Building a Successful Music Lesson Program: Step 4—Attract More Students

Once you’ve created a successful music lesson program, how do you grow it? Let’s take a closer look at your overall program and ways to take it to the next level.

Don’t cut corners. A quality program is far more important than the its quantity of students. It’s tempting to cut corners, especially when you’re first starting out. I certainly did, but I learned the hard way. It’s just too important to keep standards high in order to build a lasting, secure and profitable business.

Do invest in your music lesson program. You’re well on your way when your program has a strong, passionate director, qualified teachers, a good rehearsal space and the beginnings of a music library.

Do concerts at every opportunity. Over the years, I’ve found that the best way to bring in new students is to host concerts—near and far, and every type.

Don’t be afraid to take risks. Sometimes, the wackier the idea, the better. For example, we do an annual performance at our local science museum’s Halloween harvest festival. Our orchestra kids dress in costume and perform such pieces as “Rosin Eating Zombies From Outer Space” by Richard Meyer and “The Addams Family Theme.” I rent the most elaborate character costume I can find to conduct in. The kids’ favorite was my Marie Antoinette costume, which had a 2-foot-high blond wig and a skirt circumference too wide to fit into our SUV!

Also in the creative and wacky category, we had a Halloween concert at our local church. We turned off the lights to perform a spooky piece in the dark. The audience loved it, and we sold lots of clip-on lights.

Do consider marching. We like to march! We marched in our community’s Fourth of July parade, trying to set a world record for most consecutive playings of “America the Beautiful.” We marched again in New York City when we couldn’t find a rehearsal space before a big concert.

Don’t be afraid to travel beyond your neighborhood. Performing outside of your town or city is likely to expand your business, especially when audiences see young children playing at a high level. We travel from our suburb to Chinatown in Los Angeles to do Chinese New Year concerts and to perform at the Nisei Week Japanese Festival in Little Tokyo. Every four years, we travel to New York to participate in a Carnegie Hall festival.

Do contact the media. Whenever you’re holding an unusual concert or going to a special venue, call the media. During our fundraising for our Carnegie Hall concerts, we hold a special gala that brings in famous musicians to perform with us. The local, and sometimes national, media picks up the story—and we receive many new sign-ups.

Don’t forget your website. A good website is important for promoting your business. It’s natural to feel resistance to spending valuable dollars on your website. I did for years! Then I invested in a redesign when a company out of Denver called Get Found Fast pointed out that my outdated website was causing me to lose opportunities for new business. The beautiful new design, latest technology and the company’s expertise in organizing my site increased my business almost immediately.

Do know your worth. Don’t be afraid to charge more than the next guy. You’re worth it.

Keep your standards high, and keep attracting more students.

Susan Pascale is founder and director of the nationally acclaimed Pascale Music Institute. Her two books, The Pascale Method for Beginning Violin and Practicing is for the Birds: The Ultimate Practice Organizer With Reward Stickers, are published by Alfred Music. Her children’s orchestras have been featured in national publications and on television. To see and hear her students in action, go to pascalemusicinstitute.com.