by Rachel | Uncategorized
Being self-employed and running my own full-time business has been a dream come true, it really has. But there are definitely some noticeable voids now since leaving my job — first and foremost being my former coworkers and students. Also on that list? Paid holidays.
Today is Columbus Day, and with most of my students off from school, I’ve always canceled lessons and music therapy sessions on this day in years past. However, my studio doors are open for business today.
And as much as I miss the idea of paid holidays and vacation days, the reality is that I don’t mind working when most people aren’t. My winter break may be shorter this year, and there will be no spring break at my studio, but since the work I do doesn’t feel much like “work” at all, I’m not complaining.
I will, however, be reaping the benefits of everyone else being off today: several of my students are coming earlier than usual for their lessons or sessions, which means my work day will end before the sun goes down. That is an extremely rare occurrence, and one worth celebrating. Happy Columbus Day, indeed!
by Rachel | Uncategorized
To potential clients, that is. (I promise I’m not trying to pry into your personal life!) I made the decision to include my phone number on my studio/private practice website last spring when I was really trying to grow my business, and now am going back and forth about removing it.
Here’s the thing: I really dislike talking on the phone. I’m an email gal all the way, especially when it comes to interacting with new people. But I understand that a parent might want to talk voice-to-voice with a potential music therapist or music instructor, which is why I posted my phone number in the first place. And it worked.
But now that my studio is full with a long waiting list to boot, the phone calls from potential clients are starting to wear on me. Instead of answering a call from an unfamiliar number, I let it go to voice mail instead. As I type this blog post, I have at least 10 voice mail messages waiting for my attention and response. Terrible, I know!
Before I take my phone number down, I thought I’d ask your opinion. Do you post yours? And if so, is it a dedicated business number or your personal number? Help!
by Rachel | Uncategorized
Last spring, I chronicled the renovation of my new studio right here at Listen & Learn. I asked readers for decorating and organizing suggestions, and was thrilled to receive a boatload of ideas from the wonderful Susan Seale, who has a music and movement education studio of her own.
The pictures Susan sent me of her studio sparked a fun idea: why not showcase the places where my readers create, teach, and facilitate musical experiences? So this is the inaugural edition of a new series called “My Musical Space” — beginning with Susan’s beautiful studio. (Click the pictures to view larger versions.) Let’s start with the entrance and waiting room:
“These are photos of the hallway, looking into the office with it’s busy-ness and the organized but extremely busy storage beside the office (and thankfully out of view of my clients…when I have the curtain drawn).”
“I have a ton of equipment and movement props that are organized into cupboards made for me:) Storage for ukuleles and orff instrumentarium, puppets, percussion, rainsticks..super long ones!”
“The floors are fun here…specially designed pattern in the music room to facilitate movement with the very young. Two pianos. I don’t know if you can see in the photos, but I have a tree net scrunched up hanging on the wall beside the ball bag. I hang the net across the opening to the piano area and store big instruments like the cello and such behind the net during my baby classes…to keep babies and instruments safe.”
Thank you so much, Susan, for giving us an inside look at your amazing musical space! You can learn more about Susan, her studio, and all her brilliant ideas by visiting her blog, Make Me Musical.
Readers: if you’d like to submit pictures and captions of YOUR musical space for an upcoming feature, please email them to me. Keep in mind that it doesn’t have to be a studio; maybe your musical space is your car, or a corner of your living room, or the closet-sized office where you work (I used to have one of those!). Whatever it may be, I’d love for you to share with us.
by Rachel | Uncategorized
After writing on Monday about my first day back to work (and official full-time self-employment), I was hoping today’s “Friday Fave” would be a celebration of a successful first week back. And guess what: it is!
I still have today’s lessons and music therapy sessions to go, but I’m optimistic that they will go just as smoothly as the previous four days. It has been such a relief to have students coming through the door exactly as scheduled — because as I’ve written about before, scheduling is the hardest part of running a studio and private practice.
But that hasn’t been the best part of the week. Not even close. Far and away, the best part has been seeing and hearing my students’ progress (mixed in with a few great excuses here and there).
Yesterday, for example, one of my piano students blew me away by playing “Hey Jude”. We had just started it at his last lesson before the break, and three weeks later (after working on it completely by himself), he gave a nearly flawless performance. Those are the moments that remind me just how lucky I am to do what I do.
Of course, there are still kinks to work out…like adjusting to having so much unscheduled time during the day. I’m working on a schedule that will help me use that time more productively, and I think next week I’ll have a better handle on it. It’s always tough to get right down to business after a long vacation, which is why I’m trying not to be too hard on myself ;)
How has your week been? I hope you are celebrating its fantastic-ness right along with me today. Here’s to an awesome Friday and a fabulous weekend!
by Rachel | Uncategorized
Early morning workout? Check! Coffee? Check! Game plan? Check! Am I ready to get back to work today or what? Check!
After two long, lazy weeks of vacation, the thought of seeing all of my students this week makes me giddy with excitement. Not only does teaching lessons and providing music therapy keep my brain active and alert, but it also gives me plenty of fresh material for the blog. Not to mention the fact that I just plain ol’ love what I do.
Never before have I had the luxury to spend my days planning, practicing, creating, recording, and writing — all in my pajamas, if I so pleased. But that is what my new schedule allows, since I no longer balance my full-time studio with a full-time job at a school. Sure, my days stretch a little further into the night, but the freedom that I have now is so worth it.
There is still so much I have left to do before I welcome my first student into the studio at 3 pm this afternoon, so I’d better get a move on. Here’s wishing you all an exciting and productive Monday, and crossing my fingers that I have the same!
