Should piano lessons require an iPad? Free download for parents!

Have you been asked by prospective parents if a piano is necessary for their child to begin piano lessons? While you're saying under your breath "do you need a soccer ball to play soccer?" you kindly explain why a piano--preferably one in good condition and in tune-- is indeed essential if the youngster is going to make progress. This usually makes sense to the parents and helps them rationalize the expense of a quality instrument. Are you convinced that an iPad, along with a piano, is an essential tool to your teaching?  It's not just a fancy gadget that demonstrates your advancing tech-savvy skills. You've witnessed the relationship between the iPad and student progress. Case in point: the ongoing, continual, unending (no kidding!) testimonies on Facebook and at conferences of teachers cheering the magical powers of the app called Piano Maestro. If you use the app, most likely you've seen the substantial progress of students who play with the app at home as well at lessons.

In addition, do you notice that students who own an iPad gladly download your recommended apps; for example, a free metronome? Remember trying to talk families into buying one of those pricey, slightly annoying gadgets that eventually were ignored or lost? For beginners, it's never hard to talk them into downloading the free version of Petronome so they can match their beat with a bark or blurp or meow.

So, do you find yourself wishing that all your students owned an iPad along with a well-tuned instrument? As of now, I don't require it--an acoustic or digital piano yes, but not an iPad--yet I'm tempted!

Thus, I'm sharing a downloadable PDF for parents called "I Thought We Just Needed a Piano? Now an iPad, Too?" I'll be sending this to my parents who have not yet purchased an iPad or who are leery of anything with that Apple logo on it and you can do the same.

The download addresses questions often asked by concerned parents:

• Why do you recommend an iPad for my child, I thought we just needed a piano?
• Why do you specifically recommend an iPad? Can’t we use the tablet we already own?
• Excess screen time is a concern and that’s why we want our child to play piano and not Xbox or Angry Birds. Now you are asking us to allow more screen time. Why?
• Which iPad should I purchase?
• With all these “amazing apps” for the iPad, why does my child need a teacher?
• Once we own the iPad, what apps should we get?

With Black Friday around the corner and the recent release of the hot (ouch!) iPad Pro, now is the time to jump on the iPad Air, Air2, the mini or even a refurbished model (32G's or more!) If you have a current family that needs a gentle nudge, this PDF download may do the trick.

Or, if you are interviewing a new family, this document is the perfect way to "sell" them on your tech-savvy approach and get them onboard with purchasing an iPad as part of your required materials.

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Personal Online Consultation

Are you looking to expand your studio, make more income, find more time for theory, music history, composition, and get full use out your iPad? Then you need to consider adding Off-Bench time with your On-Bench instruction.

Or, perhaps you know you need to reset or reboot your curriculum and instruction with a tech-savvy iBoost.

I'll take a look at your current situation and help you design a plan to suit your unique studio needs with a balance of tech-savvy and non-tech activities. Let's meet via Skype or FaceTime and brainstorm!

Please contact me (Leila Viss) at lviss@me.com if you are interested in a personal consultation (60 min for $75.)

Remarks from Marie in Nevada after her consultation:

This is so exciting! I can’t stop thinking about all the ideas you shared and probably won’t be able to fall asleep tonight I appreciate you taking the time to make notes for me to refer to, and your connections to other teachers will be invaluable.

-Leila