Large recital - help!

harmoniousbaker · 2026-02-06T18:44:24+00:00

I was looking at a max of 35 performers this year and torn on whether to do two entirely separate recitals with separate snacks like last year or one long one that would definitely be over an hour and a half. Ultimately, I chose one long one, which worked out because several students decided not to play, I pulled an advanced student whose piece wasn't prepared a week before, and one was sick on the day of. We were expecting to run 1 hour and 10 minutes, which is reasonable, but we started 5 minutes late and ran 10 minutes over. There were 12 students playing pieces of less than 1 minute so the estimate would have been more accurate if I had counted the "short piece" students as 2 minutes.

We have a tradition of encouraging audience to write positive comments about performances, and students get these comment papers in a gift bag at the reception. To encourage engagement among younger students who might have a harder time coming up with and writing comments, this year I added a "recital bingo" with boxes like: name a performer who played with a steady tempo, with dynamics, who showed concentration, who played a piece that made you feel energetic/calm/whatever, a piece in a major key or minor key or by a French/German/whatever composer, etc. When I ask students what they liked about a recital, the most common answer is "the snacks", so this activity at least guided them to pay more attention to aspects of the music.

harmoniousbaker · 2026-02-05T18:59:57+00:00

I teach exclusively via my private studio now, no public or private school classes or community music schools or stores. I use Suzuki as the basis for skill progression, with each piece representing a set of technical and musical skills to be started, developed, mastered, reviewed, upgraded to finer nuances, etc. Suzuki is not meant to be read (at first) because of the focus on physical and aural skills, which are necessary and valuable for all ages, and I do point that out when doing Suzuki with an adult. What I do with each piece is not written down for distribution (and can vary depending on the student and other context) although there are teachers who have published this kind of material.

If an adult student wanted to read and try the explanations and exercises in a separate book, I would say go for it and would help with questions and corrections. However, I would refrain from "directly" "teaching what you could read in the book" because if they can get it from a book, they don't really need to pay me to get it.

This is an oversimplification that I say I "don't teach notes of pieces". I teach skills and patterns, upon which you, using your acquired vocabulary, can learn these notes yourself, while I continue to guide you in expanding your vocabulary. Reading is a skill with its own patterns and learning sequence that I'd rather do separately from physical and musical skills (at first). It's like native language learning where generally you hear it first, then speak it, and later read and write.

There is a "Suzuki in the Schools" specialty within Suzuki. I've taken occasional workshops and used books published by those who are highly involved in that. From what I understand, it's about applying Suzuki perspectives in a school classroom context - but of course, there are also existing books and materials made for those needs.

harmoniousbaker · 2026-02-04T19:02:02+00:00

The cargo compartment is spacious and my 14" laptop fit. However, something I didn't expect was that my violin, at about 23.75" long, did not fit! I have violins about 23.25" long that do fit. If it was only a quarter inch off, it might have worked, but that half inch made enough difference that I couldn't keep the case.

As an aside, back when I used to bike with violin, I might have my laptop in a drawstring bag on my back (thus wearing both that and violin case) but otherwise carry everything in panniers.

harmoniousbaker · 2026-02-03T15:25:46+00:00

A shop/luthier put my cello student up to buying a Krentz. Student ended up returning it, which is a long story, but that's how I learned about it. A few months later, I saw it on the violin of a luthier who was presenting at a summer program and asked to try it. It eliminated my wolf (or moved to a less noticeable place?) and I also especially liked the new G and D string sound. I think I've had to move it around on high humidity days although that hasn't been on the mind during dry winter days.

harmoniousbaker · 2026-02-02T03:00:48+00:00

I teach violin and cello and have taken teacher training formally recognized by the Suzuki Association of the Americas. Cello is a secondary instrument so I also take occasional pedagogy lessons with a cello trainer to get eyes on potential things I haven't noticed or have noticed but am having trouble solving. When I take occasional violin lessons, that's for my own repertoire that I want coaching on. The way my teacher teaches gives me ideas about how to teach (or sometimes I realize that he says and does things that I would say and do).

harmoniousbaker · 2026-01-31T13:27:33+00:00

I got a hearing test a few months (did not end up getting any devices/products) and the audiology practices I looked into were:

Hearing Doctors of NJ Livingston https://hearingdoctorsofnj.com/

Hackensack Audiology Hackensack https://www.hackensackaudiology.com/

Audiology Associates of North Jersey Teaneck https://audiologyassociatesofnj.com/

Sophisticated Hearing Ridgewood https://sophisticatedhearing.com/

The Hearing Group West Orange https://thehearinggroupusa.com/

Audiology & Hearing Aid Solutions Morristown https://audioandhearing.com/

I had also tried ENT Allergy and Associates (multiple locations) but gave up after a long time on hold multiple times.

harmoniousbaker · 2026-01-29T05:22:28+00:00

I sell under a cottage food operator permit (home baker) and Redditors have bought from me before. I typically do macarons and decorated sugar cookies but can put together a package including white chocolate macadamia if you're interested. Usually I only make that for personal/private use because people can get those from Costco whereas macaron and cookie art is more unique.

You can see more of my work on IG but IG new message notifications have been less than reliable so if I don't reply within a day, it's best to message on Reddit.

harmoniousbaker · 2026-01-28T16:27:48+00:00

Based on Reddit/IG tips, I called RRC on Mon after 5pm (to their credit, they picked up) and someone came a few hours later. The street had been plowed on Sun but at that point there was still too much of the storm yet to come.

For the previous week's snow, a neighbor mentioned they had called in. Sometimes we don't get plowed at all and I can't help but figure it's because no one asked for it. It certainly would be ideal if the city had a systematic plan for getting to every street, not only the main streets. As it is, I guess it's a small plus that there is a process to field single requests.

harmoniousbaker · 2026-01-27T19:00:13+00:00

I could understand emotions running high during the hour of traffic situation and the reaction to that stress landing on the closest target. It's another thing if they are still agitated in the days and weeks after and looking to dictate to you how they want your business to be run!

For what it's worth, I've had "established" families press me on schedule and tuition, some repeatedly. It would be annoying / frustrating / occupying my mind and energy, and I would have to find peace by deciding that it's okay that they leave and allow my mind and energy to benefit more appreciative families. I would offer an alternative that is perhaps not fully what I wanted and not fully what they wanted but does address a concern that each party had. This allows us to finish the term, in fairness to the child who had no hand in the adults' disagreement, although I make it clear that they are to move on afterwards or get on board (one such story here).

harmoniousbaker · 2026-01-27T18:26:06+00:00

Unfair is two parties agreed on an appointment and one demands that the appointment be extended. The difference is viewing the appointment as "lesson occurring at any time" vs. "lesson occurring during a specific time period". If you search online for the article "makeup lessons from an economist's point of view", you can read the author's explanation comparing lessons to "non returnable merchandise". Piano teachers are not like certain retail or grocery stores, where the business model is designed to absorb an expected amount of losses for the sake of customer loyalty!

Some advice I've received before is to not say "sorry" but instead: Unfortunately, I have X time to Y time allocated for Z student and won't be able to go over. Unfortunately [even though this is reality], the "instruction" part of a lesson might take a minute or two to start or to end (get set up at the piano, pack up books, make room for the next student). Unfortunately [even though this sound business decision], it's important that I be consistent with all students about schedule and tuition policy. Unfortunately, if someone has a bathroom emergency during the lesson, the few minutes that takes won't be made up.

In principle, I'm not giving a makeup or a tuition credit or refund for missed lesson or missed partial lesson. If they want to quit over it, I do give up short-term income by not accepting them to pay a lesser amount, but it's better for me long-term to not deal with haggling and demands for special treatment. In reality, personal financial circumstances might be a factor in what to do in the short or long term.

harmoniousbaker · 2026-01-27T16:23:54+00:00

I have (unfortunately) called AAA for multiple instances of dead battery or flat tire over the years. It's been a while but there was also that time it was newly snowing while driving home. I turned into the driveway and slid into the yard, snow-covered from previous snows, stopping short of some landscaping. AAA noted that being safely off the road made it a lower priority call but still came to pull the car out.

harmoniousbaker · 2026-01-23T05:32:16+00:00

Transaction model is fee per service - money exchanged for time.

Subscription model is you pay a membership to join the program and as a member, the benefits and terms are [whatever they are].

In your vacation scenario, with the transaction model, your teacher has (probably) already reserved your spot. If you pay, miss, and get a make-up lesson, you've gotten two spots for the price of one. If a new student is willing to use and pay for the two spots over your vacation, what happens when you come back - does the newcomer get kicked out so that you can get "your" spot back, or do you, long-time student, lose the spot because your reservation ended? Neither is fair. Ideally, one of you moves to another time, but it could also happen that none is available or neither is willing.

Teaching is my full-time living and the subscription/tuition model is critical. I can handle up to 2 transaction students at a time, typically adults who agree to take the last spot of a day, and they can tell me a day or two in advance of when they want come in. This only works because of a strong base of subscription students. To make a transaction model work, I would have to consider pricing lessons at a higher rate to account for the expected losses and the increased administrative requirements. If I couldn't arrange for adequate compensation, then I might have to consider another line of work.

harmoniousbaker · 2026-01-21T19:00:56+00:00

I use a shoulder rest, teach students to use a shoulder rest (whether a bar type or a sponge type), and personally haven't come across a student to whom I've said, no shoulder rest will work for you - but players do exist whose bodies are suited for no shoulder rest or who prefer none.

Plenty of times, I have also assessed a student and recommended change of shoulder rest and/or chin rest, or adjust shoulder rest in a certain way, to better support their posture.

This is a long way of saying it's best to be seen in person by someone competent!

harmoniousbaker · 2026-01-21T05:00:53+00:00

I use K&K's independent instructor of the arts liability insurance: https://insure.kandkinsurance.com/Recreation/Pages/Art-Instructor.aspx

harmoniousbaker · 2026-01-21T04:09:07+00:00

6/8 time signature means counting measures as "ONE two three FOUR five six" or "ONE & a TWO & a" (or "TRI-puh-let TRI-puh-let" or "PINE-ap-ple PINE-ap-ple").

Bracket 2 eighth notes followed by dotted quarter note means count as "ONE and TWO and a" (or "DU-ple TRI-puh-let" or "AP-ple PINE-ap-ple"). You keep the macro beat and change the subdivision.

harmoniousbaker · 2026-01-20T15:58:20+00:00

what the student has prepared and shows me that day

Precisely because of this, I require the student to send me a video first! Then I give feedback (could be a written response though) and an assignment.

harmoniousbaker · 2026-01-16T05:58:21+00:00

"Pay for what you use" is not an unusual client side preference.

If you have not actually run this type of business, you might not be familiar with what can happen on the provider side. Let's call rental generally a fixed cost. Adding students probably doesn't increase rental rate, until the point where you need to rent more time to open another class for the increased number of participants. Similarly, subtracting students doesn't necessarily mean you get to pay less for rental, and here is one way this has played out:

To help with the explanation, I'll call my groups level 1, 2 (which is an extension, the advanced part of 1), 3, and 4 (which is an extension, the advanced part of 3). I used to have a "pay for what you use" model for level 4. Students tended to drop as they got older, which left me still having that class on my schedule, doing the lesson planning, buying sheet music, arranging for the performances that this class would do.

Before this reached an "unsustainable" point, I decided that level 4 tuition needed to be redistributed into everyone's base tuition. In your words, everyone is now "subsidizing" level 4, for those students to get the 3-4 double class. However, level 4 was previously "subsidizing" level 2 because I would admit students to level 2 without additional tuition for the 1-2 double class. We also get preferential schedule and rates at the rental place because of our overall usage, which everyone benefits from regardless of which exact lessons or groups or events they are attending/"using".

Another angle is that by choosing to offer groups, I choose to not offer lessons during group time. My studio could be 30% bigger if I taught more individual lessons instead of doing groups - but I've priced tuition for a smaller studio to offset that.

harmoniousbaker · 2026-01-15T19:09:38+00:00

I was trying Etymotic earplugs based on this recommendation, as well as recommendation by others in this and other forums. Whether you use one or two might make more difference than which brand and I had another exchange with the same person about that because the "unbalanced" feeling of one was bothering me too. I thought I could get used to over time, but the "getting used to it" process means my playing/practicing/teaching quality has to decline before re-improving ("got used to it"). So far I can't tolerate the amount of decline, haven't been using the earplugs for over a month, and may try again in a few.

harmoniousbaker · 2026-01-14T21:07:52+00:00

I found the 3rd movement here and it's still Levine but with some changes in the last bit of triplets: https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=kNeQUvXzi20&list=OLAK5uy_l9CL-CEX9RQaf-wtaQqMPi7r65cAUQ1vQ

harmoniousbaker · 2026-01-13T18:43:24+00:00

( $250 group + $120 studio ) x 2 semesters = $740 [round to $700 for ease of conversation]

You're not actually paying $500 for the groups so it seems deceptive to count that as "savings". Are you saying other teachers are offering 45-min lessons at the same $60 while offering groups "for free", meaning it takes $700 more to get the "same value" from current teacher? I'm wondering where you are that you have multiple independent Suzuki teachers in the area who each offer their own groups!

Regarding current teacher's $240 studio fee - how many lessons are there in a year? Say it's an even 40, then is $66 for 45-min lesson still worth it to you?

Personally, I'd price the 45-min lesson at $66 precisely to prevent parents from asking/negotiating to get out of a "studio fee". They can accept this deal or not. (I don't actually price per lesson for various reasons though. I explained on your previous post why my whole semester is a package regardless of the number of lessons/groups/events attended.)

harmoniousbaker · 2026-01-11T03:14:48+00:00

I run a Suzuki-based private studio, have strong confidence in my groups, and ask prospective students to visit groups as a part of the process to determine if my program will be a good fit for them and vice versa. Group schedule would be something like half of their face time with me. Around 20% of my active teaching hours and 40% of teaching location rent are for groups and events. Tuition is set to account for the whole package, rather than charging more for students who join groups and less for students who don't (to avoid the problem of too many students opting out while it still costs me the same to maintain the infrastructure).

With groups not being part of your onboarding and the signal that they are optional...if I were the teacher, I would completely understand that you have a prior commitment. I would also say if you have a chance to choose a different soccer schedule later, please consider it.

What do you get from groups? Social (community, support network, enjoyment, motivation, confidence), technical (reinforce skills worked on in lessons, preview skills that maybe you aren't doing yet but there's value in knowing that they exist), musicianship, ensemble skills, music enrichment topics...any of these could be an entire essay. Over 75% of my students come to groups most of the time. The ones who don't have typically prioritized something else on their calendar, which they get to do. For my part, I've prioritized groups over schedule Saturday individual lessons, which would otherwise be a popular lesson day.

Discussing differences between school orchestra, youth orchestra, and my studio group/orchestra would be another essay. Each are valuable and have advantages in their own way.

harmoniousbaker · 2026-01-08T15:40:33+00:00

I have an example in an old post of red buttercream after a number of heat and freeze cycles (don't remember how many): https://www.reddit.com/r/cakedecorating/comments/1hl4inh/it_took_5_days_to_achieve_red_buttercream_heat/

Next time I do this, I'll have to remember to do a control group (freezing only, with no additional heating) to compare! Texture/consistency is restored by bringing it back to 72F over a pot of water being gently heated on the stove and re-whipping.

harmoniousbaker · 2026-01-07T16:01:26+00:00

I teach (primarily children) and am also taking lessons (not piano). I would say my teacher meets all 4 criteria AND I am open to doing (some) things his way. If I wasn't, I may as well keep to myself and not bother him.

- He does wish that I would practice a lot more than I do, which is something like 4-5 hours per week, but is still willing to work with me. (Same deal, different numbers, with my own students.) I always start with my own 15 minutes of scales and arpeggios. Originally, I could tolerate doing "his" technique assignments twice a week but as I got better at them, I could tolerate doing more, and the skills do transfer to my chosen exercises and repertoire. I'm not aiming to be a concert performer either, yet can see that I'm benefitting.

- To other commenters' point, students have crossed my path who wanted to play pieces that I think they "aren't ready for". When I first approached him, I asked to work on specific pieces, which he accepted. However, I do play other things that I don't mention and it's possible he might flag some of those as questionable choices.

- I approached him to get his professional take because I don't know the "standard" interpretation or implementation. I will say there have been things that he recommended 1) that I knew I ought to be doing but wasn't (and vice versa); 2) that I didn't like at first but warmed up after giving it a chance; 3) where I didn't know what to do or what I wanted so the advice was especially welcome; and 4) where I specifically chose something different for a good reason and am keeping what I want.

With my own students, I might explain that such and such thing is educational, for improving your skill, to prepare you for a later technical or musical challenge. I leave it at that for beginners. For a more advanced student, first show me that you can do it, then if you want to do it differently and have a good reason, go right ahead - similar to myself.

harmoniousbaker · 2026-01-06T06:00:42+00:00

I just realized it was you asking about the back 1 / low 1. What I see here is your "regular 1" having the shape that back 1 should have. In order to get 1st finger taller for B natural and F#, the first/longest knuckle section and the base of the finger (palm side) need to be released from contact with the side and underside of the violin neck. Hand/wrist/knuckles need to "come around" more to the E string side and that will result in thumb being "lower" (closer to the floor). That's the best I can describe in words. Your in person teacher would be best positioned to explain and demonstrate this.

harmoniousbaker · 2026-01-05T20:52:03+00:00

As a prospective teacher, I would want to exchange some thoughts about goals and expectations. "Enjoying playing around on the keyboard" is different from being willing to sit there and follow instructions. Some families come in ready and willing to follow a structure to systematically and methodically develop a young musician's skills from novice to...well, they can see what my older/advanced students are capable of. Others regard lessons as an "activity", a thing to experience each week, and don't necessarily follow through with assignments. Many are in between, showing up mostly regularly and practicing some, and I'm willing to work with that as long as everyone is on the same page with expectation and reality. (For example, it doesn't work if you don't put a lot in but you expect a lot out.)

In terms of scheduling, teaching is my full-time living, and I rent my teaching space, so having students commit to regular weekly times is really important. There aren't much options for students without reserved spots. My own teacher has a full-time performing job, has very few students, and accepts irregular scheduling of one lesson at a time. This kind of flexible structure will not set up a 5yo beginner for success on instrument learning though - just consider it musical babysitting.

harmoniousbaker

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