
Online Payments
My payment processor of choice has been Coinhop since 2018. Unfortunately, Coinhop shut its doors in December 2024. Currentlye, I do not have one recommendation; however, I have a full podcast episode exploring options. Check it out here:
The Piano Pantry Podcast: Episode 149 – Auto-Payment Processing Options
Boomerang for Gmail. This Chrome extension helps me schedule emails to send at optimal times, snooze messages, and my favorite benefit – follow-up reminders if someone doesn’t respond to your email.
Gmail. My email client. I like using the browser mail client instead of Outlook or Apple’s Mail app.
Flodesk. My email list manager. After using Mailchimp for years and years, I have found Flodesk to be even more sleek, simplified, and user-friendly than Mailchimp.
Forms
Google Forms. Google Forms are free and easy to use. Use it for studio registration forms as well as event sign-up forms. You can easily export the entries into a spreadsheet format.
Tally.so. Tally is another form builder I’ve been using in conjunction with Notion. It takes a little more tech-savvy work to connect the two, so if you shy away from tech, I recommend using Google Forms.
Notion Forms. My productivity and note-taking app of choice, Notion, now has forms integration. If you are a Notion user, I would recommend using their built-in form builder.
Studio Management Software
I do not use dedicated Studio Management Software myself at this time. Current popular options include:
Practice App
Vivid Practice. For online lesson assignments. I especially appreciate the simplicity of the design of this app. Attach sound files, links, and PDFs to every individual assignment.
Hosting / Website / Blogging
BigScoots The process for migrating my site from my former host to BigScoots was shockingly easy. It took a matter of 10 minutes. My site runs so much better now that I’m with BigScoots.
WordPress.org For those more comfortable with technology and looking for lots of customization possibilities. This website, as well as my studio website Studio88Piano.com, are both built-in WordPress.
Weebly.com For those less comfortable with technology, Weebly.com is a great way to go and will help you produce a great-looking website more easily.