Polygamy hurts the innocent.

Polygamy not only needs to be abolished and criminalized but spousal and child support for all the innocent victims of this life style should be mandatory.

How is it possible that a polygamist's can claim God gives them the right to have as many wives as they wish but not offer support when they divorce them? The current law also discriminates against these women as they are not considered true wives in the eyes of the law.

Also, the men in this choice of belief system should not be able to get away claiming all their wives are single mothers so they can get welfare from the government. I thought they were the wives? So how is it that they can break the law and claim they are single mothers with children? Doesn't their belief tell them they need to uphold the law of the land? No, only when it benefits them.

Nor should the leaders in this life style be allowed to excommunicate young boys and girls when they become problems (young men needing a wife) or desire their own life partners (young women desiring a young husband.)

The law should be changed so it favors these innocent children, not discriminate against them for having the unfortunate demise of being born into this selfish lifestyle based on a sexual predators needs and greed.

These men will never change their belief system as it brings them much power over those with no voice or education. Change the law so it protects the innocent one's Charter of Rights not men whose hearts will never change under the guise of religion.

What kind of relationships are you building?

It's always easy for me to build a relationship with my students. But, it is the parents who pay the monthly fee and it's with them, that I really need to build a relationship with, for them to consider staying on in lessons from year to year.
Here are some things to consider?
1) Am I trustworthy? Do they feel like they are getting their money's worth? To gain that trust I must be prepared, planned and ready to teach when they come into class.
2) What's my image? Dressed to teach or dressed to work on the garden? Impressions go a long way whether its first time or week 28.

3) Keeping in touch? How often do you contact your parents to ask how things are going? Once a month? Twice a year? Never? If you think, that if they don't call you with a problem, that means everything is all right, you may be right but how about taking care of that question with a quick phone call? Phoning and touching base means you care and caring builds relationship, and relationship brings your students back next year.

4) Thank you? Thank your parents for giving of their time to commit to you. Thank them for coming to you with a concern regarding their child, thank them for reminding you that you forgot to hand out stickers. If they come to you are are really ticked off about something, you said or did, listen to their concerns and thank them. It cools things down really quickly and it shows your value their concerns.
5) Benefits? They are tremendous. You will have returning students for the fall, enrollment of siblings and referrals to their friends, family and acquaintances.

Fermata- Hold that Note!

The other day I taught the "fermata" sign. I decided that I would review the concept with my other classes but it seemed no one could remember what it was and only a few remember what it did. So what to do?

I explained (again) that the "fermata" is sometimes called the "conductors eye" and that it meant that you couldn't move on to the next note, until the conductor gave you permission to do so.

I, then, drew a huge eye, using the "fermata" and for three weeks in a row, we sang the closing song, with the "fermata". At various parts in the song, I lifted the "fermata" sign up and the children had to hold the note until I put the sign down. Sometimes, I held the "fermata" up for a long time and sometimes just a short time. The children loved it! The "fermata" put the fun in music class and the concept was finally understood (I hope).

What Recession?

Over the past few months I have been reading about the recession. The recession has been in the headlines and causing concern among business' and talked about among teachers. But we need to realize that "not everyone was hit by the recession!" There were and are people making money during and after the recession. If you are experiencing recession woes among potential and future clients, (complaining about your prices, etc) it means you need to find people who were NOT hit by the recession." I have spoken about this before in previous newsletters and I encourage you to once again to not to undersell yourself.

"No one forces us to change our price to fit the market," Colleen Francis stated in her MYC webnair a few weeks ago. She also stated that we "Don't have to take the mindset of lower price to get students!" Why recruit people with no money? It might sound a little harsh but there is some truth to her statements. Search out new markets. Find out from your returning parents which communities (sports, church, etc) they are involved in and find out how you can get involved with them or get your flyer into that community. It takes a bit of work but it will pay off in September.

It's a "Mat" ter of control

Do you have unruly students in your classes? How do you control those little ones that just want to turn somersaults through out the studio? How do you maintain some kind of control (or discipline) without feeling that you are the big bad bully?

To maintain a sense of order and control in my studio I have a class set of mats - all the same colour for the kids to sit and wiggle on to their hearts content. The mats give the children a boundary and give them the space they need to move until it's time to go the piano or participate in an off mat activity.

In the past I've had different coloured mats and sure enough someone would want the red one and all the red ones would be gone. Then there would be tears. So, I bought a set of yellow bath mats from IKEA for a reasonable amount.

A mat to sit upon gives your students room to wiggle, a boundary and you a feeling of fairness and guidelines for behavior in your classroom.

Shaking Hands

Even though summer is a time for kicking back and enjoying the well deserved rest that comes from a busy teaching year, in the back of our minds registration for the fall is always lurking around.

Keep in mind that every one you come in contact with is:

1) a potential person who may become a client
2) someone who may possibly refer you to one of their friends.

So when you shake their hand you are "shaking hands with their entire community." Always be aware of who you come in contact with, they could be your next great lead.

Marketing - Trade Shows

Going to a trade show is a good way to adverstize your business but often the cost of being in a trade show is far too great for the average music teacher. Another alternative is to go as an attendee. Dress in your best teaching attire and wear something with your logo on it, wear a name tag, I ordered a really cute tag from Beth Tadeson of "Addressed Impressions" and have your business cards in hand. Go with the purpose in mind to network with all the exhibitors. Going first thing in the morning is best as it is not busy. Put on your smooshing shoes and talk to anyone and everyone. Connect, give them your business card and get theirs and don't forget to follow up with a phone call or e-mail in a week or so. Give it a try! The price of entry into the trade show is cheaper than a booth. Go with several teachers, split up and market the trade show and enjoy it at the same time. You might not have a future client at that exact moment but for sure they will remember who you are and might recall your conversation to give you a referral when talking to their friends. Several ideas for this article were from "66 Tips for Marketing on a Shoestring Budget" www.sueclement.com.

Marketing with Testimonials

Does your website include testimonials?
Testimonials are an important feature on your web site.

1) They are comments taken from your parents that talk about your work ethic and how you have affected their child's love of music, nurtured and developed it.

And they brag about how great you are!

2) Testimonials help your potential parents build trust in you and establish credibility.

3) Keep testimonials short and to the point.

4) Use honest comments from real parents. Ask to use their real names but if they don't agree then use their initials but there is more credibility to using a full name.

Piano's - Digital VS Acoustic

Which piano should I buy? Digital VS Acoustic

A digital piano is great if you are short on space or not sure if your child has a long term interest. Digital pianos are fun as they come with cool sounds and rhythms and doesn't need to be tuned. Also the new digital piano's are great as they now come with the proper weight of keys, they are touch sensitive but sometimes a new digital is just as costly as an acoustic.

The value for a digital piano is just the same as for a computer or a car you drive off the lot. It goes down in value the moment it enters your house. So if you want to buy a digital piano look on craigslist first and then ask me for my opinion. Costco has casio piano's (88 keys) with a bench for about $600.00. They are great for the first few years of piano but if your child chooses to go further in piano you will have to buy an acoustic as a digital piano just doesn't have the weight and action of an acoustic. Many people stand by the new digital and they are superior in quality than they have been in the past but they do have their pitfalls. Especially if the power goes off then your child can't practice. But with the power out, you can always light a few candles and practice on an acoustic (I'm a slave driver, I know it!).

And I do know this from experience. Having lived in remote northern locations (NWT and Yukon) and giving piano lessons and only being able to fly in a digital piano because of the weight restrictions, that when the power goes off (which it did regularly) there were no lessons. I learned early on to improvise and had everyone do theory on the days when there was no power.

An acoustic piano is by far the more important piano for your child to play on. It helps your child build the arm and finger strength they need to play the piano. A new one is costly but sometimes a lower end one is the same price as a high end digital. Again check on craigslist or kijiji for a used one, get the opinion of a piano tuner before you even buy it. Please don't purchase a piano that hasn't been seen by a piano tuner, even if it's a GREAT price. There could be something wrong with it that could be a costly investment for you to fix it up. And those old piano's that weight 1000 pounds and are 100 years old and are really cheap and you need to hire a moving van and a bunch of strong men to move it. Leave it where it is. That's just my opinion.

And there is nothing worse for your child to play on than a piano that is out of tune. I bought a lower end drum kit for my daughter who wouldn't practice until I bought a high end drum kit. Sound and quality made all the difference in the world. but it still wasn't the most expensive drum kit around it just sounded better. Even as a beginner your child knows a good sound from a bad one. So what piano should you invest in?

It's all about choice and what's good for you and your family but never contend for something that is just a good deal and keep your mind open to the option that i

November Newsletter from Solo Time Music Games

November Newsletter from Solo Time Music Games