Russian-American pianist and entrepreneur Anna Goryacheva is forging a new path in the world of music education. As the founder of the Elite Piano Institute, Anna has key advice and insight into how to build a piano studio and keep it thriving. Here are six of her expert tips and strategies on how to establish a truly successful studio and improve your teaching skills.
Use Technology
To gain success in your piano studio today, there’s a big need to get on board with technology. Goryacheva explains: “I experience a great deal of progress with my students online, especially the younger generation who grew up with touch screens. Modern technology, platforms such as FaceTime, Zoom, or Skype and very basic equipment allow you to get as close as possible to the feeling that your instructor literally comes to your living room. Especially now, during the pandemic, online lessons have a great value, as they help to get necessary supervision and mentorship safely and save your time`’.
Establish an Online Presence
Having a strong online presence bolsters your business reputation and helps generate leads and sales among your customers. Along with allowing people to find you, it also offers them a chance to get to know what you’re about. Put your business in front of potential customers by advertising online and popping up in the first results of search engines like Google, Yahoo, etc. You will be able to access potential clients from all over the world, so this is also an excellent way of teaching students from different countries.
Be Unique
It’s important to show how your piano studio is unique and how your services are set apart from the rest. In reality, very few professionals are truly special with a personality of their own, offering an exceptional value and original approach that cannot be found elsewhere. Stop comparing yourself to others and copying other’s work as it is a road to nowhere. Instead, develop yourself as a specialist, stay curious, create, focus on adding value, discover new territories in your field. You need people to understand that your service is different and better than the others out there.
Find Mentorship
Something many piano instructors never consider is getting a mentor. Regardless of your talent, this is a definite way to be successful in the industry. Whether you’re an experienced teacher or a recent graduate with a bit of business experience under your belt, you can always benefit from a mentor – someone who has a general idea of your current role and industry will be able to give you advice on things like new projects to explore, certifications or training you need to get ahead. Mentor can encourage you to apply for new opportunities, and help you to navigate challenging situations such as transitioning to a new role or your positioning at work. They can provide guidance on career management you may not be able to get from other sources, helping to identify and avoid pitfalls in the industry, and find right strategies for your teaching career.
Keep Practicing
Teachers who are not able to demonstrate playing skills are hardly considered professional. The majority of piano teachers stop practicing after they graduate and dedicate their time to teaching only, overlooking their practice habits and losing performing skills. A true expert is supposed to inspire his community, to be able to actually play the instrument in order to keep the students motivated. Otherwise it is very difficult to make an impact in the industry or stand out among competitors.
Social Media
Lastly, never ignore the importance of social media when building your piano studio. Nowadays having decent looking social profiles is as important as having a well structured resume, because it represents You.
From a professional perspective, you can grow your network online tremendously by connecting with colleagues, mentors, role models and other professionals, while making yourself easily accessible to all those who are interested.
Social media provides an opportunity for you to talk about what you know and what you want to be known for. Sharing your expertise will help to attract connections on both business and personal levels, as well as build credibility and trust from clients.