I love recommending music for my piano students to listen to! Whether it’s introducing a theatre kid to Gilbert and Sullivan or a starry-eyed teen to Debussy’s La Mer, I love helping them find pieces that resonate with them that they may not have encountered in their everyday lives. If you follow me on Instagram, […]
The Monday Car Jams Series Read More »
Graphic by Marco Buonvino Labor Day seems like an appropriate time to take on a subject that creates additional labor for piano teachers: make-up lessons. There’s a wide continuum of policies among piano teachers about making up missed lessons. On one end is the teacher who will bend over backwards to make parents happy, even
Piano Parent Tip: Know and Respect Your Teacher’s Make-Up Policy Read More »
Photo by Sadie Hernandez Back-to-school time is when I focus on organization. I’ve got my household notebook for the year set up (I’ll be posting about that soon at my other blog), and my daughter’s activities all scheduled. I’m hoping that with some advanced planning, we’ll have time to do everything on the calendar! I’ve
Piano Parent Tip: Scheduling Practice Time Read More »
One of the most common topics on piano teacher forums or when piano teachers chat is “How do I get my parents to pay on time?” Piano teachers lament the late payments because they depend on their teaching income to be able to pay their own bills on time. Imagine if your monthly paycheck came
Piano Parent Tip: Pay Your Teacher On Time Read More »
Photo by J.A.Holland Over the years, I’ve taught students whose manners ranged from impeccable to the ones who constantly interrupt conversations, speak to me in sullen monosyllables, and one memorable student who, while I was having a conversation with her mother, decided to go upstairs and explore my closet. I’ve had siblings who were waiting
Piano Parent Tip: Manners Matter Read More »
Photo by kobiz7 The while we keep a man waiting, he reflects on our shortcomings. ~French proverb When I was a little girl, our church held an evening fellowship (translation from church lingo = party) that was sort of like a roast for families. My family received an “award.” I wish I had a picture
Piano Parent Tip: Punctuality Read More »
Photo by Earls37a Whenever I’m in a group of piano teachers, this subject always comes up: over-scheduled students. I do sympathize with my parents. As a parent myself, I’m not immune to the subtle peer pressure involved when my fellow moms mention an activity their child is involved in that mine isn’t. Am I failing
Piano Parent Tip: Time Management Read More »
Organized and good to go!Photo by Pinot & Dita Happy Fourth of July! I hope you’re enjoying good times with family, and I hope you’ll take a moment to remember the sacrifices of our dedicated troops who protect the freedoms we celebrate today. Here’s a quick piano parent tip. Designate a place
Piano Parent Tip: Everything In Its Place Read More »
Video is from Dan Shure of EvolvingMusic – When Your Piano Student Forgets Their Lesson. There’s nothing quite so frustrating as waiting for a no-show student, particularly when you could have been doing something useful with the time. A 45-minute lesson is long enough to run an errand to the post office or bank or
Piano Parent Tip: Notify Me If You’re Going To Be Absent Read More »
Photo by incurable_hippie Welcome to the first installment of Monday Piano Parent Tips! If you have a child who studies piano, you’ll want to check out these weekly ideas for establishing a good relationship with your piano teacher and helping your child enjoy success with piano lessons. Today’s Tip: Be sure that you read your
Piano Parent Tip: Read Your Child’s Assignment Page Read More »
