A Guide to Enrolling New Students for Piano Lessons
Getting new students enrolled and started with piano lessons doesn’t have to be a tricky process! I thought it may be valuable to share how I personally keep up with enrollment for my music school. It’s actually pretty simple! So, I created a guide on enrolling new students for piano lessons! Here’s a quick outline on how I get my new students set up for lessons and keep track of enrollment fees for returning students each year.
Your Guide to Enrolling New Students for Piano Lessons: Getting Started
When it comes to getting a new student started, we begin with a free trial lesson with one of the teachers at my school. Although Cascade Melody still pays the teacher for their time, offering the free lessons gives families peace of mind! I’m very confident in how our program works so I don’t mind the free trial to prove it. 🙂 If they are happy with their trial lesson, they pay an enrollment fee. In addition to the enrollment fee, they’ll also have to make a one-time purchase of a book package and the piano reading tool, NoteMatch. So, it’s really just a couple of upfront costs and they’re all set to start playing!
It’s probably not a bad idea to have a price list readily available to your student’s parents either. You could post a hard copy in your business or home, but offering a virtual list on your website would be a great idea, too!!!
Enrollment Process: How to Enroll a New Piano Student for Piano Lessons
I’m fortunate enough that most of my students hear about my piano school through word of mouth. Typically, my new students are friends of other students who have seen how much fun their friend is having playing the piano! That’s why I teach the Cascade Method way.
Sometimes I also get transfer students who come from other piano teachers, who have lost interest in the instrument and are hoping to find their way again. This happens more often than I’d like to admit but when a student comes to me that is losing their passion in piano, it’s my job to help them fall back in love with it! I shared another blog on What to Do with a Transfer Student in the First Lesson if you’re interested in hearing how I convert them back to piano lovers.
Luckily, teaching with Cascade Method keeps most of my students around until they go off to college. It’s even safe to say that the majority of them keep playing after they leave me, too! Some of my students have become Cascade Method Certified teachers and are teachers in my music school!
I make sure to make myself easily accessible to my students and their families through my email and personal phone. It is always important to make sure that they have my contact information in case of a last-minute cancellation. New students can also contact me through my website as well. Having open communication is KEY to having your students stay around. Just like with anything, you have to be professional and serve your students!
How to Maintain Your Piano Students
After enrolling new students for piano lessons, you have to maintain them on your roster! When it comes to recurring fees for current students, it’s honestly so simple! I charge a $45 yearly fee for all students. I just send the invoice in September of each year, and that’s really it!
Some teachers charge the enrollment fee a month in advance in order to secure a spot for their students. This isn’t “necessary” by any means but it is definitely a practical option for some and is helpful for piano teachers to keep track of their roster.
I’m lucky enough to see most of my students stick around until college, so typically it isn’t necessary for me to hold any spots.
Tips for the First Piano Lesson…
When a student arrives for their first lesson, it is important to make them feel comfortable and welcome. Depending on your students age and personality, it could be super intimidating for them when they show up for their first lesson. Always make sure that they know their piano lessons are a safe space to express themselves in a nonjudgmental area. I go more in-depth on this blog on ways you can help your students find passion in the piano but the most important thing is to listen to them and make them feel comfortable!
Take some time to talk with your student about their motivation to take piano lessons — what type of music do they like to listen to, what songs are they hoping to learn, and what similarities do they have in common with me (their teacher!)! The more you get to know each other, the more comfortable the student will feel with you.
Most importantly, try not to be nervous yourself! The first lesson is a learning experience for everyone. If you’re a Cascade Method Certified instructor, then you’re lucky enough to have tons of resources at your fingertips, including live workshops. Utilize this wealth of knowledge to do some practice ahead of time to prepare for your new student. Feeling confident in yourself can take some of the pressure off, trust me on this one, you’ll definitely be glad you did some planning ahead!
Head here for more tips on how to go about the first piano lesson with a student!
Essentials to Getting Started
We have a bunch of fun piano books for beginners to help your students learn, engage, and most importantly, get excited about playing the piano! Here are some essentials that can make it seamless to get the ball rolling with all of your new students.
NoteMatch
NoteMatch is a piano reading tool that makes learning piano sooooo much easier for students and teachers everywhere! This magnetic, whiteboard learning tool sits behind the black keys on any piano and shows the corresponding letters with each key. The grand staff image corresponds with the sheet music they’ll be reading, bridging the gap between keys and sheet music! NoteMatch will truly have your students reading sheet music in their first lesson. NO JOKE!!!
100 Days of Practice
We all know that practice makes perfect! The 100 Days of Practice Workbook is a fun, interactive coloring book that will give students positive reinforcement to practice as they get excited about filling in their coloring book each day. Why not start your new students off strong with an exciting and fun reason to practice daily!? If 100 days seems like a stretch, we made a Monthly Practice Book Challenge for younger students that have shorter attention spans!
Head over here for more resources for piano beginners!!
At the end of the day, new student enrollments don’t have to be stressful!
With the right amount of planning and preparation, welcoming new piano students to your piano school doesn’t have to be an overwhelming process! By having enrollment paperwork ready-to-go price lists available to parents, and the right preparations for that first trial lesson — you’ll be enrolling new students like it’s nothing and growing your piano teaching business more and more in no time!
