Piano Teaching Business Solutions
Online “Stress-free Business Practices” Workshop
In this popular online workshop, you can learn how to build a successful piano teaching business. Learn how to make a consistent piano teaching income, determine your tuition rate, calculate and implement price increases, take time off for sickness or unexpected events without losing pay, eliminate make-up piano lessons, deal with the over-scheduled students, and communicate big policy changes without losing students.
EVERY topic was helpful to me. It helped me get motivated for the new teaching year to hear these great ideas!
Please continue to share and inspire.
Please continue to share and inspire.
Every music teacher needs to see this webinar. Wendy teaches how to respect yourself and be treated with respect in a way that doesn’t offend anyone. Wendy gives a different perspective on many of the complaints I hear from teaching friends. It all makes sense when you hear Wendy’s logical, common-sense explanation of how to solve these problems.
Brava, Wendy! There were so many valuable topics, nuggets, and examples offered in this webinar that I would most definitely recommend that others be the first in line to participate next time around. My stress level is already much lower…
Browse All Piano Teaching Business Articles
- How to Approach Tuition Changes in an Expensive Economy
Last night when I was adding things to my cart in my grocery app, I exclaimed, “Wow. Groceries are SO expensive!” This is not the first time in the last 6 months that I have said this, but it’s remarkable how different prices are now than they were a year ago. I’m sure you are feeling it too, as you consider whether or not to make a tuition change for the next year. Like many teachers, your… Read more: How to Approach Tuition Changes in an Expensive Economy - Idea Share #17: How do you engage parents in their students’ practice?
At ComposeCreate® free webinars, we love to open the floor for teachers to share their best tips and tricks with each other! It’s such a fun way to spark camaraderie and share what we do in our studios with each other. Idea Share #17 featured the question, “How do you engage parents in their students’ practice?” But just in case you missed the new music releases that were featured at the August 2025 webinar, here they are:… Read more: Idea Share #17: How do you engage parents in their students’ practice? - Group Viewing Opportunity for Workshops with Wendy
In a perfect world, piano teachers everywhere would be able to attend conferences in any location, and bring well-known pedagogues and composers like Wendy to our local music associations for a live workshop. But if you’re like me, my season of life and my budget make those trips and workshops out of reach for now. But that’s the beautiful thing about our digital age – we can easily bring research-backed and curated workshops with Wendy Stevens to… Read more: Group Viewing Opportunity for Workshops with Wendy - How Rhythm Tracks At Home Help Students Internalize Rhythm
Rhythm is the most foundational aspect of creating music – if you play all of the right notes with the right dynamics, but don’t use the right rhythm, no one will know what you’re playing! Plus learning to internalize rhythm and play with rhythmic accuracy is important for any instrument your child may go on to play! It’s truly one of the best musical gifts we can give children to empower them on their journey to making… Read more: How Rhythm Tracks At Home Help Students Internalize Rhythm - Permission Not to Do That
Last week, I wrote ComposeCreate® teachers an email that appears to have wildly resonated. My inbox was flooded (I love that, not complaining) with responses about how it connected and how helpful and meaningful it was. So I wanted to put it in a place here on the blog where you could re-read it if you want and those who didn’t see it last week can see it now: I know you are probably preparing for a… Read more: Permission Not to Do That - New Workshop on Attracting and Teaching Adult Students
Based on a survey we took of hundreds of piano teachers at the beginning of the school year, we know many teachers are looking to fill empty spots in their studio. Even if you don’t have spots to fill, most teachers like having the security of a waitlist (especially as new semesters begin). Even though attracting and teaching adult students can sometimes feel foreign – or even awkward – many teachers are missing a huge market in… Read more: New Workshop on Attracting and Teaching Adult Students - One Way to Easily Elevate Your Studio Image
Elevating your studio image can be as difficult as overhauling your studio space or website. But it can also be as easy as sending birthday cards to students on their special day. One of the most effective ways to elevate your studio image is through a professional-looking recital template. If you’re already preparing for a recital, why not use the opportunity to look like the professional that you are? Professional templates leave a good impression on student… Read more: One Way to Easily Elevate Your Studio Image - How is the Economy Affecting Piano Teachers?
During the months of July and August, I did a survey to ask how the economy was affecting piano teachers. The results were fascinating and I shared these at the August Kick-off webinar. (You don’t want to miss these webinars as we always talk about relevant issues facing teachers!) So today I am publishing the results of this survey and asking a few follow-up questions. The survey had a fairly decent sample size: 704 of you responded… Read more: How is the Economy Affecting Piano Teachers? - How Do I Actually Enforce a Piano Policy?
Establishing an effective policy is integral to running a studio smoothly and efficiently. But how do we actually enforce these policies to make sure we get paid on time, aren’t run over by pushy parents, or aren’t allowing our lives to be consumed by resentment toward those that aren’t respecting our boundaries? How can we enforce a piano policy while still giving attention and appropriate grace to those in need? How can we be kind and understanding of… Read more: How Do I Actually Enforce a Piano Policy? - How to Convince Students to Get and Use Tracks to Improve Rhythm
Every once in a while, I have a teacher who wants their students to get the streaming tracks say, “I don’t think my piano parents can afford the tracks. So I’m not going to tell them about it.” Here’s the issue with this: We are the professional and so it is our job to inform parents of what their child needs to be the most successful in their piano study! This means that if you think that… Read more: How to Convince Students to Get and Use Tracks to Improve Rhythm - How to Use Our Rhythm Parent Pages!
If you attended our “How to Use Rhythm Cup Explorations® and Rhythm Menagerie®” webinar, you may remember Parent Pages. These PDFs are a free download that can help parents understand the importance of learning rhythm and help increase parents’ perception of the value you offer in your music studio. Of course, you don’t HAVE to use a piece of paper! You could just text or email parents the URL of the streaming tracks you want them to… Read more: How to Use Our Rhythm Parent Pages! - Free “Ghastly” Halloween Advertising and Encouraging Cards
Halloween 2020 is going to be weird, isn’t it? Going door to door to trick or treat has been labeled as a “higher risk activity” by the CDC, so parents are struggling to figure out what to let their kids do to celebrate. Kids are disappointed that Halloween this year is not looking the same. Yes kids are resilient, but they are still experiencing great loss with the way things have changed. But here’s something fun to… Read more: Free “Ghastly” Halloween Advertising and Encouraging Cards - Got Piano Students Quitting Now?
This is such a tough time for students, parents of students and teachers. Based on the emails I get in my inbox, I can assure you that if you have families quitting or talking about taking a break from lessons, you are not alone. Here are just a few thoughts that might help you as you deal with piano students quitting or wanting to quit. 1. Learn what’s really going on. These days, I would guess that… Read more: Got Piano Students Quitting Now? - How to Budget for Studio-Licensed Music
Thousands of teachers are using studio-licensed music to teach their piano students. However, I still get emails from teachers every now and then who wonder “How can I afford studio-licensed music?” They mention that $9.99 for a studio license is much different than purchasing a $3.99 piece of sheet music. They are worried that they won’t get their money’s worth if they don’t have a large studio. I want to provide you with ways that you can… Read more: How to Budget for Studio-Licensed Music - 3 Guidelines for Raising Piano Tuition – Should I Raise in 2020?
Click to download a printable copy of this article NOTE: It’s now 2026 and I have updated this article yet again to include thoughts and helpful questions to consider at the end of this article. If you don’t read anything, please read the LAST SECTION with the 3 guidelines. But please read the entire article to help give balance and perspective to the difficult situation in which we find ourselves. If you’ve been a part of the… Read more: 3 Guidelines for Raising Piano Tuition – Should I Raise in 2020? - Can a Solo Piano Teacher Get the Paycheck Protection Program Forgivable Loan or the EIDL Grant?
[Update 4/21/20 – Though the program is out of money, Paypal is still accepting applications here as they anticipate more money coming. They say, “We are hopeful that Congress will allocate additional funds for the program and we will continue to accept new Paycheck Protection Program loan applications in anticipation of additional funding being designated for the program.”] [Update 4/16/20 – The Paycheck Protection Program is now out of money and applications are no longer being accepted.]… Read more: Can a Solo Piano Teacher Get the Paycheck Protection Program Forgivable Loan or the EIDL Grant? - Should We Throw Our Piano Policies Out the Window Now?
Click to download a printable copy of this article Over the last few weeks, I have received a number of questions about what to do with piano policies now that so much is changing in piano teaching. During this Corona virus pandemic, teacher have asked some great questions: Should we throw our piano policies out the window now? What’s a good template for handling sudden cancellations in these extraordinary times? Does my 1 month notice policy still… Read more: Should We Throw Our Piano Policies Out the Window Now? - Best Ideas for Teaching Online During This Pandemic
Over the last few weeks, I’ve put out a few articles about the easiest ways to teach piano remotely, an article to send to parents to help with student retention (send them the URL), and 5 long-distance games (published in 2104). The comments that teachers have left on these articles and the emails I have been getting contain such helpful tips that I wanted to make an official place where you could share your “best ideas” for… Read more: Best Ideas for Teaching Online During This Pandemic - Will Online Piano Lessons Really Work for Me or My Child?
Chances are, your piano teacher is wanting to move to remote piano lessons during this global pandemic. But it’s understandable if you aren’t sure about this. You might be wondering things like: Will this really be like regular piano lessons? Is it even possible that this can be as good as in-person lessons? Why should we continue lessons when the economy, my job, other things are so uncertain? Doesn’t this just mainly benefit the teacher financially? What… Read more: Will Online Piano Lessons Really Work for Me or My Child? - Easy Ways to Switch to Temporary Online Piano Lessons – COVID 19 Help
Lots of piano teachers are talking about how to do online piano lessons, so I’ll link to some of them below. But this article is especially for teachers who have little experience teaching online piano lessons, don’t think they have the technology, or just don’t know where to start. Because surprisingly, it’s very easy to teach piano remotely on a temporary basis! It doesn’t even take an internet connection! And if you do happen to have an… Read more: Easy Ways to Switch to Temporary Online Piano Lessons – COVID 19 Help - What is a Full-Time Piano Teacher?
Click to download a printable copy of this article Are You a Full-Time Piano Teacher? How do you define a full-time piano teacher? How many students make up a full-time studio? Determining this is important because it can significantly affect your health and how you run your business. Some of the areas that can be affected include: Your income Your stress level Your ability to unwind Your schedule Your workflow and efficiency The pressure you put on… Read more: What is a Full-Time Piano Teacher? - Can You Raise Your Piano Lesson Price Too High?
Can You Raise Your Piano Lesson Price Too High? I had an experience about four months ago that made me so upset I couldn’t write about it for months. I knew I was too angry at that time to communicate anything good. But I learned a serious lesson in pricing that definitely affects piano teachers and I think I’m finally calm enough to write about it now. As you know, I have curly hair. What you might… Read more: Can You Raise Your Piano Lesson Price Too High? - Take Advantage of the “Qualified Business Income Deduction” for Piano Teachers
I’m excited to tell you about a significant Qualified Income Business Deduction for Piano Teachers. I wish I would have written about sooner than now, but it will be good all the way until 2026 (unless Congress changes it), so it’s worth years of good news! This deduction is called the “Qualified Income Business Deduction” or “QBI” or Section 199A for short. Here’s how it works: If you are a self-employed person either with an LLC, an… Read more: Take Advantage of the “Qualified Business Income Deduction” for Piano Teachers - How to Become an Indispensable Piano Teacher
How to Become an Indispensable Piano Teacher In a world where parents are constantly re-evaluating the cost of a recurring service, job security may depend in part on how indispensable we are to our piano students. How do we become an indispensable piano teacher? How do we keep parents from jumping from teacher to teacher or experience to experience? How do we cut past the busyness of parents, who might have their children involved in too many… Read more: How to Become an Indispensable Piano Teacher - 20% off Printed Music Coupon – This is rare!
Though we always put pieces on sale for 3 days when they are first released, we rarely have coupons for music. Part of the reason is that the studio license is such a huge savings already and we are still committed to offering the best price when a studio-licensed piece first comes out. But now is the time that so many of you are shopping for recital music, halloween music, and holiday music that I decided to… Read more: 20% off Printed Music Coupon – This is rare! - Make-up Lesson Boundaries – Are you enabling bad behavior?
Click to download a printable copy of this article Make-up Lesson Boundaries – Are you enabling bad behavior? You’ve heard about the importance of setting boundaries, right? About 10 years ago, that phase, “setting boundaries” was all the rage in counseling. So many books were written about it and honestly, I got a little tired of hearing about it. But recently, I had a situation in my life in which I was getting emotionally exhausted with fixing… Read more: Make-up Lesson Boundaries – Are you enabling bad behavior? - Move Your Business and Piano Studio from Good to Great
Move Your Business and Piano Studio from Good to Great One of the wonderful realities and paradoxes about being a piano teacher in the 21st Century is that a good idea is only one click away. The proliferation of good piano teaching ideas and the increased connectivity that we have through email, social media groups, and websites means that there is a never a lack of creative ideas, games, and teaching techniques. Add to this local piano… Read more: Move Your Business and Piano Studio from Good to Great - What are the Foundational Reasons for Having Piano Policies?
Sometimes it is easy to get in a tizzy about making policy changes when something pushes us to our limit. Conversely, some teachers “set it and forget it,” to the detriment of not making policy changes when needed, or not revising policies to keep up with the times. But even teachers who are somewhere in the middle of these extremes can lose sight of some of the most important reasons for having good policies. Knowing these reasons… Read more: What are the Foundational Reasons for Having Piano Policies? - New Holiday Recital Template 2017! Naturally Elegant!
Wouldn’t you like to have a holiday recital template that doesn’t remind you of the commercialism of Christmas or the holidays? There is no shortage of “clip-arty” images or graphics of santas, presents, lights, stockings, and more. So we spent a lot of time brainstorming unique designs. We wanted to do something different for you. We wanted a unique design that would breath fresh and beautiful life into your holiday recital program. Naturally beautiful, elegant design We… Read more: New Holiday Recital Template 2017! Naturally Elegant! - Fall Recital Program – The title is even editable!
Would you like to have a fall recital program so professional looking that people who attend ask you where they can buy tickets? That’s exactly what happened to one teacher when she used the spring recital program template and that’s exactly what we think could happen if you use this new Fall Recital Program Template! Here’s exactly what this teacher from __ said and what our goal is with this new resource: A few sweet ladies who… Read more: Fall Recital Program – The title is even editable! - How to Get Paid on Time for Piano Lessons
How do you get paid on time for piano lessons? After you have moved from a per-lesson payment system to a tuition based structure, it might still be a struggle. There are many ways to tackle this issue, so I’ve outlined a number of them. You should use whatever combination works best for your studio! Pre-pay in Full The most effective means of ensuring that you get paid on time is pre-payment. How your tuition is structured (whether you charge by the… Read more: How to Get Paid on Time for Piano Lessons - 7 Rules for Texting and Emailing Piano Parents – You may not be saying what you think you are saying!
Texting and emailing piano parents is dangerous work! Though I’ve learned a lot about emailing piano parents from my husband whose job relies heavily on email, I’ve also learned a lot the hard way. The danger of not knowing and using these 7 rules for texting and emailing piano parents is greater than ever with social media. Some of these dangers include: In addition to these dangers of emailing piano parents, we also sometimes experience some turmoil with other piano… Read more: 7 Rules for Texting and Emailing Piano Parents – You may not be saying what you think you are saying! - The Secret to Saying No and Enforcing a No Make Up Lessons Policy
Now that you know how to move to a no make-up lessons policy, it’s time to learn how to implement your policy! I hesitate to use the word “enforce” because the word has a rigid ring to it. And the idea of getting rid of makeup lessons is NOT about being mean and rigid. It’s about creating healthy boundaries in your life so that you can create margin in your life to give to the people who need you, like your kids, your spouse, your family, your friends, and… Read more: The Secret to Saying No and Enforcing a No Make Up Lessons Policy - I’m Not Trying to Scare You – But don’t forget this in your policy!
What you may have forgotten in your piano policy… A few weeks ago, a teaching friend emailed me with a very scary story. She and I both think you might want to read this. It’s a good reminder to make sure you include a place to update emergency contact information every year on your agreement to terms. Be sure you have an agreement to terms since parents need to at least update contact information and it is also good for them to re-read… Read more: I’m Not Trying to Scare You – But don’t forget this in your policy! - New Piano Student Interviews – How to Seal the Deal
First impressions can often seal the deal or turn it sour. This is especially true when you conduct new piano student interviews! When I was in San Antonio for the MTNA conference, I met Christina Whitlock who excitedly told me about how she uses Rhythm Cup Explorations® IN her student interviews. My mind immediately began to wonder why I had never thought of that before because the benefits to this are amazing! What a great way to show the parent and student… Read more: New Piano Student Interviews – How to Seal the Deal - Top 10 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Starting a Music School
Click here to download this article This wonderful insight on the top 10 things to know about starting a music school is from the esteemed Kristin Yost, owner of the Centre for Music Minds and the author of How I made $100,000 My First Year of Teaching Piano! The Centre for Musical Minds opened in May of 2008, in the middle of a recession, and on the brink of a depression. The audacity of my dream to own a… Read more: Top 10 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Starting a Music School - What You Need to Know About a Piano Lesson Photo Release (&Video)
If you take pictures or videos in your studio and plan to include them in publications or on the internet, it is imperative that you inform parent of this and get their consent in a piano lesson photo release. Every policy should include some kind of statement that includes all of the uses of a student’s name or photo that you may use in a public setting. Here is an example of a piano lesson photo release… Read more: What You Need to Know About a Piano Lesson Photo Release (&Video) - What My Obstetrician Taught Me About Repeating Myself About Piano Policies
Repeating Myself About Piano Policies – What My OB Taught Me “I’m so tired of repeating myself about piano policies. Why can’t my families just get my make up policy (or tuition structure or late fee)?” This is a common complaint among piano teachers and I completely empathize. I get tired of repeating myself too! But the other day, I was in an exam room waiting for my Ob/Gyn (No, I’m not pregnant!) and a light went… Read more: What My Obstetrician Taught Me About Repeating Myself About Piano Policies - 3 Reasons NOT to Cancel Lessons for Snow Days
Do you really need to cancel lessons for snow days? There are 2 short answers to this question: Yes! – if you want to play in the snow yourself. No! – if you don’t. Here are 3 reasons not to cancel lessons for snow days. I include them in this order because number 1 is the one that is often overlooked, but the most feasible for even the most afraid-of-technology teachers! Option #1 – Phone Lessons for a Piano Lesson… Read more: 3 Reasons NOT to Cancel Lessons for Snow Days - Are Gift Certificates for Piano Lessons a Good Idea?
Teachers frequently ask if offering gift certificates for piano lessons is wise. Here’s all you need to know to market piano lessons with gift certificates AND get FREE gift certificates to edit or print for your own use in your own studio! - Piano Teaching Workshop SALE – Thanksgiving Black Friday Week!
Never before have we offered the super popular business piano teaching workshops at such a low price…but we are doing so Thanks giving week. They are both on sale, but if you buy the bundle, they’re half price! Offer ends on Black Friday at 6:oo p.m. CST! Watch the videos below to learn more. About the Presenters: Wendy StevensComposer, Piano Teacher, Owner of www.ComposeCreate.com Wendy Stevens, NCTM is a composer, piano teacher, clinician, and blogger. She writes a regular business column… Read more: Piano Teaching Workshop SALE – Thanksgiving Black Friday Week! - Should I Post My Tuition Price on My Website?
Here is something you might not have considered about posting your piano teaching tuition price online… - Summer 2015 Workshops That Can Change Your Teaching Forever!
Here are some great piano teaching conferences and workshops that might be closer to you that you think! - Registration is OPEN for New Online Piano Workshops
Registration is OPEN for these two workshops specific to Piano Teachers! Best SALE price is now! Recordings will be available to registered teachers for up to 1 month from the air date.
