Teaching Workshops:
Scroll down to see details on each of these presentations.
Best Stress-free Business Practices – Purchase the online workshop here!
Have You Forgotten What It’s Like to be a Child? Purchase the workshop here.
- Compositions for Kids
Rhythm Practice Should Be Fun!
This workshop is free with the purchase of any live workshop event.Marketing, Taxes, Business Entities, and Liability – Purchase the online workshop here.
Wendy’s presentations are really terrific! Her sessions were engaging, practical, and very informative. Wendy presents with energy, a remarkable enthusiasm for our profession, and makes a genuine connection with her audience.
Everything was so practical!
I can’t thank you enough for your presentations on stress-free business practices. For the first time in YEARS, I actually had 2 weeks off of piano teaching. It was heavenly! I feel relaxed and ready to get back into the swing of things. You just had the nicest, diplomatic way of explaining.
The Best Stress-free Business Practices workshop is probably the single most important workshop a private piano teacher can take. Have her come to your MTNA or other teaching group!
Amazing energy and totally motivating!
Who is Wendy Stevens?
Thanks for your interest in the ComposeCreate site! I love helping piano teachers and their students to flourish. I spend most of my time as a music composer, speaker, and teacher. Besides teaching and publishing piano teaching articles on this ComposeCreate blog, I most enjoy writing music and creating resources that really connect with kids. Helping teachers remember what it’s like to be a child again and experiencing that childlike wonder, excitement, and creativity is one of my passions.
I received my Bachelor of Music in Piano Pedagogy and Masters of Music in Theory and Composition from Wichita State University where I had the privilege of studying with with Pulitzer Prize Nominee Walter Mays. I was blessed to graduate summa cum laude and was also a recipient of the MTNA stAR award (Student Achievement Recognition Award). I taught theory at Wichita State University and adjudicate for music events in the area. In addition to studio teaching, I have served as a church musician playing the piano and organ for more than 20 years.
As a member of MTNA, KMTA, and WMMTA, I have been blessed to served as president and many other positions in my local association and also on the board for KMTA. I am a nationally certified teacher of music and a member of ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers.
My favorite activities are composing and giving presentations on creativity, composition, business matters and technology. I have students who have won various prizes for their compositions at a local and national level and I have been given many opportunities for presenting at the Music Teachers National Association, SMU Institute for Piano Teachers, National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy, National Federation of Music Teachers, and online. My own piano and choral compositions are published with Concordia Publishing House, Augsburg Fortress, Hal Leonard, Willis Piano Music and in the ComposeCreate store.
Recent Compositions and Resources:
- Sale!
- Sale!
Teaching Workshops by Wendy Stevens (available live or online)
Explore how these policies and business practices can significantly contribute to stress-free teaching. Included in this workshop will be tips on changing many “false narratives” that keep us from making good business decisions or keep us from following through on decisions we know are good to make. If you have ever felt that you might be overworked, donʼt make enough money, have abused makeup policies, are stressed out, are tired of annoying issues, or are just tired of teaching, come learn how these simple, solid practices can save your sanity!
This topic typically draws large crowds of teachers and was a huge success at the 2012 KMTA (Kansas Music Teachers Association) conference, 2012 SMU Institute for Piano Teachers in Dallas, Texas, the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy 2013, National Federation of Music Clubs Conference, Oregon MTA, and more.
Because it has been said that this workshop changes so many teacher’s lives, we are now making the recording of this workshop available for purchase. Learn more or purchase the online workshop here.
How knowing what kids are really like can lead to better musical progress
It’s been anywhere from 15 to 70 years since any of us have been a child, so it’s pretty certain that all of us have forgotten at least some of what it’s like to be a child.
- What are they thinking during piano lessons?
- How do they see things differently than we do?
- Why do they act the way they do?
- What kinds of thoughts and actions are impossible for them?
- Are there any principles on finding the perfect repertoire for them?
It’s time we revisit what it’s like to be a child. Then, we can better know how to choose music for them, how to engage them in every lesson, how to ensure they continue lessons, how to motivate them, how to challenge them, and how to help them leave every single lesson feeling excited and competent.
Contact Wendy to bring this workshop to your teaching group.
This workshop was presented online by a business attorney and Wendy Stevens. You can still purchase this workshop as a recording. This workshop will teach you:
- New marketing strategies to get new students
- How to tweak old marketing strategies so that they work better
- What kind of liability issues a piano teacher and piano studio face
- How to protect yourself from liability.
- What kind of business structures might help you keep more of your money (i.e. pay fewer taxes)