My Evolving Studio

My life as a pianist and piano teacher has had many different seasons. One of the wonderful things about my job is that I can shape it to be the job I want; not only can I do it in my home and on my own time schedule, but I can use my creative ideas to change it, enhance it and sort of evolve it as my life changes, as my interests shift and as my own children grow. I am a piano teacher for life, but what that job description looks like at any given point in my life, at least up until now, has changed and gone through several different stages. And I love that! As I have taught piano through the years, I have constantly thought of things I would like to change and do differently. With each student and each passing semester I learn things. I hope that I am a better teacher than I was 1 or 3 or 5 years ago, and I hope that I will be better still in the coming years. I have found a fun little niche in my teaching with my preschool piano classes. But I still love working with adults and teenagers. I love teaching privately, but wonder about the possibilities of group lessons. I love my preschool classes, but lately have been exploring ideas in private preschool lessons. I love that there are so many possibilities!

I recently have been reading an excellent and sort of mind-blowing and thought-provoking book about changing up music lessons, about not sticking with the status quo of traditional lessons but constantly evolving your studio and your teaching by adding fresh ideas into your studio. The Dynamic Studio: How to keep students, dazzle parents, and build the music studio everyone wants to get into by Philip Johnston is worth a read by any teacher hoping to breathe some new life into their teaching, retain more students and become a better music teacher. More about that in a later post.

Lots of changes have happened for me in the past couple of months - my husband graduated from school in San Antonio, Texas. We packed up our house and our three children and drove 2,000 miles across the country to our new home in Farr West, Utah. We are starting a new season of life - it’s great to be done with school and to settle in a new place. I have yet to decide and discover what my piano teaching will look like in this stage of life. I will probably continue teaching my preschool classes once I get settled (my daughter is about to turn three, after all!). I will probably be teaching my children piano. I may accept a select few motivated private students. We shall see! One thing is certain - I have a lot of new things up my sleeve that I will be sharing on The Teaching Studio! Stay tuned!

For now, we are super excited about our new music room! What do you think?

I love it so much. It is actually kind of neat because it really reminds me of my high school piano teacher’s home. She had the same pink carpet, the same size/shape of room with her pianos at the end, on a sort of stage area. She had a chandelier hanging in the piano room above the teaching area. 

I can just picture a grand piano in this room....someday!

We obviously still need to do some unpacking, organizing of music books, and acquiring some new furniture, but so far we love it!

In the mean time, we are immensely enjoying a brand new addition to the music room….my kids think it is the neatest thing ever. My husband and I have to agree!

So what are some ways that your studio has evolved over time? Any thoughts on moving your studio and your teaching to a new city? Any amazing ideas for my new music room? :)