Since opening my own studio, I have a little more flexibility in what I can offer my students. I have always wanted to do group music classes, but have found it hard to ask students to commit to a group class once a week. I decided to add an optional group class once a month on Saturdays. The class is two hours in the afternoon and just ten dollars per student. There is no commitment beyond attending the one class. I found that most parents really liked the idea of an occasional Saturday class. It gives their children something fun to do on the weekend after all!
I had the first group class last Saturday, and the students had a wonderful time. Five students attended. I’m okay with my income varying for these group classes because I know sometimes it may be more and sometimes it may be less.
We did the following activities on Saturday:
- Ear Training with Intervals – I let the students decorate index cards with M2, M3, P4, and P5 on them. I had crayons, foam stickers, and pipe cleaners for them. I then played different intervals on the piano (major seconds, major thirds, perfect fourths, and perfect fifths), and they raised their cards for the answers.
- Rhythm with Cups (we used Wendy Steven’s Rhythm Cup Explorations)
For the group classes, I plan to continue to do different games and activities with students for rhythm, theory, and ear training. I also plan to finish with a small masterclass so that students can play for each other.
Lauren teaches piano to students of all ages. She enjoys creating resources for her students and teachers. She is the author of Ready for Theory®. For personalized help, check out the consultations page for teachers.
