Navigating Concert Week Chaos: A Music Teacher's Survival Kit
Concert week—the grand finale that puts on display our and our students' hard work! Yet, the journey to that moment can be a bit tumultuous at times. Fear not! Here's your shortcut to concert week success without losing your cool (and all your sleep that week).
Embrace Early Planning: Start early, plan wisely. Craft a roadmap with rehearsals, sectionals, and practice goals. I use this notebook to keep myself organized! Share the plan with students and parents for smooth preparation. Try to have deadlines in place earlier than you actually need those things completed in case you experience delays.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: Ditch the solo act and delegate tasks to students or parent volunteers (this can feel so hard but be so rewarding! Students thrive when given responsibility appropriately). Whether it's setting up the venue, managing costumes, or handling backstage logistics, there's strength in numbers. A shared load eases the burden.
Organizational Magic: Master the art of organization. Utilize tools like spreadsheets and calendars to tame rehearsals, attendance, and communication chaos. I love using Attractwell for contacts, keeping organized, and sending info to students' families since I am self-employed. And don't try to remember it all on your own! Timers and to-do lists are my best friend.
Spread Positivity: In the midst of tension, sprinkle positivity -- laughter helps so much. Celebrate small victories and reassure students that their hard work is paying off. One of my greatest mentors' motto was, "Cheerful and flexible. If you can't be cheerful, be flexible. If you can't be flexible, be cheerful! And if you can be both... GREAT! Do that."
Strategic Rehearsals: Conduct smart rehearsals. Identify and prioritize challenging sections early in the week for a smoother performance. Talk less and sing/play more.
Create a Supportive Environment:
Amidst chaos, cultivate a supportive atmosphere. Encourage, uplift, and acknowledge the ensemble's hard work.
Self-Care is Essential: Don't forget yourself! Get rest, stay hydrated (without the caffeine that can hurt your voice -- this is my favorite go-to for non-caffinated energy), and take short breaks. Your well-being is crucial.
Master Communication: Keep everyone informed about schedule changes and expectations through emails, newsletters, and social media.
With early planning, teamwork, positivity, and self-care, you're not just surviving concert week; you're thriving. Embrace the excitement, enjoy the music, and make this week a crescendo of success. Cheers to the magical symphony you're about to create! 🎵
I get asked all the time what online systems and processes I use as a self-employed music teacher!
Such as... What website host do you use? How do you keep track of all of your students' families? How do you send all of those onboarding emails without forgetting any? How do you give online music lessons? How do you accept payments? And more.
I found that there are some free options that work for some of these functions, but it was really hard to get them to "talk" to each other, and often there were glitches or other frustrating technical issues. Once I found a system that does it all, I realized it was worth paying for so that I didn't waste time on glitches or having to do those onboarding tasks manually. Once I set it all up, it automatically sends emails or adds new students to the appropriate tags so that I send them what they are supposed to receive. It even includes Zoom, so I don't have to pay for that separately!
My all-in-one resource is called AttractWell. It is a CRM, blog, website, landing page system, payment processor, and more all rolled into one, and their customer support has been amazing. I even asked to go "between" their different levels at one point because I didn't need to upgrade yet, and they were so easy to work with. A simple email got me exactly what I was looking for, saved me money, and provided what I needed.
I know that there are other resources out there created specifically for music teachers, but this has worked so well for not only my music teaching business, but other aspects of my other multiple income streams as well, making it a great option if you want to be multi-versed or generate income from multiple places.
