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Episode Summary
If you’ve ever experienced emotional labor determining makeup lesson policies in your studio, today’s episode will provide a little therapy. Australian-based piano teacher Samantha Coates invites a perspective that paints a vivid picture of why a no-makeup policy is absolutely reasonable.
(This episode is a replay of Episode 066 – Samantha Coates on How to NOT Give Makeup Lessons.)
Stay tuned to the end, though, as Amy follows up Samantha’s conversation with some personal thoughts, experiences, and perspectives on the topic that was not part of the original episode.
Samantha Coates is the creator of BlitzBooks, a popular music education series focusing on theory, rote repertoire and sight reading for piano. Her 35+ years of teaching experience combined with her entertaining presentation style has made Samantha a sought-after lecturer on a wide range of pedagogical topics.
Items Mentioned
Episode 066 – Samantha Coates on How to NOT Give Makeup Lessons
Transcript
Welcome to episode 116 of the Piano Pantry Podcast. Amy Chaplin here, your host, ready to bring you this podcast ad-free, thanks to the support of friends of the podcast on Patreon. Join today for as little as $4 a month and come alongside your colleagues to support this work.
Last week, I worked with a consulting client through new policy considerations, including enforcing a no-makeup lesson policy. To give or not to give makeup lessons is a topic I don’t think will ever go away in our profession, as the private lesson format makes clients and teachers alike naturally feel as if there should be more flexibility than there might be for something like a dance class, but that’s just not necessarily the case.
Since this debate is always such a hot topic, unsurprisingly, the most downloaded episode of this podcast is one by Australia-based teacher Samantha Coates on how to NOT give makeup lessons. Since many of you are likely going through the process of updating policies for the next term, I wanted to bring this popular episode back into your ears today. Samantha invites a perspective that really helps paint a vivid picture of why a no-makeup policy is absolutely reasonable.
If you’ve ever experienced emotional labor determining makeup lesson policies in your studio, let me provide you with Samantha’s piano teacher therapy today.
Stay tuned to the end, though, as I follow up Samantha’s conversation with some personal thoughts, experiences, and perspectives on the topic that was not part of the original episode.
Before we dive into the episode, I wanted to share a little tip with you today. If you include an awards time at the end of your studio recitals, what about calling them “Recognitions” instead? Last year, I caught a glimpse of a teacher friend’s program online who used this term instead of awards, and it struck me that the simple change in verbiage really was perhaps more fitting.
Yes, we might have actual awards we give out, but it’s also likely a time to recognize students for their years in lessons and graduating seniors. These aren’t necessarily awards, so I like how enlisting the term “recognition” is more generalized and all-encompassing.
Just some food for thought today! Let’s get on with the show!
Sorry, but the guest host content is not available in the transcript.
I hope Samantha has encouraged you today and provided a perspective you may have never considered. As we wrap up, I wanted to share a couple of thoughts of my own to follow up.
First of all, I think it’s important for us to remember that our policies are, first and foremost, about protecting us as business owners. No one else is out there setting our work expectations and schedules. It’s important we have strong policies and guidelines in place as a foundation. From there, it’s up to us if we want to have a little give and take.
It’s when we have wishy-washy policies that open the door to too many considerations, such as allowing makeups in certain cases, that we end up having to deal with the emotional labor of whether a missed lesson qualifies or not.
Give yourself the backing of a strong policy so it can support you when needed, but if a situation arises where you feel you can give grace, then give it freely. Here’s a story from my own experience that fits this perfectly.
When I first opened my studio, I had a policy that late payments would incur a $1 late fee per day. I had a mom complain that it was ridiculous and that she would never pay a $1 per day late fee. As a young business owner, the confrontation put a lump in my throat, but thanks to talking it out with my husband, I just told her that my policies are there to protect me in case I get clients who were chronic abusers of tuition deadlines. I was not worried about that being an issue with her, and if she was late once, I wasn’t going to be a stickler over a dollar. That answer was enough for her; I have never forgotten that verbal response. (As a side note, I now pretty well do auto monthly payments so just keep a general statement that excessive late payments may result in termination of lessons.)
Our policies are there to protect us. Err on the side of strict, such as stating no make-ups. Then, if and when you do give grace to a student when you can, it will be an offering and not an expectation you are required to fulfill.
Personally, I have moved to titling this section of my policies as “Non-Attendance.” Just as I was talking about in my tip earlier in the episode in using the term recognitions vs. awards, there’s a huge shift in mindset when we call a missed lesson a “non-attendance policy” rather than “make-up lesson policy.”
Remember, friends, no one else is making the rules but you for your work-life balance. You’re a business owner. A business needs a foundation, and that starts with your policies.
If you’re still making plans for your summer still, consider attending the piano teacher digital organization retreat hosted in my home in Indiana. This 3-day getaway is priced at $345 and includes 3 breakfast meals, 3 lunch meals, evening drinks and snacks, accommodation, and all the session content. Visit PianoPantry.com/retreat for details.
Don’t forget the deadline for submitting proposals for the 2025 MTNA National Conference in Minneapolis is this Thursday, April 18. If you are curious about advice for submitting proposals, jump into the Music Studio Startup podcast, where I was just talking about this topic with Andrea Miller.
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