These blog posts previously all lived on my music teacher studio management platform called CodaCal. For now, I've imported them all here directly. I hope to create more content and clean this all up soon!
In July of 2023, I started building CodaCal, a web app to help music teachers manage their teaching studios. After steady development, month after month for roughly a year, the product failed to gain traction.
I thought I did everything right: user surveys, gathered feedback, researched competito...
Hey all! Since the beginning of the year, I've been working hard to make sure that I'm creating content that helps teachers to become better small business owners. That means a bunch of blog posts and weekly emails to the newsletter.
Which means that development of CodaCal had been put on the backbu...
If you're looking for ways to grow your teaching studio, it's probably not just because you want to teach more students. It's that teaching is how you make your living, and more students means more money.
But there's a bit more to it than that, and getting more students isn't the only way to make...
If you're a private music teacher, you already know that teaching music is more than just a passion. It's a business, and business, and every business comes with its own challenges and risks. As an independent teacher, you may want to consider carrying insurance to protect you from the unexpected.
I...
Freelancers are always wondering how to get new clients, and music teachers (especially you piano teachers!) are always wondering how to get music students. Lots of resources will suggest a dozen places for you to advertise your lessons online, or suggest on relying on word of mouth.
But the realit...
Any time we are working on developing a skill or making progress more generally, we do so through goal-setting. One way that you as a music teachers can set goal that actually help you achieve what you're trying to achieve is to structure your goals as SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable,...
Ever wondered why some private music teachers seem to have a never-ending stream of students knocking at their virtual doors, while others struggle to fill their slots? It's not always about who's got the better scales or the fancier diplomas. Often, it's about who's easier to find online.
That's r...
Have you ever caught yourself thinking about how to extend your teaching reach beyond the four walls of your teaching studio? Well, you're not alone.
Inline with my recent article about what it means to run a profitable studio, I wanted to go into some ways to increase your revenue aside from jus...
Whether you're a veteran instructor or just starting to learn how to teach music lessons, your music teacher bio is often the first point of contact between you and your future students. It acts as a sort of private music teacher resume.
Creating an effective music teacher bio is more than just...
Deciding to start teaching music lessons can be an intimidating prospect. But there's no need to fret about it. The reality is that if you know how to play music at all, then you already have some understanding of how to teach private music lessons -- even if you're a beginner instructor.
This post...
It's no secret that one needs to practice in order to become better at their instrument. "Practice makes perfect" is the refrain that we hear over and over again. And maybe you've said those words yourself.
But my high school orchestra teacher (Mr. Shedd) made it a...
I've been working as an independent musician and software developer for a long time. Since I graduated in 2012, in fact.
I've watched and listened to tons of videos and podcasts about business in general and pricing more specifically, but something that I only recently heard a good explanation for...
A fundamental aspect of understanding the structure of a musical composition lies in comprehending the concept of a rondo form. But exactly what is a rondo form in music? In simplest terms, a rondo form is a specific musical structure...
If you're in the process of starting a new music teaching studio then you're probably asking yourself "how much should I charge for music lessons?"
The short answer is that, in the US, teachers tend to charge $40-$90 for one hour lessons and $25-$55 for half hour lessons. I've based this numb...
Octave equivalence is a fundamental concept in music theory that refers to the similarity or equivalence between two pitches that are separated by an octave. In simple terms, when two notes are an octave apart, they share certain inherent qualities that make them sound similar, despite being differe...
Musical phrases are the building blocks of any composition, serving as the fundamental units of expression in music. These phrases consist of antecedent and consequent sections, which establish a dialogue within the music.
The antecedent creates a musical id...
When you're trying to start your own music teaching studio -- or, really, undertake anything geared toward helping, serving, or working with others -- it can be an extremely useful exercise to write both a vision statement and a mission statement. (And yes, they are slightly different things!)
Bef...
Transitions play a crucial role within the structure of sonata form. As a compositional device, transitions act as bridges between different musical ideas and themes, allowing for a coherent and seamless progression throughout the piece. These trans...
In music theory, key signature basics refer to the fundamental understanding of the symbols used to indicate the key of a piece of music.
Key signatures are used to denote which notes in a composition are altered, or played as sharps or flats, throughout the entire piece. By ha...
Music theory can be an intimidating topic if you've never had any formal training. But there are lots of ways to approach it, even as a beginner, and there are a number of ways that learning music theory will benefit your musical practice.
Musical inte...
When it comes to jazz improvisation, one of the most important aspects is finding your unique voice. It's not enough to simply play the correct notes or follow the chord changes; you need to bring your own creative expression into...
I've seen a handful of common music theory questions around the internet, so I wanted to collect the answers into a single place. Here ya go!
If your looking for somewhere to take music lessons in Nashville, you've got tons of options. After all, Nashville is one of the best places for music in the entire United States!
From their website:
We are a Nashville music school that is proud to have served the area f...
If you are an experienced musician, you should have no troubles getting started as a teacher. However, there are some problems with running an independent music teaching studio that you should be aware of as you get going.
Wit...
Wondering how to start a music teaching studio? There truth is that starting your own music teaching studio isn't as hard as you might think! Whether you're a brand new teacher or have been teaching for years, you're going to need to teach somewhere, I promise that will be able to make it work!
O...
What would happen if you doubled your hourly teaching rates today? Would 50% or less of your students stop taking lessons with you?
What about if you increased your rates by 50%? Would 30% or less of your students cancel their lessons?
If you're not a math whizz, here are those numbers:
It's hard work managing a teaching studio. It can be just as hard to find software for music teachers for manage their studio. In the last video in a four-part series about automating your studio and leveling up your marketing, we'll go over an all-in-one app for music teachers to manage their entir...
It's hard work managing a teaching studio. In the third video in a four-part series about automating your studio and leveling up your marketing, we'll go over how to laser-focus your student marketing and learn how to charge more for your lessons.
It's hard work managing a teaching studio. In the second video in a four-part series about automating your studio and leveling up your marketing, we'll go over automating your teaching schedules and materials.
It's hard work managing a teaching studio. In the first video in a four-part series about automating your studio and leveling up your marketing, we'll go over automating your studio finances.
I know what you're thinking -- how am I supposed to get paid without an invoice?! But don't fret, you will get paid, but just with less effort on your part! You don't actually need to deal with spreadsheets, templates, or printers to send an invoice to a client. Let's explore why this traditional...