community events. That was the season I posted a public Google Calendar on a page in my website (via an embed code) for all my students to see the community events like symphony field-trip concerts, nursing home performances, coffee shop jams, group lessons, guest lecturers, workshops, and recitals. My current students knew they could always go to that particular page on my site and know what was going on in the studio that month.

Bottom-line

Every music teacher is different with different local economies, and different kind of demand for information. Take a gander at a bunch of other music teacher sites out there (even if they’re from other cities). I promise you’ll learn a lot.

Oh! and feel free to reach out to me anytime. Leave a comment below if you’ve got a question or need any further guidance. I’m happy to help!

Emily Ann Peterson is a singer-songwriter, teaching artist, consultant, and creative entrepreneur who spent 17 years with her cello. It was her second voice until she was diagnosed with a degenerative neurological hand tremor. Refusing to resign to fate and genetics, she expanded her skills to include the piano and solo songwriting. This act of neurological defiance broke through her creative glass ceiling and then swept her up in the expansive limits.

Her podcast, Bare Naked Bravery, features conversations with everyday heroes about the quiet successes and loud failures required to do the brave things for which we know and love them.

Peterson’s mission is inspire a global resonance and magnanimous community through the marriage of art and whole-person development.

She is available here: www.emilyannpeterson.com

]]>how-to-earn-more-when-your-studio-is-full-f383e671a157<![CDATA[How to Earn More When Your Studio Is Full]]>2017-04-25T00:00:00.000Z2017-04-25T00:00:00.000ZCongratulations! If you have a full studio and a steady stream of referrals, you have earned a reputation as an excellent and trusted teacher. However, you may have hit a revenue ceiling in your…

title: "How to Earn More When Your Studio Is Full" description: >- Congratulations! If you have a full studio and a steady stream of referrals, you have earned a reputation as an excellent and trusted teacher. However, you may have hit a revenue ceiling in your… date: '2017-04-25' cover: 1__MMmLNAa98KpPn22uexMWuA.jpeg tags:

Teaching
Education
Clients
Students
Money
Payments

by Steve Treseler.

Congratulations! If you have a full studio and a steady stream of referrals, you have earned a reputation as an excellent and trusted teacher. However, you may have hit a revenue ceiling in your business or feel overworked with a gruelling teaching schedule.

Time Doesn’t Equal Money

In the world of traditional employment, time equals money. If you view freelance teaching like a traditional job, it may appear the only way to earn more is to take on more students. I know teachers who earn a great living teaching 80+ students a week. One has a studio covered in polaroid pictures of his students because he can’t remember their names.

Looking at your studio through the lens of entrepreneurship reveals pathways for earning more without taking on more students than you can handle.

Maximize Impact

David Cutler, author of The Savvy Music Teacher, says we maximize our income by maximizing our impact. Creating transformative experiences for as many people as possible will help us make a bigger dent in the universe and earn more in the process.

This mindset along with the strategies outlined below transformed my teaching career. I leveled up my effectiveness as a teacher and started earning more while teaching fewer hours. This allows me to spend more time with my family and focus on my own music.

Some of these strategies are quick to implement, others will maximize your impact over the long haul.

Take Charge of Your Billing

Teaching lessons for a larger organization is a great way to get started, but you may be leaving lots of money on the table. Several music schools in my area charge students $75/hour for lessons, and pay teachers $35. This rate is nothing to sneeze at, but you can double your rate by starting your own studio. If you are getting lots of direct referrals, it’s time to cut out the middleman.

Group Lessons

Teaching group lessons and workshops is one of the most effective ways to leverage your time, that is create more impact per hour.

I was resistant to teaching group lessons because I knew the pace would be slower than private lessons, and groups of kids can be hard to manage. Group classes require a different set of teaching chops, but the benefits are worth the effort:

2X — 6X+ your hourly rate
Musicians love the social experience of playing music with their peers
Social pressure motivates students to come prepared
Classes help you screen potential private students
Group lessons are more affordable for families compared to one-on-one lessons
Students recruit their friends to join
Classes are a better fit for students who love playing, but don’t have the time/interest to commit to a regular practice routine

Raise Your Rates

If you have a steady stream of referrals and a waiting list, you should consider raising your rates.

Teachers (myself included) are resistant to charging premium rates for two reasons:

We’re worried students will quit and look a cheaper teacher
We want to serve students from varying economic backgrounds

Contrary to what you may think, price is rarely the primary factor when people are choosing a service professional. If your trusted mechanic, babysitter, or massage therapist raised their rates by 15%, would you immediately go to craigslist to find a stranger with lower rates? Probably not, because we’re willing to pay more for high-quality and trusted services.

If you have built a good reputation and people trust you, you can charge more than the going rate. (See my article, The Five Levels of Freelance Teaching.)

If you’re committed to reaching lower-income students, slashing your lessons rates across the board isn’t the most effective strategy for maximizing your impact. You can serve these students by offering products and services at many price points.

I serve a wide range of students by:

Teaching workshops in public schools
Offering full and partial tuition waivers for my group classes and workshops
Giving away tons of materials on my website
Selling an instructional book, which contains years of material for less than the price of a single lesson
Volunteering
Partnering with organizations that serve under-served populations

By leveraging my time, I’m able to serve thousands of students every year, many of whom pay little or nothing at all. This makes me feel more comfortable charging a higher rate for one-on-one lessons.

Develop a Product

Creating a physical or digital product will give your business another income stream and help you maximize your impact. You can turn your teaching methods into a book, ebook, online lesson library, published sheet music, or software/app. Check out the CreativeLive class Turn Your Service Into a Product with Tara Gentile, a brilliant small business coach.

If you are committed to developing products over the long haul, it’s worth the effort to build an online platform, like a YouTube channel, blog, or podcast. This allows you to share your expertise, earn trust, and build a worldwide audience.

Train Other Teachers

If your unique and remarkable teaching method can be turned into a system, you can train other teachers to implement it. You might offer training sessions, certify instructors, or start your own school. Starting a movement and leading other teachers takes years, but it allows you to massively amplify your impact and build a legacy.

If you’re at full capacity and have found a great way to increase your earning, please leave a comment below.

Steve Treseler is a Seattle-based saxophonist, teaching artist, and author. He is on the faculty at Seattle Pacific University and teaches creative music workshops across the U.S.

Download a free digital copy of his book Creativity Triggers for Musicians at stevetres.com

]]>2017-mtna-national-conference-a-guitar-teachers-welcome-to-a-piano-teacher-s-world-b7a7701ae45d<![CDATA[2017 MTNA National Conference — A Guitar Teacher’s Welcome To A Piano Teacher’s World]]>2017-04-19T00:00:00.000Z2017-04-19T00:00:00.000ZI heard that one at least a hundred times last week while attending the Music Teacher’s National Association’s national conference in Baltimore. I was one of maybe… two or three guitar teachers at…

title: >- 2017 MTNA National Conference — A Guitar Teacher’s Welcome To A Piano Teacher’s World description: >- I heard that one at least a hundred times last week while attending the Music Teacher’s National Association’s national conference in Baltimore. I was one of maybe… two or three guitar teachers at… cover: 1__OVyTPfGgv3P__9ANqIgenNg.png date: '2017-04-19' tags:

Education
Music

Download Creativity Triggers for Musicians + bonuses for free.

“Oh my, you are a guitarist, I can tell by your fingernails!”

I heard that one at least a hundred times last week while attending the Music Teacher’s National Association’s national conference in Baltimore. I was one of maybe… two or three guitar teachers at the conference. Most of the attendees and members are piano instructors. That’s okay… I learned a ton, got really inspired, and made some great new friends!

What is MTNA? And Why Should I Join?

MTNA is the largest professional organization for independent music teachers, and has been around since 1876. I became involved with the MTNA after joining my local chapter in Seattle, and serving on the board there.

Being an independent teacher can get lonely professionally, and I was really hoping for some fellowship with other teachers. I’ve met some really awesome colleagues through MTNA, albeit mostly piano teachers. Although I’m a guitar teacher, I still see great value in being a part of the organization. I think the MTNA is a great platform for all independent music teachers, and that more teachers should join. Here’s how my experience at the conference went:

Presentations

The entire week is packed with awesome lectures and presentations regarding pedagogy, business, inspiration, and… piano technique! It is true, 80% of MTNA teachers are pianists. However, the organization did a great job of having pertinent material at every time slot for non-pianists. I went to a fantastic presentation on understanding how generational shifts will inform our music teaching. My award for most inspirational presentation probably went to Forrest Kinney. He taught a technique for teaching students how to improvise, and how to spontaneously create. He was awesome at teaching a topic that is a toughie for many piano teachers. And his great vibes and ideas transfer well over to the guitar too!

the exhibition hall.. sorry it’s blurry. you can’t stand still in a sea of piano teachers!

The Exhibition Hall

On day one, I walked into the exhibition hall and thought to myself: “Wow, this could really grow into something legendary.”

The hall is basically a huge store for piano teachers. Piano makers and sheet music publishers made up the majority of the exhibitors. There were also pedagogy products, educational institutions, and tech firms that provided educational software or professional services.

I walked through quite a few times, chatting with the exhibitors, and the teachers. I couldn’t stop imagining the floor being ten times bigger… with guitars, strings, drums, recording software etc… I’d love to go to a conference that really tended to the needs of all music teachers. We all have so much in common.

Meetings

I met with the MTNA’s chief operating officer, Brian Shepherd to talk about his vision for society’s present and future. I was particularly interested in whether guitarists and growth are welcomed and I filled him in on the work I’m doing with Fons. He was kind enough to spend an hour with me, and sure enough.. all instruments are welcome! I also got to meet with many present and former board members of the MTNA. These folks are really dedicated to teaching music, and are incredibly friendly!

Keynote Speaker-David Cutler

The highlight of my trip had to be meeting David Cutler, and seeing his keynote address.

David has a resume way too long to list.. he’s essentially an excellent musician who has dedicated much of his career to helping artists make a better living through making a bigger impact. He heads the Arts Entrepreneurship program at University of South Carolina and authored The Savvy Music Teacher.

Anyway, I got a meeting with him the afternoon before his keynote address, and I was pretty blown away by his standout question-asking ability, breadth of knowledge on arts entrepreneurship, and the really great vibe he has.

His keynote address absolutely rocked! He presented on ways to shake up your music studio to make more money, while increasing your impact. He presented a blueprint for re-imagining traditional elements of music teaching and stress-points.

Let’s look at a couple of examples.

Let’s say your students don’t practice between lessons. Try giving them a 30-minute in-person lesson on Monday, and a 15-minute touch-in on Wednesday and Friday online. The hour lesson slot is re-imagined to solve a common problem.

Another super-creative example was overlapping two students by 15 minutes to make them play together and for each other. You build community using this method as you’re putting these students on the spot to encourage preparation, and you all save 15 minutes of time!

All in all, I’ve already tried at least ten of the ideas from his book. I would emphatically recommend buying his book and learning more about him. He’s really inspiring, and has really done his homework on the music teaching profession.

Summary

If you’re an independent music teacher, you should consider joining the MTNA. You’ll probably be a part of a local group, a state group, and on a national level (depending on where you live).

If you’ve never gone to a convention, you should check it out. I’ll surely go back. I hope to, in some way, get more people involved in the MTNA. I think that all of us independent teachers need to stick together, and I really think that other instruments and disciplines could really add to the excitement and efficacy of the organization as a whole.

This organization really has the infrastructure and the mission to grow. The conference inspired me on so many levels. I noticed many teachers connecting with colleagues they’ve known through this event for decades…hopefully I’ll see a few more guitar teachers there next year, and maybe a booth or two for guitar teachers!

]]>how-to-keep-your-private-teaching-studio-alive-over-the-summer-8c23d7c8ead4<![CDATA[How to Keep Your Private Teaching Studio Alive Over the Summer]]>2017-04-14T00:00:00.000Z2017-04-14T00:00:00.000Zby Steve Treseler. Our students’ travel schedules, summer camps, and “vacation” mindset make it challenging for private teachers to maintain a steady income throughout the summer months. Here are a…

title: "How to Keep Your Private Teaching Studio Alive Over the Summer" description: >- by Steve Treseler. Our students’ travel schedules, summer camps, and “vacation” mindset make it challenging for private teachers to maintain a steady income throughout the summer months. Here are a… date: '2017-04-14' cover: 1__ex4IVe4MrJ7ouQWXG8OYOQ.jpeg tags: []

by Steve Treseler. Our students’ travel schedules, summer camps, and “vacation” mindset make it challenging for private teachers to maintain a steady income throughout the summer months. Here are a few strategies to help you keep the momentum, learning, and cash flow going.

Lesson Packages

Over the summer, I offer packages of four or six lessons with flexible scheduling. This way, students can accommodate travel and I’m able to secure commitment and payment at the beginning of the summer.

Students who sign up for a lesson package are guaranteed a spot in my studio in the Fall — otherwise they go on my waiting list. This makes students much less likely to take the summer off.

Group Lessons

Summer is a great time to mix up your routine. A few years ago, I split my studio into several groups of four to six students for the summer. Each class had a different theme, chamber music, jazz, composition, etc. This kept the energy up and students enjoyed working together.

Each class met one day a week, with the understanding that kids would miss classes while on vacation. This compressed my teaching schedule to a couple of afternoons. While this didn’t generate the same income as full-time lessons, it freed up tons of time for me to spend time with my family and work for other summer programs.

Host an Event

If you have a busy studio, consider starting a masterclass series, camp, or retreat. A couple years ago, my colleagues Neil Welch and Evan Smith founded a successful day camp called the Seattle Saxophone Institute, and it has already expanded to a second week.

Launching a new program takes a considerable investment in time and effort, but these events can help you leverage your time and provide steady Summer income over the long term. Being a leader in the community will also help you attract more students all year round.

Sabbatical

I know teachers who add a couple of extra students during the year and are disciplined about saving in order to take a month or more off during the summer. The summer break is a major benefit to public school teaching, and you can design the same schedule for yourself.

Summer Recital

I usually host a recital in the Spring, but last year I decided to push it back to late August. This kept my students focused and motivated throughout the summer, and my high school students were glad the recital didn’t interfere with finals.

Year-Round Tuition

Some teachers use a year-round membership model for lessons, which helps them keep a steady income over the summer. A good way to structure it is to factor in breaks and a few flexible cancellation weeks, so the tuition might average 3.5 lessons a month. Many families like the convenience of setting up auto-pay or subscription payments, and you can maintain a more predictable income.

I’d love to hear any successful summer strategies you’ve come up with. Please leave a comment if you have ideas to share with other teachers.

Download a free digital copy of his book Creativity Triggers for Musicians at stevetres.com

]]>the-power-of-nostalgia-relating-to-a-students-musical-inspirations-with-our-own-e2c3d1666447<![CDATA[The Power of Nostalgia — Relating To A Student’s Musical Inspirations With Our Own]]>2017-04-12T00:00:00.000Z2017-04-12T00:00:00.000ZWe all know the feeling. Whenever “Every Morning” by Sugar Ray comes on at the grocery store, we are filled with nostalgia and transported to the back seat of our mom’s car with our best friend from…

title: "The Power of Nostalgia — Relating To A Student’s Musical Inspirations With Our Own" description: >- We all know the feeling. Whenever “Every Morning” by Sugar Ray comes on at the grocery store, we are filled with nostalgia and transported to the back seat of our mom’s car with our best friend from… date: '2017-04-12' cover: 1__Tll4dHoZuIyhjk4zPoJjyA.jpeg tags:

Music
Teaching
Education
Lessons
Creativity

by Scout MacKay.

We all know the feeling. Whenever “Every Morning” by Sugar Ray comes on at the grocery store, we are filled with nostalgia and transported to the back seat of our mom’s car with our best friend from 6th grade, fumbling with our shin guards on our way to a soccer game. When I teach my students the songs they can’t take off of repeat, like “Dangerous Woman” by Ariana Grande and “Magic” by Coldplay, I take myself back to those moments to recreate the goose-bump-raising feeling for myself of what they are experiencing. They’re crazy about a song because it triggers a tangible feeling of self expression.

If you can revisit this same kind of nostalgia but in a new light, you can create your own masterpieces. Through your craft of composition and songwriting it will transport you and your listeners to a feeling of freedom, peace, and being understood.

Throughout my teaching career, I have stumbled on many songs that help bring this out. Here are three of the more abstract songs that chose themselves, though never failing to introduce my students to some of the most powerful aspects of songwriting.

1. Ignite The Flame

Eleven-year-old Anika was halfway through the second verse, accompanying herself on piano singing “Pure Imagination” and both of us were tearing up.

There is no

Life I know

To compare with pure imagination

Living there

You’ll be free

If you truly wish to be

Anika is new to singing in front of anyone but her own reflection, new even to the concept that she is a singer. Her voice is gorgeous and she is beginning to give herself the space to explore it in her piano lessons.

Even though the chord progression can be simplified and taught to beginner students, the tonality of the introduction is very abstract. It quickly becomes a flowing melody with piercing lyrics.

A song like this can give permission to be brave and explore something that sounds out of the ordinary. It teaches the student to embrace the abstract in music and dare to combine fluid vocal lines with a meandering modal landscape.

The message in this song is to explore, and to embrace one’s imagination as the most important aspect of oneself: a prerequisite for songwriters.

2. Explore New Paths

I first heard “My Stupid Mouth” by John Mayer on a long bus ride between the border town of Sixaola, Panama and San Jose, Costa Rica when I first started teaching music in 2006. Unfortunately, I had forgotten to put more songs on my iPod, and I was left with just twelve songs to shuffle through as we made our way through the muggy banana plantations and hot jungle hills.

A decade later, in the middle of a lesson with a songwriting and piano student in which we were moving a bass line in the left hand and keeping the same inverted chord in the right hand, looking for a new place to go for a bridge or another verse, and I recalled this song.

There are three essential parts in this song that make it work in a unique way. The descending baseline carries the verse, the bridge takes you somewhere musically unexpected, and the third verse brilliantly comes after a long pause as a surprise. I often have this song at the ready to encourage movement outside of the ordinary in budding singer songwriters.

3. Sing Something That Sticks

Country singer Nancy Griffith’s song “Trouble in the Fields” is as good as it gets when it comes to creative songwriting in a common structure that is adaptable to pop, rock, alternative, and folk loving students.

The chord progression is extremely easy to follow, teach the movement to, and to simplify or recreate in one’s own songs. When I was seven years old, this was a favorite of mine to listen to on my family’s trips across the country on an old cassette tape that I’ll never let go of. This song works, so, so well, for it’s outstanding lyricism and storytelling and singable chorus. I often bring it out for demonstrating a lyrical structure.

What is the purpose of a first, second, and third verse? What does the bridge need to say and how does it take you to a simple, memorable four bar chorus? How do you use imagery poetically to tell a story to any audience about a very specific thing that they may have never experienced and still receive a universal response?

To me, Nancy Griffith is one of the absolute greats who can make any story turn to musical gold. I encourage my students to write songs weekly and one day they’ll be able to do the same.

Of course, there are heaps of songs I haven’t mentioned from my abstract basket of tricks. There’s “Can’t Take My Eyes off of You” by Lauryn Hill, “Us and Them” by Pink Floyd, and “Hide and Seek” by Imogen Heap.

I encourage fellow teachers to share their nostalgia for music with the growing songwriting students and fill their toolboxes with ways to unleash their own creative freedom and take it in new directions.

Scout MacKay teaches more than 40 students piano, voice, guitar, songwriting and composition in the Seattle area. She also travels annually to Latin America where she provides instruments, art supplies and music lessons as tools for developing communities.

]]>how-to-bring-creativity-to-your-private-music-lessons-ce3c9cf54c16<![CDATA[How To Bring Creativity To Your Private Music Lessons]]>2017-04-10T00:00:00.000Z2017-04-10T00:00:00.000Zby Steve Treseler. Even if you have little experience with improvisation and composition yourself, you can make a big impact on your students by helping them get off the page and create their own…

title: "How To Bring Creativity To Your Private Music Lessons" description: >- by Steve Treseler. Even if you have little experience with improvisation and composition yourself, you can make a big impact on your students by helping them get off the page and create their own… date: '2017-04-10' cover: 1__Kp3dePIQiFvW6HuPg7Dxpg.jpeg tags:

Music
Teaching

by Steve Treseler. Even if you have little experience with improvisation and composition yourself, you can make a big impact on your students by helping them get off the page and create their own music during your private lessons.

The process nurtures creative, independent, and fearless musicians. As teachers, it helps us break out of our standard routines.

I’d like to share a few prompts from my new book Creativity Triggers for Musicians, which you can download for free here.

It’s important to remember that creativity is a non-linear path, so we need to adopt a different mindset from how we teach technique and notated repertoire. Some strategies include:

Embrace process over product — and it’s a very messy process.
Encourage experimentation and play.
Be a creative partner in the process.

Let’s look at the techniques you could use in a real lesson:

Icebreaker Games

Introducing creative music as games is disarming and fun. Some of the musical results are goofy, but this process is a gateway to deeper creative practices. One of my mentors, W. A. Mathieu, says: “The purpose of musical games is not to generate a polished product, but to make musicians feel safe, adventuresome, and confident in the creative process.”

Here are a few examples:

Question/Answer Game

Ask your student to play a “question” phrase that ends in an upward direction. You respond with an “answer” phrase that ends with a downward interval. After a few question/answer phrases, switch roles.

Pass the Note

Play a single note (any pitch) and ask your student to respond with a single note. Repeat. Set a stopwatch and see how quickly you can play 30 notes.

Guess the Animal

Play a musical impression of an animal, and ask your student to guess the animal. Then, ask your student to assume the role of an animal and you can guess.

This is particularly effective in groups. Watch me lead a round of Guess the Animal at the 2017 Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival with a mixed group of instrumentalists and vocalists.

You could even try some some variations, such as Guess the Emotion and Guess the Machine.

Rhythmic Call and Response

Play a rhythm on a single pitch and ask your student to play the phrase back. Use the Drumgenius app to jam with jazz, rock, and Latin American drum loops.

Variations include:

Your student responds by changing the rhythm.
Your student copies the rhythm exactly but can change the pitches.

Variations on a Theme

Embellishing a familiar theme is an engaging entry point to improvisation. This introduces students to the theme and variations form in classical music, and jazz improvisation over a repeated form.

To start, choose a simple melody your student has mastered, and ask them to change one thing — it could be the melody, rhythm, dynamics, lyrics, tempo, meter or something else.

Once they have experimented with a few on their own, they can explore more possibilities from the “Theme and Variations Menu”:

Here are a couple examples I like to play for students for inspiration. Louis Armstrong’s improvised variations on “When the Saints Go Marching In” (on trumpet and voice) and Mozart’s virtuoso piano variations on “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.”

Role Playing

Ask your student to assume a new personality and play the song like an elephant, mouse, opera singer, robot, etc.

Composition Prompts

Composition doesn’t have to be a theory-heavy activity. My four-year-old daughter loves to write songs about our dog, so any of your students are ready to jump in.

Page from Michael Stegner’s brilliant Musical Monsters piano method.

Students can choose to notate their compositions or record the audio on their phones.

Themed Composition

Write a melody about a person, place, object, animal, emotion, or story.

Melodic Text Setting

Choose a poem, and write a melody that corresponds with each syllable of the text. (Also see the section on text setting in my book). You can browse poems at https://www.poetryfoundation.org/

Pitch Limitation

Choose a set of pitches for your student to write with. You can start with my “Pentatonic Scale Menu.” Try playing these along with a C drone.

More Limitations

Limit the rhythm, key, meter, tempo, density, and/or something else.

For example, write a four-measure melody in F minor using only quarter notes, quarter rests, and half notes.

Set a timer for five minutes, and complete the exercise along side your student.

You’ll be astounded by what your students come up with.

Steve Treseler is a Seattle-based saxophonist, teaching artist, and author. He is on faculty at Seattle Pacific University and teaches creative music workshops across the U.S.

]]>seven-tips-to-maximize-your-teaching-time-2bc933ad4c95<![CDATA[Seven Tips To Maximize Your Teaching Time]]>2017-04-07T00:00:00.000Z2017-04-07T00:00:00.000ZBy Doug Hanvey. In our crazy world, it’s more important than ever for private teachers to maximize the time they spend teaching (and not marketing or bookkeeping). You know, the time you spend on the…

title: "Seven Tips To Maximize Your Teaching Time" description: >- By Doug Hanvey. In our crazy world, it’s more important than ever for private teachers to maximize the time they spend teaching (and not marketing or bookkeeping). You know, the time you spend on the… date: '2017-04-07' cover: 1__nYvhONyK10rURXa6IrWKAw.jpeg tags:

Education
Teaching
Productivity

By Doug Hanvey. In our crazy world, it’s more important than ever for private teachers to maximize the time they spend teaching (and not marketing or bookkeeping). You know, the time you spend on the work that you’re actually paid for! Here are seven ways to maximize your teaching time, and as a result, your income.

1. Maximize your marketing knowledge

To maximize your teaching time, you first need to fill up your studio with enthusiastic students. Too many teachers remain ignorant of basic marketing skills. Yet marketing is not nearly as difficult as learning to play an instrument! Commit to learning what you need to in order to fill your studio quickly. Check out several articles on my blog that explain how music teachers can effectively market their studios.

2. Let students come to you

While it may be advantageous to offer in-home lessons when you’re starting up your teaching business, the travel time will eventually take its toll. Every minute spent in traffic is precious time that you could be teaching. Granted, you can charge a fee for your travel time, but it will be difficult to justify charging your standard teaching rate for twiddling your thumbs at a stoplight.

3. Teach adults and home-schoolers

If you only teach public school students, you’re limiting your teaching hours to after school times. Market your studio to home-schoolers, whose schedules are much more flexible. If you’re comfortable teaching them, market to adult students too. You’ll find that many adults, even working adults, can make a daytime lesson, and many even prefer it.

4. Offer group lessons

While they may be difficult to schedule, group lessons (by definition) maximize your teaching time and income. Yet, they also offer additional advantages — students may have more fun studying with their peers and therefore study longer, and you can do fun and educational ensemble work.

5. Have a student policy

While it may be a truism, that’s because it’s true — a student policy that discourages no-shows will maximize lesson attendance and your income.

6. Try a bookkeeper and/or studio management software

If you spend too many hours each month taking care of your books, sorting checks and cash, or making numerous trips to the bank, consider getting a bookkeeper. In conjunction with a bookkeeper, also consider utilizing studio management software that automates tasks such as scheduling, student payments, etc.

7. Get a virtual assistant

The busiest music teachers may benefit by hiring a virtual assistant (VA) — someone who can take care of mundane, repetitive tasks that will free up additional time for teaching. Many VAs are generalists, while others are specialists in marketing, website design and development, or writing. You may even find VAs with high-level knowledge of music. Businesses of all kinds use virtual assistants these days — why shouldn’t music teachers?

Doug Hanvey is a piano teacher in Portland, Oregon . His Piano Lab Blog offers cutting-edge tips and ideas for piano teachers and piano students.

]]>how-to-completely-change-your-music-theory-lessons-b576fa20bb6b<![CDATA[How To Completely Change Your Music Theory Lessons]]>2017-04-04T00:00:00.000Z2017-04-04T00:00:00.000ZMany times, I have heard responses like: “Yes, but I didn’t like it.” Or: “It was so hard.” “My teacher was mean.” “I just wanted to play a song and it was so boring.” For hundreds of years, music…

title: "How To Completely Change Your Music Theory Lessons" description: >- Many times, I have heard responses like: “Yes, but I didn’t like it.” Or: “It was so hard.” “My teacher was mean.” “I just wanted to play a song and it was so boring.” For hundreds of years, music… date: '2017-04-04' cover: 0__3JgBFbgV6o9TVOYu.jpeg tags:

Education
Teaching
Music

By Andrew Ingkavet.

Did you ever ask a non-musician friend if they had ever taken music lessons?

Many times, I have heard responses like: “Yes, but I didn’t like it.” Or: “It was so hard.” “My teacher was mean.” “I just wanted to play a song and it was so boring.”

For hundreds of years, music teachers would force students to use complicated symbols before making a sound on their instrument.

Those who didn’t understand felt like a failure, or that they just weren’t cut out for this music thing. It’s tragic, and I hear it from the parents of my students all the time. They blame themselves: “I just didn’t get it. I wish I had stuck with it.”

In reality, it’s a problem called the ‘Curse of Knowledge’.

The Curse of Knowledge is a cognitive bias that occurs when an individual, communicating with other individuals, unknowingly assumes that the others have the background to understand.

This term was coined in 1975 by economists Colin Camerer, George Loewenstein, and Martin Weber — but is incredibly valuable to any teacher.

These old-fashioned music teachers were blinded by their own knowledge. They could not see that what they considered to be 10 steps from beginner to playing a song, was really 1,000 steps.

It was a teacher-centric model. Figure out how to read my language and then I can show you how to make music.

“When we are given knowledge, it is impossible to imagine what it’s like to LACK that knowledge.” — Chip Heath from Made To Stick, Why Some Ideas Survive And Others Die .

Try to put yourself in your student’s shoes

What do they know already? How can you bridge the gap from not knowing to knowing?

Turn the pedagogy upside down from teacher-centric to student-centric.

In my curriculum, the Musicolor Method, we do just that.

We approach all learning from the point of view of a four-year-old. What does a four-year old know? They can count to ten. They can recognize the letters of the alphabet. They can identify the colors of the rainbow. They may be able to write their name.

But still, there are many abstract ideas when it comes to music. Just the letter names to identify the notes A, B, C, etc are an abstraction. How best to communicate this knowledge?

Being a parent made me a better teacher

When my son was a toddler, he experienced severe separation anxiety. It forced me to spend a whole two years sitting in his preschool classroom. And, at first, I was frustrated and angry. But as I spent time with the wonderful teachers and children, I began to notice how they managed the classroom, redirected their focus, and rewarded the behaviors they wanted and discouraged the behaviors they didn’t.

Concrete toys

One thing you’ll notice in every preschool classroom is the number of physical toys. The colorful building blocks, letter train, puzzles, shape sorters, etc. All of these physical and concrete toys were created to give toddlers a way to understand abstract concepts.

When I was a boy, my Dad taught me about the planets in the solar system in a similar way. We were sitting at our kitchen table. He grabbed a grapefruit and said, “This is the Sun.” And then he grabbed an apple. “This is the Earth. It’s actually much smaller than the sun, but imagine this being the Earth.” And then he picked up a plum. “This is the moon. The moon goes around the Earth while both go around the Sun.” He placed the Sun on the table and moved the plum around the apple while circling around the grapefruit.

It was visual and concrete and I understood what orbits were immediately.

Teaching music with physical tools

As my teaching practice grew to include more and more preschoolers, I began to introduce my own invented tools. The kids loved them. After all, I framed it as a “game.” Who doesn’t love a game?

Teaching the music alphabet

I made letter cards with the music alphabet from A to G. We shuffled them and they would organize them into a proper order on the floor. And then backwards! We would map each letter to the instrument. Later, we would try to think in skips instead of steps.

Teaching pitch

I began using the Curwen hand signs to physicalize the pitches of solfege. I created a poster showing the hand signs demonstrated by my students and then a deck of cards. The first time I show them these cards, we work on getting the hand signs and syllables in the proper order. Later, we use it as a composing tool. The kids love it!

I also use a printed staff on which we place magnets or even pennies to represent high, low or medium pitch.

Teaching rhythm

For rhythm, I use a stick notation to focus only on the rhythmic portion of music reading. The stick is the notes without the notehead. I adapted Michiko Yurko’s ideas from her book Music Mind Games to come up with a similar vocabulary of fun words to describe these rhythms.

In other methods, two eighth notes would be described and counted as “one- and” or “ti — ti” and other variations. In my studio, we call this “mango” — this is a much more concrete image and a delicious one too!

We also use finger signs to match with the symbols thereby creating another kinesthetic feeling or shape that is associated with it.

These stick notations can be easily drawn on a whiteboard or paper, but using a deck of cards, it’s even more fun.

Here’s a video of Govind and Ella working on learning stick notation.

One of the best teaching songs in the last 10 years came from the movie Pitch Perfect. It’s the old folk song “When I’m Gone” by the Carter family reinvented later with a cool rhythm trick using a plastic Solo cup. The actress Anna Kendrick actually learned it from YouTube and used it for her audition for the film.

As an exercise and game, we would try to figure out the proper stick notation for this intro played on a cup.

Here’s a video of my student’s performing this at our Holiday Music Salon.

In conclusion

By recognizing we have the “Curse of Knowledge”, we can adjust our lesson plans to our audience. Then, using physical tools, we can effectively transfer the knowledge at a deeper, richer level and “make sticky” the abstract concepts of music theory.

Physical resources

If you would like to purchase the materials I use, you can do so here.

Andrew Ingkavet is an educator, author, and entrepreneur. He is creator of the Musicolor Method, a student-centric music curriculum and lives in Brooklyn, NY with his wife, son and a cat named Felix.

]]>how-to-encourage-your-music-students-and-clients-without-giving-up-your-social-life-59a55fd511cf<![CDATA[How to Encourage Your Students And Clients, Without Giving Up Your Social Life]]>2017-04-03T00:00:00.000Z2017-04-03T00:00:00.000ZThere are serious life lessons held within the weekly meetings I schedule for both my entrepreneurial clients and music students. I know this: if I’m doing it right, that weekly meeting alone can be…

title: "How to Encourage Your Students And Clients, Without Giving Up Your Social Life" description: >- There are serious life lessons held within the weekly meetings I schedule for both my entrepreneurial clients and music students. I know this: if I’m doing it right, that weekly meeting alone can be… date: '2017-04-03' cover: 1__bTqSVLAmB__n1r3PePrUrrg.jpeg tags:

Education
Teaching
Clients
Students
Business
Productivity
Personal Development

^^^ This could be you at the beach instead of sending a bajillion emails. ^^^

There are serious life lessons held within the weekly meetings I schedule for both my entrepreneurial clients and music students. I know this: if I’m doing it right, that weekly meeting alone can be life changing.

But there are some of us business owners, myself included, who know that “touching home-base” more than once each week is the “special sauce” on a student’s success. This is why I really enjoy surprising my students with a mid-week encouragement from time to time.

But here’s the thing: I don’t want to give up my social life or undervalue myself by giving away too many “freebies”. So, I’ve learned a couple quick tricks to have my cake and eat it too. Not only have I minimized my “admin hours” to almost nothing, but I’m still able to provide mid-week encouragement to my students when they need it most, AND have a social life too!

Here are my favorite ways to accomplish this:

**Students are invited to text/email me with any celebration or tribulation in their practice sessions.**

The trick here is that my students are telling me when to give them extra encouragement, thereby relieving me from breaking myself due to bending over backwards for them. I make it known that my response will be no more than five sentences ( here’s why) so that I’m not obligated to write out a novel of a response. This is such a helpful tool for the parents of my kiddo students. It gives them permission to do more than just nag and tattle on their kids for not practicing — they can celebrate even the little things like “OMG! Johnny just played Minuet in G with all his bowings perfectly!” or “Any quick tips on how to get these Minuet in G bowings straightened out?” Overall, I recommend any teacher out there to at least consider setting up something like this. It’s personal and externally motivated — both things I’m a huge fan of.

Mid-week email to all students.

I used to do this every week, but learned that I like saving my “encouragement fuel” for when I can tell my students really need it. However, my students are not your students, so your students might really love depending on a weekly email with your favorite YouTube video of Yo-Yo Ma or NPR audio clip featuring a fascinating interview.These emails don’t need to be long and laborious. Just a simple quick tip or link to an article you found interesting. Again, save the long-winded oratory for your lessons. Just a quick little “Hey! I’m thinking of you!” goes a long way.

Automation Trick: If you’re doing this via email, keep an updated list of email addresses in a group or on a spreadsheet, so you can do a quick copy/paste in the BCC area of your email composition. Also, don’t be that person — please for the love of all things holy and true, send the email via BCC (blind carbon copy) so you don’t spam everyone with “reply alls.”

Send a quick studio-wide video message.

If sending an article might not be personal enough for your corral of students, then recording a quick selfie video with your mobile phone works wonders! You could store the video in Dropbox and send that Dropbox link to each student via email or text!

Send a group text message.

Most mobile phones these days have ways to create and modify a group of phone numbers for group text messages. But if you’re like me, then those “reply all” conversations might not be your cup of tea. (See above rant.) That’s why I love using Remind.com for this purpose. My students can sign up to receive text messages and announcements via text message. Remind.com is FREE, super simple to set up, and it’s designed specifically for teachers too!

Start a Facebook group for your students.

For the teacher with students already active on Facebook, starting a group (as opposed to a page) is the way to go. You can set the group up to be private or secret so membership is controlled. You can designate other students to help you moderate the group (remember, you want to keep your social life.) And you can share all these lovely bits of encouragement already mentioned above in the group too.

Bottom-Line: Identify what your students need most, how you’d like to deliver mid-week encouragement, and then set up an as-much-as-possible automated system to do so!

Not only will your students thank you for the extra encouragement boost, but they’ll appreciate having a teacher who has a social life too. ;)

Have any other ideas to add to the list, leave a comment below!

Peterson’s mission is inspire a global resonance and magnanimous community through the marriage of art and whole-person development.

She is available here: www.emilyannpeterson.com

]]>what-did-you-forget-memory-tricks-to-help-private-teachers-and-your-students-learn-c9b00d76da3b<![CDATA[What Did You Forget? Memory Tricks To Help Private Teachers And Your Students Learn]]>2017-04-03T00:00:00.000Z2017-04-03T00:00:00.000ZI once read ginkgo would help improve your memory, so I went out and bought an extra large bottle of this supplement. Honestly, I would do just about anything to help my memory. Funny thing, I…

title: "What Did You Forget? Memory Tricks To Help Private Teachers And Your Students Learn" description: >- I once read ginkgo would help improve your memory, so I went out and bought an extra large bottle of this supplement. Honestly, I would do just about anything to help my memory. Funny thing, I… date: '2017-04-03' cover: 1__2krS6B__OyHJw142CWOu0Pw.jpeg tags:

Learning
Education
Teaching

by Beth Peterson.

I once read ginkgo would help improve your memory, so I went out and bought an extra large bottle of this supplement.

Honestly, I would do just about anything to help my memory. Funny thing, I couldn’t remember where I placed the bottle for about two weeks, then once I started it was hard to remember to take the darn thing every day. I tried, but couldn’t tell a speck of difference.

That’s when I decided to study up on what the memory experts say. So far, the research says there’s no magic pill. I just have to create systems for remembering and know how to pull the information I need from my cerebral filing cabinet.

I cannot write about memory strategies without mentioning the Godfather of memory techniques, Harry Lorayne. He is in his early nineties now and is a prolific writer and presenter teaching millions interested in improving their memory.

Although his childhood story is somewhat dark, it provides motivation and hope for those of us who feel doomed when we think we can never improve our memories.

He was the poorest of the poor, and school wasn’t so fun for him due to failing grades, as well as serious difficulty reading. He actually had dyslexia, but we didn’t have a name for it then. He says that when he brought home poor test grades, his dad would punch him. Ouch! I’m sure it hurt bad enough getting a failing grade. So, to avoid his father’s punishment, he worked hard at figuring out the secret to succeed in school.

No teacher really wants to hear this, but many students would agree with Harry regarding his view on school. He realized that school measured your intelligence by how well you could memorize answers to questions. It wasn’t necessarily a measure of intelligence, but of how well you memorized things.

He also said there is no learning without memory.

After that epiphany, he studied how-to books on the art of remembering and began passing all of his tests. Then he started teaching others, wrote books and presented his techniques to thousands.

The key to his method lies in the fact that you have to associate images with information AND pay attention. During an interview on one of his many Johnny Carson show appearances, he said you have to focus and listen. Most people don’t really listen.

Busted!

Have you ever met someone, had a nice conversation, moved on and then realized you don’t recall their name? Maybe you weren’t really focusing when they said their name. Or, was it because you really didn’t listen? This happens to me all the time but I think I’m a pretty good listener. So this gave me pause for thought.

Aristotle said: “It is impossible even to think without a mental picture.” If you don’t have a strong visual learning style, don’t worry. You just need to anchor the information you need to learn with an image. Especially with an image that is absurd, crazy and hopefully has some action. There are a lot of mental imagery tricks to help us remember names. I’m still working on that. For now, I will share my top mnemonic devices that will help any student with their studies. Just remember, these won’t work if you don’t pay attention and listen.

Acronyms and acrostics are useful mnemonics that most of us have used since we were in the first grade. We just didn’t know that they had such a fancy name.

Remember HOMES, ROY G. BIV? Those are acronyms; creating a word that contains the first letter of the words you need to know. HOMES is the Great Lakes — Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior. The name ROY G. BIV stands for the colors of the rainbow: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet.

Acrostics use the first letter of each word you need to know and make up a silly sentence. PEMDAS, EGBDF are acrostics for: Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally (order of operations) and Every Good Boy Does Fine (notes on the treble clef staff).

Both acronyms and acrostics are useful for most subject areas. Recently, I worked with some students on creating acrostics for the countries in Central America. They took the first letter of each country and made a silly sentence out of it. B arney cr acked e ggs n ear h ot p ans and g um. Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Panama and Guatemala. Who can forget that?

Making up your own acronyms and acrostics can be hard in the beginning, but it’s really easy once you get in that mindset. I’m constantly coming up with mnemonics for most everything I need to learn. It’s just natural for me now. Practice, practice, practice! And, yes, it does annoy my friends…

Ever wonder how people memorize longs lists in order? I teach my study skills students word association tricks. It’s a little tricky to summarize, but the main point is that the prior word needs to be associated to the next word. In other words, you only have to remember the first word without a link.

The example from The Memory Book by Lorayne and Lucas is this: 1. airplane 2. tree 3. envelope 4. earring 5. bucket and so on (I can still write the list of 10 in order from memory and I learned this list three years ago, so I know this works).

You need to have an image — and if it’s moving that’s even better. Also, that association with the prior item needs to be rather absurd or unrealistic. For example, millions of trees are flying over the airplane, there’s envelopes hanging from the tree branches, you are wearing earrings that are in the shape of envelopes, you might see a gigantic bucket wearing earrings, etc. Get it? The more you exaggerate, make things out of proportion, have them moving and substitute items for one another, the more successful you will be at remembering them.

All of these techniques require chunking. Your brain loves to categorize things because it’s pretty hard to remember a zillion single items. If you have to remember 50 items for a test, chunk it. Make a silly story so it flows, make acronyms, acrostics and use word associations. You can memorize four to five chunks containing everything rather than memorizing 50 single items. Our brain can handle that much better. Try it!

You’re never too old or too young to learn anything. Research has shown us over the last decade that neuro-plasticity is evident in old and young brains. That’s the ability for your brain to expand it’s neural network so it can grow and change. So, although I might still be tempted to reach for the latest supplement to help boost my brain power, I really will have better luck using these proven memory tricks. It’s cheaper too.

]]>are-you-ready-how-to-prepare-your-teaching-business-for-tax-time-48a9674ea07c<![CDATA[Are You Ready? How to Prepare Your Teaching Business for Tax Time]]>2017-03-30T00:00:00.000Z2017-03-30T00:00:00.000ZHow much do you think you need to earn to file an income tax return in 2017? It may surprise you to know that as a self-employed private instructor, you only need to have a profit of $400 to file a…

title: "Are You Ready? How to Prepare Your Teaching Business for Tax Time" description: >- How much do you think you need to earn to file an income tax return in 2017? It may surprise you to know that as a self-employed private instructor, you only need to have a profit of $400 to file a… date: '2017-03-30' cover: '1__6L__HLX118xN5eATr4z5__rg.jpeg' tags:

Taxes

How much do you think you need to earn to file an income tax return in 2017? It may surprise you to know that as a self-employed private instructor, you only need to have a profit of $400 to file a tax return*.

If you’ve left everything to the last minute, then don’t panic (too much). I spoke to Susan Lee, who has prepared taxes for freelancers and artists in New York City for more than 20 years, to get a little advice on preparing yourself for that 15th April tax deadline.

“Keep really good records.”

You need to keep solid records of your outgoings as well as your income so you know how much you actually made during the financial year. It’s time to gather all of your receipts and invoices to work out what you can and cannot deduct from your business.

As a freelancer, no one takes the taxes out of the money your earn — it’s up to you to report your income to the IRS. So, you need to make sure you have all of your records to hand.

That can be quite a lot of paperwork — here’s a full list of papers you will need to do your taxes.

“Track your expenses.”

You can use a range of mediums to keep track of your expenses. Whether it’s an old-fashioned ledger, an Excel spreadsheet or an app-based tracking system, it doesn’t matter. But you do need to record your income and outgoings into that system.

“Keep paper receipts.”

We may live in an increasingly digital world, but it’s important to print out and retain paper records. “People, wrongly, assume that an electronic receipt will last forever, it’s much safer to print out a hard, paper copy of your receipts — and any other paperwork,” according to Susan.

It is also worth getting a dedicated bank account and/or credit card for your business. This will make it easier, going forward, as all of your business transactions can be tracked using your statements from these accounts.

“You have to keep track of your income and outgoings so you know what you can deduct.”

Keeping every receipt means you can evaluate whether each outgoing can be claimed as an expense. It’s an important task. This will help you to determine your net taxable income.

It’s worth keeping such paperwork in a separate folder for each tax year. Also, remember to keep your paperwork for up to three years after filing a tax return as they can still be contested or amended during this time.

What can you deduct?

This is a basic list of typical expenses incurred by self-employed private instructors:

Office supplies
Travel expenses
Book, magazines, reference material — including sheet music
Telephone/internet
Marketing materials
Office rent
Membership of professional organizations
Business insurance and legal/professional fees
Travel expenses
Business meals and business entertainment
Equipment — including your instruments and any replacement parts
Software

Susan said: “It can be difficult for private instructors. There are a lot of different outgoing on a day-to-day basis.” For example, you may have to travel between lessons, or pay to rent out a classroom. Your teaching location can also play a part if, for example, you conduct lessons at your home or in a separate studio.

The diversity and flexibility of private instructors means your finances may be equally diverse. If you keep clear records and track your expenses, this time of year shouldn’t case you too much stress.

Susan Lee has prepared taxes for freelancers and artists in New York City for more than 20 years. She is a Certified Financial Planner™

*Susan said: “To be clear, this is not true of the group of people who call themselves freelancers and who are paid on W-2’s. It is true for the freelancers who get paid for the whole amount they earn, do not have any taxes withheld, and have or should have their income declared on a 1099.”

]]>what-does-it-really-mean-to-make-a-living-5ce62571f63a<![CDATA[What Does it Really Mean To Make a Living?]]>2017-03-29T00:00:00.000Z2017-03-29T00:00:00.000ZI have been teaching private guitar for around 12 years now. But I have only been teaching private guitar as my full time job for just over six months, at the time of writing this. After focusing my…

title: "What Does it Really Mean To Make a Living?" description: >- I have been teaching private guitar for around 12 years now. But I have only been teaching private guitar as my full time job for just over six months, at the time of writing this. After focusing my… date: '2017-03-29' cover: 1__nIvLk3K1pAxmlhIDwUfMPw.jpeg tags:

Solopreneurship
Startup
Teaching
Education
Money

“… anyone working in a field that they are passionate about is destined to succeed in their financial goals.”

Cory Moon

I have been teaching private guitar for around 12 years now. But I have only been teaching private guitar as my full time job for just over six months, at the time of writing this. After focusing my efforts on teaching privately full time, I am convinced that I (at the very least) can make a living as a private instructor.

When I first starting teaching at a local music academy 12 years ago, I said to myself: “If I could only do this full time, I’ll have it made!” Until recently, I didn’t think I could achieve this goal outside of teaching in a university. I didn’t think I could make a living as a private teacher.

Everybody’s financial goals are different. What it means to actually make a living is relative to what everyone wants out of life. Some people want to make millions in their lifetime, some just want to get by and do what they love, others value the experience with their students more than anything else. No matter what your goals are, I truly believe that your passion in private instruction can bring you to your goals.

The four points I want to make when considering what it means to make a living in this field are this:

You are the only thing in your way
If you’re starting out, it will be slow at first
You’re best marketing is word of mouth
Don’t under charge

My first point is a powerful one. If you aren’t making enough money right now, or if you’re unhappy with your current employment status, the only thing in your way is the person in the mirror.

No one else is going to get you making real money doing what you love — other than yourself. You can do it. I promise. ( Disclaimer: DO NOT quit your full time job immediately, I suggest reading Quitter by John Acuf f for detailed guidelines on finding the right time to quit your job and pursue your passion).

Second, if you are just starting out as a teacher on your own, it’s going to be slow at first. That’s OK. These things take time. My next point will explain why.

Third, your best marketing method is word of mouth. You can buy an ad on the TV, radio, and highway billboards, but your first customers are likely going to be people that you already know. Your next customers will be people that know the people that you already know. So on, and so forth.

Do push on social media to get the word out that you’re teaching, but always remember to give your best to your customers so that they pass on more business to you.

Your marketing strategy should be to care. If you give a great service and experience to your students, you are likely to get repeat customers and referrals to your new business. This is the best and most proven way to scale in this business. Do good work and always be courteous, it pays!

Last, do not undercharge. I can’t emphasize this enough. Your time is valuable. The book The Go Giver gives us ‘The Law of Compensation’ and that states: “Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.” It discusses the importance of impacting large numbers of people.

However, you may also consider that it may be less stressful and easier to manage less customers at a higher rate for private lessons. But, whatever you decide, don’t undercharge your students.

I am fully convinced that anyone working in a field that they are passionate about is destined to succeed in their financial goals, or any goals that they may set in their lives. These are just a few points that I hope will help you along the way.

Cory Moon is a guitar teacher in Oklahoma City and the owner of GuitarLessonsOKC . Cory holds a bachelor of arts in guitar performance with advanced studies in improvisation and contemporary music theory, and has vast experience in performing.

]]>how-i-minimized-my-admin-hours-to-almost-nothing-5c52bb3a8bcf<![CDATA[How I Minimized My Admin Hours To Almost Nothing]]>2017-03-27T00:00:00.000Z2017-03-27T00:00:00.000ZAre you spending an exorbitant amount of time working on things to keep your business going, without ever actually touching on your favorite parts of WHY you started your business in the first place…

title: "How I Minimized My Admin Hours To Almost Nothing" description: >- Are you spending an exorbitant amount of time working on things to keep your business going, without ever actually touching on your favorite parts of WHY you started your business in the first place… cover: 1__uL__1ScNdP__dxNk5pFADu7w.jpeg date: '2017-03-27' tags:

Productivity
Solopreneurship

Are you spending an exorbitant amount of time working on things to keep your business going, without ever actually touching on your favorite parts of WHY you started your business in the first place?

Yeah, I’ve been there.

Here’s the deal: as your business grows, your systems and “admin hours” will grow too. Ideally, those systems will grow with you and not require any upkeep or modification, but not everything in life turns out ideally ;). Over the last decade of running my own teaching and consulting business, there have been a handful of instances where I’ve caught myself spending way too much time working ON my business instead of IN my business.

How much admin is too much admin? The answer is subjective. For me, when I’m doing too much admin, I get just the slightest bit annoyed with things that shouldn’t annoy me (like a client asking a pertinent question for their first time, but it’s my five-billionth time answering it.)

So here’s what I do when I’m spending more time working ON my business than working IN my business:

Take a week to simply observe.

This step is important. If you’re just flailing about in “Admin Hour Purgatory”, then it’ll be hard to understand how to get yourself out of it. I encourage taking a deep breath and spending a week noticing exactly what isn’t working for you and your business. Don’t try to change anything right away, just observe where you’re spending most of your time and exactly how your minutes are getting eaten up. You could write your day down as it happens or monitor things in your online calendar. I use Google Calendar for this.

Shop for a solution. If writing that email is going to take you 30 minutes to compile a response and you know it shouldn’t, then I encourage you to spend at least that amount shopping around for or brainstorming for a better system. There’s more than one way to skin a cat. (Yikes, I hate that metaphor.) So, if something isn’t working for you, I guarantee there’s someone else out there who’s thinking the same exact thing and has done something about it. Google will be your BFF for moments like this.

Stick to that solution. The system will only work if you’re using the system. So, if you’ve set up an automated scheduling solution, but you’re still doing client re-schedules via email and text message, then that system isn’t working. Either set up more obvious boundaries with your clients or change your system to work FOR you, not against you.

Here are my personal favorite solutions for minimizing my admin hours…

Too much scheduling?

Find a better system. No really, if all your emailing and admin hassles are really just scheduling questions driving you batty, then there are options… Here’s what I use:

For scheduling AND payment processing — Fons! Since parts of my business is pay-for-the-hour, this tool works wonders for me. My clients and students are empowered to do all their own scheduling within my previously set-by-me office hours. Then, at the time of our meeting, the credit card they have on file will get automatically charged and the funds automatically deposited to my bank account. Easy peasy!

There are a ton of other options too. Again, I encourage you to spend some time shopping around for the system that fits your business best.

Too much emailing?

Set a personal policy of keeping your responses to five sentences or less. You can even put this link in your email signature to explain why. When I applied this to my business, most of the awkwardness in implementing it came from me. I’ve never had a student or client think it’s weird or unhelpful.

My personal rule of thumb: if an email takes more than two minutes to respond to, I send a quick email to request I chat about it on the phone for five to 15 minutes. Or, in the case of my weekly clients and students, I’ll say: “Great question! Remind me to answer this in our next meeting.” (This trick is especially valuable if you’re not getting paid extra to sit there and write a novel of an email response.)

Create email templates to reuse. There was a season when every time I received a new client inquiry, I would write their welcome email from scratch! *facepalm* Each email was meticulously detailed with all the answers to the relevant questions. The day this started bothering me, I created an unsent email draft with all these responses and added to it over time. Then, the next time a client asked the same question, I’d copy/paste those previously written answers into those responses as they would come up.

Want more shortcuts for email? I suggest Googling “email shortcuts for [insert your email provider here]” Tons of tips and tricks will pop up!

Build a FAQs section. You could take this one step further and create a one-stop shop for all possible questions from your clients. You could use a Google Doc or put the Q&As on a page in your website. This would allow you to respond with “Great question! I’ve already put the answer here (link) and if you have any follow-up questions remind me to answer that at our next meeting on Tuesday!” (See? Less than five sentences and still super helpful!)

Too much bookkeeping?

Automate Your Bookkeeping. If you’re still using a spreadsheet to do all your bookkeeping, then spending just one of your typical bookkeeping days to convert over to an automated bookkeeping online software will help you immensely! I use QuickBooks Online, but there’s also FreshBooks, ZipBooks, Zero, Zoho, FreeAgent, Wave Accounting. Some of those even have a free option too. It’s worth shopping around for the best option. I spend five minutes at most every week to check in on my business finances.

Hire a Bookkeeper. I know, I know. You don’t think you have enough time/money to hire a bookkeeper. Hear me out though. If you’re spending up to five hours every month (60 hours/year) doing something someone else could do in two hours every quarter (eight hours/year), then you’re already wasting time and money. In a case like that, hiring a bookkeeper would be a money- making choice, because you’d be free to add another client (or four) to your roster of income!

Bottom-line: Your business is personal because * you* are personally running your business.

It’s worth the extra elbow grease to ensure that the systems you set up are actually working for you, not against you. There may be a season of growing pains when your business demands more than you can give to it, which is why it’s so important to automate where you can and tweak your systems as you grow.

What automated systems (not listed here) do YOU use? I’d love to hear about them!

Peterson’s mission is inspire a global resonance and magnanimous community through the marriage of art and whole-person development.

She is available here: www.emilyannpeterson.com

]]>how-to-find-the-right-balance-between-fun-and-strict-teaching-methods-47d798e40be2<![CDATA[How To Find The Right Balance Between Fun And Strict Teaching Methods]]>2017-03-22T00:00:00.000Z2017-03-22T00:00:00.000ZWe all want to be the fun teacher. However, it’s easy to get off track trying to fulfil that persona. We can forget to adequately teach the fundamentals such as the rudiments of music — and our…

title: "How To Find The Right Balance Between Fun And Strict Teaching Methods" description: >- We all want to be the fun teacher. However, it’s easy to get off track trying to fulfil that persona. We can forget to adequately teach the fundamentals such as the rudiments of music — and our… date: '2017-03-22' cover: 1__Vyr7FmFQJJCtjYV97MLYeQ.jpeg tags:

Education
Teaching
Music

Cory Moon

Mar 22, 2017

“A balance of fun and regimental training is essential to curate a successful path for our music students.”

We all want to be the fun teacher. However, it’s easy to get off track trying to fulfil that persona. We can forget to adequately teach the fundamentals such as the rudiments of music — and our students lose out on valuable knowledge. A balance of fun and regimental training is essential to curate a successful path for our music students.

It should be no secret to any professional private instructor why basic music theory, sight reading, and technique are so important to your student. However, learning these things can be very rigorous. They are dependent on daily practice and study. Focusing too much on this alone will result in a bored student that, most likely, won’t work outside of your music lesson.

Keeping things fun will help to encourage a daily practice habit. As music teachers, we understand deeply how important deliberate practice is to develop a growing musician. If we focus too much on having fun in the lesson, then we can slow the learning process for the student.

What you really need to do as a teacher is to bring an artful blend of the two. You need to bring a balance to the music lesson. This balance will look different to each of your students. Sometimes, taking a couple of minutes out of working on a difficult piece to talk to your student about their other interests, for example, can keep the tone of the lesson a bit more light. Just don’t spend too much time off topic, your time has been paid for, after all.

For your younger students, you can provide stickers and candies to encourage focus in the lesson, or practice during the week.

Students that have a hard time focusing in the lesson will find it more fun to jump from topic to topic and then circle back to the music lesson. You may find yourself making lots of these circles in one lesson, but it can be very effective. Games are always a welcome change of pace for your student. You can play different intervals and let your student guess if it’s a 2nd, 4th or 5th, for example.

Keeping the tone of the lesson light and fun while still constantly challenging your student will help keep them moving forward and encouraged. Music teachers need to find the balance between tough fundamental work and keeping things fun.

]]>which-billing-model-is-right-for-your-studio-248a4afbe597<![CDATA[Which Billing Model is Right for Your Studio?]]>2017-03-21T00:00:00.000Z2017-03-21T00:00:00.000ZA clear billing policy is essential to run a thriving teaching business. The right model for you depends on how you choose to balance flexibility with consistent cash flow. I’ve experimented with…

title: "Which Billing Model is Right for Your Studio?" description: >- A clear billing policy is essential to run a thriving teaching business. The right model for you depends on how you choose to balance flexibility with consistent cash flow. I’ve experimented with… date: '2017-03-21' cover: 1__WaDtEY8Qa79M7EOGmENTPw.jpeg tags:

Education
Teaching
Scheduling
Money
Income
Payments

by Steve Treseler.

A clear billing policy is essential to run a thriving teaching business. The right model for you depends on how you choose to balance flexibility with consistent cash flow.

I’ve experimented with several billing models over the years, and I’d like to share the pros and cons of six such models:

1. Pay by the Lesson

Students pay for lessons individually.

Advantages:

Maximum scheduling flexibility, which is important if you are a gigging or touring musician
It’s flexible for your students who can’t commit to weekly lessons

Drawbacks:

Unpredictable cash flow, your income usually drops off in December and over the summer

The Fons app solves two additional pain points with this model:

Excessive admin time for scheduling is quashed
And you can automatically collect for no-shows

2. Pay for the Month

Students commit to weekly lessons and pay at the beginning of the month. The amount they pay each month depends on the number of lessons on the calendar.

Advantages:

You get paid upfront
It encourages more commitment from your students
There are less checks for your students to write/remember

Drawbacks:

Excessive admin time if you have a large studio — discussing and calculating tuition every month, factoring in absences, breaks, adjusting for cancellations can all be a headache

3. Punch Card

Students prepay for a package of lessons that aren’t attached to dates.

Advantages:

Same flexibility as the“Pay by the Lesson” model, and your students don’t need to write as many checks
It’s great for introduction packages and summer lessons

Drawbacks:

Excessive admin time for scheduling
Unpredictable cash flow
Your students won’t remember when to pay you.

For example, my sax teacher in high school used this model. My parents and I could never remember when we were supposed to pay him, and he always seemed confused.

4. Flat Rate Tuition

Students pay a flat monthly rate for weekly lessons.

Advantages:

Stable cash flow.
You can set up auto-pay or recurring subscription payments
Less admin time
No rescheduling or make-up lessons
Once it’s set up, you rarely have conversations with clients about scheduling and payment

Disadvantages:

Less flexibility for teachers who are also gigging musicians
The rigidity turns off some students

In the Flat Rate model, tuition isn’t adjusted for missed lessons. Families are used to playing flat rates for sports, dance, and other activities, and they don’t expect refunds for missed practices. We can frame music lessons the same way and eliminate the expectation to reschedule and make-up lessons.

However, having a no make-up policy feels too rigid for many teachers and students (see Emily Ann Peterson’s Teach Well article, Why I Abandoned a Tuition Payment Plan Forever). I solved this by building cancellations into my tuition.

I charge a flat rate during the school year, but I only factor 33 out of 38 lessons into the monthly tuition. This gives students the flexibility to cancel three lessons without penalty, and allows me to cancel two without offering make-ups or tuition adjustments. I also don’t schedule lessons during school vacations. This helps me to largely automate scheduling and billing, and families like the consistency. I also know another teacher who charges a flat rate for 11 months and doesn’t charge for lessons in December.

5. Pay for the Semester

Students pay for fall/spring lessons in a lump sum, like college tuition.

Advantages:

You get a big influx of cash at the beginning of the semester
It screens out uncommitted students

Drawbacks:

Only an option for affluent families
Students might be turned off my such a big financial commitment

6. Hybrid

I’ve settled on an imperfect hybrid model for my studio. Here’s how it works:

I charge using the“Flat Rate Tuition” model for middle school students, high school students, and group classes during the school year.
I use the “Pay by the Lesson” model for adult students who I don’t see you every week
Finally, I use the “Punch Card” model for lessons in the summer — this means students who commit to four or six lessons over the summer have a guaranteed spot in my studio in the fall.

This hybrid model has worked well for me for many years, but now I’m travelling more for gigs and workshops, this throws a big wrench into my Flat Rate billing.

It’s important to evolve to meet the needs of you and your students. Whatever model works for you, a clear, consistent, and well-communicated policy will keep your studio running smoothly and your clients happy.

If you use a different billing model, I’d love to hear about it. Please share the details, pros, and cons in the comments below.

Download a free digital copy of his book Creativity Triggers for Musicians at stevetres.com

]]>natural-born-singers-how-to-assess-your-students-from-the-first-consultation-f18f72362cc4<![CDATA[Natural Born Singers? How to Assess Your Students From the First Consultation]]>2017-03-17T00:00:00.000Z2017-03-17T00:00:00.000ZNo matter the age group you specialize in, whether you work with emerging and developing professionals, seasoned professionals or even absolute beginners, that initial consultation is valuable to…

title: Natural Born Singers? How to Assess Your Students From the First Consultation description: >- No matter the age group you specialize in, whether you work with emerging and developing professionals, seasoned professionals or even absolute beginners, that initial consultation is valuable to… date: '2017-03-17' cover: 1__Z4HX2xvqnqFCIfb6iBiQzw.jpeg tags:

Singing
Education
Consulting
Music

by Susan Eichhorn-Young.

Natural Born Singers? How to Assess Your Students From the First Consultation

No matter the age group you specialize in, whether you work with emerging and developing professionals, seasoned professionals or even absolute beginners, that initial consultation is valuable to both singer and teacher.

My studio has morphed over 30 years and I now work with emerging/developing professionals and working professionals. However, I have worked with young singers and beginners as well.

As teachers, we must be aware of the physical function of the vocal instrument in order to assess what is possible and not possible at certain ages, and what occurs at certain with physical development — and when that occurs. We must be able to diagnose physicality and what it could mean to the development of breath, support and resonance, as well as sustainability!

A first consultation, no matter the age or development of the singer, is always a surreal experience. Singing in front of someone new can often be a nerve-wracking experience.

I have explored more of a diagnostic approach that focuses on the physicality of the singer’s instrument, not the sound, per se. It allows us to observe more tangible elements and comment on how these issues can enhance or impede the development of the voice.

The voice develops so much later than most singers realize (and if you deal in tweens and teens, their parents as well) and speaking about that clearly is a helpful place to begin. When speaking with young singers, and new to study singers, it is important to speak to them about the development of the voice: it will develop! What you have today will grow and change with time and study.

Observing the singer, not just when singing, is crucial for your diagnosis and how you will develop a course of study that has a physical function direction.

Here are some jumping off points to consider:

1. Body posture

How does the singer simply move? How do they stand or sit while speaking with you and not singing? Is there hyper-extension? Is there slumping? Is there compression? Are their joints locked? Is one shoulder higher or more forward than the other?

2. Energy center

Where does the energy seem to radiant from? Is it high in the chest wall, is it collapsed through the solar plexus? Is it pressed into the pelvic girdle?

3. Head/Neck/Jaw

We deal with what has been referred to “text neck” as a general issue in our current smartphone society. Is the head balanced on a long neck or does it push forward? Is there chin tucking? Is the jaw tight in the speaking voice? We can observe all of these even before we start singing with a potential singer!

4. Singing posture

As you begin to vocalize a singer, does their posture change? How is the alignment? Does the head/neck/jaw change?

5. The breath

How does a singer breathe and engage their breath? Do they know where their lungs actually are? Do they know the difference between breath and support (depending on their development thus far)?

6. Body basics

Is the body tight and compressed or gaining more elasticity when breath is taken and engaged? Is there sternum length or collapse?

7. Voice onset

What happens on the onset of the voice? Is there an indication of fold balance or is there a glottal pressure or a breathy onset?

8. Physical responses

Is there an “age appropriate” physical response to register shifts or is there sub-glottal pressure? Is there laryngeal squeezing or tongue engagement to make register shifts instead of breath and support coordination?

These are just a few of the basic observations we as teachers can respond to during a first consultation with a singer. You can use these steps as a guideline as you observe and begin to develop a course of study based on a singer’s physicality and response to that physicality.

In the study of voice, one size does NOT fit all. We must be diligent to discover what a singer brings, and what a singer needs in order to continue their progress in a healthy and authentic way.

By giving them an opportunity to observe their physicality and how it responds to breath and vibration, they begin to recognize the habits and behaviors that may not be conscious.

This recognition of consciousness gives them an action, and in doing so, creates a clearer behavior that allows them to pay attention in a new or different way, which takes away the initial criticism of their sound.

That initial consultation can reveal much to a teacher who is truly paying attention and discovering what a singer brings in unconsciously, as well as consciously.

Susan Eichhorn-Young is a voice teacher, singer and actor, based in New York City. Her blog “Once More With Feeling” can be found here: www.susan-oncemorewithfeeling.blogspot.com .

]]>what-to-do-when-a-student-wants-to-quit-baf560205db7<![CDATA[What To Do When a Student Wants to Quit]]>2017-03-15T00:00:00.000Z2017-03-15T00:00:00.000ZMiah collapsed on the floor in a pile of tears and frustration. “I do not want to have a music lesson, I do not want to practice, and I do not want to play guitar!” As a second grader who is a year…

title: "What To Do When a Student Wants to Quit" description: >- Miah collapsed on the floor in a pile of tears and frustration. “I do not want to have a music lesson, I do not want to practice, and I do not want to play guitar!” As a second grader who is a year… date: '2017-03-15' cover: 1__9cT__i4nLtIDJ4krxFMtPcg.jpeg tags:

Teaching
Education
Music
Clients
Students
Money

by Scout MacKay.

Miah collapsed on the floor in a pile of tears and frustration. “I do not want to have a music lesson, I do not want to practice, and I do not want to play guitar!”

As a second grader who is a year into guitar lessons, Miah had got quite good. She had mastered all the basic chords and various strumming patterns. I didn’t want to see her give up. From playing her favorite songs to even writing one of her own (featuring the daily routines of her pet rabbit) — listing all of her accomplishments didn’t help.

Miah was overwhelmed with the idea of another half an hour lesson consuming her free time. She was not budging from the leg of the table she was so desperately clinging to, no matter what her parents and I said to her. She loudly made it known that she’d had it with scheduled time and wanted only to curl up with her cat on the floor and do nothing.

Her mom and I stepped outside onto the doorstep while her father patiently coaxed her out from underneath the table and helped her dry her tears. She explained to me that Miah was overwhelmed by witnessing her younger brother and his extensive hours of play time, while she had increasing responsibilities and heavier homework load after moving up a year in the vigorous Seattle Public School system.

One thing we forget easily as adults (who often cope with too much on our plates) is that kids get stressed out too. They not only belong to the same society that underestimates the importance of free time — they’re being raised by it. In order to continue lessons with an overwhelmed student, music has to become the tool to unwind and let go. Music has to become alone time, free time, a time for introspection and play — rather than a perfected presentation for the outside world.

I left the situation in Miah’s parents’ hands for the week, and wrote her mother an email suggesting that we take a different approach. Miah, strong-willed and determined to do things her own way, showed up at my house a week later with two recorders and a blank notebook. “I want to learn recorder instead of guitar,” she said. I hadn’t played a recorder since I was in elementary school when the music teacher had put on a humiliating performance, where we squeaked our way through songs no one had ever heard of about recycling and water conservation.

As a result, I scarcely regarded the recorder as a real instrument. But, after Miah and I watched a few impressive YouTube videos of the world’s best recorder players, my opinion changed and I was intrigued.

So, as Miah refashioned her feelings towards music lessons, I adapted my feelings towards the recorder. She was incredibly natural and enthusiastic, and within a few months she’d learned the Harry Potter theme song from sheet music, with all the sharps and everything. I realized all along I had been teaching a wind instrumentalist a string instrument, and what she had really needed was to express herself her own way.

While Miah became Seattle’s best Harry Potter recorder interpreter, I took a more laid back approach on giving her assignments and made lessons feel more like play time. Together we went into Harry Potter’s magical world and took time to reflect on what part of the story the songs in her music book came from. How did Harry Potter feel when he received that Nimbus 2000? What was “Double Trouble” really about? For Miah, the enthusiasm she brought to her music was equal to that of John Williams’, the composer. Music lessons were a half-hour to make Harry Potter’s world real — with a music stand and a recorder. I was on the sidelines as her biggest fan, every so often helping out by coming up with a rhythm exercise or working out the squeaks.

I asked Miah and her mother if I could write this article and she was honored. If your method isn’t working to teach a student, maybe they’re not a pianist but a vocalist, and maybe they need time to escape from a source of pressure.

Eventually, patiently, with the stage set on your student’s terms, you will build a unique kind of trust and friendship that is unstoppable. Then, after a long eight-hour day of teaching, you’ll pick up your guitar and go to your own version of “Hogwarts” and reinvent the lesson for yourself, perhaps with Miah on the sidelines, every once in awhile pencilling in an eight note that went by too quickly.

]]>how-to-bring-your-favorite-clients-and-students-to-your-door-b15bb34e79e9<![CDATA[How to Bring Your Favorite Clients and Students to Your Door]]>2017-03-14T00:00:00.000Z2017-03-14T00:00:00.000ZWhenever small business owners gather together, especially ones that depend on having clients, patients, or students — a topic that always comes up is: “How do YOU get more…

title: "How to Bring Your Favorite Clients and Students to Your Door" description: >- Whenever small business owners gather together, especially ones that depend on having clients, patients, or students — a topic that always comes up is: “How do YOU get more… date: '2017-03-14' cover: 1__DCWHRg2wf__EjdX__Ys2NLcA.jpeg tags:

Marketing
Clients
Students
Money
Income
Consulting

Whenever small business owners gather together, especially ones that depend on having clients, patients, or students — a topic that always comes up is: “How do YOU get more [clients/patients/students]?!”

It’s a good question. It’s one every business should either be asking or already know the answer to. But not everyone knows the answer, which is why that question rolls off the tongue like water off a duck.

Here are my three favorite exercises to find clients, students, or patients…

(Do all three for maximum effect!)

Exercise One: Find the Common Threads

If you’ve been in business for a while, gather a list of ALL your customers. When I didn’t have a database of customers readily available, I went back through my calendar for the previous two years and wrote down the names of each client.

The goal with this exercise is to write a couple highlights and low-lights of my working experience with these clients. Were they absolute gems? Did they cause way too much drama? Were they vocal about how much they enjoyed working with you?

After going through each customer, you’ll probably start to recognize a trend. Even if it’s: “Ugh. All my over-worked, over-salaried customers severely undervalued my services.” That’s gold. Even if the trend you notice is a negative trend, it’ll point you in the direction where you can avoid finding those folks in the future. But if it’s: “All my cubicle-worker, mid-career folks adored everything we did together.” That’s great too.

The goal is to find the common threads amongst your previous clients. Those threads can either point you to the folks you’ll want to avoid attracting through your marketing or highlight the ones that you want to work with more.

Note: If you’re just starting out in business, then you can still do this by completing it in an “ideal world” mindset. The ultimate goal is to create a list of characteristics of people you want to work with or don’t want to work with.

Exercise Two: Before There Was You

Take this same list of folks and get curious about what their life was/is like right before they meet you. Where do these people hang out? What kind of mental state are they in right before getting introduced to you? What’s their lifestyle like? What kind of errands do they run, if any? What are their biggest problems/fears in life, even if you don’t directly solve those?

Are they going to the grocery store five times/week because they need your organization skills and keep forgetting ingredients?
Are they attending their son’s orchestra concert at school when they realize he should be practicing more and that taking lessons might be a good idea?
Are they starting to make stupid mistakes at work because they are beginning to just not care about anything behind that darn cubicle?
Are they getting curious about why they can’t get a good night’s sleep and eventually (via Google) learn that it’ll probably get solved with a good therapy session and some melatonin?

Getting into what life is like for your customers right before they meet you is powerful knowledge. Use it.

Exercise Three: Pull It All Together

Once you’ve collected all this (and let’s call it what it is) market research (gasp!), you can tell a story about your future ideal clients. Pull together all the details into a story. Then walk that story right up to your door/website/booth.

Example: If your favorite students are creative, free spirits with over-achieving, helicopter parents then you’ll know that 1) pricing yourself slightly higher than the others in your industry will communicate to the parents that you are the best in your field, 2) the parent’s ultimate pain-point is the fear that their child will fail at life, so using authentic-to-you wording which eases and speaks to that fear will be highly effective, 3) we all know those parents talk to each other so a referral program might work wonders!

Yes, you’ll need to get creative with this part. It’s not easy. In fact people, like me, get paid thousands of dollars to do this for large or small companies. So, if this exercise of turning-data-into-a-valuable-story doesn’t come easy at first, don’t fret.

My best advice is to just get really curious. Ask as many questions as you can. Use your history and current knowledge set to learn more about your own business’s future.

If you get stuck at all, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below and ask a question! I’m happy to help!

Peterson’s mission is inspire a global resonance and magnanimous community through the marriage of art and whole-person development.

She is available here: www.emilyannpeterson.com

]]>lost-your-voice-how-your-posture-can-protect-your-voice-when-teaching-4748a3d9d54f<![CDATA[Lost Your Voice? How Your Posture Can Protect Your Voice When Teaching]]>2017-03-13T00:00:00.000Z2017-03-13T00:00:00.000ZTeaching classes takes its toil on the old voice box. It doesn’t matter if you’re teaching one-to-one classes back to back, or teaching a big class where you have to raise your voice — all teachers…

title: "Lost Your Voice? How Your Posture Can Protect Your Voice When Teaching" description: >- Teaching classes takes its toil on the old voice box. It doesn’t matter if you’re teaching one-to-one classes back to back, or teaching a big class where you have to raise your voice — all teachers… date: '2017-03-13' cover: 1__HM4TNmMdnrbyS1aP8Ugd4A.jpeg tags:

Health
Teaching
Consulting
Education

By Judith Barrass.

Teaching classes takes its toil on the old voice box. It doesn’t matter if you’re teaching one-to-one classes back to back, or teaching a big class where you have to raise your voice — all teachers suffer in some way, even if it’s only a dry mouth.

There are many ways to remedy a dry mouth. For example, try keeping a bottle of water to hand. Water is much better than tea, coffee and alcohol as these can all contribute to dehydration.

An opera singer also once told me to chew gum before class as it relaxes the voice box. It can also help if you vary your tone when speaking.

But there’s one thing you can change to really protect your voice — and that’s your posture.

Posture has a big impact on how you project your voice. Fredrick Alexander, founder of the Alexander Technique, realised the importance of correct posture and relaxing your muscles when he kept losing acting roles due to losing his voice. So, he devised this technique, which has helped many since.

In other words, taking a bit more notice around how you stand can have a knock-on effect to preventing fatigue, headaches and stress, not to mention helping you to project your voice and make sure you are being heard without undue strain.

So, let’s take a look at your posture.

Your head should be floating up to the sky and lengthening the neck. Don’t force the ‘stand tall’ stance — just think ‘float’.

Shoulders are back and down to give you lots of chest space so your lungs can take in the air they need and the air needed to project the voice.

The space between your ribs and hips should be lengthened, so the spine is also lengthened. This will, again, give space for the lungs and help you use your diaphragm correctly.

All this upper body is stacked on top of your hips, so try to bring them under your shoulders so the muscles of your lower body don’t have to work so hard, gravity is assisting.

Your weight should be through the heels of your feet with some also slightly forward through the balls of the feet. If you’re all forward then everything above gets shifted and your muscles have to work in a different way to the optimum.

Watch this video to give you a better idea:

If you adopt the good posture detailed in the video above, it’ll bring benefits to your teaching too. Your throat will be more open and your lungs can push out your words, carrying your message to the back of the class. In this posture position, you will also look like someone who’s in charge and with authority.

If you need to raise your voice and you’re using this posture, then the muscles of the rib cage and the diaphragm can force that sound out of your body without any undue strain on the vocal cords or without you tensing any muscles in the neck and shoulders.

How many of us try and get the point across by forcing the chin forward as we speak? It’s not a good look or helpful to the poor muscles connecting the neck to the jaw. Even if you teach in a seated position, then you need good posture — and remember to think about your upper body position.

So, if you are suffering from a sore throat or headaches after a long day teaching, then try adjusting your posture as above. I am sure it will help.

]]>why-do-students-resist-the-method-book-work-8849c9aa9c63<![CDATA[Why Do Students Resist The Method Book Work?]]>2017-03-08T00:00:00.000Z2017-03-08T00:00:00.000ZLearning an instrument is a very difficult thing to do, regardless of what age you start. A method book helps bring order and puts a plan together for a student’s music lesson. However, some students…

title: "Why Do Students Resist The Method Book Work?" description: >- Learning an instrument is a very difficult thing to do, regardless of what age you start. A method book helps bring order and puts a plan together for a student’s music lesson. However, some students… date: '2017-03-08' cover: 1__L3pzIYLXDZoTWXvywtxmqg.jpeg tags:

Music
Teaching
Education

by Cory Moon.

Learning an instrument is a very difficult thing to do, regardless of what age you start. A method book helps bring order and puts a plan together for a student’s music lesson.

However, some students seem to be very resistant to completing the work or practicing the material in a method book. Reasons for the opposition to the book work may include: the student’s goals are not lining up with the method, the student finds the method boring, they don’t find value in sight reading, the student is not prepared for the lesson, or they are unwilling to face new challenges.

For the purposes of this article, we will define a method book as a book with musical material that increases in difficulty to train the student how to play an instrument. I primarily use the Mel Bay Guitar Method for my beginner guitar students and the Berklee Press Method for my more advanced students.

While method books are a great way to build lesson plans, not every student is open to the idea of working out of a book. Here’s why:

The student’s goals don’t line up with the book. I’ve run into this a few times with my adult guitar students. Sometimes, they just want to learn how to strum a few songs, or maybe just one particular song. If this is the case, a method book may not be necessary. You can opt for a song book of the student’s choice. Books on scale studies may be another viable option if your student is interested in learning how to improvise.
The method is boring. If the material seems tedious to the student, you may find a song that the student recognizes and enjoys that they can learn. I suggest to keep the majority of the lesson on point with the material and spending the last few minutes looking at a song of the student’s choice.
The student does not see the value in sight reading. You may demonstrate how valuable it is to sight read to the student by picking up a piece of music and just playing it. Sight reading is useful to anyone who plays an instrument. It’s difficult to learn, but the work is worth it.
Your student isn’t prepared for their lesson. You may find defiance to the method simply because of a lack of practice from the student. Find ways to reward your student when they do practice. Praise the student. If they are a child, do this to their parents when they have practiced and made the most of their lesson. Help the student by writing down a practice regimen that they can put into action.
The student is unwilling to face new challenges. If you don’t address this issue, you are going to lose this student very soon. Students may find comfort in the techniques and/or songs that they are really good at. Explain the connection of challenge to growth. You have to get uncomfortable if you want to grow as a musician.

The problem with method books is an easy issue to solve. Encouraging the student to practice, face new challenges, understand the value in sight reading, or just opting for songs and/or scale studies can help keep your student interested and engaged with his or her music lessons.

]]>so-what-do-you-do-why-your-about-me-is-never-about-you-9a0700780792<![CDATA[So, What Do YOU Do? Why Your 'About Me' Is Never About You]]>2017-03-06T00:00:00.000Z2017-03-06T00:00:00.000ZOur answers and stellar discussion in this little online hangout reminded me about the importance of your “About Me”. Sometimes, this comes in the form of a page on your website or an introduction at…

title: "So, What Do YOU Do? Why Your 'About Me' Is Never About You" description: >- Our answers and stellar discussion in this little online hangout reminded me about the importance of your “About Me”. Sometimes, this comes in the form of a page on your website or an introduction at… date: '2017-03-06' cover: 1__rxwQWO5E0xh3AVbAMq__qeg.jpeg tags:

Education
Teaching
Marketing

Psst! This post has a killer freebie at the bottom, so you can write your own “About Me!”

Our answers and stellar discussion in this little online hangout reminded me about the importance of your “About Me”. Sometimes, this comes in the form of a page on your website or an introduction at a networking conference. It also comes in the form of answering the following question when you’re at a dinner party when someone inevitably asks…

“So what do YOU do?”

It’s a nerve-wracking question, especially when you aren’t prepared with (or comfortable with) an answer. Before I knew these little secrets I’m about to divulge, that question always caught me off-guard. So much so, that my excuse for an answer was closer to the sound of sweeping crumbs under the carpet than an actual, engaging answer.

So, if you’re an introvert like me or if you’ve found yourself guffawing while trying to answer the “So what do you do?” question, then read on! Because knowing how to answer this question is the difference between doing OK in business and doing so well that you need to hire multiple assistants.

Why Your “About Me” is Never About You

Whenever faced with a moment of bravery, I always encourage my music students AND my marketing students to start with the context and constraints. So in this case, let’s start with the context: the person asking the question.

Someone asking “So what do you do?” or getting ready to click on your “About Me” link on your beautiful website is doing so selfishly. They don’t want to know your familial history, or when you lost your virginity, or what you had for lunch. Sometimes they don’t even care that you have a doctorate, much less from where that doctorate came from. They’re asking the question because they need to know: “Which box should I put you in?” (For us artists, that’s terrible news — we hate to be put in boxes. But hey, it happens. That’s the reality of most situations.)

The real reason why they’re wondering “About You…”

Can I avoid this impending awkward silence at a cocktail party?
Should I hire this person to teach my son/daughter?
Is this person the right fit for my awesome event?
Do I like this person enough to work on a project with them?

Regardless of their real reason for asking the question, you can respond in a way that helps them put you in the right box (or boxes.) So yes, you could respond with a short “I teach guitar lessons.” But it’s important that you communicate what your precise niche is, especially if you want to fit into multiple boxes or get more students or gigs.

Your “About Me” is NOT the place nor time to…

regurgitate your biography
copy/paste your link to your CV or resumé
share a bunch of unrelated facts and titbits
get really personal with too much information about your childhood
spew narcissistic facts about your daily life

Your “About Me” IS the place and time to…

share what makes you different from everyone else
describe the kind of people you love to work with
hint at how and where you do what you do

What you’ll find below is a primer on how to expound upon those points.

“What Gives YOU the Right ?!”

There are thousands and thousands of nutrition coaches, guitar teachers, cello teachers, tennis instructors, and business consultants out there, which makes it all the more important to answer this brutal question: “What gives you the right to do that?”

In other words, what makes you so special, so perfect, so ideal for your clients? Your answer should make it super easy for someone who qualifies as your client or student to say “Yes! That’s me! Sign me up! When can I start?” or at least “Hmm… That sounds like my cousin Betty. She should talk to you!”

Ironically, the answer to the question “What makes you special?” will have little to do with yourself.

Regardless of your industry, profession or niche, here’s what I mean, I’ll use myself as a guinea pig…

I teach bashful, awkward, or tired creative entrepreneurs who’ve been trying to “put themselves out there” for a while, but something isn’t quite clicking. They either feel really out of place and awkward while trying to get the exposure their business deserves, or they feel like the task of being “out there” is like climbing up a never-ending 60% grade hill. They don’t want to just outsource their exposure because they know that will dilute their message. They know the only thing holding their business back is their lack of bravery. So, they take “Applied Bravery Lessons” to learn from my own expertise, education and research.

Here’s another example, using myself as a guinea pig again…

I teach adults (and sometimes kids) who’ve always dreamed about playing the cello and who want to build holistic life skills, while assisting in their own personal self-development as a thoughtful, engaged citizen. I teach both online and in-person. Most of my students are with me for years and years, whether they take an occasional pick-me-up lesson or weekly slot.

Every phrase of each of the above sentences focuses the field just a bit.

Cello teacher > who teaches adults > an instrument they’ve always wanted to play > via holistic life skills > to bolster personal development > for a better world > done via online or in-person > for students who are in it for the long haul.

Marketing consultant > for creative entrepreneurs > who feel out of place, awkward or tired > still wanting to find the right kind of exposure > without outsourcing their marketing > who don’t want to dilute their message > wanting to be brave on their own > so they take “Applied Bravery Lessons.

The goal of this kind of narrowing or niche-ing is to not simply clarify for yourself who you serve. The goal of this narrowing is to make it super easy for someone who qualifies as your client or student to say “Yes! That’s me! Sign me up! When can I start?”

Below is a series of questions you can answer to help with creating your own “About Me.”

Even if these questions might not seem like they apply to your situation, it’s still really valuable to consider the answers, even if you don’t use them in your final “About Me.”

Their Demographics — What kind of people? Ages? Gender? Nationality? Income level? Political alignment?
Their Emotional State — What kind of mindset or emotional state are they in right before they meet you? Scared? Excited? Ready for something new?
Their Motives — Why are they searching for someone like you? Are they trying to learn that one cover song so they can propose to their girlfriend? Are they wanting to eat healthier so they can fit in that mother-of-the-bride dress this summer?
Their Introduction to You — Are you a diamond in the rough? Are you the 15th person they’ve heard about who does this? Are you the only one in your area who does what you do?
Their Lifestyle — Are they workaholics? Have a family life? Dating someone? Drive cars or take public transportation?

OR You can fill out this easy peasy questionnaire to write your own “About Me.”

It’s like a game of madlibs and the answers will get emailed to you directly so you can use it for whatever you need: website, etc.

Whichever way you go about crafting your own “About Me,” leave it in the comments below! I’d love to read it!

Once you’ve got an “About Me” that isn’t really about you, you’ll have your awesome clientele and student-base identified before you can say “I have an opening in my calendar.”

So what do YOU do?

Emily Ann Peterson is a teaching artist who spent 17 years with her cello. It was her second voice until she was diagnosed with a degenerative neurological hand tremor. Refusing to resign to fate and genetics, she expanded her skills to include the piano and solo songwriting. This act of neurological defiance broke through her creative glass ceiling and then swept her up in the expansive limits.

Peterson’s mission is inspire a global resonance and magnanimous community through the marriage of art and whole-person development.

Her music is available everywhere music is sold online and at www.emilyannpeterson.com

]]>new-to-private-teaching-here-are-9-tips-from-the-pros-36309dcd0579<![CDATA[New to Private Teaching? Here Are 9 Tips From the Pros]]>2017-02-28T00:00:00.000Z2017-02-28T00:00:00.000ZSetting up a private teaching business is no small undertaking. It can feel daunting, confusing and, at times, you’ll probably get advice from anyone and everyone on how to run a successful business…

title: "New to Private Teaching? Here Are 9 Tips From the Pros" description: >- Setting up a private teaching business is no small undertaking. It can feel daunting, confusing and, at times, you’ll probably get advice from anyone and everyone on how to run a successful business… date: '2017-02-28' cover: 1__pDqL5q5633bfApfE__k1Eqw.jpeg tags:

Education
Teaching
Tutoring
Academic Coach

New to Private Teaching? Here Are 9 Tips From the Pros

Setting up a private teaching business is no small undertaking. It can feel daunting, confusing and, at times, you’ll probably get advice from anyone and everyone on how to run a successful business.

But running a private teaching studio is very different to other small businesses. You’re part of a community, you’re passing on your expertise to the next generation and you’re probably wondering where on Earth to start with it all.

Don’t panic. We’ve spoken to our Teach Well community to find out what advice they would give to those eager to set up a private teaching business. Here’s what they had to say:

1. Just do it!

It’s natural to feel nervous about setting up a teaching business, but be confident. Saxophonist and teacher Steve Treseler explained: “I know many new teachers are insecure about not feeling ‘ready’. If you have some expertise, are enthusiastic about serving others, and are committed to growing as a teacher, then you’re ready! We all have to take the leap and learn as we go.”

2. Be yourself — and use that to your advantage

It’s important to find out what makes you different from other teachers, as Doug Hanvey from the Portland Piano Lab said: “Articulate your Unique Value Proposition — what makes you different from other nearby teachers. You need this to empower and clarify your marketing, including your website.”

3. Be confident

You may be new to teaching, but remember you have a wealth of skills and experience to bring to your students, as music educator Erica Darr explained: “Remember that in your student’s eyes, you are the expert. Avoid making statements such as ‘I’ve never done this before’ or ‘You’re my very first student.’ Keep it focused on your professional accomplishments and experiences with statements that reflect upon your experiences and professional engagements, such as ‘I have performed in over 20 different musical theater productions’ or ‘I have spent the last few years studying a variety of vocal techniques to help increase range and improve tonal accuracy’.”

4. Be upfront about fees

Make sure you’re clear about your rates too, as sports therapist Judith Barrass said: “Make sure your fee is agreed before you start. This can cut out embarrassing conversations further down the line. If you’re working for a larger organization, agree the fee and have it confirmed in writing, then they cannot change at a later date when you have already spent time prepping the class to teach.”

5. Be organized

Andrew Ingkavet from Park Slope Music Lessons said: “Be organized. The more organized you can be for yourself and your student, the easier it is to transfer knowledge. Make it easy for them by providing materials. Remember you are a service business so think about the best service you have ever received — whether it’s a restaurant, hotel, spa or just your local coffee shop. Then ask yourself, how can I create that feeling in my students and clients?”

6. Find a student’s motivation point

Go back to basics to work out why a student wants to sign up to your classes, as David Lindberg from David’s Music House said: “Inspire students to discover WHY they are learning music. There are many reasons why a student starts taking music lessons… from the parents wanting them to learn music, an instrument is in the family home, a student wants to be like some famous musician they know…but what will keep a student playing and learning, is knowing WHY they want to learn. I call my teachers Music Mentors, meaning that it is their actions, performance ability…whatever they can think of that makes them love music…will set an example to the students and also to talk to students about WHY they love music.”

7. Teach teamwork

Teach your students to respect other students, as David added: “One of the most important goals of my school is to mentor students by, for example, teaching them how to perform with others and to ‘listen’ to the other students you’re performing with. It is not the performing skills of a single player that is most important, but the entire performance of everyone, that creates the ultimate experience for the audience. We want students to learn how to support the others they perform with and not to be the only star on the stage. This will help them carry this trait into how they treat everyone, throughout their lives. That is the underlying mission of my school.”

8. Build a community

Expanding on David’s point, remember that you’re part of a wider community, as Seattle-based guitar teacher Eric Branner said: “Be patient in finding and building your community. A full studio usually comes from one amazing student. Many of my students today are a direct result of a wonderful family that I taught over a decade ago.”

9. Personalize your lessons

It’s also important to adapt your lessons to individual students, as Oklahoma-based music teacher Cory Moon explained: “Parents and students want something to show for the time and money that they invest in music lessons. Be sure to supplement a song that the student and/or parent will recognize. The method book is essential, but remember to work with songs to keep the student engaged, interested, and motivated to practice.”

Think you know better?

If you have any tips you’d like to share with potential private teachers — please leave a comment below! Or, if you’re a private teacher and want to write for Teach Well, drop me an email — gemma@fons.io. We pay all our contributors and I’d love to hear your articles ideas.

]]>beating-burnout-how-to-stay-mentally-strong-for-your-students-98029269efc<![CDATA[Beating Burnout: How To Stay Mentally Strong For Your Students]]>2017-02-27T00:00:00.000Z2017-02-27T00:00:00.000ZBy Judith Barass. Teaching, whatever the subject, can be wearing if your don’t look after yourself. You are putting yourself out there day after day. You put a smile on your face and you do your best…

title: "Beating Burnout: How To Stay Mentally Strong For Your Students" description: >- By Judith Barass. Teaching, whatever the subject, can be wearing if your don’t look after yourself. You are putting yourself out there day after day. You put a smile on your face and you do your best… cover: 1__NGz7Iaikfzentfc80cvFew.jpeg date: '2017-02-27' tags:

Education
Teaching

By Judith Barass. Teaching, whatever the subject, can be wearing if your don’t look after yourself. You are putting yourself out there day after day. You put a smile on your face and you do your best to be understood, so your students can get the best out of what you are offering. But do you look after yourself?

Perhaps it’s time to invest in you. We are all happy to invest in training course, or in the latest gadget and so on, but your biggest asset is YOU. Some of the world’s greatest athletes don’t struggle with the physical element of the sport, but keeping themselves mentally strong throughout their gruelling training schedules.

If you get burnout then everybody suffers, home, family, students and more. The saying is ‘charity begins at home’ and that’s where to start with self care.

But how to start.

Don’t Go Overboard

It goes without saying to limit your classes. Remember for every class of an hour taught, there is three hours of prep.

Cutting back your lessons may not be financially practical for you. If possible, make the most out of the prep time, teach the same class as often as you can or use the same techniques.

But don’t stagnate. Perhaps you can change just part of your lesson; the music for dance teachers, the practical side of the theory lesson for others, just to breathe new life into something you know, and spice it up for you to teach.

Accept the Grind

What about the students themselves? It’s tough to admit, but they can be a drain on your energy especially if they have a negative attitude.

Now, it’s not our place to judge our students but, lets face it, some people thrive on negativity, some don’t even know they are doing it, and some may have something going on in their lives that we know nothing about, which is affecting their mood.

Don’t let this affect you. You have to stay positive for your students. It’s important — studies of college-age athletes found that the biggest burnout indicator was not physical exhaustion, but a negative attitude towards the sport (caring about it less or attributing negative qualities to it).

It’s hard to do but you have to build your own strategies for this. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Surround Yourself With Smiles

Surround yourself with things that make you happy, whether that’s friends, flowers or festivals. We all need down time and if it’s a few minutes listening to your favorite music between classes to recharge your batteries, then do it. If it’s a weekend off with no email access works for you, then make sure it is in your calendar.

I once hired a car that had black and white plaid seats, I don’t know why but that combination always made me smile as I climbed back in the car. That car would be great for me if I could drive it now between my classes.

It helps you be more resilient. In fact, a study found Olympic athletes with a sunny outlook find it easier to bounce back from defeat.

So, whatever brings a smile to your face and lifts you above all that’s come your way during a lesson, just do it.

Leave It All Behind

How about that when you get home leaving all you’ve picked up from class on the driveway? Or outside the back door?

This one takes practice but (if you master it) then it will benefit you. If it’s practical to do, leaving the energy-draining aspects of your day outside can help you to draw a line under a bad class or a negative experience and start afresh the next day.

Write It Down

I have started to write down all the positive comments I receive after a lesson. I don’t bother with the negative ones, it’s all too easy to dwell on those anyway and we need to move on from them so we can give our best at the next session.

You could even put all those nice comments in a jam jar and (if you’ve had a really bad day) — just pull out a few to remind you that you are a good teacher and the good times will come again.

Talk It Out

Sometimes do you come home and just want to have a good whinge? Talking through a difficult day is a great release — as long as you do it the right way.

When 17 national champion figure skaters were asked what coping strategies they use. More than three-quarters used “rational thinking and self-talk,” which is where the potential stressors are identified, you determine what you can control, and talk yourself through the problem rationally.

…

I’m not suggesting that you try all of these methods — unless you’re really at your wit’s end! But I hope there’s something in there that can help you.

And, whatever works for you, it’s important to keep your body and soul in a positive space to give the most to your students and your lessons. Positivity will breed positivity, and help you bring your A-game to every class.

]]>procrastination-tips-to-obliterate-it-993dcffc7af7<![CDATA[Procrastination: Tips to Obliterate it!]]>2017-02-22T00:00:00.000Z2017-02-22T00:00:00.000Zby Beth Peterson. Writing about procrastination is kind of tough because there’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. We try to not procrastinate, we fail, we feel guilty and then we go eat chocolate…

title: 'Procrastination: Tips to Obliterate it!' description: >- by Beth Peterson. Writing about procrastination is kind of tough because there’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. We try to not procrastinate, we fail, we feel guilty and then we go eat chocolate… date: '2017-02-22' cover: 1__p__ZTdov8W__gquZBNa__GAgw.jpeg tags:

Productivity
Teaching
Education

by Beth Peterson. Writing about procrastination is kind of tough because there’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. We try to not procrastinate, we fail, we feel guilty and then we go eat chocolate. This is a viscous cycle that most procrastinators get trapped in.

I’ve procrastinated, I live with procrastinators and I’m an academic coach who works with students who procrastinate. We all have varied excuses for putting things off. It can become a habit and then, before you know it, you’ve become a serial procrastinator. Why is it that bad habits happen so fast but good habit formation takes so much time?

So, although there’s a plethora of strategies to help you obliterate procrastination, I know reading a long list of tips will probably throw you back into that vortex of inaction.

I’ll keep it short. I have a list of 15 tips, but will share my top three today. Keep your eyes open for future articles from me just in case you need some more ideas later.

1. Make it incredibly easy to start your task

How? It depends what you’re doing.

I asked my seventh grade study skills class to offer advice to procrastinators (99% of them are experts too). Many of them advised us to “just do it”.

However, that tip came from students who often turned in late work. Good advice, but it didn’t always work.

My non-procrastinators, or ones who said they rarely put things off, suggested writing down a plan on how to break the task into mini to-do’s so you do a little chunk at a time. I suggest to my students to use a calendar or planner to make this external. Get it out of your head and commit to it on paper. You feel like you have achieved something when you complete each one of those chunks. Progress feels good and it helps alleviate stress and guilt.

I also teach them a strategy coined “ABC123” that I use from the Rush Neurobehavioral Center.

All of your assignments are written down. Determine which ones are most important and due soon. Write an A next to those urgent ones. The next important is B, then C follows. You might have two or three super important assignments, so if you have more than one A, prioritize them with a 1, 2, or 3. This can take under 10 seconds and you don’t have to think about what to do next. Just follow your plan.

Now, let’s say you want to start exercising more or eating healthier. Experts would suggest making that first step super easy so you have initial success and want to move forward. For example, get rid of all unhealthy food in your house. Hard to do, but it’s easy to avoid eating chips and junk food when you don’t have them handy.

A non-procrastinator, whom I have lived with for over 27 years, puts his shoes on the elliptical trainer and his shorts at the end of the bed. When his ungodly, loud and very early alarm goes off, he pulls on his shorts, slips on his shoes and starts the elliptical before his brain can talk him out of it. It doesn’t get easier than that. Am I right?

2. Build in a reward for completing the task

Rewards for procrastinators often have to be external. If you had figured out how to internally reward yourself, then you probably wouldn’t need to read this article.

Most of us in school know that our grades are our reward, but jeez… that just doesn’t work for most procrastinators. It’s…. too… long…. to ….. wait…..for…. report cards. We need immediate gratification.

Tim Pychyl, a Canadian social scientist from the Procrastination Research Group, says that some of us procrastinate because we have an emotional regulation control problem. He says that self –deception is at the core of procrastination. We basically procrastinate because we want to avoid bad feelings like stress or the horrible pain that the task will cause. So, find something that brings you joy and reward yourself when you complete that hard task.

Remember my previously mentioned non-procrastinator friend? He loves sleep. REALLY loves it. So, he goes back to bed after his early morning workout. It’s his built in reward.

Other folks might consider calling a friend after a chunk of their assignment is finished. If your student is in middle or high school, their parents could help with some sort of reward system. Some students are happy choosing the next restaurant to eat at when the family goes out, deciding what the next movie you all get to watch together is, or getting to use the car for one night.

If you want a list of rewards, then check out an article from one of my favorite psychologists Peg Dawson. Her article Homework: A Guide for Parents has a section on incentives. Here’s another article from The Child Development Institute that has a range of suggestions for different age groups.

3. Use the Pomodoro technique

Yes, a pomodoro is a tomato. How does a tomato help you?

It doesn’t.

Back in the pre-digital age, there was a popular kitchen timer shaped like a tomato. Then someone used it to help them break down tasks into manageable chunks of time and get stuff done.

Why? Well, often a procrastinator will look at the LARGE daunting task that’s ahead of them and run the other direction. Your task is still there, it didn’t run away, only you did.

The Pomodoro Technique is based on the principle that you have a certain amount of bandwidth to be efficient with your task. You work for 25 minutes straight, stop regardless if you are finished or not. Take a five minute break. Get some water, play with your cute puppy, do jumping jacks, check your texts (exercise some self-control with that last one). Then, work for another 25 minutes straight. Take a five minute break and so on. They suggest doing four “pomodoros”, then take a 30 minute break.

If you Google the Pomodoro technique there are plenty of free apps to help you manage your time a little better.

…

We all have a limited attention span, our brains crave distraction and the forces of the digital age are working against the procrastinator’s brain. We can all agree that procrastination can cause unnecessary stress. We all know that stress can lead to early aging, increased brain fog, wrinkles, anxiety and depression. If you can take baby steps to obliterate it, then you might also live a happier, healthier life.

Beth is a former classroom teacher and mom of three boys who is busy now as an academic coach and consultant. Peterson Academic Coaching serves students from grade 4 to college helping them plan, organize and prioritize to achieve school success, maximize their strengths and boost self-confidence. Check out some resources at: www.petersonacademiccoaching.com

]]>why-you-should-screen-your-students-87a2bb0a830c<![CDATA[Why You Should Screen Your Clients]]>2017-02-20T00:00:00.000Z2017-02-20T00:00:00.000ZAfter teaching lessons full time for ten years, I started to burn out. Although I had several awesome students, I was frustrated working with those who were apathetic, unprepared…

title: "Why You Should Screen Your Clients" description: >- After teaching lessons full time for ten years, I started to burn out. Although I had several awesome students, I was frustrated working with those who were apathetic, unprepared… date: '2017-02-20' cover: 1__ObhXerUCtpXPMzaJ1CyVcw.jpeg tags:

Education
Teaching
Students

by Steve Treseler. After teaching lessons full time for ten years, I started to burn out. Although I had several awesome students, I was frustrated working with those who were apathetic, unprepared, or had a poor attitude. Over time, I became more complacent and distracted as a teacher, which wasn’t a good situation for anyone. The key to reinvigorating my studio wasn’t more willpower or grit — it was introducing a ‘Red Velvet Rope Policy’.

Public school teachers need to serve every student who shows up. As freelance teachers, we have the opportunity to be selective about who we work with. In the business development guide Book Yourself Solid, author Michael Port outlines a system for screening clients called “The Red Velvet Rope Policy”. Port tells us: “when you work with clients you love, you’ll truly enjoy the work you’re doing; you’ll love every minute of it. And when you love every minute of the work you do, you’ll do your best work, which is essential to book yourself solid.”

He suggests we identify who our ideal clients are, and hand pick only these students to join our studios. It might seem crazy to turn away business, but when we identify and choose to work with students who inspire us, we do better work, attract more of our ideal students, and find more joy and fulfillment in teaching.

Identify Ideal Clients and Duds

What are the characteristics of students who inspire you to do your best work?

Here’s a rundown of my ideal students. They:

Are curious about music and ask questions
Have an internal drive
Are fun to spend time with
Commit to regular lessons
Are willing to push themselves out of their comfort zones
Agree to my studio policies.

Your list may look completely different.

Port defines “dud” clients as “those you dread interacting with, who drain the life out of you, bore you to tears, and frustrate you.”

What are the characteristics of your dud clients that shouldn’t make it past your velvet rope?

Here are the attributes of my dud students. They:

Are uninterested, or forced into lessons by their parents
Argue about policies they agreed to
Are chronically unprepared
Resist change and growth.

Dump the Duds

In Book Yourself Solid, Michael Port’s first action item is to identify the “dud” students in your studio, and dump them — that is, professionally and tactfully refer them to another teacher.

Dumping the duds sounds harsh, but hanging on to these students hurts your entire studio.

Sometimes a different teaching style is a better fit. On more than one occasion, a student I struggled to connect with thrived with another teacher. Port also notes that by dumping our duds, we have more energy to devote to the students who are neither ideal clients nor duds, but somewhere in the middle. By bringing more enthusiasm to our work, some of these mid-range clients transform into ideal students.

Screening Process

To set up your red velvet rope policy, you need a process for screening and selecting new students. Some possibilities are:

Initial questionnaires ( Google forms is great for this)
An interview process
Informal meetings with student and parents
Recommendations from another teacher.

If you are just starting out as a teacher, you can implement a screening process from day one — but you may need a more relaxed grip on the velvet rope. As you gain experience and build a reputation for excellent work over time, you can be even more selective about the students you take on.

I read Michael Port’s Book Yourself Solid when I was rebuilding my private studio after graduate school. I was resistant to “dumping the duds,” because I needed the income. But I took the plunge while also working to over-deliver for my ideal students. In the process, I raised my rates and started attracting more of the students I love teaching.

Steve Treseler is a Seattle-based saxophonist, teacher, and author. He is on faculty at Seattle Pacific University and teaches creative music workshops across the U.S.

Download a free digital copy of his book Creativity Triggers for Musicians at stevetres.com

]]>how-to-nurture-a-love-for-daily-practice-3e4c483b5e10<![CDATA[How to Nurture a Love For Daily Practice]]>2017-02-14T00:00:00.000Z2017-02-14T00:00:00.000ZAfter teaching music lessons to both adults and kids for more than a decade, I know a thing or two about what works and what doesn’t work to perfect your students’ practice regime. One thing to…

title: "How to Nurture a Love For Daily Practice" description: >- After teaching music lessons to both adults and kids for more than a decade, I know a thing or two about what works and what doesn’t work to perfect your students’ practice regime. One thing to… date: '2017-02-14' cover: 1__5tuemPVLdV4G6__VjhyOI__A.jpeg tags:

Education
Music
Practice
Teaching

Click here to check out the book.

After teaching music lessons to both adults and kids for more than a decade, I know a thing or two about what works and what doesn’t work to perfect your students’ practice regime.

One thing to mention is that I’m a fully trained and certified Suzuki Cello instructor, so this post is supremely influenced by the admiration I have for my fellow Suzuki teachers, parents, and mentors, including Dr. Suzuki himself.

The following quote pretty much sums up my #1 best practice advice for fellow teachers, students, and parents of students…

“First character, then ability.” — Dr. Suzuki

This quote is played out in the lessons that I teach by first considering the student’s character when “practice problems” arise. So, when a student shows signs of a lack of quality practice, I go first to their holistic story. I ask myself the following questions:

Who is this student as a person?
What is their personality like?
What is their home life or work-life balance like?
What is their commitment level to their instrument?

From those answers, the student and I (and sometimes the parent too) will determine the next steps to take. Usually, those steps involve some variation on the following three steps inspired by articles found in the American Suzuki Journal written by Suzuki parents: Rita Docter, James and Jacqueline Maurer, and Keitha Herron.…

Three Steps Towards Motivating Practice

1. Set a reasonable goal for daily practice

Learning an instrument is a lifestyle change, not just a hobby. Set your goals accordingly. For example, for the goal of running a marathon, you should start by trying to run a mile every day for 15 days straight.

Donʼt get stuck on progress plateaus. Some students see no improvement with 30 minutes of daily practice, but when they bump up their daily practice time to 45 minutes, they see a hint of progress. For this student I would suggest 30 minutes a day at least, ideally 60 minutes a day.

Don’t bite off more than you or your lifestyle can chew. If you’re trying to practice more every day, just add 10 minutes/week. I have found that adding 10 minutes to your daily practice time is a really manageable weekly goal. Related: If you have a recital or performance coming up, schedule your practice sessions to prove your own success.

Schedules are a fact of life. So are busy days. I wouldn’t want a student to beat themselves up for not practising as much as they wanted. But I do want my students to prepare themselves for those days.

Keep your practice time sacred. Schedule longer practice sessions on other days.

2. Set up a routine or plan

As my dad (who’s an army helicopter pilot) always told me: “Plan your flight and fly your plan.” Heʼd apply that phrase to everything. It definitely applies to practising, and I speak from experience.

Sit down and plan your practice sessions. Make a plan each week for your daily practice sessions — this is done within each lesson with my own students. I find that making a weekly objective is really helpful to keep your practice in focus.

Hereʼs an example for a basic practice plan I use with my own students… (Change it up to match your own goals and schedule.)

Cello yoga (set posture and breathe)
Tonalization
Scales and double stops
Technique exercises
New piece (working in chunks with high attention to detail)
Polished piece (dynamics, musicality, and story)
Review all older pieces
Sight-reading

3. Celebrate and use rewards

I can only imagine how discouraging practice could be if this step didnʼt exist.

Decide what the reward shall be. Something you like. Duh! (If youʼre a parent, something you like doesnʼt count.) Snacking treats, a token system (marbles in a jar, stickers, points, stars) to be awarded for small practice units and saved for larger rewards or exchanged for smaller rewards.
The reward must be given frequently and in small amounts. It must be easy to earn many rewards during a practice session.
The reward must be given immediately after the desired behavior. Some students won’t be able to save up rewards for a HUGE prize in six months. Most of them need immediate payoffs during/after a practice session. A practice jar or a “do it. done it.” jar is a good thing to have on hand.
The reward must not be available away from the practice sessions. If you can receive the reward by doing something else, you risk creating a motivation to not practice.
Be consistent. A reward system that is sometimes administered and sometimes forgotten will only confuse the parties involved.

A warning for parents and teachers: Donʼt use praise or love as a practice reward. Children look anxiously at their parent or teacher after playing, with an expression that clearly asks, “Was I good?” … not mind you, “Was my playing good?” but rather “Was I good?”

We want children to know their value as a human being, their lovableness and their self-worth does not depend on how well they play “Go Tell Aunt Rhody.” If you reward your child with love when he does well, you are telling him, by implication, that you will not love him if he does poorly. Of course, we donʼt mean to say this, but that is often how the child sees it.

On the other hand, it’s important a student knows when they played well and when they played poorly. It’s OK to be honest. Constant feedback should be given — but in a neutral tone of voice, not overly positive or negative, simple statements of fact and points of information. Criticism and praise should be given frequently, specific, not generalized, and aimed at the childʼs playing, not at the child themself.

If you’ve got anything out of this post or want to add anything, please leave a comment below! I’d love to hear all about it!

Psst!

I interviewed Erin Pearson, fellow music teacher and author of the book “10 Reasons Your Kids Don’t Practice Their Music: And What Parents Can Do About It” on my podcast, Bare Naked Bravery. She and I discussed all sorts of awesome stuff like “Ditch Day,” keeping resolutions, and most relevant to this article, how to do the things we don’t want to do.

Listen to that interview with Erin Pearson here.

Peterson’s mission is inspire a global resonance and magnanimous community through the marriage of art and whole-person development.

Her music is available everywhere and at www.emilyannpeterson.com

]]>songs-on-a-mission-a-seattle-based-teacher-brings-music-lessons-to-latin-america-aed9ff1e8437<![CDATA[Songs on a Mission : A Seattle-based Teacher Brings Music Lessons to Latin America]]>2017-02-13T00:00:00.000Z2017-02-13T00:00:00.000Zby Scout MacKay. There was a rusty Toyota Escort waiting for me across the footbridge from the little hostel on the beach. “Usted es el amigo de Christina? Are you Christina’s friend?” I asked the…

title: "Songs on a Mission : A Seattle-based Teacher Brings Music Lessons to Latin America" description: >- by Scout MacKay. There was a rusty Toyota Escort waiting for me across the footbridge from the little hostel on the beach. “Usted es el amigo de Christina? Are you Christina’s friend?” I asked the… date: '2017-02-13' cover: 0__f5eCkjkLvTAJ90vS.jpeg tags:

Business
Teaching
Music
Personal Development
Lessons

Feb 13, 2017

by Scout MacKay. There was a rusty Toyota Escort waiting for me across the footbridge from the little hostel on the beach. “Usted es el amigo de Christina? Are you Christina’s friend?” I asked the driver, making sure I was getting into the right car. I’d been in Colombia for less than 24 hours, and the tropical air was determined to dry out every leftover bit of sogginess from Seattle.

The man poured out a cup of stale coffee in the sand. “Si, si vamos. Ellos estan esperandose en Minca.They’re waiting for you in Minca.” I dropped my duffel bag loaded with 10 carefully bundled ukuleles into the trunk, he bungee- corded it shut, and after stopping for an iguana to leisurely cross the road, we headed into the mountains leaving the waves of the Caribbean behind.

The dirt road into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains became windy, and through the windows I could hear howler monkeys sounding the alert of our approach. Through the thickening trees, I caught glimpses of the waves crashing below, and indigenous Kogi men and women in traditional dress making their way to the shore to collect shells for their rituals. For six weeks, I’d stay in Minca, connecting with the community, school teachers, and non-profits, to teach the local children music and art.

There I’d meet Nubes, a teacher and a Saint, who’d put together a preschool of children from the town in her home. She, like a few others, had remained in Minca when a decade earlier the guerrillas had taken it over and claimed it as their own territory, demolishing the police station and several other public buildings with bombs. Many people had lost their lives and their loved ones. There were remnants throughout the town of the violence imposed by F.A.R.C. (The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia), most of them written in people’s faces.

In Nubes’ eyes, I could see that she had witnessed her world drastically fall apart, but more than anything, there was a contagious light and confidence that illuminated the kitchen as she made hot oat drinks for the children and invited me with my backpack loaded with a couple ukuleles and art supplies into her home.

The radiance of Nubes was shared by many people in the community, and guided the optimism and confidence for putting things back together. It was in the river, where children and I went swimming as a local farmer laughed, “Just watch out for the Muerte Caballo, “horse killer” snake!” It was in the local soccer games, the highlight of every weekday evening, either because of the fantastically skilled players or the dogs and kids that charged on to the field chase the chickens off at half time.

The first day I advertised music and art classes walking from one end of town to the other, passing the occasional loose donkey grazing in the garbage, I found myself accompanied by 17 eager children, ages five to 13, after just half an hour of knocking on doors. Later, when people asked me how I established my project in Colombia, I responded that I was simply exactly where and when I wanted and needed to be.

This wasn’t the first time I’d experienced this euphoric feeling teaching children. From 2006 to 2007, I’d practically been immersed in it for nine months when I had taught in the cloud forest of Costa Rica.

At 18 years old and fresh out of high school, instead of applications to college, I pulled out maps and tour books of Latin America and dove into a year of volunteer teaching at the Cloud Forest School in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Not shortly after my first month of leading first graders through jungle trails with my guitar in hand and establishing rules like, “don’t bring baby coral snakes into the classroom or hummingbirds onto the bus”, a teacher came up to me and said, “There’s a group of kids who want to play guitar after school.” I remember walking into a classroom at the top of the hill and arriving to find six students with guitars expecting a teacher who would show them how to play. There was an awkward moment of silence as I realized that I’d never done this before.

“We need a mission,” I told my students. “Are we a band? Are we songwriters?”

“We want to be musicians,” said one of the kids. I showed the class a basic rhythmic strumming pattern how to switch from an A to an E chord and helped the younger ones find the places in between the frets with their fingers. From that moment on, I was a music teacher. With the addition of a D chord, the class composed a short song:

“It’s really hard to learn to play guitar

But once you know

It’s growing in your heart

Growing, growing in your heart.”

That year, I gave my students music and they gave me the Spanish language and a lifelong passion for teaching. That passion has taken me to the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Colombia, the Guatemala City Garbage Dump, and from Camden, Maine to Seattle, Washington.

In April 2016, I checked in with my students from 10 years prior in Monteverde, Costa Rica. During lunch break from their 10th and 11th grade math classes, my first music students brought out guitars to the tables and played their original songs for me. They were the musicians they wanted to be.

When I unfold a map across my lap, I look at the borders and wonder what it would be like to live in a world without them. I find that is the world of music.

Through my projects teaching music in Latin America, I’ve had my heart and eyes widened and rewired. I’ve been challenged, but the truth is when I’ve been in the right place at the right time, I’ve never done anything easier.

]]>where-to-teach-finding-the-right-space-b336d15a7e09<![CDATA[Where to Teach… Finding the Right Space]]>2017-02-08T00:00:00.000Z2017-02-08T00:00:00.000ZAfter three years of teaching in an amazing space, I’m currently searching for a new studio, and it’s got me thinking about all the ways independent teachers can work. Over the years, I’ve taught in…

title: "Where to Teach… Finding the Right Space" description: >- After three years of teaching in an amazing space, I’m currently searching for a new studio, and it’s got me thinking about all the ways independent teachers can work. Over the years, I’ve taught in… date: '2017-02-08' cover: 1__t8Cmew3ZHnth__LkgSjZfMw.jpeg tags:

Education
Teaching
Studio

After three years of teaching in an amazing space, I’m currently searching for a new studio, and it’s got me thinking about all the ways independent teachers can work.

Over the years, I’ve taught in schools, student’s homes, music stores, my own storefront, my home studio, and sometimes online. Each scenario has its benefits and challenges, and they are important to consider as a professional instructor.

Cost, travel, commitment, vibes, customer experience, taxes, and risk are all factors to take into account when choosing where and how you’ll teach.

Here the deal:

Teaching in Student’s Homes

When you first start up as an independent teacher, you probably don’t have many students or much experience. I got my first student when I was working the register at a small, neighborhood grocery store.

I’d take my guitar into work, and practice Albeniz during lulls. A regular customer asked if I taught and, of course, I said yes. I offered to teach In-Home lessons after my shift one day a week. That went pretty great, except for when there was laundry piled on the piano bench! Soon, I had my first handful of in-home students from word of mouth.

Travel time became an issue as my roster grew, and I started getting students from other parts of town. Teaching lessons in students’ homes cost me one or two students a day in lost time due to traveling.

Teaching For a School

I really enjoyed teaching, and got a job teaching for a school run by a local music store. Most of these spots will either charge a rental fee for a room, or take a percentage of your teaching revenue. They also can provide you with students if you don’t have any, which really helps. I loved having other teachers to hang out with and a (somewhat) clean practice room stocked with teaching equipment. Oh, and there was a copier there too, that was a big deal.

Teaching for a school is a great way to get started, and perfect if you don’t have much time to devote to marketing and admin. However, there comes a time when it makes sense to go out on your own!

* I’m not including working for universities or salaried positions here.. once you’re on the payroll, you’re technically not an independent teacher.

Renting a Studio

For me, I decided to open my own studio, Blackforrest Music School, right around the time I became a father. I found an amazing space in downtown Seattle. A street-level retail space with a live-in apartment connected above.

I had a pretty large base of customers at this point, and had been teaching for the nearly a decade. I signed the lease, built out the space, and had a few of the most successful teaching years of my career.

My visibility brought in plenty of new students to keep me busy. The cost was obviously high, but I kept all of the money, got a ton of deductions for tax time, and had a great space to practice my craft.

The Home Studio — Living the Dream..Almost

After our lease was up, we decided it was time to move to a home. We found a home that had a separate, mother-in-law unit in the backyard! We bought the home, converted the mother-in-law unit, and created the home studio. I’d never have to rent a space, go to a student’s home, or change out of sweatpants again! (unfortunately for me, my wife imposes a hard, no-sweatpants rule. She believes “life isn’t that casual.”)

This scenario worked wonderfully, until it occurred to me that all of my customers lived in another part of Seattle. They were trying to make things work by making the trip to our house, but it was a major inconvenience for them. I’d have to either focus on building a new clientele in the new neighborhood, or find a place to teach closer to my students. I ended up doing both.

Getting Creative

The home studio was not the perfect solution for me just yet, so I briefly returned to doing in-home lessons. I perfected the mapping, time slots, and imposed a pretty strict cancellation policy since everything had to run like clockwork.

That really was a pretty stressful situation. I was racing around to lessons, always feeling behind, and not bringing the great vibes to lessons that I wanted.

Then, the perfect solution for me surfaced. I began looking for a new studio space, and the parent of one of my students asked if I’d be interested in teaching at her house. She had tons of space (truly one of the most beautiful homes in Seattle), a separate entrance, and the location was exactly in the center of all of my customers. We gave it a trial for a month, and three years later it’s coming to an end as they have sold the house.

Everyone won in this case. I got an amazing space to teach, my customers loved coming to this location, and the family that hosted us got some great music and energy in their home..the vibe was just tremendous! Finding a creative space is a wonderful way to solve the “where to teach problem.”

Online Lessons

Internet-based lessons have seen quite a bit of growth recently. There are many benefits to online instruction, such as being able to see a specialist from afar and avoid travel altogether for customer and teacher.

For me, online lessons are not really awesome unless you’re studying with a really high level teacher that cannot be replaced locally. I think there is great value in communicating with real-life people in the same room. I also like to shake hands and hi-five.

I do love web-based lessons for snow days and reschedules! Again, that’s just me… I know some folks that just love teaching over a web cam!

In Closing

It’s important to remember, where you teach is not as important as how you teach.

I’d love to convert an RV into a teaching space, travel around, and teach in a new town every month! I can’t do it now, but I look forward to a time that I can.

The perfect teaching situation can and will change depending on what’s happening in your life.

Maybe you’ll teach at home, online, for a school, or in the corner of a car battery warehouse (my first guitar teacher did and it was awesome).

You can make it work for you. We’d love to hear about where you teach.

]]>stage-fright-is-the-worst-this-might-help-7cf87e2c6f9<![CDATA[Stage Fright is the *Worst.* This Might Help.]]>2017-02-07T00:00:00.000Z2017-02-07T00:00:00.000ZAfter years of performing on various stages, under different levels of pressure and standards of perfection, in front of a range of audience numbers, and filled with various types of people, I know…

title: "Stage Fright is the Worst. This Might Help." description: >- After years of performing on various stages, under different levels of pressure and standards of perfection, in front of a range of audience numbers, and filled with various types of people, I know… date: '2017-02-07' cover: 1__WHxcEGRQ2IA26b2HpSgxTw.jpeg tags:

Personal Development
Life Lessons
Teaching

Stage fright, you guys. When it’s bad, it’s really bad.

After years of performing on various stages, under different levels of pressure and standards of perfection, in front of a range of audience numbers, and filled with various types of people, I know this:

Stage fright is awful. It’s the absolute PITS.

I’m not alone in this sentiment, and neither are you. In her interview with Rolling Stone, Adele confessed to trying to exit through a fire escape, vomiting backstage, and even projectile vomiting on someone due to her extreme stage anxiety.

Jonathan Knight (of New Kids on the Block) walked off stage mid-concert. His band mates covered for him, but he didn’t get back on stage that whole night. Oh, and as if it couldn’t get worse, it does. Here it is on video for all of the world to watch again and again and again. *face palm*

Eddie Van Halen (and many, many other musicians) acquired a serious drug and alcohol problem attempting to conquer the fear of getting on stage and putting yourself out there.

I don’t encourage that solution. Collecting substance abuse problems is not even a solution. But here are some time-tested solutions to dealing with stage fright and stage anxiety.

Six Tips for Dealing with Stage Fright

1. Use the Fear

A lot of times, it’s just a matter of embracing the nervousness and channelling it into anticipation. Ellie Goulding is a great practitioner of this technique.

After all my years of performing, I’ve learned that the times when I’m not at all nervous are the times when I should be nervous. I know that extra jolt of adrenaline actually helps me do my best!

When I spoke with Hal Grossman, an expert pedagogue and violinist, this was part of his advice too. Learn the ways your body processes this anticipation and use it to your advantage. You can listen to that whole conversation here.

2. Re-Create the Fear

For any of my students, they all have moments of feeling afraid of putting themselves out there — be it on a literal or metaphorical stage.

Sometimes a really great way to get comfortable with the fear (or at least as comfortable as you can be with it) is to practice performing in a myriad of environments, under even more circumstances.

Sometimes the stage fright stems from feeling out of control. When that’s the case, it’s really great to purposefully create scenarios where you know you won’t have as much control, so you can practice the way the whole thing feels, even the fearful part.

For instance, if you’ve only ever practised a speech in your bedroom. Try practising in the living room. Getting used to hearing your voice echo against a slightly bigger wall will prevent those variances of aural sensations from stopping you in your tracks on your big day. Then branch out. Maybe go to a different room. Maybe invite a safe and supportive person (spouse or siblings) to observe. You don’t need to hear their feedback, unless you want it. Sometimes just doing the performance in front of another live being is enough. Or maybe it’s setting up a bunch of picture frames in front of you. Try it out!

It’s OK to slowly and carefully change your environment and audience until the sensation of that fear becomes a little more normalized.

You don’t even have to do it slowly. Some folks might need to “rip the band-aid off” and normalize the fear at a faster speed. Dr. Thomas O’Grady, a brilliant mathematician and statistician, had a paralyzing fear of public speaking. After conquering this fear, his go-to advice is to completely remove yourself from your comfort zone. (He’s also not a big fan of Toastmasters for this reason.) I got to interview him for an episode of Bare Naked Bravery, where he goes into this reasoning in much greater detail. You can listen to that here.

3: Take a Deep Breath. Meditate. Whatever You Do, Center Yourself.

Those are the go-to techniques from everyone, including me. Whenever that wave of butterflies go tearing through your insides, take a HUGE deep breath and center yourself. Here’s how I do that…

Take a deep breath so big, you can feel the edges of your lungs expanding.
Then as you release that big huge deep breath, imagine sending the breath out through your hands as if they had openings in your palms.
Take another big huge deep breath and send that one back out through your feet.
Do this as many time as you need, each time focusing on sending your breath out through a different part of your body.

That works like a charm for me (and a lot more people just like me!)

4: Surround Yourself with Support

Not every performance context will allow for this. (It might be a little expensive to bring your wife on tour or to that industry conference where you’re speaking.) But when you can, even when practising re-creating the fear, I encourage you to surround yourself with safe people who will protect you from some of these outside triggering scenarios, comments, and even yourself.

Having someone nearby, even via phone or text, is a great way to bolster your bravery while backstage. I know I’ve received several words of encouragement in moments like these. Sometimes they were the sole reason why I got on stage after a make-it-or-break-it moment of stage fright.

5: Define Your “Why”

The times that I’ve had anxiety about appearing in front of people are usually the times when I’ve lost sight of my “Why.”

Usually it’s because I’ve started to think that my audience is coming to a performance for my performance. WRONG. I mean, yes, there is a small handful of crotchety people who can’t wait to have a miserable time criticizing everyone and everything. But those aren’t my people. When I take a step back, I remember that the people I show up for are my people, not the overly critical Scrooges who hate chocolate. (Who could hate chocolate?!)

My people come to my concerts for connection. They want to tap into the realness that I bring to the stage, NOT the perfection. They want to experience meaning, inspiration, and another perspective. They want me to sing them stories about brave people and brave moments. Those things can, and usually do, include imperfections and rarely include a robotic regurgitation of a song or piece of repertoire.

This is one of the reasons why I love performing house concerts. These small intimate shows held in fans’ living rooms make it easier to hold onto my “Why.” It’s easier to connect with and read my audience for all this.

6: Do You, Your Way

But Barbra Streisand would hate performing in living rooms, she said as much to Oprah’s face. She is a heroic example of dealing with stage fright. After forgetting the lyrics to a song in a 1967 performance in Central Park, Streisand didn’t get back on stage for 27 years. TWENTY SEVEN YEARS!

She now uses a teleprompter to help her remember lyrics and what to say in between songs. She is a hero because of it. That’s because taking a break from performing is OK. Using a teleprompter to avoid forgetting lyrics is OK! Doing your career and your performance a little differently than everyone else is OK!

For me, (and probably Barbra too) the coffin-clenching circumstance of stage fright is attempting performances inauthentic to who you really are.

Performing inauthentically does a disservice to you, which is ultimately a disservice to the people in your audience.

So however big or small that audience really is, I urge you…

Do you, your way.

Peterson’s mission is inspire a global resonance and magnanimous community through the marriage of art and whole-person development.

Her music is available everywhere music is sold online and at www.emilyannpeterson.com

]]>how-to-use-social-media-with-your-students-various-learning-types-9c4dcb8434dd<![CDATA[How to Use Social Media with Your Students’ Various Learning Types]]>2017-02-01T00:00:00.000Z2017-02-01T00:00:00.000ZReally good teachers are the ones who can say the same thing in multiple different ways. This means the teacher is accommodating all of their students’ learning types to get their message across. You…

title: "How to Use Social Media with Your Students’ Various Learning Types" description: >- Really good teachers are the ones who can say the same thing in multiple different ways. This means the teacher is accommodating all of their students’ learning types to get their message across. You… date: '2017-02-01' cover: 1__GfPy5HuB5mkfIsfBlU69bw.jpeg tags:

Education
Social Media
Teaching

https://www.pinterest.com/emilyapeterson/sounds-awesome/

Really good teachers are the ones who can say the same thing in multiple different ways. This means the teacher is accommodating all of their students’ learning types to get their message across.

You don’t have to use social media to do this. Ask any of my music students and they’ll tell you I know how to skin a cat in about 100 different ways. (I hate that metaphor, by the way, but there it is. True nonetheless.)

Anyways, over the past decade of teaching music privately and in small groups, I realized there is a lot of value in using social media within my teaching method.

I first started incorporating social media platforms into my teaching studio when I realized…

How much time it saved me. Why re-create the wheel when you don’t have to?!
How much it increased the value of studio membership for my students. My students get soooo much out of these bonus methods of engagement outside their lessons.
How helpful it was in promoting ALL types of learning styles. Some students really get a kick out of one social media platform because it caters to the way their brain naturally operates. (for example: visual vs. aural)

Below you’ll find a starter list of ways you can use social media in your own teaching studio. Feel free to copy, modify, and adopt any of these into your own teaching studio. I’m happy to share!

But first, a note about online privacy: Not every parent wants their kid scrolling through social media nor does every adult student want their face published online. This is why, regardless of your students’ ages, please be considerate of their online privacy and always ask permission before posting.

Use my motto: “When in doubt, leave it out.”

It’s just the nice thing to do.

That said, social media has a lot of really cool ways to enrich your students’ experiences. Let’s dive into a couple of ideas I’ve used in the past.

[Bonus! If you have others to add, please leave a comment below so I can update the post and credit you too!]

Visual (spatial): Students who prefer using pictures, images, and spatial understanding.

Pinterest has a TON of beautiful images for your students to collect. It’s an online social media platform that allows you to share images through social networking. Users have “pinboards” which allows you to collect and post images and ideas to remember and share with your friends. You can get super fancy and connect Pinterest to your Twitter and Facebook accounts too.

Ideas…

Create a Pinterest board featuring a picture and profile of each of your students so they can get to know each other! You could even feature this Pinterest board on your website.
Create a group board within Pinterest so all your students can collect images and articles to discuss at a later date.

Examples…

Here’s my Pinterest board for all things Sound and Recording:

Here’s my Pinterest board filled with Cello-ly Loveliness, including a few of my students too: https://www.pinterest.com/emilyapeterson/cello-its-not-a-bass/

Instagram

Instagram is a free online photo sharing and social network platform that was acquired by Facebook in 2012. It lets you upload, edit and share photos and videos with other users through the Instagram website, its app, and other outlets such as email, Twitter, Facebook, and Flickr.

Ideas…

Instagram also has a “direct messaging” feature. This allows you to add up to 15 people into one group message. Doing this allows you to easily send a post of your own or someone else’s to several people (students) at once.
I’ve used this in the past when I’ve posted a congratulations Instagram post to a student for a stellar practice week, or when I’ve showed off someone’s killer bow hold.

Example…

Here’s a previous Instagram post I shared when a student and I went shopping for her first cello! (see below or click here)

Aural (auditory-musical): Students who prefer using sound and music.

Spotify

Spotify is a new digital music service that enables users to remotely source millions of different songs on various record labels from a laptop, smartphone or other devices. It also has ways to share and send tracks and albums from user to user.

Ideas…

I have all my new students create a playlist of music they love to listen to. Doing this allows me to better understand my students. They can do this either on Spotify or by hand (for example: my students who naturally *adore* electronic/trance music rarely have tempo/flow issues in practising their music. Knowing this early on in our student/teacher relationship is so powerful!).

Example…

Here’s a fun playlist of music I love sharing with the rest of the world. I’m constantly adding to it and anyone who “follows” the playlist will get a little notification anytime I add a song to it! You could do something similar with various genres of music or tracks specifically intended for your students. (see below or click here to open Spotify and follow the playlist for yourself!)

Verbal (linguistic): Students who prefer using words, both in speech and writing.

YouTube

Video hosting site YouTube allows you to store and serve video content. You and other users can share YouTube videos on the web by using a link or embedding some HTML code. It has an almost immeasurable amount of lectures and training courses.

Ideas…

You could create a YouTube playlist of lectures from other teachers.
I’ve even gone as far as organizing these playlists into subcategories based on specific techniques. (bowing, finger picking, brush techniques, etc.)

Examples…

Here’s a YouTube playlist of lectures I’ve collected on songwriting. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLK-1ft37TkE80EuJFb1CjL2HlZ1-PzXHA
One of the co-founders of Fons is a guitar teacher (Hi Eric!) He’s got a fantastic playlist of videos he recorded for his beginning students! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLs5XJ-oqJV8reGRIK4p9HHjmqSq9bJZTh

Medium

Medium is a great social media tool for the written word. It’s an online publishing platform developed by Twitter co-founder Evan Williams, which has a hybrid collection of amateur and professional people and publications, or exclusive blogs or publishers and is regularly regarded as a blog host.

Ideas…

I’ve had students create a blog to keep track of their findings and musings about their daily practice. You can do this with Medium or another blogging platform.
You can also use Medium to collect articles and ideas for future reference in lessons.

Examples…

Of course, if you’re wanting more teaching tips like this one, you can subscribe to myself or Teach Well. This way you or your students will get updated when we post new articles.

Physical (kinesthetic): Students who prefer using their body, hands and sense of touch.

YouTube is another good one for your Kinesthetic Learners, especially if you can curate a playlist of videos featuring exercises they can do along with the video.

Ideas…

I’ve given a homework assignment to students to go create their own YouTube playlist around a specific technique, with the intention of discussing their findings and all the various techniques in our next lesson. I do this because not everything on YouTube has my pedagogical stamp of approval, but it does provide a fantastic base of talking points for the next lesson.

Examples…

Here’s a playlist of various cello vibrato tips that I collected for my own students: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLK-1ft37TkE-zC3ju3j2dcSb6be1DJRrr

I’ve even been known to use another YouTuber’s vocal warm-up video before a performance of my own! Like I mentioned above, because there’s all sorts of folks with all sorts of advice, sometimes you have to “shop around” for your favorite, trusted YouTuber, but it’s worth it!

Logical (mathematical): Students who prefer using logic, reasoning and systems.

Click here to copy my Trello board!

Trello

Trello is a phenomenal system of storing and sharing information. It’s not necessarily a social media platform, however there is a social element to it which is really powerful. Other platforms like Evernote, GoogleDocs are great for this too.

If you’re not a Trello user yet, you can click here to create a free account.

Ideas…

You can create a Trello Board for your whole teaching studio and share it with all your students. In the privacy settings you can determine if students are able to edit/comment or just view-only.
You can also create a separate board for each student to keep track of their lesson notes, and more. Again, they can keep track of it themselves or you can join them too.

Examples…

Here’s a template (public) Trello board I created as a sample of what I’m talking about: https://trello.com/b/hxSSyw2Y

Again, if you don’t have a Trello account, it’s free here.

Social (interpersonal): Students who prefer to learn in groups or with other people.

Facebook

Beyond the social media platforms I’ve already listed, I would be a total idiot if I left out Facebook. Here are a couple ways you can utilize Facebook as a private music teacher…

Facebook Groups I’ve known a couple teachers to create a private Facebook Group for their students. This allows both students and teacher to share, ask questions, and celebrate with the rest of the group. A really great benefit of this is that beginner students can easily ask your more advanced students questions like “What brand of strings should I get?” Your more advanced students will know the answers and, most likely, want to help out. There’s an added bonus for you and your email/voicemail inbox here too!

Facebook Pages are a public means of sharing posts. If you’d like to have your posts more accessible to the public, this is the way to go. However, do keep in mind that not everyone will see the posts, due to Facebook’s visibility algorithm.

Solitary (intrapersonal): Students who prefer to work alone and use self-study.

Google Docs and Google Spreadsheets

Google Docs and Google Spreadsheets are also a great way to engage your students. You can adjust the visibility of each document to invite your students to collaborate, view, edit, or comment on the documents.

Ideas…

I once had a student who created a Google Spreadsheet for their entire practice schedule. They were able to notate the passages they practised, the minutes, and even the way each practice felt emotionally both before and afterwards.

Another student used Google Spreadsheets to demonstrate the different variables of weight, alignment, bow speed, and bow placement and the corresponding colors and description of tone that each combination created. It was a SUPER impressive, color coded spreadsheet. My inner OCD was in awe and my student (who obviously adores all-things-spreadsheets) learned a *TON.*

Example…

Coda School of Music uses Google Forms for our Student Recital Signups, each entry goes into a spreadsheet for the parent volunteer to create the recital program

Again, these are just SOME of the many ways you can use social media or online platforms.

If you have any more ideas to add to this list, I’d be happy to update this post to include them and credit you too! Just comment below to make it happen!

Peterson’s mission is inspire a global resonance and magnanimous community through the marriage of art and whole-person development.

Her music is available everywhere music is sold online and at www.emilyannpeterson.com

]]>what-do-you-do-with-the-child-who-cant-sing-35ce2b53e82c<![CDATA[What Do You Do With The Child Who Can’t Sing?]]>2017-01-31T00:00:00.000Z2017-01-31T00:00:00.000Zby George Bevan. I am passionate about singing, and it always intrigues me when I find someone who tells me that they can’t sing. When I enquire further, the story is almost invariably the same: they…

title: "What Do You Do With The Child Who Can’t Sing?" description: >- by George Bevan. I am passionate about singing, and it always intrigues me when I find someone who tells me that they can’t sing. When I enquire further, the story is almost invariably the same: they… date: '2017-01-31' cover: 1__tEO6ISdmnb9__hRphDJHSHw.jpeg tags:

Music
Teaching

by George Bevan. I am passionate about singing, and it always intrigues me when I find someone who tells me that they can’t sing. When I enquire further, the story is almost invariably the same: they were told as a child that they couldn’t sing. They went along to choir and were told to mime, or else just to go away, ‘singing clearly isn’t your thing.’

I find that most people who can’t sing don’t sing. There are a few who are proud of their voice, despite the protestations of those around them, and I love these people! But on the whole, those who can’t sing keep a low profile because they really believe that they are a hopeless case. They have been made to feel ashamed of their voice. Words are powerful. Words, even said in jest, can close doors forever.

Some children don’t like math, and some aren’t very good at it. But can you imagine a math teacher saying to a child “You’re no good at math, please don’t come back to any more lessons”? Can you imagine a school getting away with that?

So, why do we send them away from choir? We’re supposed to be in the business of teaching. If a child can’t sing, we should be teaching them to sing, not sending them packing. I’m not talking about sophisticated vocal coaching, just the basics of pitching accurately to get them up and running.

What is a school choir for? As far as I’m concerned, choir is about developing a huge range of skills, and not all of them musical.

Actually, I’d go so far as to say it’s the ultimate music lesson — listening and ensemble skills, understanding harmony, following a melodic line, reading notation, inner hearing, breathing, teamwork, confidence, trust, joy, fun, emotional release, physicality, musical structure, word setting, poetry, control, to name but a few. If a child needs a little extra help to get on the first rung of this ladder, as far as I’m concerned, it’s worth taking the time to help them up.

Is choir to impress the parents, or is it a means to developing the abilities of our children? There is undoubtedly great joy to be gained in working with children who are really able — I’ve been there myself. There is nothing wrong with excellence, but it is so important in education to keep the door open for everyone if we can. For me, teaching is about enabling those who can’t, and not just working with those who already can!

So, how about this for a radical idea? How about having a choir for students who can’t sing?!

I have been running our Choir who can’t sing for five years now. In that time, I have almost lost count of the number of teenage boys whose singing has gone from hopeless to pretty respectable. For most, singing unison songs is fulfilling enough; but a few have ‘graduated’ to Chapel Choir, and one even sang in our fully staged production of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas last year! This choir opens doors.

What I like most about the Choir who can’t sing concept is this: whilst a ‘regular’ choir will turn away a bad singer, this one positively welcomes them! Better still, surrounded by another 30+ boys who started out the same way but who now sing well and with confidence and joy, it doesn’t take long for new recruits to get the hang of it.

So, what do you do with the child who can’t sing? Help them to unlock a gift which will bring them joy and which will last them a lifetime.

George Bevan is director of music at Monkton Senior School near Bath, UK.

]]>the-five-levels-of-freelance-teaching-cf93232e3cc9<![CDATA[The Five Levels of Freelancers]]>2017-01-26T00:00:00.000Z2017-01-26T00:00:00.000ZThis is the tagline for Seth Godin’s online freelancer course. Godin is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and thought leader on the post-industrial economy. His teaching has transformed my career…

title: The Five Levels of Freelancers description: >- This is the tagline for Seth Godin’s online freelancer course. Godin is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and thought leader on the post-industrial economy. His teaching has transformed my career… date: '2017-01-26' cover: 1__pocObOhuLaE7lpCO5r48Pw.jpeg tags:

Freelance
Freelance
Solopreneurship
Career Advice

by Steve Treseler. Become remarkable, find better clients, do work that matters.

This is the tagline for Seth Godin’s online freelancer course. Godin is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and thought leader on the post-industrial economy. His teaching has transformed my career as a freelance music teacher, and I’d like to share one of his most important lessons: the five levels of freelancing.

You may have no interest in climbing the corporate ladder, but as you climb the freelance ladder, you will attract better clients, earn more, and maximize your impact on the world.

Level One: The Mechanical Turk

Amazon’s “Mechanical Turk” service allows businesses to hire workers to complete remedial tasks for a few cents each. These jobs include taking surveys, transcribing speech, and categorizing products.

A Mechanical Turk freelancer is a cog in a larger system — like an Uber driver. She has some autonomy over her schedule, but ultimately the gigs come from someone up the chain. A level one teacher works within someone else’s business. This isn’t a bad way to get started, but Mechanical Turks don’t get paid fairly because they are easily replaceable, and the organization takes a big chunk of the revenue.

Level Two: The Handyman

The handyman is proficient and convenient. If he provides an in-demand service, the handyman can be booked solid with students. However, he is susceptible to competition and often needs to compete on price.

Level Three: The Craftsman

The craftsman has a reputation for excellent work. She is referred by name, and people are willing to drive a little further and pay a little more for her services. The craftsman has a specialty. You can’t be a craftsman and teach “all levels, all styles, and all instruments!”

Level Four: Unique

A unique freelancer offers a one-of-a-kind service that can’t be replicated. By standing out rather than fitting in, the unique freelancer is able to sidestep competition and charge premium rates.

What makes this freelancer stand out may be his personality, unique combination of skills, community connections, or teaching style.

Level Five: Remarkable

The word remarkable means “worth making a remark about.” When we see the work of a remarkable freelancer, we have to talk about it. She doesn’t need to advertise because word spreads organically.

Moving Up the Ladder

You will move up the lower levels of the ladder as you gain experience, deliver on promises, and build trust with the community you serve. As Godin says, this isn’t a shortcut to success — it’s a “long cut” to meaningful and fulfilling work that pays well.

Once you have a teaching studio up and running, you need to make strategic decisions in order to move up to levels four and five. You may need to narrow the scope of your services and focus on what makes your brand of teaching unique.

Some questions to consider as you work up the ladder:

Who are your ideal students?

2. Do they know they have a problem?

3. If they are seeking a teacher, who do they ask for referrals?

4. Do your potential students (and referrers) know who you are? If so, do they like you?

5. Do they trust you?

6. What stories do your clients tell about you?

7. Under what conditions do you teach at your best?

8. Could someone else replicate your work?

9. What problems do you solve in a unique way?

I specialize in teaching saxophone and improvisation, but for years I took any work I could find in order to pay the bills. I thought that becoming more well-rounded would help me get more work, but it turns out the opposite is true.

I discovered that focusing on my specialties leads to more fulfilling work and attracts more of my ideal students. I started turning down all “handyman” level gigs. Although I’m passable at directing large ensembles and teaching clarinet lessons, I pass those opportunities to colleagues who specialize in these areas.

Doubling down on what makes my teaching stand out has led to some amazing career opportunities.

Take Seth Godin’s Freelancer course, a bargain at $50.

Reserve of free digital copy of his forthcoming book Creativity Triggers for Musicians at stevetres.com

]]>the-truth-about-tone-deafness-5683d01a75c4<![CDATA[The Truth About Tone Deafness]]>2017-01-24T00:00:00.000Z2017-01-24T00:00:00.000Zby George Bevan. Tone deafness (cognitive amusia) is rare. The much-quoted figure is that 4% of the population are affected, but I have spent the past six years working with literally hundreds of…

title: "The Truth About Tone Deafness" description: >- by George Bevan. Tone deafness (cognitive amusia) is rare. The much-quoted figure is that 4% of the population are affected, but I have spent the past six years working with literally hundreds of… date: '2017-01-24' cover: 1__5xoaLPhAAwmhWeje4GvXEg.jpeg tags:

Music
Teaching
Education
Singing
Lessons

The Truth About Tone Deafness

by George Bevan. Tone deafness ( cognitive amusia) is rare. The much-quoted figure is that 4% of the population are affected, but I have spent the past six years working with literally hundreds of such individuals, and I can’t see where this figure comes from. In all of that time, I have found only three who really struggle to maintain a sense of pitch.

What I have found, however, is lots of people who are really bad singers! There are several factors that contribute to their sorry state, which I hope to unpack a little in this article.

The good news is that this is almost invariably an output rather than an input problem. In other words, the huge majority of people can hear the difference between two pitches, stating which one is higher or lower. It is the ability to reproduce an accurate pitch that eludes them.

For the person who claims to be tone deaf, this gives immediate hope. Fact: you can hear the difference between these notes, so you are not tone deaf! Encouraged: we can now move on to consider why they might be struggling to reproduce that pitch vocally.

Critical listening

In most cases, the student simply doesn’t realise that they need to engage in the process of listening! I sing a note, and the student sings back a note which is way off target. Perhaps not so surprising if they didn’t actually take aim. We need to engage them in the listening process.

So, let’s go back to the original test above. I play a low note on the piano, and then a really high one, and ask which one is higher. The second one, obviously! Now I play two more notes, considerably closer together, and straight away I can see that my pupil is now listening much more carefully. When I play notes just a tone or even a semitone apart, they are concentrating hard, but I am yet to find anyone who still can’t succeed in this task.

And now we return to singing. I sing my note, and they sing theirs, and it is still off target. “Was your note higher or lower than mine?” Lower. Their answer is confident: our short critical listening exercise has switched their ears on.

“Ok, so here is my note again. Listen carefully. And now sing.” Nine times out of ten — and I’ve thought very carefully about that proportion — they sing back my note. Not always perfectly in tune, but pretty close. And they know. The excitement, for teacher and pupil, is tangible and I never tire of the thrill of this moment.

Energy

Singing is not the same as speaking. Both have pitch and a range of inflections, but singing much more so. I find that many of those who claim not to be able to sing just don’t realise that it requires energy to do so.

The best place to begin to address this is towards the bottom of their vocal range. Ask your student to sing any note they like, but one which is quite low and takes very little effort to produce — in fact, much the same energy as for speaking. I call this their ‘lazy voice.’ Now that they are listening critically, it is also relatively easy to re-find this note each time they try. “You’re a B flat man, let’s sing that B flat again.” In some respects this is a calibration exercise; we are finding a baseline constant which we can refer back to again and again.

Our student should hopefully now be able to sing a step higher or lower than ‘their’ note, and we can begin to extend their vocal range. But if you now sing that note an octave higher, it should be immediately apparent that it requires a very different sort of energy!

The chances are that a non-singer has rarely ventured out of the low energy, lazy voice range. I tend to exaggerate, throw a few arms around to make the point that singing is a whole body exercise. There is no hurry for them to explore a higher range of notes; for someone who until now thought they were tone deaf, it is a huge encouragement to know that they can consistently sing back a single, lazy voice note! And there is often still one more major hurdle to overcome….

Confidence

One short article isn’t going to cover everything, and this is a big topic.

The chances are that our non-singer has had their confidence knocked. They’ve probably been told that they can’t sing, or even not to sing; worse still, they may then have spent many years not singing, reinforcing in their own minds their inadequacies as a singer. I have encountered some people who actually can’t bring themselves to vocalise at all, such is the trauma that they have suffered. In my mind, it’s an indisputable fact: our singing voice is the most intimate part of us.

What I tend to find is that, having got this far with a pupil, I have gained enough of their trust for them to know that this is a journey worth continuing. The ‘lesson’ that this article outlines usually takes less than 10 minutes, and in this time our student will have discovered that they are not tone deaf after all. In fact, they have already managed to sing back a small range of notes more or less accurately. They might not yet be confident, but they are certainly encouraged!

Here’s the best bit. With a little practice and a lot more encouragement, skills develop. Critical listening becomes habit; our student is able to pitch reliably in an expanding vocal range; their confidence grows. But not just confidence in their singing. Time and time again I have seen shy, nervous people, children and adults alike, transformed by the experience of learning to sing.

George Bevan is director of music at Monkton Senior School near Bath, UK.

]]>teaching-the-bigger-picture-bach-hendrix-f672228983d0<![CDATA[Teaching the Bigger Picture- Bach & Hendrix.]]>2017-01-18T00:00:00.000Z2017-01-18T00:00:00.000Z“The final aim and reason of all music is nothing other than the glorification of God and the refreshment of the spirit.” JS Bach Can you hear the similarities in the music of Johann Sebastian Bach…

title: "Teaching the Bigger Picture- Bach & Hendrix." description: >- “The final aim and reason of all music is nothing other than the glorification of God and the refreshment of the spirit.” JS Bach Can you hear the similarities in the music of Johann Sebastian Bach… date: '2017-01-18' cover: 1__MmJeNNURzoB9iWiweLpM8g.jpeg tags:

Music
Teaching
Education

“The final aim and reason of all music is nothing other than the glorification of God and the refreshment of the spirit.” JS Bach

“Excuse me while I kiss the sky.” Jimi Hendrix

Can you hear the similarities in the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and Jimi Hendrix? Sure, Bach probably wouldn’t love Hendrix’s use of parallel fifths,(power chords) and Hendrix never composed a fugue. However, if you listen closely to their music, and learn a little about how they lived their lives, you will understand they both achieved the highest levels of spiritual inspiration, connection, and expression within their music.

I use this lesson all the time in my studio. We compare these two titans that lived 200 years apart, and listen for the similarities and differences in their work, including the tone, composition, style, instrumentation, and social circumstances of their times. The goals are to appreciate different types of music, hear music at a deeper level, develop a timeline of music/world history, and gain an understanding of commonalities great artists share.

Teaching is much more than conveying necessary steps and monitoring progression of motor and mental skills. Teaching is an opportunity to help others build confidence, understand the world we live in, advocate for themselves and others, and tell the truth. These ideals are not written in method books, they are lived out by passionate teachers and observed by their students…

The Fountain of Culture

When I first moved to Seattle in 1998, I was fortunate enough to study with the great Steven Novacek at the University of Washington. I fancied myself a pretty good guitarist, and was really looking forward to taking my playing to the next level. At our first lesson, he listened to me play. Then, he started asking me questions about my background… where I was from, how many symphony orchestras I’d seen (not many), how many countries I’d travelled to…(does Canada count?) I did get some culture points for growing up in a log cabin on the Shenandoah River!

His lesson to me… if I wanted to be a great artist, I should bathe in the fountain of culture. Read every great book, travel to the birthplaces of my favorite composers, see every show I could sneak into. Practising scales and analyzing scores was giving me a knowledge of music, but it wasn’t making me an artist.

I got a job at the Seattle Symphony, and saw nearly every performance. I got another job at the Seattle Opera, and caught every opera. I took every gig I could get.. dive bars, weddings, coffee shops. I spent any extra money I had buying used philosophy books and taking guitar lessons. I walked everywhere, admiring the incredible architecture on the quiet streets of Capitol Hill. I grew more as a musician that year than in any other I’d lived.. and I spent the least amount of time practising technique.

Nowadays, I try to think about this bigger picture of teaching when I am in my studio… a teenage student pretends they forgot their method book, slowly places it on the stand, and looks at the notes like they’re reading Portuguese for the first time. Obviously the student is not practising, and is not buying what I’m selling. I can have the talk about practice and how no one is going to waste my time because I have a waiting list, and when I was a kid I practised.. blah..blah.

Or, I can say.. “Did you hear that Joshua Bell is coming to Seattle this week?” Or, “Oh man, check out this video of Mississippi John Hurt… that’s the vibe I aspire to..what year do you think he recorded this? How is his technique different than the classical style? How is the melody syncopated over the baseline?”

The job of an independent teacher is to listen to, observe, and guide a student along a path that will, of course, teach discipline and hard work… and also shine a light on the magic, wonder, and potential that is swirling around our world and within ourselves.

If this is your goal at every lesson you teach… you’ll keep your students engaged, enjoy teaching, and continue to grow in your own practice. Next time, we’ll start filling in that timeline between Bach and Hendrix!

]]>why-i-abandoned-a-tuition-payment-plan-forever-63e566f73973<![CDATA[Why I Abandoned a Tuition Payment Plan Forever]]>2017-01-18T00:00:00.000Z2017-01-18T00:00:00.000ZI abandoned accepting regular monthly payments from my music students. I had all of them sending me a medium-sized check once each month for my tuition payment plan. Super simple concept, right…

title: "Why I Abandoned a Tuition Payment Plan Forever" description: >- I abandoned accepting regular monthly payments from my music students. I had all of them sending me a medium-sized check once each month for my tuition payment plan. Super simple concept, right… date: '2017-01-18' cover: 1__J9yFQKT0XEszIVa8PN4WDw.jpeg tags:

Teaching
Education
Payments

Take 60 seconds and try it out now!

I abandoned accepting regular monthly payments from my music students. I had all of them sending me a medium-sized check once each month for my tuition payment plan. Super simple concept, right?

Well, not really. There was a lot of emailing, texting and calling about scheduling and collecting payment. It seemed like I had a part-time job as bill collector. Yuck.

As teachers, we ask our students to practice (hopefully daily) so the notion of external and internal motivators should be a familiar concept to you. But, just in case, here’s a refresher…

External motivators: things we cannot control that enforce a system or habit.

Here are some personal examples:

Homework deadlines were the only thing that got me to finish that paperwork.
School starting promptly at 7:20am was the only thing that got me to get ready like lightning hitting a metal pole in the middle of a Texas pasture.
And I’ll admit, (like most high schoolers) there were some days the only external motivator for practising music was my mother nagging me.

Internal motivators: the things we control within ourselves that enforce a system or habit.

Here are some examples:

I really did want to get an A on that homework (with a deadline) so I spent some extra time doing research.
I really didn’t want to miss my first class of the day in Junior High: orchestra!
I really did want to play my newly assigned Saint Saens cello solo, so I practised it.

The internal and external motivators happen all over the learning process and also within a business. What I learned early on as a professional musician, business owner, and music teacher is that the desire to pay someone for their services is an internal motivator. It is a must. After all, if you don’t value your music teacher or learning your instrument then you probably won’t take lessons in the first place.

But what is also a must, is the external motivator of a teacher’s payment structure. If there is no external motivator in place, then even the most well-intentioned student is less likely to pay up, requiring the teacher herself to go hunting them down like a bill collector.

When I started to teach full-time (with no day job on the side) I wanted to avoid this problem as much as possible. When there are bills due, you don’t want to be chasing down a check from a student.

So, to avoid this problem early on in my teaching career, a mentor told me to adopt a tuition payment plan for my lessons. This meant every September I would unroll the next 12 months of lesson dates to my students and ask them to commit to paying for a full year of lessons in monthly instalments. Committing to a full year of music lessons was kinda ballsy, right?

When I first started teaching here’s how that policy read:

“The full monthly fee is to be paid whether or not the student attends all lessons; lessons missed by the student for any reason will not be made-up nor tuition refunded. Notification of inability to attend a lesson is appreciated, but does not excuse payment for contracted lessons. Tuition is due on or before the first day of each month. Late payment before or on the fifth of the month will result in a late fee of $30. Your teacher reserves the right to increase the late fee in $15 increments per five days should payment be made even later than the fifth of the month.”

Woah. Tight-in-the-face much?! If you’ve ever met me, what you just read in the above policy statement is NOT me. It took a lot of guts to stick up for myself in that way.

Here’s why I adopted a tuition model: I knew I needed the consistent income from monthly lessons without students dropping like flies during Christmas and Summer. So, monthly payments seemed like a great idea, right?

But here’s another thing about external motivating systems: if they don’t fit you, your business or your lifestyle they stop working and leave you with the mess to clean it up with your own internal motivators.

Be True To Yourself

My iron-fist approach to studio policies (seen above) was essentially written with my fingers crossed. I was hoping that if I sounded like a bad-ass, then someone wouldn’t take advantage of me. To some extent, that proved to be a good idea.

But can you guess what happened when someone, for whatever reason, decided to rebel against my iron-fist policy statement? Yep. I, the-sheep-wearing-a-wolf-onesie, had to enforce it. I did OK with enforcing it. But things were definitely not peachy.

I hated having to take such a tough approach about money with my students. Yes, I deserved it. Yes, I worked hard for it. Yes, the student was legally obligated to pay up. But because the tuition policy was ultimately enforced with only internal motivators, I was less likely to actually get paid, even with the iron-fist of studio policies.

This comes from the realistic experience that I have with externally motivated payment structures, even as an adult.

Here are a couple examples:

if those automatic payments aren’t happening, I’ll get distracted by the next email and forget to pay the invoice.
If the grocery store didn’t have the cashiers at the exit, I’d probably go full-on Space Cadet and walk out of the store without purchasing my beloved 2% milk.

Your Policies Should Complement Your Work

Here’s my big point: policies should fit your business, not the other way around. That’s the thing I wish my previously mentioned mentor had told me instead. Forcing my business to fit around a policy ultimately didn’t work.

Lesson learned: just because it’s the standard does not mean it’s your standard.

As time unfolded, I switched from a tuition model to a pay-as-you-go model. At first, I did this switch because my own schedule was less and less predictable. I was performing, touring, and travelling more often and I felt like a jerk making my students stick to a scheduling commitment that I myself was unable to keep.

Initially, this switch looked like my students forking out more for five or 10 lessons at a time. But then I heard about Fons and now my life is SOOOOOO much easier.

New Payment Policy: New Fons Model

Lessons are $XX/hour. All lessons will automatically be charged to a credit card at the time of your lesson. In the event the instructor cancels a lesson, you will not be charged for that lesson. Absences by the student inside XX hours of the lesson will be charged their lesson fee at the time the lesson was scheduled. Reschedules incur no additional fees, and are at the discretion of the instructor.

All of that ^^^ is built into the Fons app. Here’s the true beauty of it: I don’t have to enforce ANY of it. It’s all an externally motivated, externally enforced policy and system.

Now, for those of us scaredy-cats out there who think that the world is out to get us, I’m on your side (and right there with you). The world is a terrifying place. But what I’ve learned over 10 years of experience teaching music lessons is that my instincts are always spot on.

Always. Every. Single. Time.

So, the reality that students sometimes will drop like flies during the Summer or holiday season is not a fear anymore because I switched my business model to fit both the contextual economy of being a music teacher and my own personality. The (now former) fear that a student will up and vanish on me is now a factor that I’m already prepared for! The pay-per-lesson business model gives the potential students on my waiting list a greater chance to start taking lessons with me!

It’s just good customer service. Not only does it naturally enforce payment from my students, but it naturally enforces that I listen to my own instincts and warning signs about a student dropping.

Those red flags you get about that adult student who is clearly way too busy to be taking music lessons? They’re valid. Those yellow flags you get when you notice a student has started to dilly-dally on their daily practising? They’re valid. Those warning signs are also great opportunities to actually teach your students, not just enforce your policies with an iron-fist.

These days, during a student’s first trial lesson with me, we have the 30-day notice talk.

I just lay it all out there and tell them:

“You know, I can tell when a student is going to quit. I have this sixth sense about it. I am under no illusion that you will be my student until the day you die. This fact says nothing about my teaching style and nothing about your commitment level. Things happen. Life happens. Before you join my teaching studio, what I ask of you is to give me at least 30 days notice before we schedule your ‘goodbye lesson.’ Doing this goodbye lesson teaches both of us to honor the time and effort we’ve put into your education.”

I know Fons understands this premise. It understands teachers, and it means I never have to rule with an iron-fist again. But I also know that whichever external motivator you set in place for yourself and your business…

Your business should fit to YOU so you can do your job.

Peterson’s mission is inspire a global resonance and magnanimous community through the marriage of art and whole-person development.

Her music is available everywhere music is sold online and at www.emilyannpeterson.com

]]>our-writer-guidelines-4a7d2a1d6830<![CDATA[Our Writer Guidelines]]>2017-01-14T00:00:00.000Z2017-01-14T00:00:00.000ZIf you’re interested in becoming a guest contributor, we’d love to hear from you. We’re looking for different perspectives and unique stories from people who are interested in sharing their expertise…

title: Our Writer Guidelines description: >- If you’re interested in becoming a guest contributor, we’d love to hear from you. We’re looking for different perspectives and unique stories from people who are interested in sharing their expertise… date: '2017-01-14' cover: 1__AMQ7__bp78CV__aOvRaZ__8hw.jpeg tags:

Writing
Fons

Our Writer Guidelines

This article offers advice and information to our guest contributors.

If you’re interested in becoming a guest contributor, we’d love to hear from you. We’re looking for different perspectives and unique stories from people who are interested in sharing their expertise with the growing Fons Amplify community.

Just send an email to gemma@fons.io introducing yourself and your ideas for our community.

About Fons

Fons is the best and most affordable solution empowering music teachers to automate payments, scheduling, policies, and notifications.

Founder Eric Branner started Fons so he could spend more time with his family instead of doing all the invoicing and administrative hours on his teaching business. (His wife used to do all of it and now she gets to do her dream job!)

We pride ourselves on elevating the profession of teaching in all areas, especially continuing education for our users. This is why we started Fons Amplify

About Fons Amplify

Fons Amplify is a publication that focuses on private instructors and small business owners. We the cover tools our community need to build a successful for business. This includes: time management tips, money-making ideas, how to work with clients, and career advice for owners of client-based businesses.

The community coming to our blog are trying to build their business and get tips from the Fons Amplify community.

We’d like everything you write to focus on helping this community.

Content Submission Guidelines

Submissions must be original content created by you or on behalf of your organization. We thoroughly check every article for plagiarism.
Keep stories to about 500–1000 words. Submissions must be at least 400 words. Please include any relevant videos, images and outbound links to reference your content. Irrelevant links will be removed and posts containing keyword stuffing (where words and phrases are overused and do not fit naturally in the flow of the text) rejected. Please do not put in affiliate links.
Guests will need a Trello account (free) and a Medium account (also free.)
Guest posts must not be promotional or advertorial. We will not publish press releases, company news or overly promotional content from our guest contributors. You can include a call-to-action at the end of your post, which can either be an image or a couple of text sentences.
We reserve the right to proofread and edit your story or content. Any significant revisions will be discussed with the author.
All contributions must meet Fons Amplify’s standards for quality and relevance. We reserve the right to reject posts that do not meet our high standards for the Fons community.
By submitting your original content, you permit Fons Amplify and Fons to use it for educational and promotional purposes.
After publishing, our writers are required to promote their articles to their online audience at least twice. To make this easy, we provide a sample social media post to copy/paste.

The Editorial Process

We use a Trello board to monitor the Editorial Calendar of the Fons Amplify publication. If you’re unfamiliar with Trello, the video below will give a basic introduction. If you’d prefer a non-video guide, check out https://trello.com/guide.

Once we have signed you up as a guest contributor of Fons Amplify, you will be given access to our Trello board:

Each article travels from left to right across the lists, until it reaches the “Published list”.

Here is each list in our editorial calendar, going from left to right:

Article Ideas

Anyone in the Fons Amplify team can submit an article idea. This could be anything to help our community of private instructors coming to our blog, trying to build their business and get tips from the Fons Amplify community.

The article idea does NOT need to be fully formed — this list is an area where members can brainstorm and exchange ideas on topics. Please note, all ideas are worth considering — it’s a space to come up with ideas without fear of judgement.

Each idea has its own Trello card. On the back is usually a description of the potential idea.

An idea submitted by a guest contributor will automatically be assigned to that guest contributor, if it is accepted by our editorial team.

Editors will also put post ideas in the “up for grabs” list, which are available for anyone to grab and write.

Up for grabs

Ideas from our editor will be put in the “up for grabs” list. If you want to tackle that topic, add yourself to the card and move it to “writing”. This clearly identifies who will be writing the piece — and ensures no one else grabs your card!

Editing & Ready to Publish

When you’re happy with your article and want an editor to look at it — move the card to the “editing” column. Once the article is almost ready, it needs to be uploaded as a draft on the Fons Amplify site for the final review. The editor will go through the piece and edit it via Medium. The writer must be available to answer any questions or make any amendments in a timely fashion.

You will need a Medium account to do this. It’s easy and free to sign up to at https://medium.com.

Here’s how to submit on Medium:

Email me gemma@fons.io with your Medium account details and I will set you up as a writer on Medium.
Once I have done this, I will let you know. If you go to the amplify.fons.com site you should see the following writer’s tab:

2. When you write the draft make sure you submit it the Fons Amplify publication:

Scheduled

Your article is signed off and is scheduled for publication.

A note will appear, which says (for example):

Signed off on 31st January.

Scheduled for publication on 6th February.

Broadcast by Author

When your post is published, you’ll be notified via Trello with a message that reads something like this:

Published! Thanks for another awesome post!

Here’s the link to share with your people: https://amplify.fons.com/our-writer-guidelines-4a7d2a1d6830

If you want to copy/paste here’s a good social media post to go along with it:

Struggling with your work/life balance as a teacher? Here are my tips to redress the balance: https://amplify.fons.com/our-writer-guidelines-4a7d2a1d6830

So, we’d like you to use this information to tell your social media followers about your post. It doesn’t matter if it’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any other format. Once you have promoted your post on social media, can you please pop your post in the “Broadcast By Author” list so we can see if this boosts your post’s hits.

FAQs

This Trello list has questions that writers ask — and our editor’s answers. So, watch this space.

Published

The article is live! We will send the writer a link to the article.

Once payment has been made, the Trello card is archived.

Broadcast by author

We’d love it if you could promote your post on your social media networks. If you do, it would be great if you could move your card to this list so we know which posts have been promoted.

A quick note on payments

Once the article is scheduled, authors will be paid at the end of the following calendar month when the article is signed off.

For example, if your article is signed off between 1st–30th April inclusive, you will be paid by the end of May, regardless of when it is scheduled for.

You will receive an email at the end of each month letting you know how much you will be paid for that month’s work.

We will promote your content to a wider audience, this may include:

Sharing it through Fons Amplify’s social channels, such as Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn and our weekly newsletter.
By submitting your writing to Fons Amplify, you grant Fons and Fons Amplify to use it for educational and promotional purposes.

About Fons

Founder Eric Branner created Fons so he can spend more time with his family instead of doing all the invoicing and administrative hours on his teaching business. (His wife used to do all of it and now she gets to do her dream job!)

Fons is the best and most affordable solution empowering music teachers to automate payments, scheduling, policies, and notifications. Take 60 seconds and try it out now! http://fons.io

Thanks for reading this guide — if you have any further questions, please email gemma@fons.io.

]]>a-letter-to-a-young-musician-c880ddd21fc3<![CDATA[A Letter to a Young Musician…]]>2017-01-13T00:00:00.000Z2017-01-13T00:00:00.000ZI recently offered a few words of encouragement to a young musician. What do you tell a young, talented artist that dreams of a career in the arts? I had a great time jamming out with you last…

title: A Letter to a Young Musician… description: >- I recently offered a few words of encouragement to a young musician. What do you tell a young, talented artist that dreams of a career in the arts? I had a great time jamming out with you last… cover: 1__kvPp__xzJD__Fvf__Hk4BnYVA.jpeg date: '2017-01-13' tags:

Music
Education

I recently offered a few words of encouragement to a young musician. What do you tell a young, talented artist that dreams of a career in the arts?

I had a great time jamming out with you last weekend… and I’m really excited by how much energy you have for music. I wanted to pass a few thoughts on to you.

You asked about what it would take to pursue music as a career. That is a tough question. Musicians work really hard… practicing thousands of hours, studying their craft, often finding it difficult to make a living.

Sometimes, playing music loses luster once money becomes involved. Sometimes you just don’t get the gig you dreamt of. Perhaps you have to get a day job. However… somebody is going to get the good gigs, someone is going to be famous, someone is going to be headlining stadium arena shows! In other universes, someone will be the professor of guitar at a major university, or touring Europe as a busker, or performing folk festivals, recording as session studio player, or just love jamming out with their friends every Thursday.

I always try to talk students out of pursuing music as a career. It’s hard work, often underpaid, and sometimes a struggle. However, the students that tell me to go to hell and pursue music anyways… they rarely regret it.

The good thing is, you only have one job now. That job is to love the music and the play and the hard work. You don’t have to decide anything but how to love playing music and improve your skill. Your path will show itself pretty clearly as the years go on, and if you truly love music and creating and learning I believe you’ll find it hard to veer off course.

Another thing to remember is that studying arts is a great preparation to modern business and work ethics… many top firms seek out individuals with an arts background to do stuff totally unrelated to their art. Med schools prefer students with an arts background, tech firms are seeing artists thrive in the business world. For the last year, I’ve worked at founding a tech startup..check it out! www.fons.io I’ve found it’s just like being in a band without the hassle of a lead singer! (*always add lead singer jokes to everything. Lead singers will cause you so much pain and suffering, it’s the least you can do…)

Here’s a few other tips I think might help.

Learn Villa Lobos etude #1 asap. Listen here. Every guitarist should know it. Then learn as many of the other Villa Lobos etudes as you can.
Listen to Paco De Lucia if you ever feel cocky about your playing. Listen here.
Play with everyone you can.. Jazz band, combos, singer songwriters, your own band, your friends who whistle poorly, your neighbor who’s just taken up the hand drum. Take every gig. That’ll make you better than anything else.
Go through one of the methods to work on your reading.. Maybe the Berklee method by William Leavitt.
Start constructing a technical regimen that you stick with. You need to have chops to have taste and take care of business. I can help you with that over skype.
Get a copy of Ted Reed’s Progressive Steps to Syncopation for the Modern Drummer. I’ll show you how to use it.
Sing your solos… this is huge.. Sing everything you play that’s a lead. Someday, the sound will emerge from your mind/heart first.. Then come out of your fingers. It feels amazing.
To Demonstrate #7, listen to Glen Gould’s Goldberg Variations.. He recorded this at the beginning of his career, and again at the end. The version he recorded before he died.. Wow.. you can hear him singing into the soundboard of the piano.. One of the great recordings of all time. Listen.
Miles Davis Kind of Blue…and everything else Miles did.
Right now, you are learning by listening, studying, and copying.. Remember your goals… what is your goal as a musician? A wise old economist once told me that “a well defined objective function will help you make decisions.”
Your goal is to sound like You! You will be a culmination of all these things you work on and love. You don’t want to sound like anyone else when you play. Hendrix, Cobain, Clapton, Page, De Lucia, Van Halen, Fahey, Miles Davis.. These were personalities, not just instrumentalists. They sounded absolutely unique and glorious. You will too after you’ve ingested every sound that interests you, played in any band that will have you, and create the tone with your hands that you dream about in your mind. Your grandfather did it, and so will you.. Speaking of…
_(sorry folks, a little personal, but I’m leaving it in here.)_Your grandfather is a tremendous resource of knowledge and inspiration. He’s been one of the great mentors in my musical journey. There is no one I’d rather play music with on this planet… His spirit is wide open. He plays with such soul, simplicity, and honesty. Spend time jamming with him. You’ll go through a stage when you play too many notes(all guitarists do). He’ll tell you when to cut out a few notes to make the solo work better.
Oh man, read the Music Lesson by Victor Wooten… get it here.
This list could go on forever.. So I’ll stop for now.
No I won’t. Don’t forget to listen to some of the bluegrass masters like Tony Rice and Doc Watson. They flat-picked acoustics like nobody’s business.. You’re also in a prime part of the world to meet world class players in that idiom.

16. You’re tastes will change over time, stay open to eventually liking what may seem to be your least favorite styles of music in the moment. There is something to learn from every art form and every artist.

17. Sing. It feels good. You’ve got a good voice. You should be writing songs. Remember that a song has to be sung, or it’s not a song, It’s a piece of music.

18. Learn everything in the book I’ve enclosed..(free download here)

Feel free to listen to as little of this or as much of this as you want to… I hope some of it helps, and I’d love to send another installment whenever you’re ready. I was so glad to hang out with you, and to make a new musical friend. Keep jamming and be well! Eric

]]>come-join-team-fons-9afc9e32b9f8<![CDATA[Come Join Team Fons!]]>2017-01-12T00:00:00.000Z2017-01-12T00:00:00.000ZNot too long ago we had a dream of building a company that focuses on making it easier for teachers to run their businesses. We started Fons in 2016, we are growing, and we want more people to join…

title: "Come Join Team Fons!" description: >- Not too long ago we had a dream of building a company that focuses on making it easier for teachers to run their businesses. We started Fons in 2016, we are growing, and we want more people to join… cover: 1__9e4gWGGPWcsixJDWnIbHUg.jpeg date: '2017-01-12' tags:

Fons

Jared Wray

Not too long ago we had a dream of building a company that focuses on making it easier for teachers to run their businesses. We started Fons in 2016, we are growing, and we want more people to join us.

We are looking for Engineers and Customer Success members to join us. If you are interested we would love to have a conversation with you. We are a small team, we work remotely, and once or twice a year we meet together as a company.

Here is what we are looking for.

Customer Success

Own and drive to satisfaction on customer issues via chat, ticketing and phone calls
Identify and cold-call potential customers.
Apply advanced troubleshooting techniques to provide unique solutions to our customers’ individual needs
Leverage your day-to-day experiences to provide the voice of the customer to our internal teams
Write tutorials, webinars, how-to videos, and other technical articles for the customer community
Help onboard customers from the time of signup to any questions via chat, or email with potential customers

Preferred Qualifications:

Strong grammatical, verbal, and written communication skills
Experience as an independent teaching professional. ie. music teacher, coach, academic tutor is a plus but not required.
Passionate about providing high quality customer experiences and learning new technologies
Experience working within the software development or Internet industries is highly desired

Engineers

Just like everyone else, we want to hire unbelievably bright developers, who are a joy to work with, love to work with others, solve problems, listen well, and lead as appropriate. We are a small team, we work remotely, and once or twice a year we meet together as a company.

Responsibilities:

Build and maintain backend microservices.
Build front end UI and Mobile using latest technologies including React, and Go.
Assist on support issues with customers.
Attend daily standups to sync up and coordinate with the rest of the team.

Desired Skills:

5+ years experience with a modern programming language like: Go or JavaScript.
3+ years of experience designing, building and operating highly available, highly reliable web-based systems
Experience with Go Language, JavaScript and Node.js including React and React Native.
Solid understanding of web related protocols and standards, such as HTTP, SSL, REST and JSON.
Linux admin and shell scripting skills.
2+ years of agile software development experience, TDD and refactoring.
Good collaboration and communication skills.

If you are interested or want to learn more just send us a brief description of who you are or a resume to join@fons.io.

]]>a-simple-exercise-to-help-you-teach-well-in-the-new-year-revisit-your-soundtrack-e0d4987c41a2<![CDATA[A Simple Exercise to Help You Teach Well in the New Year. Revisit Your Soundtrack.]]>2017-01-05T00:00:00.000Z2017-01-05T00:00:00.000ZMy soundtrack starts with Billy Joel’s Glass Houses. If I hear any track from that record, I am transported underneath my parent’s kitchen table, listening to the new Walkman I got for Christmas…

title: >- A Simple Exercise to Help You Teach Well in the New Year. Revisit Your Soundtrack. description: >- My soundtrack starts with Billy Joel’s Glass Houses. If I hear any track from that record, I am transported underneath my parent’s kitchen table, listening to the new Walkman I got for Christmas… cover: 1__iEkdFccPW__xp9DahhFlVZg.jpeg date: '2017-01-05' tags:

Music
Coaching
Teaching

My soundtrack starts with Billy Joel’s Glass Houses. If I hear any track from that record, I am transported underneath my parent’s kitchen table, listening to the new Walkman I got for Christmas 1984… I am a child, and that feels safe and good. When Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature” comes on, I remember the feeling of not being embarrassed to dance. I’d lose that confidence shortly later in life.

The holidays aren’t always relaxing and restful, and that’s just fine. We can all relate to how a season full of parties, family, friends, events, and food can take it’s toll! Driving to my first full day of teaching following the holiday break, I wasn’t as rested, motivated, or prepared for the new year as I hoped to be. Honestly, I felt drained which is not a normal vibe for me to bring to a day of guitar teaching. Teaching is my most favorite thing to do. I needed an immediate attitude adjustment. During the slow crawl through Seattle traffic, I had a few big thoughts.

In such a post-holiday-haze situation, I propose that all you have to do is revisit the Soundtrack of Your Life! We all have songs that backing-tracked our formative years; they are the conduit to the energy, enthusiasm, and wonder that we felt as kids. If you can tap into that energy, you will spontaneously connect-with and inspire your students.

Gosh. Stuck in traffic. Lesson in twenty minutes. I need to pull it together. Here we go. Open Soundtrack of My Life Playlist. There’s time for two tracks. Choose well. Appalachia Waltz by Mark O’Connor. I heard Yo-Yo Ma perform a solo arrangement of this piece during the opening celebrations of Benaroya Hall, and it remains one of the most powerful musical moments of my life. I had recently moved to Seattle from rural Virginia, and was immersing myself in culture and new experiences. I was independent for the first time, and somehow found myself front and center for Yo-Yo Ma’s encore. When he played Appalachia Waltz, I cried uncontrollably. When he finished, I looked around me to see many of the other audience members, red-eyed and tear-streaked. I felt so inspired! This piece always reminds me of the power and importance of music, adventure, performance, and mastery.

Appalachia Waltz was over and I was still inching away in traffic, yet I felt much more myself. Suddenly, there were some ideas for what to teach! I ended up having time for a few more songs, but Yoyo Ma had been enough… I was back! I arrived at my studio so excited to play music…and to share that excitement with my students.

I believe that intention, energy, spirit, and enthusiasm can trump a lesson plan.(i love a good lesson plan too!) Sometimes, connecting with your own passion is the best way to improve your teaching situation. Access your joy and past inspiration with your soundtrack, and see what happens! I hope this little trick might help your new year of teaching as much as it did for me.

A few other classics from my soundtrack… every thing on Astral Weeks, Glen Gould’s Goldberg Variations, Upward Over the Mountain by Iron and Wine, Holland 1945 by Neutral Milk Hotel..oh, Glory Bound by Martin Sexton and the entirety of Greg Brown’s One Night. I’d love to hear what the major hits are on the Soundtrack of Your Life.

If you liked this article, please subscribe to our publication. If your business is teaching, please click below to explore how Fons can help you Teach Well.

]]>keeping-students-engaged-nine-lessons-from-observing-a-great-teacher-6310586be9f5<![CDATA[Keeping Students Engaged-Nine Lessons from Observing a Great Teacher]]>2016-12-14T00:00:00.000Z2016-12-14T00:00:00.000ZDo you struggle to keep your students engaged? It’s a topic that frequents every teaching journal, blog and forum out there — but it’s an almost impossible issue to resolve. As a teacher, I’m sure…

title: "Keeping Students Engaged-Nine Lessons from Observing a Great Teacher" description: >- Do you struggle to keep your students engaged? It’s a topic that frequents every teaching journal, blog and forum out there — but it’s an almost impossible issue to resolve. As a teacher, I’m sure… date: '2016-12-14' cover: 1__nOwgMfmfPDM5upMZV43Slg.jpeg tags:

Teaching
Education

Do you struggle to keep your students engaged? It’s a topic that frequents every teaching journal, blog and forum out there — but it’s an almost impossible issue to resolve.

As a teacher, I’m sure you’re familiar with this scenario: you prepare a fantastic lesson plan, you spend hours cultivating ideas to drive discussions and interest in the topic in hand. And, in the lesson, you’re only met with a room of glazed eyes, yawns and heads propped by against palms. It happens to all of us, and it’s one of the biggest challenges to an otherwise spectacular job.

So, how can you improve your teaching abilities to engage your students?

I love to watch great teachers teach so I sat in on a Capoeira class(Fenix Capoiera, Seattle) this weekend with my son, and was truly inspired by an incredible instructor.

During the class for this Brazilian martial art, I observed patience, great vibes, repetition, hierarchy, fun, culture, discipline, movement, spontaneity, and consequences. The combination made for such an engaging class! I left with an exhausted but fascinated child and so much excitement for the next lessons I would teach. Here’s how it went down:

The teacher’s name was Esquillo. He warmly greeted each student with a huge smile and double high-five. I loved how the call to practice was “ let’s play.” Students of all levels were “playing” side by side. The oldest student, who had achieved the highest belt-ranking, was expected to lead and demonstrate.

This hierarchy showed the younger students what they would aspire to. When the high-rank student started goofing off, the teacher showed spectacular patience. It was obviously difficult to teach the class during the moments when he was not paying attention — and with parents watching. I’ve been there a million times. He continued to smile, and applied some discipline by issuing friendly verbal warnings, and making the class do extra pushups.

All of the movements were conducted to music and rhythms. Exercises were repeated, alternated, and revisited. When something didn’t work well, Esquillio would spontaneously stop the exercise, and move to a new activity. I watched him conduct his class with so much love and good vibes.

Towards the end of the class, one of the experienced students asked if they would play the “snake game.” Esquillio announced that they would not play the snake game, because there was too much goofing off — and this was the consequence of that behavior. He said this while smiling, demonstrating that he knew the next class would be better.

It all wrapped up with learning a percussive rhythm,and singing a song together. A moment of understanding the cultural significance of Capoeira to Brazil and all the people that study it. I was amazed at how he really kept that class engaged. It was a fresh take on how to run things for my own classes. We packed up our things, thanked Esquillo, and left the studio.

I was very much looking forward to the next lessons with my own students. I couldn’t wait to smile, be patient, move around, and have fun with my lessons. There are wonderful sources of inspiration to help keep our students engaged all around us. I’m so glad I took my son to a Capoeira class on a rainy, Saturday afternoon.

If you’ve learnt from another teacher’s techniques and felt inspired, please share your experience with the Fons teaching community in the comments below.

]]>hocus-focus-tips-for-keeping-your-students-focused-and-engaged-bdcee6452f75<![CDATA[Hocus Focus- Tips for Keeping Your Students Focused and Engaged]]>2016-12-01T00:00:00.000Z2016-12-01T00:00:00.000ZWhen I was a classroom teacher, it seemed like my dog and pony shows had become so intense compared to when I started teaching 17 years ago. My colleagues and I would keep buying more gadgets to help…

title: "Hocus Focus- Tips for Keeping Your Students Focused and Engaged" description: >- When I was a classroom teacher, it seemed like my dog and pony shows had become so intense compared to when I started teaching 17 years ago. My colleagues and I would keep buying more gadgets to help… cover: 1__AttXZWwZlT4dXYmYhsNn5w.jpeg date: '2016-12-01' tags:

Teaching
Tutoring
Academic Coach
Clients
Students

by Beth Peterson

I have a magical solution to help you keep your students focused 100% of the time!

Said no one ever.

When I was a classroom teacher, it seemed like my dog and pony shows had become so intense compared to when I started teaching 17 years ago. My colleagues and I would keep buying more gadgets to help us perform our mini stage shows. We had boxes of glitter, microphones, mini “word” fly swatters, pencils that would draw in rainbow colors and even dancing stuffed hamsters. You name it, and we probably had it.

It wasn’t cheap and, as a result, I’m pretty sure we were operating in the red.

However, the one thing we did know was that if you didn’t have a student’s attention, they weren’t going to survive your learning journey. They’d be left in the dirt and we’d need to spend a lot of extra time trying to catch them up.

That’s why understanding your student’s brain is imperative. They are all at different stages of development so we can’t box them in or teach in the middle. We need to find out their strengths and weaknesses and help each student learn how they learn too. It’s not easy, but you will have a bigger impact if you buy into this whole metacognition thing.

So, here’s some tips to think about when you want to get that prefrontal cortex working for your students. Whether you’re a teacher, tutor, music instructor, or coach, understanding executive function (EF) skills will help your practice.

Your EF skills are the cognitive skills needed to regulate your thinking, behavior and feelings to reach a given goal. There’s about eleven of them, but let’s talk about focus and attention for now.

This relates to tuning out distractions and maintaining and sustaining focus on a particular task. If you’ve ever had students that just float off and hop on the nearest cloud, then you might find some of these tips helpful for pulling them back to reality. Here’s just a few of my favorites.

1. Have clear expectations

Be explicit about what you want the student to accomplish and what you will teach. Do not be abstract or vague. It is often helpful to write some bullet points down detailing what you hope to achieve for that particular lesson. This helps that inattentive student know the bigger picture and not wonder or worry about when you “might” be finished or if he/she is doing it “right”. Plus, many students with weaker EF skills need visual prompts. It helps them stay on target. Yep — use that white board and stinky dry erase markers! But maybe dump the dancing hamsters.

2. Vary your teaching strategies

Stop talking… seriously. Droning on and on will only aid and assist the distraction monsters. Teach what you need to teach in little bits and check for understanding along the way. Give the student time for reflection. Allow for some discussion and make it a two way game, not a one person show. Did you ever like the teacher who just talked all the time? Put yourself in your student’s shoes and shake it up.

3. Use movement and visuals

We all have preferred learning styles. I’m a visual learner and I like moving too. I may need to move my largest muscles to help stimulate my brain or I just may need to see a drawing to understand something complicated. Stand up, sit cross-legged, do some gross motor movement that crosses your medians. (Remember that old windmill stretch we did in calisthenics for 4th grade PE class? Well, little did you know that it was helping to create new pathways in your brain.)

4. Shorten the tasks into smaller “chunks”

Many multiple steps are just too hard for students, so what’s the harm in giving two or three steps at a time? It won’t kill you, and it will definitely help the majority of your students.

5. Create an incentive or consequence system

Sometimes we need a carrot, especially if the task is super hard. You’re a grown up and you get that, right? Do I need to tell you why it works for students? Didn’t think so. If you’re wondering about consequences, well, tip #10 might help with that.

6. Reduce distractions — don’t multi-task

People are still convinced that they can multi-task, but the science just isn’t there.

A study at the University of London found that participants who multitasked during cognitive tasks experienced IQ score declines that were similar to what they’d expect if they had smoked marijuana or stayed up all night. IQ drops of 15 points for multitasking men meant they lowered their scores to that of the average range of an 8-year-old child. Fun fact, but not optimal for learning.

Mindfulness is where it’s at folks — let’s stay on one task and be all IN. If you need a makeshift study carrel to focus better, then by all means, offer one. If necessary, modify a cardboard box and use it to block out visual distractions. Have your student sit in a spot so he/she isn’t looking out the window at the crows dive bombing the pigeons. This has to be purposeful since our minds tend to like a lot of stimulus, so be intentional about blocking out distractions.

It’s not mean to ask a student to turn off their phone for the hour, or leave it in a basket or backpack. It’s healthy adult guidance. Our prefrontal cortexes are developed, theirs aren’t. Enough said.

7. Make it mysterious and suspenseful

I love it when something seems magical or mysterious. Don’t you? When a class starts with a suspenseful experiment or a curious question, I’m hooked. Attention grabbers are useful and I bet you will have increased student focus if you try it. This takes creativity, but trust yourself and give it a go.

8. For younger students, play some games that help strengthen their focus.

Try games with cards like concentration or memory match, Zap, Distractor Duo, Simon says, etc.

It’s okay to start a lesson with a discussion about how focus is tough. Embrace it and try out a fun game to improve focus. If there’s a distractor, then students can pretend to lazer zap it out of the universe as soon as they notice it.

Distractor Duo is fun if you have more than one student. One tries to distract the other student while he/she concentrates on a task for a minute, then switch roles. It’s helpful to have students share what worked to keep them on task. Well, you can even play the game too if you are teaching a solo student. Good luck not getting distracted!

9. Ask your student what helps him/her focus

So many students know that they get distracted and why.Talk about it and brainstorm some solutions together.This is the essence of metacognition.The more self-awareness our students have, the more they can grow and learn.

10.Create a safe strong relationship with mutual respect

I’m saving the best for last.

If you don’t take time to build a relationship, then all of this is for nothing. Take time to show your students that you like them. If you don’t, well, fake it until you like them!

I talk to so many students that have had the best years of their lives because they were pretty sure their teacher liked them and they really liked them too. They know. Kids aren’t naïve about how you feel. Love them a lot or a little, or just like them. But don’t ever let a student think you don’t like them.

Their life can change if they are treated with compassion and kindness. Plus, look back at #5, and if your student really knows you care about them and they you, then they don’t want to let you down. The consequence for not practicing, or not doing homework just might make their teacher sad, and that would be horrible. No student wants you to be upset with them, so they just might try harder because you have a mutual respect for one another.

Doesn’t our world need a little more kindness anyway?

It’s all pretty magical when we care for each other.

Beth is a former classroom teacher and mom of three distractible boys who is busy now as an academic coach and consultant. Peterson Academic Coaching serves students from grade 4 to college helping them plan, organize and prioritize to achieve school success, maximize their strengths and boost self-confidence. Check out some resources at: www.petersonacademiccoaching.com

]]>a-thankful-music-teacher-5924dfe2d9de<![CDATA[A Thankful Music Teacher]]>2016-11-23T00:00:00.000Z2016-11-23T00:00:00.000ZAbout five years ago, I was home in Virginia visiting friends and family for the holidays. A family reunion was underway when I got a phone call from my roommate. Our water line had frozen and burst…

title: "A Thankful Music Teacher" description: >- About five years ago, I was home in Virginia visiting friends and family for the holidays. A family reunion was underway when I got a phone call from my roommate. Our water line had frozen and burst… cover: 1__aKlBmv7BCzFKbnus2eGYxA.jpeg date: '2016-11-23' tags:

Music
Inspiration

About five years ago, I was home in Virginia visiting friends and family for the holidays. A family reunion was underway when I got a phone call from my roommate. Our water line had frozen and burst, so I told her to go into my studio and grab the water key to turn off the water at the mains.

She informed me that my studio door was open, and that all of my guitars and musical equipment was gone.

Not only did I have a blown pipe, all of my valuable possessions had been stolen too.

I was pretty blown away in that moment, yet I remember an overwhelming feeling like “hmmm, this sucks.. but it doesn’t hurt as much as I’d imagined it would.. it is just stuff.”

Really awesome stuff. So, there I was — three thousand miles away, on the phone with the Seattle police, and missing a chance to hang out with relatives I hadn’t seen in forever.

I went home the next week and, fortunately, a few of my guitars started showing up at local pawnshops. Soon after, they caught the individuals involved in the break in. They had pawned my hand made classical guitar for $100… I was really glad to get it back.

Throughout this ordeal, my friends, students, and their families showed us so much support and love.

It looked like things were going to turn out okay. Most of my belongings had been found. Some were gone for good.

A week later, I was at a close friend’s house for dinner. We were catching up on the whole break-in story… when the front door opened, and people started streaming in. I mean a ton of people.

Soon, the entire house was filled with people I knew from various windows of my life. Something was going on. Students, their parents, friends, family, colleagues…. there were probably one hundred people in my friend’s home.

I was called into the living room, where it was announced that a friend had sent out an email after hearing about the burglary.. and that my community had decided to pitch in to buy me a new guitar. They wanted to put this whole burglary thing behind me and bring some good vibes to the story.

I was presented with a leather guitar strap, signed by all of the families that had contributed. Then, I was presented with a massive game-show-style check… the kind that’s the size of whiteboard. To be clear, this check would easily cover just about any guitar.

I was truly speechless. I maybe muttered thank you. I just stood there, overwhelmed and sweating. My wife was gracious enough to cover for me and make a pretty good speech. For those you that know me, I’ve never been speechless….

At 5am the next morning, it all hit me. I stood in my front yard, tears streaming down my face. So thankful to be a part of such a caring and supportive community. Imagining the amazing speech I would have given if I could go back. This is why we teach, and why we should teach…

Afterwards, I feebly attempted to not accept the gift, and was told that there were so many people involved, there was no way to return the money… I’d just have to get that guitar I’ve always dreamt of.

I did get my dream guitar built… and I started a program at a local high school to teach guitar to kids that otherwise couldn’t. I’d volunteer enough hours of teaching to help cover the cost of the guitar at my teaching rate. That made me feel a little better about receiving such an amazing gift.

A few things really stuck out to me from this experience.

I am so thankful to be a music teacher.

Losing material stuff isn’t as scary or as bad as what I’d expected (even when it’s really awesome stuff).

I am so thankful to be a part of a wonderful, caring community.

I think about these things every time I pick up my Rockbridge guitar.. Every year at Thanksgiving, we go around the table and mention what we’re thankful for… I am truly thankful to teach. Have an awesome Thanksgiving.

]]>how-a-growth-mindset-will-grow-your-teaching-business-f3c4d73e8dc<![CDATA[How a Growth Mindset Will Grow Your Teaching Business]]>2016-11-15T00:00:00.000Z2016-11-15T00:00:00.000ZIf you make your living as an independent teacher, coach, or tutor you MUST develop a Growth Mindset. It’s a massively important step to build a thriving business. The concept of a mindset was coined…

title: "How a Growth Mindset Will Grow Your Teaching Business" description: >- If you make your living as an independent teacher, coach, or tutor you MUST develop a Growth Mindset. It’s a massively important step to build a thriving business. The concept of a mindset was coined… cover: 1____JimT6L__mAFYct__2np__How.jpeg date: '2016-11-15' tags:

Education
Music

If you make your living as an independent teacher, coach, or tutor you MUST develop a Growth Mindset. It’s a massively important step to build a thriving business.

The concept of a mindset was coined by Stanford researcher Carol Dweck. She identified two basic mindsets: Fixed and Growth.

If you have a Fixed Mindset, then you tend to feel innate talents and intelligence will dictate your fate and accomplishments. So, you sit back and wait for your life to start. Obviously, this is not the best attitude for success. Dweck found that successful individuals lean towards a different mindset: the Growth Mindset.

What is a Growth Mindset?

Those with a Growth Mindset believe development and prosperity come through hard work, patience, and the ability to withstand failure.Your talents are just the springboard to achieve greatness.

This concept is very helpful in a range of scenarios and sectors, from education to arts, sports, and business. I want to speak directly to you about developing a Growth Mindset for your teaching business. And, if you want to find out more about mindsets, check out Dweck’s book here.

So, what does a Growth Mindset in your teaching business look like? Let’s look at three areas where you can use this principle to help your teaching business right now.

1. Believe in Yourself

There is an awesome song from the Sesame Street back catalogue that has been reproduced and performed by no less than four different artists from 1973 to 2014, it’s called Believe In Yourself.

It’s such an important message but one that so many teachers do not embrace. Why? Well, you may not understand how important your work is, how unique your skill set is and how important it is to pass this on to future generations.

I can see why. When you work as an independent teacher, there’s no boss or team telling you that you did a great job. Sure, your students may sprinkle the odd bit of praise in your direction, but sometimes it can feel like a thankless task.

Then there’s the admin and the other tasks you really don’t enjoy doing. They may be a necessity for your teaching business’s survival, but sometimes it feels like they’re sucking the life out of you!

Now’s the time to turn to Elmo and “Believe in Yourself”.

I’m not saying you have to listen to Sesame Street every time you start to feel your confidence lagging. But you must do something. It’s part of the Growth Mindset mentality.

So, develop an infrastructure to keep your motivation and confidence levels high. Remind yourself that there is no one else on Earth who can impart your skill the way you do. Teach with a full heart.

2. Embrace Abundance

OK, I’m going to be cruel to be kind here.

There is no excuse for you not to have a full quota of students. The internet is not killing your business. Your market is not saturated.

There are 7.5 billion humans on the planet. Is each one an expert in your field? No. Is each one a potential student? Yes.

I sense you’re rolling your eyes now, but it’s true.

First up, there is your local community. The people who want a personal relationship with a teacher, sitting in a room, learning something. Nothing can compete with a real teacher, no matter how fancy technology gets.

Second, the internet can help your business go beyond your zip code. You could set up online tutorials, Skype classes or get yourself teaching on a YouTube channel. The possibilities are endless to extend your reach.

So, get a marketing plan in place and see what works. If something doesn’t work, pivot and try another idea.

Think about doing a lesson tour around the country sponsored by a company that’s relevant to your trade and who would relish the advertising opportunity. Reinvest in the community with an event. Tell your students to recommend you.

Those around you will soon pick up on your passion and commitment, and they’ll want to be part of it. If you understand that, you can get as many students as you want or need. There’s plenty to go around.

3. Recognize and Love Your Community

You must understand that your clients want you to succeed and this means that you must charge a fair wage for your services.

I know this is something a lot of teachers struggle with. You love what you do, so it feels wrong to charge, right? Well, the community that have supported you and helped build your business could not disagree more!

I had a hard time coming round to the fact that my students wanted to pay me a fair wage for my services. But we care for each other. I take great care in teaching them music, and they feel grateful and want to pay me. They understand that teaching is how I pay my mortgage and feed my family. They understand the importance of my work and want my business to survive and thrive in the years ahead.

People are generally good. Developing a thriving studio means having respectful, caring clients.

It’s also a two-way street. Skilled and passionate teachers are essential to a thriving community. You teach my kids to swim, learn a new language or play baseball. You are a guide, a role model, an immediate example of hard work and community involvement.

Your students want you to thrive, not simply survive, they want you to have a great life because by passing on your skills you are helping them have a great life.

You get what you give. And, as a teacher, you are giving them the greatest gift of all.

I hope you’ve found these points helpful. We’d love to hear about the successes and challenges you face in maintaining a Growth Mindset as a teaching professional.

If you love your craft, care deeply about furthering it, and are willing to work at it… teaching is the most awesome gig!

]]>5-ways-to-keep-the-spirit-alive-as-an-independent-teacher-tutor-or-coach-5900e09673d6<![CDATA[5 Ways to Keep the Spirit Alive as an Independent Teacher, Tutor, or Coach]]>2016-11-07T00:00:00.000Z2016-11-07T00:00:00.000ZI’ve chatted with hundreds of independent teachers about why we teach, how we establish our careers, and how we run our businesses. There are so many common threads between music teachers, english…

title: "5 Ways to Keep the Spirit Alive as an Independent Teacher, Tutor, or Coach" description: >- I’ve chatted with hundreds of independent teachers about why we teach, how we establish our careers, and how we run our businesses. There are so many common threads between music teachers, english… cover: 1__LOuzS4VTJyTgHZdAlkEAvw.jpeg date: '2016-11-07' tags:

Education
Teaching
Lessons
Coaching
Tutoring
Academic Coach
Creativity
Practice

“ May you live as long as you want to, and want to as long as you live” Pete McCoy

I’ve chatted with hundreds of independent teachers about why we teach, how we establish our careers, and how we run our businesses. There are so many common threads between music teachers, english tutors, yoga teachers, and golf coaches!

Many of these commonalities are positive… teachers possess a sincere passion for learning, a desire to share knowledge, and a deep hope to leave the world a better place. We also share concerns and challenges such as difficult students(or parents), lesson policies being ignored, and delinquent payments. These frustrations can sometimes push us to the precipice of looking for another job.

The great thing, most of the major bummers about being an independent instructor are fixable! I’ve collected a bunch of actions, exercises, considerations, and tricks from my own experiences and from interviewing others. You can adopt these ideas to help sustain your love of teaching… for as long as you want to teach.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll explore five ideas to liven up your teaching mojo immediately and permanently.

1. Adopt a Growth Mindset.

We’re going to explore some facts… the world needs great teachers, your community will support you in making a living wage, and there are plenty of students out there for you to teach. These are the seeds of a Growth Mindset.

2. Professionalism.

If you’re going to make your living as an independent teacher, coach, or tutor… You owe it to your clients and yourself to be professional in your conduct and expectations.

3. Learn to Love it All, 90 Percent of the Time.(it’s a job) Your Craft, Your Clients, Your Business.

Enjoy the path. Work hard at improving your own craft, take vacations, create great relationships with your students, be proud of your business savvy. Turn away students who aren’t a great fit for you.

4. Work Hard at Improving Your Business. Even if You Think You Don’t Need to. Marketing and Promotion.

You’re gonna have to work hard if you want to sustain a career as an independent instructor. Think you’re awesome because you have a waiting list? You are! You also need to constantly, and creatively market and promote yourself within your community.

5. Provide an Incredible Customer Experience.

You are running a teaching business, and you have customers. Customer Experience is everything, to every healthy business. Clients who feel good vibes about your program, will tell their friends about those good vibes. They will support your mission to teach and better the world.

Sustain

Teaching comes with innumerable rewards… the freedom of creating your own business and managing your own time. There’s a unique satisfaction in sharing knowledge and seeing your students develop.

If approached carefully and thoughtfully, teaching can sustain you for the rest of your life. Take care of yourself, your craft, and your community… may you teach for as long as you want to, and want to as long as you teach!

I’ll look forward to hearing your ideas on how you stay engaged in this awesome vocation of teaching.

]]>forget-10-000-hours-of-delayed-gratification-practice-flow-now-c895f3c3d074<![CDATA[Forget 10,000 Hours of Delayed Gratification. Practice Flow Now]]>2016-11-04T00:00:00.000Z2016-11-04T00:00:00.000ZPracticing is like a job. We need to subject ourselves to tedious work in isolation to achieve future results. The most successful musicians have the work ethic to slog through the most hours. Those…

title: "Forget 10,000 Hours of Delayed Gratification. Practice Flow Now" description: >- Practicing is like a job. We need to subject ourselves to tedious work in isolation to achieve future results. The most successful musicians have the work ethic to slog through the most hours. Those… cover: 1__1FDa__P47yiu1RWhMidwZKw.jpeg date: '2016-11-04' tags:

Personal Development

Flow becomes an alternative path to mastery, sans the misery. Forget 10,000 hours of delayed gratification. Flow junkies turn instant gratification into their North Star — putting in far more hours of “practice time” by gleefully harnessing their hedonic impulse.

– Steven Kotler, The Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance

We’ve been telling ourselves the wrong story about practicing music.

Practicing is like a job. We need to subject ourselves to tedious work in isolation to achieve future results. The most successful musicians have the work ethic to slog through the most hours. Those who succumb to instant gratification are lazy, undisciplined, and destined for mediocrity.

Sound familiar? This story is the source of frustration, guilt, and self-doubt among countless musicians.

We can tell ourselves a different story. This new story is more joyful, fulfilling, and effective for attaining mastery.

Malcolm Gladwell Didn’t Give Us the Whole Story

Talent isn’t encoded into our genes. We can achieve mastery through passion, perseverance, and deliberate practice over a long period of time.

Malcolm Gladwell popularized “The 10,000 Hour Rule” based on the research of Anders Ericsson. Gladwell concluded that mastery in any field comes from 10,000 hours of deliberate practice:

[The] research suggests that once a musician has enough ability to get into a top music school, the thing that distinguishes one performer from another is how hard he or she works. That’s it. And what’s more, the people at the top don’t work just harder or even much harder than everyone else. They work much, much harder.

– Malcolm Gladwell, The Outliers

“There’s no question that great performers work hard, but only focusing on hours in the practice room misses the mark. (In fact, Andres Ericsson believes that Gladwell misinterpreted his data).

An essential piece of the puzzle is a peak state of consciousness known as flow.”

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

Have you ever been so absorbed in an activity that hours passed like minutes? Maybe you were playing a game, learning a skill, playing music, or deep in conversation. This joyous experience of deep concentration is known as a “flow state” or being “in the zone.”

Flow is an optimal state of consciousness where we feel our best and perform our best.

According to researchers at the Flow Genome Project, people in a flow state experience:

Heightened Creativity
Increased Performance
Accelerated Problem Solving
Feelings of Ecstasy

A New Story

Tapping into flow states aligns a joyful practice with an accelerated path to mastery. The hours of practice are an exhilarating journey rather than a painful slog.

Flow is a game changer for how we practice and teach music.

History of Flow

In the 1970s, psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (pronounced “Me-high Chick-sent-me-high”) coined the term “flow.” In his research on the psychology of happiness, he interviewed master artists, athletes, scientists, and musicians. These top performers described peak experiences as an effortless flow of their best work.

[Flow is] being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost.

– Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Csikszentmihalyi’s 7 Characteristics of Flow

Completely involved in what we are doing — focused, concentrated
A sense of ecstasy — of being outside everyday reality
Great inner clarity — knowing what needs to be done, and how well we are doing
Knowing that the activity is doable — that our skills are adequate to the task
A sense of serenity — no worries about oneself, and a feeling of growing beyond the boundaries of the ego
Timelessness — thoroughly focused on the present, hours seem to pass by in minutes
Intrinsic Motivation — what ever produces flow becomes its own reward

When children are taught music, the usual problem often arises: too much emphasis is placed on how they perform, and too little on what they experience.

– Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

Flow Junkies

Charlie Parker and John Coltrane didn’t treat epic practicing sessions like a day on the assembly line. They indulged their curiosity and passions, which transformed generations of musicians and fans.

The first time I saw [Coltrane in 1963], he would leave the bandstand when he finished his solos and go into the men’s room in the club and practice through McCoy Tyner’s piano solos. (You couldn’t hear it unless you went by the men’s room). Then he would come out, he would finish the piece, and with barely any hesitation go into the next piece, and do the same thing. A the end of the first set he went into the men’s room and practiced through the entire intermission. He never stopped playing the tenor until the end of the second set, after about three hours!

– Jazz journalist Bob Blumenthal, from John Coltrane: His Life and Music by Lewis Porter

Does this sound like a man delaying gratification, or indulging his impulses in the moment?

My students who experienced the most rapid growth and earned big scholarships to conservatories did put in in a lot of hours. But they weren’t disciplined in the traditional sense (much to my frustration initially). They were flow junkies, approaching practice with the same exhilaration as a snowboarder on a powder day — or Coltrane leaving the stage to practice in the middle of a song.

Psychologists describe flow as “autotelic,” from the Greek auto (self) and telos (goal). When something is autotelic — i.e., produces the flow high–it is its own reward. No one has to drag a surfer out of bed for overhead tubes. No one has to motivate a snowboarder on a powder day. These activities are intrinsically motivating, autotelic experiences done for their own sake. The high to end all highs.

– Steven Kotler, The Rise of Superman

Silence Your Inner Critic

Does your nagging inner critic constantly assault your imperfections and weaknesses? If so, you are in good company. Successful creatives in a myriad of disciplines suffer from the same self-defeating inner dialogue.

In his groundbreaking study on improvisation, Professor Charles Limb put jazz and freestyle rap artists into an fMRI machine. He found that when musicians entered flow states, the region of the brain responsible for self-monitoring and self-criticism shuts off.

Rather than endlessly reassuring or negotiating with your inner critic, you can silence it with flow.

Conditions for Flow

The good news is recent breakthroughs in neuroscience reveal secrets about how to trigger flow states in our everyday lives. This is a transformation available to anyone, anywhere, provided we set the right conditions.

We can easily find flow when step into an awe-inspiring cathedral, go down a waterslide, or play a cool video game. The challenge for musicians is to align flow states with our long term goals and dreams.

Steven Kotler, bestselling author and co-founder of the Flow Genome Project, reveals triggers for unlocking flow states in his book, The Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance. Below are the most relevant triggers for practicing musicians:

Indulge Curiosity

Let your curiosity and passions lead you. You may need to set aside what you “should do” and follow your gut.

Flow is closely aligned with intrinsic motivation. Working only for external rewards like grades, money, or pleasing an authority is unlikely to trigger a flow state. In fact, studies show that extrinsic motivators actually stifle creativity.

Balance Challenge and Skills

Too little challenge leads to boredom, and too much challenge leads to anxiety. The sweet spot for flow is somewhere in the middle. Here is a graph of the skill/challenge ratio created by Csikszentmihalyi:

Rich Environment

Novelty, complexity, and unpredictability trigger flow states. We lose ourselves marveling at the vastness of a star-filled sky, and rich musical environments can evoke similar feelings of awe and wonder.

Clear Goals and Immediate Feedback

Goals in flow are clear pathways in the moment, not lofty goals and dreams. We can stay fully engaged if we know how to improve performance in real time.

Risk

Biologically, we are wired to focus intently on any incoming threats. Life-threatening risks put extreme sports athletes in the zone immediately. But as artists, we don’t have to put ourselves in physical danger. Creative risks that push us out of our comfort zone help trigger flow.

Meditation

In flow, action and awareness merge. Flow states are more active than meditation, but the focused attention of practicing mindfulness help bring our attention to the present. (Check out Tara Brach’s wonderful guided meditation podcast.)

Community

Flow states occur most often in community settings. Equal participation, shared goals, and deep concentration are conditions for a group flow experience.

A deep-dive into the discussion we all need to have about money

Setting rates and talking money is often a major stress point for independent teachers. Let’s chat about it.

Many of you worked thousands of hours to master your craft, studying with the world’s best teachers. Your hands are as facile as any surgeon’s, yet you finished your training with little knowledge of business basics. Marketing, branding, even sales are critical tools to anyone that works for themselves. Positive changes in your business begin when you do a deep-dive into how you value what you offer.

It’s difficult to pinpoint how much you should charge, and to be confident in asking for a professional wage. How long did you work to perfect your craft? How much did your education cost? How much experience do you have? And… how much did you just pay your plumber to come and fix your sink?

I’m encouraging you to be bold and truly value yourself when you’re setting your rates. I promise you, it will be the best move you can make for your career. You need to appreciate the vast range of factors that come together in the professional package you offer clients. It’s business, and it’s your livelihood.

I’d also strongly encourage you to look outside your professional network of colleagues while researching how to set your rates. I’ve had the good fortune of interviewing more than 200 private instructors over the last years. The vast majority lack basic business acumen, and many great teachers undervalue their contributions.(Sorry, i said it.)

The mission of Teach Well is to educate and inspire great teachers to make a good living making the world a better place. You deserve to make a good living! Asking less weakens your professionalism, your brand, and your ability to be an amazing teacher.

One of my favorite guitarists is an internationally recognized flamenco player. He’s also really good at business, and charges fairly. He once tried to calculate all of the hours he had practiced, the lessons he had paid for, the guitars he had purchased and the benefits he had forfeited to be a full-time musician. He practiced guitar 5–7 hours a day for 15 years and toured the world many times while studying and performing. Sometimes(not often)he has to explain this if a new student enquires about his rate. How could anyone argue that his time isn’t worth a professional living wage?

Of course, you have to factor in your geography and the demographics of your location. If you live in San Francisco, you’ll obviously charge more than if you live in Pocatello, Idaho. This is where a little research can go a long way. What do professionals charge in your town? What’s the going rate of your mechanic, lawyer or plumber? What do other instructors charge in the area? Figure this out before you go setting your rates.

About 10 years ago, my wife and I were expecting our first child. I got super stressed-out about becoming a father, and got super serious about building my studio. I needed more students, more money… or to give up being a musician/teacher and get a day job. A close mentor/student suggested that if I really wanted to get more students, I needed to significantly raise my advertised rate.

“No one’s going to pay that.” “So-and-so is a famous player, and he only charges $.” These negative voices rang in my head as I imagined people scoffing and laughing at me for asking a living wage. I couldn’t do it. I’d try getting way more students by advertising.

Well, traditional marketing failed. I took took his advice, and one day I nearly doubled my rates for new students.(I still didn’t have the courage to raise rates for current students.) I was booked solid within two months, and I’ve maintained a waiting list for new families ever since. Just by raising my rates, I got busy, was able to support my family, appreciated my students , and gave 100% to my lessons. Everyone won out.

Big things happen when you choose to value yourself professionally. Your clients will take you more seriously, and you will be able to provide a better service. New clients will seek you out and your current students will improve. This is a neat economic idea called perceived value, and it’s absolutely true.

Clients and potential clients will consider you more professional and able if you charge a professional wage for your services. Clients want you to thrive and make a decent living for your hard work and experience!

What about students that are awesome, and can’t afford this rate? I’m so glad you asked that question. The answer is very simple. If you charge a professional wage for your services, you can afford to teach people that can’t afford it at a reduced rate…and feel great about it! I never turn away a student because of financial ability.

You are a self-employed, hard working, and highly skilled. You deserve to make a good living! Set your rate to provide you what you need, and don’t feel embarrassed to ask for it. Your clients will be happy, your studio will grow, your community will flourish, and you will continue to make the world more awesome.

By Eric Branner.

]]>the-income-quilt-making-a-living-as-a-teaching-artist-eric-branner-e74e1f50452a<![CDATA[The Income Quilt: Making a Living as a Teaching Artist]]>2016-02-02T00:00:00.000Z2016-02-02T00:00:00.000ZMy wife is an actor and I am a musician. We’ve been supporting ourselves through these endeavors for the last 20 years or so. It hasn’t always been easy, but it has definitely been worthwhile. We…

title: "The Income Quilt: Making a Living as a Teaching Artist" description: >- My wife is an actor and I am a musician. We’ve been supporting ourselves through these endeavors for the last 20 years or so. It hasn’t always been easy, but it has definitely been worthwhile. We… date: '2016-02-02' cover: 1__P2PuT1aOUzETi6nRrpqr7w.jpeg tags:

Music
Business
Payments

by Eric Branner.

My wife is an actor and I am a musician. We’ve been supporting ourselves through these endeavors for the last 20 years or so. It hasn’t always been easy, but it has definitely been worthwhile.

We like to call the patchwork of teaching, gigs, shows, tours and sessions that make up the fabric of our living an “income quilt”.

Teaching private lessons is the foundation for my income quilt in any given month. I also get a few performance gigs, hopefully a recording session, sell a few copies of The Blackforrest Music Guitar Method Book.(now available as a free download at ericbranner.com.)I get some donations from my YouTube page and sell some digital copies of my music. I may even sell some firewood so I can make room for new rounds to chop. I love chopping firewood. I wear quite a few hats, and this diversity is awesome.

My wife, Alyson, makes most of her income quilt with industrial film shoots and commercials. She also performs in regional and local theaters, occasionally tours, shoots television pilots and appears at trade shows. I looked up at a 20-foot likeness of her on a billboard every time I crossed the West Seattle Bridge last year. That was cool.

Spontaneity, open-mindedness and creativity can and should all feature on an income quilt business model. When making your income quilt, it’s important to have an anchor. Teaching, whether through private music lessons or in the classroom, was the anchor of my early career. I taught at a private high school and a local music store. I found that I could make five or six times as much money per hour teaching than I could working at a grocery store.

That’s not to belittle the grocery store. I actually got my first private student working there. I’d practice my recitals while working at the counter and soon folks started asking about lessons. I went on to make more money teaching two guitar lessons than I did in an entire shift of scooping ice-cream or a day of baling hay.

From then on I put all my energy into building a studio of 20 students, so I could work three days a week. On the other four days, I’d double my practice routine, take lessons, play gigs, network with other artists and continue writing my book. My income quilt had the anchor that it needed, and I could put energy into other areas I was interested in. I haven’t had a day job since those early grocery store days.

Take a day off

For years, I worked every day to create an income quilt that could support a simple lifestyle. No one can work 24/7 though. I got some great advice from a successful writer — take a day off to do nothing related to your craft. He argued that you become more effective, creative and make more money by taking one day off a week. He was correct. I chose to take Fridays off, unless I had a good gig.

Sure enough, I got more done and made more money. You have to work really hard to thrive in the creative, self-employed workforce. You also need to take a break to avoid burning out and resenting your beloved passion.

Patience and positivity are the threads holding together an income quilt. It takes awhile to get a good quilt going and sometimes a desk job will sound pretty appealing. You’ll feel pretty lame when your corporate friends go on vacations, buy new cars and wear fancy clothes (that would look better on you!).

Your time will come if you hang on in there. I promise you won’t regret the struggles you had to endure to live a life that is meaningful to you.

Whether you are an artist, private teacher, coach or trainer, you can make a good living doing what you love. You must be willing to learn how to operate a business and fully commit to making it happen. Then you will succeed and thrive. Let me know about your income quilt. I’d love to hear how you patch it all together.

]]>i-m-giving-away-my-guitar-method-985e51aa8c53<![CDATA[I’m Giving Away My Guitar Method]]>2015-12-24T00:00:00.000Z2015-12-24T00:00:00.000ZI’ve decided to give away The Blackforrest Guitar Companion as an ebook at no cost. I’ll also support the book with video lessons outlining all of the information in the book. I’m doing this because…

title: "I’m Giving Away My Guitar Method" description: >- I’ve decided to give away The Blackforrest Guitar Companion as an ebook at no cost. I’ll also support the book with video lessons outlining all of the information in the book. I’m doing this because… date: '2015-12-24' cover: 1__uMKAKaXaPghUURbJOI__0oQ.jpeg tags:

Lessons
Music
Education
Business
Tools
Practice