How to Get More Piano Students
If you are just starting out as a piano teacher and dream of having a large, vibrant studio: here are some ideas on how to get more piano students.
Piano Teaching is a Great Job!
If you’re looking for a job that makes a difference in people’s lives, it’s hard to beat teaching. Especially private piano teaching. We have our students for a long time, and we teach them something that they can enjoy for a lifetime, or even pursue as a career. But what does it take to have a great studio? Is it even possible in today’s tight economy? Can’t students just learn to play online? Does anyone really want to play at all anymore?
Sure times might be tough, but fear not! – piano players have been around for centuries, and that’s not going to change. People love music and the piano is the most popular instrument. Research shows that music study is excellent for the minds of young and old alike, There is less music being offered in schools, yet parents want their children to be exposed to music. People of all ages are discovering that they can experience the joy of playing the piano, and the best most tried and true way of doing it is with a teacher, like you! So you can absolutely get more piano students.
I have been teaching the piano since I graduated from college. I also worked as a classroom teacher. I decided to leave my school teaching position and open my own studio in September of 2001. I placed some ads and waited for the phone to ring but, of course, it did not. It took a couple of months after the shock of the 9/11 tragedy to get back to focusing on my business but I knew I had to get more piano students to stay afloat.
Here is how I grew my studio from 0 to 45 students in 2 years;
1. I decided what kind of studio I wanted to have. I decided to focus on teaching children and teenagers, beginner through advanced classical music. I wanted a formal-style studio with bi-yearly recitals.
2. I wanted to teach at my home and have 40-50 students. I drew up a schedule with time slots waiting to be filled in with the names of my new students.
3. I created a mission statement for my business.
4, I created a website (not nearly as nice as this one** ) and I posted my contact numbers, qualifications, fees, and pricing for the lessons. (I priced the classes competitively, I did not want to be the cheapest, or the most expensive.)
5. I made business cards and handed them out to everyone that I could.
6, I sent a note to local music teachers making them aware of my studio and offering my services as an accompanist.
7. I put ads in local papers. (I would also recommend church bulletins if they have advertising.)
8. I offered a free introductory lesson and I gave a free lesson to students for referrals.
9. Don’t forget to choose a great piano teaching method! Of course, I hope you will choose Paloma Piano’s online piano method.
This is what I did to get started. In another post, I will discuss how to build upon the successful studio.
I would love to hear how all of you teachers got started with your studios. why not leave a comment?
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