Resource Gems

Resources for Tax Claims, Tuition Raises, Timely Payments and Professional Mindset

Amy Chaplin

Jennifer Walschap, NCTM

MTNA Business Digest, Volume 1, Issue 2

January 2022

From setting tuition rates, paying taxes and upgrading your studio, to embracing a mindset that is open to change, these resources are indeed gems!

Wendy Stevens: Piano Teaching Business Solutions

Looking for advice on business solutions for your studio? Wendy Stevens at ComposeCreate.com has a wealth of information including conversations about raising tuition rates, getting paid on time, budgeting, taxes and more at Piano Teaching Business Solutions.

Rebekah Maxner: Piano Studio Business Claims

Here are 6 ways to invest in and “level-up” your business. Save on taxes while simultaneously upgrading your music studio. Piano Studio Business Claims: The best things in life are tax-deductible.

Recommended Reading

Lynette Zelis, NCTM

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. How we can learn to fulfill our potential. By Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D.

Do we each have an innate way to process information and work on projects, or can we cultivate a new, more open way of thinking? Mindset: The New Psychology of Success is an updated version of the original best-selling book Mindset. Dweck offers ample valuable insight into her research, personal experiences, setbacks and victories, while reflecting on her own mindset and how the mindsets of others impacted her. She contrasts the “fixed mindset” with the “growth mindset” through the use of personal stories, research and contributions from well-known personalities and scientists. Dweck makes the case that we all have preconceived notions of what makes us or our students “talented” or “intelligent.” In this fascinating book, you will discover new ways to frame questions and accolades for yourself, colleagues and students. You’ll get fresh perspectives on how to motivate others to want to learn more and to discover the joys of accomplishments. Dweck debunks myths of inborn talent, entitlement and superiority that tend to cloud our judgements and our achievements. Ultimately, she offers us a way to use our mindset to thrive and persevere in our studios and professions.

Amy Chaplin loves talking about all things piano teaching, studio business, organization, and good food-related. She combines all these passions at PianoPantry.com and runs a highly successful independent studio in Bluffton, Indiana.

Jennifer Walschap , NCTM, is the founder and director of Imagine Music and Arts in Norman, Oklahoma, where she teaches Suzuki piano. She received an MME degree in piano pedagogy from the University of Oklahoma.

Lynette Zelis , NCTM, piano instructor and current president of the Illinois State MTA, is permanently certified by the ISMTA and MTNA. As a member of the Illinois State MTA, she has served as the Achievement in Music (AIM) state repertoire chair and on numerous local chapter board positions including president and vice president.