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Positive Piano Instruction for Students of Every Age – Located in Muncie, Indiana

Positive Piano Instruction for Students of Every Age – Located in Muncie, Indiana

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  • Home
  • About
    • Christina Whitlock Bio
    • Studio Philosophy
    • Studio Policy
    • 2021-2022 Studio Calendar
  • FAQs
  • Contact
  • Current Students
  • For My Teacher Friends
    • Beyond Measure Podcast
    • Consulting
    • Speaking Engagements
    • Conference Notes
  • Summer 2022

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July 28, 2017 christinaw

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…File this one under “parenting lessons that a …File this one under “parenting lessons that also apply everywhere else.” This morning, both of my kids were S T R U G G L I N G getting ready for school. They were both making poor choices with their time, doing things that made no sense, and all kinds of other things 6 and 12 year olds do. 😅 So - of course - I’m over here playing the superhero mom role to keep them on track. 🦸🏼‍♀️ Everything inside of me wanted to get upset. I wanted to point out how much *I* was doing to keep this train rolling. I wanted to make them realize I still don’t feel well, yet here I am, making it all happen. I wanted someone to notice. I wanted them to realize the weight of their poor choices. I wanted accolades for OBVIOUSLY earning my Gold Star For Moms. 🌟 But none of that would help the situation. Can we talk tonight about improving our systems so we can all have a better morning? Absolutely. Can we practice, practice, practice until they get the hang of this? Sure thing. But also… in the middle of my stewing this morning, the Lord placed words inside my head, plain as day. He said, “Take a deep breath. Your good work will be rewarded.” As parents, as teachers, as artists… we do SO much more than people around us will ever notice. Shout-outs and acknowledgments are GREAT (believe me, I live for those gold stars - obviously 🤣)…. In the end, we have to trust that a job well done is its own reward. (And, incidentally, if you ever NEED a gold star, I’m happy to hand them out via comments and DMs. In fact, here’s one for the road 🌟) Keep doing your great work, friends! 🌟🌟🌟
Monday is canceled. …well, at least for my podc Monday is canceled. …well, at least for my podcast life… That blasted Virus That Shall Not Be Named On This Podcast has struck and it’s messing up all my fun. Episode 95 will NOT release tomorrow… …and my IG Live with @jannaonpiano has been postponed for a later date. We’ll keep you posted. Sorry all! Take good care of yourselves. 🤍
…the compliment that… wasn’t? 🤣 I was ch …the compliment that… wasn’t? 🤣 I was chatting with a student about practice habits this week and I commented that BOTH of us needed to find a little more practice time this week. His response? “You don’t even NEED to practice. You’re amazing. You’re, like, better than PICASSO!” 😂 I thanked him for his intended compliment and then reminded him Picasso was an artist. 👨‍🎨 (Though - to my student’s credit - it appears Picasso did NOT play the piano, so I guess, indeed, I just might be a better pianist than Picasso was. 😂) Sigh. I love these kiddos.
Let’s crowdsource the best ways to handle lesson Let’s crowdsource the best ways to handle lessons when YOU get sick: (This ponder brought to you by the fact that I missed 48 hours of lessons and university teaching thanks to a non-Covid respiratory funk this week). FIRST: I will say this. I remember a time when missing lessons felt financially catastrophic. When doing the right thing (re: NOT teaching) felt like an impossible decision and added unnecessary insult to injury. If this is you; if you feel like you can’t POSSIBLY afford to get sick (or for your kids to)… (1) I feel for you, and (2) we must remedy this PRONTO. So… because the powers-that-be on Instagram have deemed my rundown caption “too lengthy” (imagine that!🤣) I’m sharing options in the comments to this post. Read those suggested below, and feel free to chime in with your own solutions as well! Cheers to staying well (you AND your family members!)… but also to having a solid plan in place just in case. 🥂
…oh yes we are… Janna and I are coming BACK …oh yes we are… Janna and I are coming BACK to IG Live on Monday morning! 🌟 In Universityland, I am currently teaching a second semester piano pedagogy course focused on Intermediate students. Of course, this intersects PERFECTLY with the sweet spot of my pal, @jannaonpiano … the QUEEN 👸🏼 of teaching intermediate repertoire (seriously…you DO watch her YouTube channel, don’t you?!). We thought we’d meet up online and chat about all things Intermediate Students. Have questions for us? Leave them in the comments (or DM one of us!) and we’ll do our best to answer live! 🤍 Mark your calendars and set your alarms: Monday, September 19th at 11:30am (eastern)/ 10:30am (central)
Today's quick episode features an opportunity to r Today's quick episode features an opportunity to re-focus our efforts as studio music teachers this special time of year. I hope you enjoy it. 🥂
I can help! 🙋🏼‍♀️ If you cringe at th I can help! 🙋🏼‍♀️ If you cringe at the thought of writing studio communications (texts, emails, etc.), you may benefit from establishing a framework from which to work. Check out Episode 93 for more thoughts, and then download my FREE guide to “Effective, Endearing Communications” (link in bio). Your guiding principles may look different than mine (that’s fine!🙃) but I hope these resources will help you optimize your own studio communications. Cheers to the weekend, my teacher friends! 🥂
A gift from me to you 🥂 I’ve compiled a quic A gift from me to you 🥂 I’ve compiled a quick-reference print for my guiding principles in effective, endearing written studio communications. This document was originally only available to supporters in my Patreon community, but since I changed the offerings there several months ago, I thought it was time to share a little peek into my premium-content world. 🤍 Check out the link in my bio for information on how you can get YOURS (for free!) 👏🏻
Written communication is tricky. (We ALL have sto Written communication is tricky. (We ALL have stories about miscommunications through text/email.) In today’s episode, I’m sharing my core principles of written communications, which help my studio relationships remain consistently positive. There’s also a link to a free printable in my bio, which outlines these points for quick reference! Cheers to Monday, my friends! 🥂
Something for you to think about this weekend… Something for you to think about this weekend… Are you guilty of assuming parents know how their child approaches their lesson time with you? I had a series of conversations with teachers last year that led me to realize how many behaviors/mannerisms/challenges/victories/etc often go un-communicated to parents under the assumption, “well, the parent knows how they are…” In actuality, I can attest 🙋🏼‍♀️ how different our children can behave in the presence of other adults. AND - I can also verify - for better or for worse, I *want* to know. I talk about this, and more, in episode 92 this week: Cheers to Increasing Parental Communications. It’s not always just HOW to communicate more; sometimes it’s about WHAT. Be sure to listen to episode 92 and let me know what you think! 🤍 PS: those of you who require parental lesson attendance? I know you’re patting yourselves on the back as we speak. 😂 Happy (long!) weekend, friends!!
Cue the drumroll…. Last week, I promised an epi Cue the drumroll…. Last week, I promised an episode focused on MY primary goal for the 2022-2023 academic year. Well, here it is: increasing my studio communications. I’m not here to talk about systems and strategies. Rather, I want to reconsider WHAT we communicate throughout the year (and - even more especially - what we sometimes don’t). My primary working philosophy here is too many teachers assume parents understand how they behave in their lessons… when - unless the parent is present - they REALLY don’t. 🙃 Anyway - there’s lots more to say on this topic, but give episode 92 a listen, let me know what you think, and we’ll revisit this topic a time or two this year. 😉 Cheers to Monday! 🥂
This one goes for students AND their families: Tr This one goes for students AND their families: Treat people like they’re your favorites and they will often become exactly that. It sounds too simple - and it’s definitely not without exception - but this one has a freakishly-high success rate, friends. The second I accept a student onto my roster, I approach them as though they are warm and personable, wildly talented, and endlessly-enjoyable to be around. Likewise, I approach every studio parent as though they are the hardest-working, most earnestly-invested parent in town. By and large, the result is a beautiful working relationship, since I’m choosing to see as many positive characteristics as I possibly can. There’s an old saying: “My teacher thought I was smarter than I was, so I was.” Consider that statement again, but replace “smarter” with anything you’d like: 🌟Kinder 🌟More Musical 🌟Funnier 🌟More Capable If you find yourself wishing your student had more of a particular characteristic, try approaching them as though they already ARE that thing. You may be very surprised at the result. 🤍 This is the superpower of the teacher-student relationship, friends. Use it wisely.
Let’s be honest: Setting goals is probably not Let’s be honest: Setting goals is probably not your issue. Instead, ambitious musicians and teachers tend to struggle with LIMITING our goals in a reasonable way. Today, we trouble-shoot our goals for a new academic year together. Join me for Episode 91 of the Beyond Measure Podcast, available everywhere you stream your content. 🤍
Sometimes “who” is even more important than “when”. This week on the podcast, I shared how much I *love* teaching a challenging student at 4:30 on a Tuesday. BUT. Put that same student on a Friday? Forget it. We’re both going to be miserable. Beginning and ending your days/weeks with students who consistently bring you joy is a powerful way to level-up your teaching. Do you agree? Do you have any other scheduling tips to share?
A friendly reminder for those in the midst of fall A friendly reminder for those in the midst of fall-scheduling mania… If you agree to teach outside a previously-established boundary, make sure you are TRULY at peace with it. Do not put yourself in a position where you feel like your students owe you something for conceding to their request. Only agree if you can show up as the best version of yourself. Otherwise, you’re just asking for heartache. PS: This also works in reverse. Don’t allow your studio families to concede to a time they are going to resent, either.
Episode 90 has your back today! We all know it: Episode 90 has your back today! We all know it: scheduling can easily be the most contentious aspect of the studio teacher’s work. I may not have magical solutions for you, but I do have perspectives to help you approach this time of year with less trepidation and more understanding. (AND, if you are a chronic over-scheduler and/or someone who feels addicted to the state of busy-ness, make sure you stick around until the end of this episode because I have some good truths for you - courtesy of Amy @keystopraisestudio ) Cheers to Monday, studio teacher friends! 🥂
Did you catch my interview with Andrea @musicstudi Did you catch my interview with Andrea @musicstudiostartup last week? 🎙 I adore the Studio Snapshots Andrea is hosting this summer. They are short and sweet little glimpses into our studios at this one point in time. Plus, of course, it’s always fun to be someone’s guest. 🥰 Be sure to check out the entire series, because some of my favorite people have been on this summer. Let’s make it a great week, friends!
…this bit of nonsensical brilliance is brought t …this bit of nonsensical brilliance is brought to you by me, your APTF. Seriously - ❓How many times do our students focus on the wrong problem when trying to fix an error? Likewise… ❓ How many times do we get focused on what WE think is a stumbling block in our business, when the problem actually lies elsewhere? Sometimes the thing you THINK is the thing is not REALLY the thing. (APTF = Anytime Piano Teacher Friend, obviously 😉)
Happy Friday, IG Friends! 🥳 This #fridayintrod Happy Friday, IG Friends! 🥳 This #fridayintroductions post is brought to you by my desire to reach 1,000 followers (🤣 but seriously. we are SO. CLOSE). Feel free to share this post with people who might enjoy this space. I created the Beyond Measure Podcast to provide studio music teachers with the ability to spend quality time with a piano teacher friend on their own schedule. Because… music teacher schedules: 🙈 (need I say more?) The quick story of me is this: 🎹 I’ve been teaching private piano lessons for 27 years now, after starting just after my 14th birthday. 🤍 I love teaching my students, and I love helping other teachers find more joy in what we do. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 I’m a wife to one, and a mom to two (ages 6 and 12). ✍️ I love to write… and talk… and make music Fun facts? Let’s see - 1. Every day could be Taco Tuesday and I’d be just fine with that 🌮 2. Indecision is my Achilles heel 3. My high school flute teacher didn’t really play the flute (Seriously. Go back and listen to episode number 7.) Now it’s your turn: Tell me three fun facts about YOU! 🌻
Oh friends… it’s that time of year. Fall sche Oh friends… it’s that time of year. Fall scheduling! 😅 Time to run and hide, right? It really doesn’t have to be so bad. Here are a few things that help me: 🌟 Repeat after me: “It always works out.” (Proceed to say this no less than 14 times and hour, especially when receiving messages like, “I just got Mackenzie’s ballet schedule and Tuesdays at 6:00 aren’t going to work anymore”…) 🌟Consider making a “trial schedule” for the first few weeks. Mine runs for the month of August (which is 3 weeks of lessons). The ultimate goal is to find something that will not need to be changed, but this communicates a need for flexibility on everyone’s parts. 🌟 Plan a reward for when you finish the schedule. Knowing you’ll treat yourself to a favorite meal out, trip to the salon, or an evening in with a great book will really help you keep your eye on the prize. 🌟Sit down with your computer/sticky notes/notepad/whatever works for you. Have a favorite drink at your side ☕️, put on whatever you like to listen to while being productive, and get to work. 🌟 Be gracious to your studio families and always assume the best. Hard truth: most people feel like the busiest person they know. As a general rule, avoid telling families how busy/complex YOUR schedule is. Even though YOU 👏🏻 ARE 👏🏻 JUSTIFIED in feeling like you are trying to solve the world’s hardest quantum physics equation, don’t look for affirmation from your studio families. Come to me - and other teacher friends - for that. 🤣 …those are a few of MY scheduling thoughts. Now it’s YOUR turn. Tell me: what works for you?
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