Private to Small Group Classes
How to Convert Your Studio From Private to Small Group Classes
20 students for 12
It typically takes 20 students to fill 12 class spots. I know, that math doesn’t add up, but it takes far more than 12 students to make up 4 classes. It’s a challenge to learn what is the ideal class. Do I want one with 4 introverts? 4 extroverts? The reason it takes 20 to fill 12 spots is because I group students by age and by level and even by personality traits. Then, even when I have 12 solid spots, it doesn’t work with the varying family schedules. In 20 years of teaching in small groups, I’ve learned it takes a lot of students to fill a few classes.
100 students in the space of 25
The reason I began small group classes was because my wait list was always 4 times more than I had room for…and I love watching people learn to play the piano. When I saw that I could work 100 students in the same time I saw 25 private lessons, I knew I had to give it a try. Did it reduce my wait list? Well it did a little at first, but once the small group lessons proved successful to parents and students, the wait list got long again.
Group lessons offer more value
Initially I charged half of the cost of my private lessons in exchange for the group lesson approach. Over the next few years though, I could see this provided a lot more benefit for students than I had found in private classes. It’s a good feeling to offer a greater value to students and parents. After 20 years of teaching this way, I moved across the country. Would you believe that 90% of my students didn’t want to find private lessons at any cost? They saw the value and fun in groups and they couldn’t find many options for them.
Be the change
This is the whole reason I want to share small group lessons with teachers, parents and students the world over. It’s not the norm. It’s better than tradition. It may be a little “out of the box” but it has spectacular benefits.
90% verses 10%
In the local music store, the owner told me that for every 100 beginner books he only ordered 10 of the level 4 books. That blew me away. Only 10% of students were getting past level 3 in the children’s books. Personally, I have 90% of my students get to level 4. What is the difference? If the books are the same, then it must be the teaching methods that make the difference.
Get ready to retain, teach and empower students to play piano with small group lessons. I’m here to help you figure it out much faster than I did with all kinds of support and help.
