Ms. Dingie: Im really interested in putting as many of my students in classes as I can. Ive heard about group piano teaching and I want to do it. More money and less teaching time! Im all for that!
Ms. Cole: Have you ever been trained in the skill of group piano teaching?
Ms. Dingie: Whats there to learn? I mean, you put a kid on every bench and youve got a group piano class. Right? Im putting a nine year old with a five year old and two teenage transfer students.
Ms. Cole: Thats not going to work, Ms. Dingie. The idea is to put together students who are at the same level of piano playing skill. You also want no more than one year age difference between the students. All students in a piano class will be working on the same page of a method book at the same time. They will be playing aloud in ensemble.
Ms. Dingie: Well, the way Im going to teach the class will work. Ill teach each kid for ten minutes while the other students put on headphones or play with the computer. That way each student can be at a different level of piano playing skill. Plus, they can use any method book they like. Im versatile.
Ms. Cole: So what youre really doing is teaching each child a ten minute private lesson but charging the parent for an hour class.
Ms. Dingie: Pretty cool, eh?
Ms. Cole: But a well-taught group piano class means that each student receives an hours instruction from you each weeknot ten minutes.
Ms. Dingie: Theyre all sitting in my studio for an hour. So its an hour class. Besides, Ive just invested in one of those gizmos that sits on top of your piano and you can plug into each kids piano without running around the room. Everybody wears headphones for the entire class. Ive got students working on Bach Inventions, primer solos, church hymns, every method book imaginable--you name it. I just plug into each keyboard and listen for a few seconds, maybe offer a few comments, and then I plug into another students keyboard. They never know when Im going to plug in. By the way, all my piano benches in every class stay filled. When a parent calls for a lesson, I just tell them the day and time that a bench is open. Makes no difference to me what level the kid is on.
Ms. Cole: Thats pathetic. You give real group piano teachers a bad name, Ms. Dingie.
Ms. Dingie: I have to admit Ive had a little problem. I have a four year old in with a class of seven year olds. It seems the four year old goes a little slower than the other studentsshes not reading music yet. I keep trying to get her to sit quietly but shes really starting to fret a lot. Shes in there with an older brother because her mom wants to drive over to my studio only once a week. Moms love me!
Ms. Cole: No kidding!
Ms. Dingie: The only other place to put the four year old is in with some nine and twelve year olds and an adult student. Maybe the adult student will baby sit the four year old.
Ms. Cole: Your piano classes are a mess. Why dont you come to a seminar and get some real training on how to correctly teach class piano?
Ms. Dingie: Heck, Ive got to pay off all these keyboards and that gizmo with all the headphones attached. Ive even bought a computer filled with theory games to baby sit the kids. Ive made a real financial investmentwho has the money to get training? I want to make moneynot spend money!
Ms. Cole: The cost of the seminar would be the least of your expenses. And it would help you to teach group piano correctly. Plus, teachers like you give the rest of us a bad name.
Ms. Dingie: If I get stuck, Ill just call you and try to get you to teach me for free over the phone. And did I mention that Im going to use a different piano method than yours? I know it wasnt written for group piano teaching, but the parents dont know that! And its cheap! I buy it at discount but sell it to the students at full price. Neat little profit for me, eh? Of course, now that Im the churchs organist, I can photocopy all the students music at the church office. Cant get cheaper than that, can you?
Ms. Cole: Do you know that there is a federal law prohibiting photocopying any copyrighted material? Youre breaking the law, Ms. Dingie! If you get turned in youll be arrested.
Ms. Dingie: Oh, that doesnt apply to the church, darlin. And Im photocopying the music for a class that Im teaching at the church. Illegally photocopying music is okay if its for God. Besides that copyright law doesnt apply to piano teachers. Our rules are different, you see.
Ms. Cole: Have you ever considered teaching piano in Leavenworthfor say ten to twenty years? You would have acaptive audience!
Ms. Dingie: Hmmmm?
Ms. Cole: Never mind! How do you monitor your students progress if everyone is working in a different method book in the same class?
Ms. Dingie: That ones easy. All I have to do is make sure every student learns one or two pieces in a school year. They play the same two pieces for Christmas, festival, and spring recital. I figure even a chimpanzee can learn two pieces in a nine-month school year. And the parents love it. They just want their kid to sound good on that recital. And yes, I know your piano method encourages students to learn many compositions during a school year, but Id rather mine learn one or two and really shine at recital time! Right now, Im arranging some popular music for my students to play. I know thats also illegal as heck, but once again, Im photocopying it at the church office so I think Im covered.
Ms. Cole: Well, Ms. Dingie, youve been an experience. Thank you for the interview.
Ms. Dingie: Youre welcome. And you know, if youd do a seminar in Crooked Toe, North Dakota where I live, Id attend. But Im not about to travel to any major city to get that training that you keep talking about. Yessir! "If its not in Crooked Toe, I dont go!" Thats my motto. Oh, by the way I know that I dont buy material from you or anything due to getting that cheap method that I use but if I go out of business, would you sell my keyboards for me?
Ms. Cole: No.
Ms. Dingy: That other method that Im using doesnt offer any kind of teacher support or toll free phone. So I guess Ill be talking to you a lot in the future. But I know youre there to help group piano teachers. Hmmmm. Why are you gritting your teeth like that?
Ms. Cole: Im trying to smile.
Ms. Dingy: Well, Ive got to go. I sure do like the articles on your web page. Maybe youll do one about me sometime. And keep that free MUSE NEWS® coming my way. Its really inspiring! Bye now.