In today’s world, getting kids to have an interest in playing the piano is a difficult road to take. There are many things vying for a child’s time. And as a good parent, adults spend their time pouring over the latest reports and articles that help them decide the best direction to go. Two things now dominate our youth:
- Science, technology and math – STEM subjects
- Sports
STEM schools are in such demand, many schools are converting programs to appease the desire. And when it comes to sports, a parent won’t think twice about spending thousands of dollars on the right equipment, camps and training packages to help their child become a star.
With that much attention on those core subjects and activities, the arts are being lost in the process. While this isn’t news to anyone, it is something to consider if you are in the music business, and looking for ways to find more piano students.
There are plenty of kids to go around, and many parents are trying to help their kids find the best path they can. Music and the arts have unbounded benefits, yet in many cases these benefits are getting lost in the messaging that currently is being spread into these other core areas.
Music can improve grades, improve cognitive reasoning, help with memory, even improve SAT scores. When today’s tiger moms and helicopter parents hear the benefits, many of them give music a second look. The key is to market with the positives, and teach parents the benefits their children will learn if they focus on a few minutes of music each week.
When building a piano lesson business, planning for the long term is the best place to start, and referrals will keep your business going month after month, year after year. The starting point is to begin educating the population around you about the benefits of playing the piano. Private teachers should be willing to work with public school systems to provide quality music programs to the masses. When parents begin to see the benefits, they will demand more programs, including private lessons.
When kids learn music at an earlier age, they become more proficient with music theory earlier in life. Music is a skill that can continue for a lifetime. An 80 or 90 something can appreciate music while attending a concert (or even playing in one) in a way they never could with a sport.
While connecting with places in your community where parents and kids regularly attend is a starting point, you also have to continue the marketing process online. Its an online world, with parents doing a lot of research at their favorite online sites before they make any decisions. Do you have a blog? Are you listing your services on places like Craigslist? People can’t learn more about you and your benefits unless you are there to tell them about it. Do a little research and find instructors already doing these things. Use them as a guide.
The more active you become, the more your services will be in the public eye. The key is in the education. Talk about what you do, and the piano lesson business will grow.
