Today is the last day to receive a free 26-page Piano Camp Student Workbook with your purchase of the Piano Camp lesson plans that I used in my studio this year. (See lots of pictures here, here, here, here, and here!) Just wanted to remind you in case you were planning to order, but just […]
4 Components of a Good Practice Incentive
There is much debate in the educational community about whether to use extrinsic motivators (i.e. practice incentives) to encourage students to perform required tasks or meet certain objectives. Those in the non-incentive camp tend to assert that motivation should be intrinsic and that the completion of the task or the attainment of the objective is […]
Planning Next Year’s Practice Incentive
Things have been a little more sparse around here because I’m trying to plan next year’s practice incentive. Trying is the operative word. 🙂 For those of you who have been here a while, you know that each year I plan a big studio-wide practice incentive based on a particular theme. I really love coming […]
Monday Mailbag – How to Handle Non-Practicers
I am wondering about having a contract with my students, expecting a certain amount of practice commitment from them. I have one family, in particular, whose children seldom ever practice. This has been going on for approximately four years now. I have mentioned this to their parents and to the students. They always say, “Ok, […]
MTNA Conference 2010
MTNA has announced their 2010 conference: Take a trip down Route 66 as MTNA heads to Albuquerque, New Mexico, for this year’s National Conference, March 20–24, 2010, at the Hyatt Regency and Albuquerque Convention Center! This year’s conference highlights include: Evening concerts by pianist Kevin Kenner and cellist William De Rosa, the American Pianist Association […]
Monday Mailbag – Discontinuing Lessons
When you charge by the month and someone wants to quit at some point, how do you reconcile with previous months, or do they just finish out the month? This is the way my policy is worded: Dismissal If any of the following situations persists after I have notified you and provided time to correct […]
