The downside of business but I know it's important-the balance sheets. I don't mind doing it, but it's work that isn't paid for. Entrepreneurs have to do all the tasks. Note: Never EVER do finances in retrospect. Trying to remember what check amounts were for last summer and even this fall is obviously inaccurate and thus can only be an estimation. Luckily, it's only for my personal records.
Having said that, I'm very thankful for having taken finance because I am now an excel pro or at least semi-proficient and Z's Keys has made double what it has in the past!!! I believe this is a combination of being able to continue lessons regardless of where I am physically as well as taking on more people than normal during the semester.
I have done some web revision and Z's Keys now has its own email, Twitter, and Facebook fan page so feel free to check 'em out and become fans and "friends."
Happy holidays!
lunes, 21 de diciembre de 2009
domingo, 20 de diciembre de 2009
#1 on Google
I've achieved my goal of being able to type zs keys into Google and being #1! No need for paid advertising. Whoo hoo!!!
Sorry I haven't updated in awhile. This semester has been INSANELY busy, sadly leaving little time to dedicate to the virtual side of the business.
Two of my high school students had their first recital, which went quite well. It's so exciting to hear your students play and know you were a part of them becoming there. It's tre cooler to think that 8 months of that progress was virtual! Proof that Skype pEano lessons aren't a fluke (check out www.zskeys.com)!
I literally got chills when one of my students played Fur Elise. While this semester has been a struggle with my whole relearning how to play piano, I've been able to apply these techniques to my students' technique and helping them to develop preventive technique to injury.
Sorry I haven't updated in awhile. This semester has been INSANELY busy, sadly leaving little time to dedicate to the virtual side of the business.
Two of my high school students had their first recital, which went quite well. It's so exciting to hear your students play and know you were a part of them becoming there. It's tre cooler to think that 8 months of that progress was virtual! Proof that Skype pEano lessons aren't a fluke (check out www.zskeys.com)!
I literally got chills when one of my students played Fur Elise. While this semester has been a struggle with my whole relearning how to play piano, I've been able to apply these techniques to my students' technique and helping them to develop preventive technique to injury.
sábado, 3 de octubre de 2009
Stickers=good strategy
So I finally remembered to bring stickers for my 6 and 8 yr old students as a reward for practicing during the week, but found a new reason to bring them. They help identify keys and by playing a game I even managed to keep the attention span of a 6 yr old for at least 20 mins until she wanted me to put "my friends" away. I gave each key a sticker with an animal on it and named each animal with the letter corresponding to the key. Then I described each animal's home, their key, and how some liked the view of black trees while others preferred a garden while others preferred being in the black woods. Yeah creativity and improv at that :) I then tried it with the older student, 8 yr old, and it worked with her as well. When I took away the stickers they were able to find each key, and if not, I asked them what the houses looked like. Oh the joys of teaching young children.
lunes, 28 de septiembre de 2009
A beginning
They say all experiences should be journaled about, but this is a first journaling about my work life so bare with me. Then again, shouldn't something be journaled about that most people spend at least a 1/3 of their life doing? Thanks to my student life, this isn't quite the case!
I'll first introduce myself and my business. I am a senior in college and have been teaching piano since 2003. Since coming to college, the business has expanded to not only teaching, but accompanying as well. Sophomore year, I had to give the business a name and turn it into an official business for a scholarship so from here on out I will call the business Z's Keys (hence the URL) and you can check the website out at www.zskeys.com. Bare with me, I'm a novice when it comes to web design. Anyway, I competed in an elevator pitch competition to try to expand and receive my own space. Yet ironically, the conference I attended for that competition, did just the opposite. It gave me the idea to make my business mobile permanently-via Skype. Studying abroad in Chile, I was able to maintain at least some pocketchange by teaching piano via Skype. While it wasn't the same as a person-to-person lesson, for a scholarship application I gave a survey to my students to find out what effectiveness it was compared to a traditional lesson, I got answers that ranged between 80-100%, far above my expectation. Some students I did this with for eight months and had evidenced progress. It's also a great alternative for when gets sick or when I go home for holiday. Since returning from Chile, I've made an official Skype username for the business and a business card. I guess my goals right now are to try a completely Skype piano lesson student, meaning I don't have an affiliation with them before beginning the lessons, so technically my audience is anyone who has access to the Internet. However, a wise man told me and I agree with him, that lessons work the way they do because of the relationship you have with the student. I still think it'd be an interesting experiment because you can form a relationship online..ask eharmony. (That was a joke). I'd be curious to see what the dynamic of a 100% Internet student would be like and to see if it would succeed. Personally, I think so. My other goal is to expand the site so I guess this is part of that latter goal.
While some days teaching consumes my free hour, they are truly some of my favorite moments of the week. The things children say brighten my day or, for my more advanced high school students, seeing the progress they have made and knowing I was a guide through that, is a warm-fuzzy like none other. I think my favorite moment (from this year, I can't remember beforehand off the top of my head). was when a six yr old and I were going over finger numbers and I asked her for finger three (her middle finger) and she sticks her middle finger out at me and says, "I'm not doing this cuz I don't like you." It was so presh!
Elaborating on how rewarding it is to see a student progress. For the first time, I have a high school student and just expanded her to 45 min lessons giving much more in-depth lessons and thus more progress made. Her sister just graduated from level 5 so I now have two students without the pedestrian lesson, performance, and theory books :)!
I love the challenge that teaching brings. I got a call on my cell this summer to ask if I'd be willing to teach a two-year-old who seemed to have musical intuitions. My first thought of course was WHAT?! Are you crazy?!? But then I figured, hey I started at age 4 and it will be a good challenge. And Ill get paid for the lesson so it won't be a waste of time even if it isn't progressive. Anyway, while that student didn't remain with me, I may have her brother as the year progresses at age 5 and it challenged me to adapt my method to suit a 2 yr old. Note: markers and drumsticks are great for this! However, 2 is TOO young. But 4 is not, I'm living proof. I learned that about myself after working at camp-I can't handle monotony. And that's why I love teaching and really don't think I could tire of it. It's never monotonous. Each lesson brings its own challenges, rewards, and aha moments or learning moments as a more traditional term.
Wow, I never thought I could write this much about my "professional" life, but here I am :) Thanks for reading.
While I only have 5 students at the present moment, I'm okay with that. It's quality not quantity.
However, I might as well put a plug in for my business. If you have any piano needs, accompanying, playing for an event, or want lessons, feel free to let me know.
I'll first introduce myself and my business. I am a senior in college and have been teaching piano since 2003. Since coming to college, the business has expanded to not only teaching, but accompanying as well. Sophomore year, I had to give the business a name and turn it into an official business for a scholarship so from here on out I will call the business Z's Keys (hence the URL) and you can check the website out at www.zskeys.com. Bare with me, I'm a novice when it comes to web design. Anyway, I competed in an elevator pitch competition to try to expand and receive my own space. Yet ironically, the conference I attended for that competition, did just the opposite. It gave me the idea to make my business mobile permanently-via Skype. Studying abroad in Chile, I was able to maintain at least some pocketchange by teaching piano via Skype. While it wasn't the same as a person-to-person lesson, for a scholarship application I gave a survey to my students to find out what effectiveness it was compared to a traditional lesson, I got answers that ranged between 80-100%, far above my expectation. Some students I did this with for eight months and had evidenced progress. It's also a great alternative for when gets sick or when I go home for holiday. Since returning from Chile, I've made an official Skype username for the business and a business card. I guess my goals right now are to try a completely Skype piano lesson student, meaning I don't have an affiliation with them before beginning the lessons, so technically my audience is anyone who has access to the Internet. However, a wise man told me and I agree with him, that lessons work the way they do because of the relationship you have with the student. I still think it'd be an interesting experiment because you can form a relationship online..ask eharmony. (That was a joke). I'd be curious to see what the dynamic of a 100% Internet student would be like and to see if it would succeed. Personally, I think so. My other goal is to expand the site so I guess this is part of that latter goal.
While some days teaching consumes my free hour, they are truly some of my favorite moments of the week. The things children say brighten my day or, for my more advanced high school students, seeing the progress they have made and knowing I was a guide through that, is a warm-fuzzy like none other. I think my favorite moment (from this year, I can't remember beforehand off the top of my head). was when a six yr old and I were going over finger numbers and I asked her for finger three (her middle finger) and she sticks her middle finger out at me and says, "I'm not doing this cuz I don't like you." It was so presh!
Elaborating on how rewarding it is to see a student progress. For the first time, I have a high school student and just expanded her to 45 min lessons giving much more in-depth lessons and thus more progress made. Her sister just graduated from level 5 so I now have two students without the pedestrian lesson, performance, and theory books :)!
I love the challenge that teaching brings. I got a call on my cell this summer to ask if I'd be willing to teach a two-year-old who seemed to have musical intuitions. My first thought of course was WHAT?! Are you crazy?!? But then I figured, hey I started at age 4 and it will be a good challenge. And Ill get paid for the lesson so it won't be a waste of time even if it isn't progressive. Anyway, while that student didn't remain with me, I may have her brother as the year progresses at age 5 and it challenged me to adapt my method to suit a 2 yr old. Note: markers and drumsticks are great for this! However, 2 is TOO young. But 4 is not, I'm living proof. I learned that about myself after working at camp-I can't handle monotony. And that's why I love teaching and really don't think I could tire of it. It's never monotonous. Each lesson brings its own challenges, rewards, and aha moments or learning moments as a more traditional term.
Wow, I never thought I could write this much about my "professional" life, but here I am :) Thanks for reading.
While I only have 5 students at the present moment, I'm okay with that. It's quality not quantity.
However, I might as well put a plug in for my business. If you have any piano needs, accompanying, playing for an event, or want lessons, feel free to let me know.
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