How Group Piano Lessons Can Benefit Everyone

Hello Piano Teachers! Did you know you could increase your income and decrease your weekly hours? Read on to learn How Group Piano Lessons Can Benefit Everyone!

Having taught for over 30 years, I started feeling the monotony, “Groundhog Days” if you will. I decided it was time to take my business to a new level. Change was inevitable since I found myself in a new home, with an HOA that wouldn’t let me teach out of my home. I reached out to Barker’s, our local music store, and they gave me a room to rent and furnished it with 4 keyboards. While I liked the music store, with 50 students, I didn’t want to “live” there. I knew it was time to introduce Group Piano. By doing so, it has been a win-win for me and my students. Read on to see why this changed my business!

At first, parents were a little skeptical about whether their child's piano experience would be as good moving from a 30-minute private lesson to an hour class situation. I loosely grouped my students by age and ability. I had been using a program called Piano Marvel for a couple of years and it definitely made the transition easier. Piano Marvel is a computer-based program. So, every student is sitting at their piano with their device (laptop, iPad, or Chromebook) hooked to the keyboard (providing assessment) and they are wearing headphones. So, while the keys are flying,….the studio is quiet. I can go around and plug in my headphones to give one-on-one instruction and check on progress. We do group technique and theory lessons and in every class, we end with a game reinforcing a music concept.

Students feed off of each other’s energy, they make new friends, and positive peer pressure motivates them. I have a small bell on each piano that a student rings when they get 100% on a song or exercise. This is just happy feedback for the student but all students hear it and it allows me to make a positive comment to that student no matter what I’m doing or who I’m working with. Students cheer on each other's successes and studio unity builds as students participate in duet/ensemble work, monthly Piano Marvel Challenges, Competitions, and Recitals. With Piano Marvel, students are learning four times (or more) faster, parents are happy, students are happy, and I’m happy!! The “Groundhog Days” are gone, I have increased my earnings, and decreased my hours. Group Lessons have provided a win-win situation for the parents, students, and for me, the teacher! Read on to see how to make the change!

Where and How are factors that come into play when considering the jump from private to group piano lessons.

WHERE: There are many places that could work for your studio. Your own home might be an option. You could convert a garage or room into a piano lab. You could lease a space. You could do what I do, and rent a room from a music store. If your piano business is done online with remote lessons, investigate the different programs that allow for group situations (like ZOOM). Following are a few things to think about:

• LEASE A SPACE: If you decide to strike out and find a retail space to lease, your start-up costs will be higher. But, your ability to create your dream space can become a reality. Of course, it might be wise to already have a substantial clientele to support this investment. Remember the costs involved…..utilities, rent, purchase of pianos/keyboards, taxes, insurance, and more. If this is the route you want to take, maybe you could share the space and costs with another music teacher. 
• CONVERT YOUR GARAGE: If this is your route, you can go simple or have some fun! Paint, put up some art, lay new flooring or carpet, put in some seating for parents, and make sure there is adequate lighting, heat, and AC to the area. Make sure you have a bathroom close by for student use. Invest in the number of digital pianos/keyboards you are going to need, and you are ready to go! Note…You could start with inexpensive keyboards and move into better instruments over time (you could sell the keyboards to students). Do the math: How many months would it take to pay off any start-up costs?
• CONVERT A ROOM: Do you have an empty bedroom or another space that you could turn into a lab? Make whatever changes need to be made to make it look like a studio and NOT a bedroom. Make sure to have a bathroom close by. Purchase some keyboards.
• RENT A ROOM: Or, as I have done, contact a local music store and see if they would rent you a room. Negotiate the use of keyboards. This option has benefits for you as they pay the utilities and insurance. What’s in it for them? Exposure and sales to new students.
• Online: If your piano business is done online with remote lessons, investigate the different programs that allow for group situations. (like ZOOM). Ideas are limitless on this one. If you need help, seek out a teacher who is successfully doing online group lessons, for support.

HOW: Get your parents onboard! Be excited and confident about your changes. While this could be done using books for your curriculum, I STRONGLY encourage you to look at the computer-based options out there that will make running a group setting so much easier. Piano Marvel is my GO-TO for many reasons:  

• Solid curriculum in Method and Technic. Provides a Sight Reading Component and an EXTENSIVE library. Also provides testing. 
• Excellent company support for technical needs/questions
• Free Instructor training - Group sessions for teachers to learn and share. Ongoing classes/web-based training for Teachers to further your abilities and your students.
• Students’ practice time is productive - with assessment and feedback, students can move correctly and quickly through their learning.
• Built-in practice helps
• Learning Videos
• Monthly Theme-Based Challenges with Prizes and Yearly Competition 

I could go on and on, but let me just say that Piano Marvel is a huge part of my studio’s success and my excitement in my business. My only marketing at this point is word of mouth and referrals! When I have an interested family I give them a free demo lesson so they can come in, see the studio, and experience Piano Marvel. You have to see it to understand its magic and power! 99% of families jump on board.

So, what are you waiting for? Vitalize your business and create a studio for group piano that not only has successful students, but is fun, inviting, and a win-win for all!

Lastly, here are a few favorite sights that I like for my games and teaching supplements:

https://www.musicmindgames.com  The Book, Music Mind Games: Yurko, Michiko

Dry-erase lapboards with music staffs - Look on Amazon

My Students love “Notespeed” - https://pianopronto.com a music card game that reinforces note recognition. We have renamed it “Beat the Teacher”  

Bells: Yellow with Smiley Faces - find on Amazon