Episode 096: Cheers to Naming Your Studio Vibe

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Hello there, music teacher friends!  Welcome to Episode number 96 of the Beyond Measure Podcast.  I get excited to announce that number each week because we are getting oh-so-close to triple digits, friends!  AND – while we’re talking about milestones….  This little podcast turns TWO YEARS OLD THIS WEEK!  Woohoo!  Two years, and ALMOST 100 episodes in, friends… it’s such an honor to have been in your ears this long. Kate Bowler – a writer and researcher I love – always says that she secretly started her podcast just so she could make more friends.  And I kind of feel like that’s been the case for me, too.  I genuinely started this show so I could be a friend to the profession at large, but really, it’s ended up gifting ME friends right back. 

Anyway – because I haven’t actually said this part yet today… Christina Whitlock here, and I am your self-proclaimed Anytime Piano Teacher Friend, here to give you a hefty dose of solidarity whenever you can squeeze time with me into your crazy teacher schedule.  Thanks so much for listening today.

Today I wanted to get you thinking about the overall vibe of your studio. Specifically, I want you to consider the FEELINGS you evoke as a teacher.  Like, how do your students feel when they are with you, and as they are leaving their lesson with you? 

I know some of you are already WAY on top of this, but I know a lot of studio teachers who have yet to really find their sense of identity in the teaching community. 

Because, make no mistake:  learning to play the piano might be the primary objective of why students come to us, but it’s only PART of why they stay.   It’s important for us to remember that consumers, aka PEOPLE – like our studio families – generally purchase things based on the way they make them FEEL.

That’s right, friends.  There’s a distinct argument to be made that people don’t buy products or services.  They buy feelings.  Don’t believe me? There’s evidence all around us.

Designer handbags?  Maybe they make their owners feel accomplished.

Shopping for a new vehicle?  Maybe you gravitate toward the one that makes you feel safe.

Those overpriced beverages we swing through the drivethru to purchase too often?  Maybe they make us feel like we’re doing something to treat ourselves.  They buy us a quick illusion of self-care.

Eyeing a new gadget for your kitchen?  Maybe you just want to feel less burdened by meal prep.

This list can go on forever… but think about something you’re kind of dreaming about purchasing these days.  Maybe it’s a new coat for the coming winter.  Maybe it’s hiring a landscaper to re-work your backyard.  Maybe it’s a new puppy.  Whatever it is  you find yourself wanting, ask yourself what you’re REALLY trying to accomplish with that purchase and I’ll bet there’s a strong feeling attached to it.

Feelings like security.  Joy! Peace.  Comfort.  Love.

Emotions are REALLY powerful guides.  And so – as we continue to think about the fact that consumers buy feelings moreso than actual products and services, let’s focus our energies on how this impacts our studios.

I want you to think about your students and whoever bankrolls their music education.  😊  If you want to ensure they continue in your studio, you have to consider the FEELINGS they are coming away with each week…. Each month… and each year.

So.  With that in mind:  Let’s say you’re a parent looking for music lessons.  Insert whatever instrument you want into this scenario.  Parents in this situation might have genuine appreciation for the instrument itself and want their children to learn, but let’s be honest.  There’s usually more to it.

Maybe parents want music study to help increase their child’s confidence.  They’re looking to buy encouragement.  Maybe parents know the research and they’re looking to provide an academic benefit for their students. They’re probably looking to purchase competence.  Maybe they’re looking for an activity to help teach their child discipline.  They’re essentially hoping to trade money for focus training.

The fact of the matter is, there are many, many feelings parents are looking to buy when they’re shopping for a music teacher.  They might not even realize it, but they are.

Some are looking to buy status. To keep up with the Jones’s, so to speak.

Some are looking to buy redemption for their own childhood.  Their parents couldn’t afford lessons, so they vowed to make them a reality for their own kids.  You know it; we see this all the time.

Some parents are buying the thrill of possibility.  They see a glimmer of musical potential in their toddler and they are COMMITTED to nurturing every possible gift that child has.

Some parents are buying connection.  They know their child struggles with relationships and they are investing in a music teacher to help their student learn how to communicate with another adult.  That is a great reason, by the way.

Some parents are buying nostalgia.  They loved their own childhood music experience (or, at least, they love the way they REMEMBER their childhood music experience… those can be two very different things!)… but these parents are often looking for a very specific type of musical experience. Something that will make THEM relive their own childhood through the eyes of their offspring.

Of course, this list of feelings parents are shopping for in a music teacher can go on into infinity.  And, this is to say NOTHING for ADULT students – a demographic I love with my whole heart and hits this particular topic on a completely different level of intensity.

But I bring this up because I am often surprised by the number of studio teachers I encounter in the real world who seem to think there is only one path toward learning an instrument.  Those who think music lessons are basically a series of checklists… do this, check.  Do that, check.  Now do this, check.  Now do that, check.  You guys.  That is never going to bring you success.  PEOPLE are our business.  HUMAN BEINGS.  Relationships are everything.  And, at the heart of any successful relationship is how the person you are in relationship with makes you FEEL.

Okay.  I think I’ve made my point, right?

The way I see it, there are basically two different approaches you could take with this information.  And I have a strong opinion on which one is better.  😊  But I think there are two options:  One, you could consider what emotions are going to have the strongest pull on potential studio families and then market your studio in that direction.  There’s a lot of validity to that idea.

BUT – I feel strongly that our BEST success in business comes when we look inside ourselves and decide what WE bring to the table.  What is YOUR strength in teaching?  I recommend spending some good old-fashioned time reflecting on your life’s experience this week, and really ask yourself what feelings YOU are selling in your studio work.  Look back through any saved conversations with studio parents or cards from students you’ve kept, or whatever.  If you don’t actively keep a file of encouragement for yourself as a teacher, I strongly recommend going WAY back and listening to episode 20 of this podcast, titled Cheers to Preserving Gratitude. I am a BIG believer in making it EASY to find encouragement from the past for when you need it.

But anyway – reading positive feedback from students and parents can be a great way to identify what it is you are REALLY doing well.

And – when you decide what feelings you are good at conjuring up in your students and their families – otherwise known as your studio vibe – please know that I believe there is room for ALL of us in this profession.  Your studio vibe might be very different from mine, but it doesn’t make one of ours any better than the other.  There is room in our profession for the exclusive teachers, the recreational teachers, the outside-the-box teachers, the neurodivergent teachers, the strict teachers, the playful teachers, the quiet teachers, the boisterous teachers…. I mean, all of us.  We all serve a role in the teaching community.  There is a need for all the different feelings we are selling.

But any good marketer is going to tell you, you need to hone in on your vibe.  This often translates to what they call, “defining your ideal client”.  This is going to help you frame the kind of content you publish on your website, the style in which you write your emails and text messages, the photos and captions you share on social media, all of it.  THIS IS THE REAL REASON YOU NEED TO INDENTIFY YOUR STUDIO VIBE.  SO YOU CAN PORTRAY YOUR STUDIO APPROPRIATELY.

I’ve said before on this podcast that, once upon a time, I wanted to have a very exclusive studio.  I wanted to have exacting standards and high performing students.  I wanted clean sweeps in all the local competitions…. In short, I wanted to be known for high standards, and outstanding results.  I wanted students and parents to feel part of the elite.  I wanted to sell feelings of superior achievements.  Of hard work and big results.

…and, to be fair, my students get great results.  I’ve had some very high performing students, and DO seem to be able to inspire students to work to a higher standard.  But what happened to that teacher who desired to be one of the elite?  Well, she ended up getting caught: hook, line, and sinker, by a genuine desire to teach EVERYONE music.  You guys, I believe music study benefits ALL of humanity.  I don’t WANT to choose students based on potential.  Those teachers are out there, and they’re filling their niche well.  But really, you give me a good-hearted kid, or a shy kid, or a kid who has struggled to find understanding in school or their social circles?  Oh man… am I all about that kid. 😊  Don’t get me wrong… I love the overachievers.  But, as I’ve said here before, I can’t help but think the transformative power of music is even STRONGER when given to a student who struggles elsewhere in life.  SO – student families who seek me out tend to be well-aware that I am all about the student relationship.  I am all about investing in these students in a way that allows them to feel confident in their progress, whatever pace that may be.  I’ve learned my place in life is to be an equal-opportunity encourager.  Whoever you are, whatever you do, by golly, I’m going to find something about you to celebrate.  And, you know?  Nothing makes me feel better than that very thing.

Now. That’s my vibe.  It works for me.  It lights me up. When I can end a long day of teaching with full assurance every student left my studio feeling better about themselves than when they entered, I’m happy.  And – trust me – there’s A LOT of work and education that plays into my ability to do that.  It’s not all empty praise and participation trophies around here, I promise.  😊 

I want you to find YOUR vibe this week.  What feelings are you selling, friend?  What kind of teaching gives you that feeling of, “ah! THIS is why I do what I do.”  

You know by now, the whole purpose of this show is to help you find happiness in this very-draining profession we’ve chosen.  And this is really the secret, friends:  Find the kind of teaching you love to do, and do THAT KIND.  Now.  Might you have to teach some students who don’t fit your idea client mold?  Of course.  But start putting your vibe into your studio marketing and the tides will begin to turn.

Do you want high-achieving students?  Highlight those you have, those you’ve worked with in the past, and craft your verbiage accordingly. 

Do you sell patience?  Market that.

Do you sell creativity?  Market that.

…You get the drift, friends.  This is one of those areas of business where a solid 30-minutes of reflection CAN make a dramatic difference in your studio.  So, if you’ve never thought about your studio vibe before, this is your invitation to create a word or two that sums it up.  If you’ve already decided on yours, this could be a time to re-commit, or maybe even re-evalute…deciding if your vibe is really working for you, or if it’s time to switch gears.

While you contemplate those BIG ideas, I’m going to wrap us up with a toast:

Music teacher friends of the world, today I remind you that there is room in our profession for the exclusive teachers.  The teachers with exacting standards and high expectations for parental involvement and practice time.  There is room for recreational teachers, whose standards for those types of things are incredibly minimal.  There is room for teachers who do things traditionally, and those who don’t.  None of us are any less than the other.  AND – hear me – we don’t only have to do one thing.  I love having an extreme combination of different levels of students… but I’ll tell you, it’s more work.  MUCH more work.  For me, the variety is worth the work, but you might find your story to be quite different.  When all is said and done, I just want to celebrate each of us.  Every studio teacher I know makes an impact on their community for the better.  Investing in people – and in feelings – is one of the most selfless ways we can choose to spend out time.  And with that in mind, I say cheers to you, my highly-influential music teacher friends.  Here, here.

That, friends, is episode 96!  Before we go today, I have a few requests.  One, I would like to invite you to leave me a voicemail, celebrating our nearing 100 episodes together.  There is a link in the shownotes for this episode.  You would MAKE MY DAY if you left a brief message for me, telling me a favorite thing about this podcast, or one significant takeaway you’ve had from the last 100 episodes.  I’d love it if you’d leave your name, and I’ll likely use a few of these messages on the 100th episode.  So, if you’d like to join me on the airwaves – or even just add some fuel to my encouragement tank – I hope you’ll consider leaving a voicemail today… or this week.  Whenever. 😊

If you haven’t left a written review on Apple podcasts, that’s always a great way to send thanks my way, and, of course, you’re welcome to join my Patreon community, where you can send a little financial encouragement my way as well.  😊

I’ll leave things there for now, and send you onward and upward as you work to define your studio vibe this week!  Let’s talk soon.   (now go leave that voicemail!).