April 2010 - Registration Blues

April Greetings,
It's a new season out here in the west coast. Spring is early, daffodils are blooming and the multitude of bushes flowering around the city is such a welcome site.  Unusual, for this year and a month early,  were the flowering of the Japanese plum trees during the Olympics,  one of the reasons why they called it the "Spring Olympics" instead of the Winter Olympics.
As spring rolls around, so does the registration for the fall.   It often brings a time of stress and we all wonder if parents will come back.  For some simple ideas on how to deal with registration read further.  
Trust you had a wonderful Easter.

Musicallyours,
Mrs. Lois
Certified MYC Teacher
Solo Time Music Games

Practicing Registration "Marketing Tips
Registration of new and old students for the fall can be a stressful season.  It doesn't need to be.  I have learned  to  live by the fact that I will be given enough students to meet my needs but in my beginning years, to be truthful, I did sweat it out.  
Here are some questions, to write out and elaborate on on paper and then  practice your answers by practicing them out loud until they are firm in your mind and you are confident in your answers. Have them by each phone  or close by when you meet with potential parents.  

1. Why should parents buy into your classes and into you?  Brag about your program and never apologize for anything.
 
2.  Why am I a better choice than other group or private piano lessons?  Your group classes cover a broad spectrum of music, theory, rhythm, composing and FUN and then some.  But don't ever,  never bad mouth the competition.
 
3. What do you do that is special, unique and superior that no other group lesson can offer?  You don't have to be the only one or the best one in all the world. Just the single best choice for your target market.  Invite the family to see that your studio is bright and all the stuff you have to make  music lessons FUN for their child.
 
4. You are unique and the perfect choice for your intended customer.  Tell future families about your credentials but never talk too much about yourself.  Ask them about themselves, be interested, build that relationship that's going to make them want to come to you.  But, always be open about offering another teachers name if your time and schedule do not meet their needs.  Parents need to see that you are all a team.

Be prepared  with these answers  and with a confident and compelling voice inform  your future families as to why your group lessons are the best choice for their child.

Solo Time Music Games can be played by one student or a group of six students all at the same time!  They are interactive where sometimes a students might have to use the piano keys to help them discover an answer or on their tin sheet to build a pattern. 

Shoot for the Stars is an excellent game to use to help reinforce and review  the music theory concepts of Enharmonic, chromatic and diatonic semitones.  The use of the tin sheet or keyboard is essential for  students to comprehend these theory concepts through a FUN  hands on experience.

Solo Time Music Games were designed to put the fun in learning about music.  Use "Football Frenzy" with your music students to learn and practice their notes including ledger lines. 
Did you know music is made of patterns! Help the young musician to learn the names of the keys on the piano by playing patterns with "Monster Patterns."

Use Solo Time Music Games in your private music lesson when:
1) You want to help the young musician review their notes or any aspect of theory.
2) The lesson ends early? Play a flashcard game!  Solo Time Music Games are designed to take only a few minutes to play or as long as you desire until the concept is comprehended.
3) Have a musical fun day!  Invite your students to come and play music games. Set up a variety of stations, each with a different game and Voila!  Musical fun day quick and easy and they children learn while having fun!