... bringing the joy of music to students and their teachers
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Hear more about the winner of the University Press "Best of the Best Award."
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Making Music and Having a Blast!
Awarded
"Best of the Best from the
University Presses: Books You Should Know
About" for 2010
This
presentation by the Association of American University Presses features librarians discussing why each book earned the "Best of the Best" award. The panelists were members of the American Association of School
Librarians and the Public Library Association. Each panelist reviewed a distinct category, including: art, literature,
history, multicultural studies, political science, and memoirs.
WATCH the June 27, 2010 presentation online.
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Join Our List
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 Do you have a high drop-out rate for beginners? Starting music lessons can sometimes be overwhelming, but your beginners will know what it takes to succeed when they read Chapter 1: "Tips and Tricks for Fast Success," and Chapter 3: "The Top Mistake New Musicians Can Make" in Making Music and Having a Blast!
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I share all of mine in my Music for Life Books -- two indispensable guides for music instructors and their students.
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Greetings!
I know you are all busy planning your schedules and gearing up for fall lessons. If you haven't raised your rates for a while, if your rates are below those of other teachers of your experience, or if students are lining up to be in your studio, perhaps this is the time to raise your tuition fee. I sent out an e-mail newsletter to all my students informing them of my new fees, and I would like to share with you part of what was in that letter to give you ideas for your own studio policy and to give you the courage to get paid what you are worth. Special thanks to Lee Galloway, a wonderful private piano teacher in the San Diego area, for his ideas and help. And, of course, I don't have all the answers, so I'd love to hear your ideas too. This newsletter is for all instrumentalists
and singers but, flutists, there will be a special article in every
issue just for you.
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What Tuition covers
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Though your payment is based on a certain number of lessons per month, tuition pays for more than just the lesson time. It also includes preparation time, which varies from week to week and from student to student. Time spent rescheduling, communicating with students and parents, arranging rehearsals, hosting master classes, planning concerts and retreats, attending contests and master classes, writing these newsletters, making copies... the list goes on and on.
Also included is time spent looking for music and learning about new techniques to help each student. I try to continually have new ideas and surprises in the lessons and learn or invent new ways to make learning more effective and fun.
Additional time is spent with teacher activities, meetings and conferences. With everyone I talk to, everything I read, and everywhere I go, I pick up new ideas to benefit my students. Over the 35 years I've been teaching, I have been working on learning to be a better teacher, just as I want my students to work on being better musicians. With these years of experience, I have become a better teacher, which is reflected in the rate of tuition.
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| Make-up Lesson Policy |
|  A firm make-up lesson policy will result in fewer canceled lessons, less intrusion of your free time, and less scheduling hassle. In my studio, a missed lesson can only be made up if notice is given by 9 a.m. the day
before the lesson, so I can use that time for a make-up lesson for
someone else. With my crazy schedule and that of my students, make-up lessons are difficult to reschedule, time
consuming to process and will be, hopefully, a rare occurrence. Lessons
will be made up if the student is available at one of two times I offer as make-up lessons. I ask students/parents to send me an e-mail with "Lesson Change" in
the Subject line, tell which lesson will be missed and give available
times for make-up. I will do my best to provide make-up
lessons but only during regularly scheduled lesson times. If numerous
lesson conflicts occur, students should expect that lessons often cannot
be rescheduled or made up. Students/Parents are responsible for paying for scheduled lesson whether or not the student appears. |
| Flute Flash |
| To practice lip flexibility:
Hold your hand in front of your face, fingertips up.
Blow on the heel of your hand,
then the base of the fingers,
then the fingertips.
Now play a diminuendo on one note gradually lifting the airstream using the same lip motion. Magic!
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A Mind For Music
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| Infancy's Symphony  | Check out this special issue of Science News magazine, which includes these fascinating articles:
Birth of the Beat: From their very first days, babies use a musical sense to exchange emotional banter with mom -- perhaps priming them to learn language.
More Than A Feeling: Music's long reach in the brain extends from serving as a potent modulator of emotions to triggering memories and acting as a crucial social glue.
Your Brain On Music: Music lights up every area of the brain.
Music of the Hemispheres: Listening to music may not make you smarter, but playing an instrument does appear to enhance certain mental skills.
(Editor's note: We knew it!)
Take Two Stanzas, and Call Me in the Morning: Scientists are investigating music as a means to alleviate pain and enhance recovery.
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Mailbox |
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 Hi Bonnie,
My husband bought your book for me last year at the MTNA
convention. It totally transformed my teaching! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Loved
your presentation tonight. You are the reason I came!
-- Your friend, Rhonda
Martin
To Cindy Goodloe:
I started to read the books and make
underlines under the good parts --- had to stop cause pages and pages were all
being underlined. She [Bonnie] is really great. Thanks for turning me on to
her. Can't wait to meet her at her upcoming workshop in South Carolina!
-- Elaine Fredendall
Accredited Simply Music Teacher
Music For Life Piano Studio
Seneca SC
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The Funnies |
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On his way home from a gig, an accordion player stopped
at a diner. He went inside, leaving his accordion on the seat of the car. When he returned to the car, he screamed. Someone had broken into his car -- and left another accordion!
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Upcoming Events: Speaking Engagements
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September 21st
Seattle Music Teachers Association
"Building Your Studio By Building Your Website"
Learn More
October 23rd
Greenville Music Teachers Association Seminar
(learn more)
"Transform Your Teaching"
"Do Something Different"
"Jump Start Your Teaching"
"Making Money Making Music"
All-Day seminar
Bob Jones University
Greenville, South Carolina
November 16th
Clark County Music Teachers Association
Vancouver, Washington
10:00 a.m. - noon
"Transform Your Teaching"
February 18th, 2011
MENC Northwest Division Conference
(learn more)
Bellevue, Washington
"Tips and Trick For Teaching Flute"
February 19th, 2011
MENC Northwest Division Conference
(learn more)
Bellevue, Washington
8:00 - 9:15 a.m.
"Jump Start Your Teaching"
July 24-31st (date TBA)
World Harp Congress
Vancouver B.C.
Learn More
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If you've found this newsletter fun and helpful, please forward it to your friends, teachers, and colleagues. I'd love to hear your comments and any ideas or suggestions you might have about content; we can always learn from each other. I promise more tips, tricks and stories in the coming months. And don't forget to check out my cool new website.
Sincerely,
Bonnie Blanchard
bonnieblanchard.com
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