Advertise on podcast: The Victoria Clark Show for Music Teachers

Send me a message! A teacher friend messaged me recently. He'd lost eight students this year, and not one of the reasons had anything to do with his teaching. And yet his question was still: isn't that quite a lot? That gap between what we know and what we feel when a student leaves is what this podcast episode is all about. In this episode, you'll hear: Why a student leaving feels so personal, even when it isn'tThe most common reasons students stop lessons, and when a pattern is worth a closer lookHow my one-month notice period works, and the email I send when a student gives noticeWhat to say when a family leaves without paying their notice periodHow I make the final lessons count, for children and adultsWhy a waiting list changes how a departure feelsMentioned in this episode: Free Studio Policy TemplateMonthly Billing Transition Toolkit (£12)Episode 7, How I Built a 50-Person Waiting ListEpisode 11, What Makes a Good Music Teacher (where I first shared the festival story)Rock Out Loud Live, for online lessons (affiliate link: I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you)If this episode helped, I'd be so grateful if you left a rating or review wherever you listen. And if you know a teacher who's feeling the sting of a student leaving, please share it with them. Access the show notes here: Episode 13 Show Notes

Send me a message! I share how I set my very first teaching rate using a national average survey, and the moment, two and a half years later, that I realised I wasn't an average teacher, and shouldn't be charging an average rate. I talk honestly about the fear of raising a rate on an existing family for the first time, the framework I now use to work out what to charge, and the objections that hold so many teachers back from pricing properly. In this episode: Why benchmark surveys like the ISM teacher fees survey are a ballpark, not a ceilingThe moment I realised I wasn't an average teacher, and what that meant for my rateWhat your rate actually communicates to prospective families, before they ever meet youA practical framework for working out what you should be chargingThe very first time I raised my rate on an existing family, and what actually happenedThe most common objections to charging properly, and honest reframes for each oneResources mentioned: Focus Sessions (£67/hr) The Sustainable Studio (coming soon!) ISM (Independent Society of Musicians) annual teacher fees survey Vibrant Music Teaching Industry Report Episode 5: How to Raise Your Fees and Secure Your Studio For September Without the Guilt Access the show notes here: Episode 12 Show Notes

Send me a message! What makes someone a good music teacher? I used to think there was a right answer to that question. In this episode I share the story of a parent's email that stung more than it should have, and what it taught me about the difference between being liked and being respected. I also unpick why student numbers, retention and exam results are tempting but flawed ways to measure your own worth, and what to look at instead: how you communicate, how you adapt, and who you're truly a good fit for. If you've ever privately wondered whether you're good enough at this, this episode is for you. In this episode: Why “good teacher” means something different for every studentThe flawed metrics teachers reach for: student numbers, retention, exam resultsWhat predicts whether you're a good fit for a studentThe pull between wanting to be liked and needing to be respectedA personal story about a student who was never the right fit, and why losing her cost nothingOne small exercise to help you measure your own value more honestly Resources mentioned: Episode 7: How I Built a 50-Person Waiting ListAccess the show notes here: Episode 11 Show Notes

Send me a message! Do you feel like a "proper" professional, or does part of you still feel like you're just teaching piano on the side? In this episode, I share the story of the night I agreed to something I never wanted to do, and what it taught me about self-respect and boundaries. From there, I unpick what professionalism really means for a self-employed music teacher, why it has nothing to do with qualifications or years of experience, and how it shows up in the everyday systems, habits, and small decisions that make up a working studio. Whether you have been teaching for months or decades, this episode will help you see your own studio, and yourself, as the professional you already are. In this episode: What professionalism really means for a music teacher, and what it doesn'tWhy qualifications and years of experience aren't the whole pictureHow continuous professional development supports a professional mindsetHow policies and systems either reinforce or undermine your professional identityWhat a professionally run studio looks and feels like from a family's point of viewThe small, everyday habits that signal to families that they're in good handsResources mentioned: Piano PlannersTeacher Piano PlannersFocus Sessions (£67/hr)Access the show notes here: Episode 10 Show Notes

Send me a message! Do you even need a website, or is word of mouth enough? In this episode I answer that honestly, for teachers with no website, an outdated one, or one that has never quite earned its place. I talk about what most music teacher websites get wrong, why trying to appeal to everyone appeals to no one, and what changed when I stopped writing generic copy and started writing the truth about who I am and who I teach. I cover what families are looking for when they land on a website, the mistakes that turn ideal students away without you realising, why your pricing page is telling people something whether you mean it to or not, and the specific story of how I rewrote my own website, and what happened afterwards. In this episode: Whether a music teacher really needs a website, or if word of mouth can be enoughWhat families are looking for when they land on a music teacher’s websiteThe common mistakes that make a website feel unprofessional or uninvitingWhat your website should say about you and your studioWhy your pricing page, or the lack of one, is telling families somethingThe simple changes that make the biggest differenceMy own website rewrite story, and what changed when I told the truth Resources mentioned: Episode 7: How I Built A 50-Person Waiting List How To Attract Your Ideal Piano Students Access the show notes here: Episode 9 Show Notes

Send me a message! If you feel like your teaching week runs you more than you run it, this episode is a realistic look at what really changes things. Not a productivity system or a colour-coded calendar, but an honest conversation about what time management means when you're self-employed, why so much of the generic advice misses the point, and what has truly made a difference in running a full studio. I talk through why most time management advice is built for a different kind of work, the difference between being busy and being productive, and how I design my teaching week around my energy rather than simply my availability. I'm specific about what that looks like in practice: why I teach Monday to Thursday, why I finish on Thursday just after lunch, and what made that possible. I also cover the systems and habits that have genuinely given me back time, and I work through the four objections that tend to stop teachers from making changes to how they work. In this episode: Why most time management advice doesn't account for the reality of a teaching weekThe difference between being busy and being productive as a self-employed teacherHow to design your teaching schedule around your energy, not just your availabilityAdmin tasks that expand to fill available time, and how to contain themThe systems that have given me back real hours in the weekFour objections that keep teachers stuck, and honest reframes for each oneResources mentioned: Time-Saving Quiz Teacher Piano Planner (launching summer 2026) Focus Sessions (£67/hr) Access the show notes here: Episode 8 Show Notes

Send me a message!  A 50-person waiting list doesn't happen by accident. But it also isn't the result of having the most qualifications in the area, or spending money on advertising, or doing anything particularly complicated. In this episode, I walk through the four things that actually built mine: defining who I wanted to teach, becoming visible to the right families, communicating a clear and consistent message, and letting the studio's reputation do the compounding work over time. I also talk about what a waiting list actually changes about the way you run your studio, because it's not just a nice thing to say in your bio. It changes the decisions you make, the confidence you hold your policies with, and the quality of the enquiries you receive. If you have empty slots you can't seem to fill, or if you take on every student who enquires because you don't feel able to say no, this episode is for you. In this episode: What a waiting list actually means for your studio, beyond simply being fullThe process of defining your ideal student and why it is the foundation everything else builds onThe free visibility tools that help the right families find you before they have even contacted youHow to communicate a message that attracts the families you want to work withWhat a professionally run studio does for your reputation and your word-of-mouth referralsHow to manage a waiting list professionally and what to say when you're fullThe four objections that hold teachers back from doing this work, and honest reframes for each oneResources mentioned: How to Attract Your Ideal Piano Students (blog post)Free Studio Policy Template:Focus Sessions (£67/hr)Access the show notes here: Episode 7 Show Notes

Send me a message! If you've ever reached July wondering how you're going to get through the summer before the next term's invoices come in, this episode is for you. I'm walking you through how monthly billing actually works, why I made the switch, and what life looks like on the other side: income on the first of every month, no chasing, and about an hour of admin per month instead of calculating bespoke invoices every term. I cover how to work out your monthly fee, how to introduce the change to families without it feeling awkward, and a Q&A answering real questions from teachers, including the one that comes up almost every time about paying during the summer holidays. I also share the tools I use to keep the whole system running almost on its own. In this episode: Why termly billing creates a summer income gap, and why that's not inevitableThe simple calculation that turns any lesson rate into a fair monthly figureHow to introduce monthly billing to families, including what to say and what to expectNine practical questions teachers have about the system, with honest, specific answersWhat life actually looks like once the system is running: income on the first of the month, no chasing, no end-of-term recalculations  Resources mentioned: Monthly Billing Transition Toolkit (£12)Free Studio Policy TemplateFocus Sessions (£67)Piano Teacher BlogAccess the show notes here: Episode 6 Show Notes

Send me a message! If the idea of raising your fees makes you feel slightly sick, you're not alone. Most teachers I speak to have either avoided it for years, or they've done it once and vowed never to go through that stress again. But here's what I've discovered after doing this every year for the past 4 years: raising your fees and updating your studio policy for September, done properly, doesn't just protect your income; it removes the uncertainty of not knowing who's coming back in September, it eliminates the quiet disappearing act that happens when students drift away over summer without a word, and it actually strengthens your relationships with the families who stay. In this episode I walk you through the process I use every June: how I calculate my annual fee increase, how I check my studio policy wording for anything ambiguous, and how I communicate all of it to families in a way that feels professional and straightforward rather than awkward. I also tackle the three objections I hear most often: the fear of losing students, the worry about appearing too businesslike, and the worry that asking families to re-sign each year is encouraging them to leave. If you've been putting this off, this episode is your nudge to get it done. And if you do it this side of the summer holidays, you'll be able to start the new academic year safe in the knowledge that your studio is secure and all you need focus on is welcoming your students back. Resources mentioned: Monthly Billing Transition Toolkit (includes the fee calculation tool)Free Studio Policy TemplateFocus Sessions (one-to-one mentoring)Connect with Victoria: Instagram: @victoriaclarkpianoFacebook: @victoriaclarkpianoWebsite: victoriaclarkpiano.comAccess the show notes here: Episode 5 Show Notes

Send me a message! If you work for yourself, you're supposed to be in charge of your own time. So why does it feel like your teaching week is something that happens to you, rather than something you've actually chosen?   In this episode, I'm talking about the gap between being self-employed and actually feeling like you have any say in when and how you teach. I share the story of how I restructured my teaching week so I could collect my son from school on Thursdays, and what happened when I told my students their slots were changing.  I also talk about why so many teachers end up teaching far more days than they want to, why the reschedule habit is quietly using up your evenings, and how attracting a different type of student can give you far more flexibility than you might expect.   This one is a mix of mindset and practical. You don't have to teach six days a week. You don't have to be available on WhatsApp at all hours. You don't have to fill every gap in your diary. But making the shift starts with realising you actually have a choice.   In this episode: Why teaching music doesn't have to mean evenings and weekends, every week, foreverThe story behind clearing my Thursday afternoons, and what actually happened when I did itWhy rescheduling is costing you more than you realise, and how to start pulling backHow to attract daytime students and why your website is the place to startHow to build your teaching week deliberately, rather than reactivelyThe lesson notes trap: how new teachers accidentally use up their evenings trying to prove their valueSwitching off when your brain wants to keep going  Resources mentioned: Free Studio Policy TemplateFocus Sessions (60 min, £67)Monthly Billing Transition Toolkit (£12): Connect with me: Instagram: @victoriaclarkpiano Facebook: @victoriaclarkpiano Website: Victoria Clark Piano Access the show notes here: Episode 4 Show Notes

Send me a message! Something happened on social media recently that I haven't been able to stop thinking about. I posted about why music teachers undercharge, and the comments that came back stopped me in my tracks: teachers who hadn't raised their rates in years, defensiveness, and one comment in particular that I keep returning to: "I think you live in a very different socioeconomic area to me." This episode is the extended version of that conversation. Because the cost of living crisis is real, and the financial pressure on families is real. But somewhere along the way, music teachers decided that pressure was theirs to absorb, quietly, alone, without anyone asking them to. And that decision is costing them far more than they realise: not just in income, but in resentment, unsustainability, and the slow erosion of the joy that made them want to teach in the first place. In this episode I get into where the guilt around charging actually comes from, why we're almost always wrong about what our students' families can and can't afford, and what your frozen rates are really saying about how you value your own expertise. I also address the fear sitting underneath all of it: that raising your rates means losing students, and why the evidence for that is much weaker than you think.   In this episode: Why music teachers have been absorbing inflation long before the cost of living crisisWhere the guilt around charging comes from, and why it's costing youThe assumption we make about our students' finances, and why it's usually wrongWhy your value is not determined by how little you chargeThe fear of losing students when you raise your rates, addressed honestlyWhat a sustainable, professional approach to annual rate increases actually looks like  Resources mentioned: Monthly Billing Transition Toolkit (£12) Access the show notes here: Episode 2 Show Notes

Send me a message! You know you shouldn't refund it. You've told yourself that. And then the text comes in, and you feel the familiar pull, the guilt, the worry about how they'll react, and somehow you end up saying yes again. This episode isn't about what your cancellation policy should say. It's about why so many of us can't bring ourselves to enforce it, even when we know we should. For years I handled missed lessons on a case-by-case basis, making decisions based on how well I got on with the family that week, whether they'd seemed annoyed lately, or simply because saying no felt too uncomfortable. In this episode I get into the real reason that happens: the people-pleasing patterns that run deep in a lot of music teachers, the apology spiral that signals to parents that your policy is up for negotiation, and the fear of losing students that keeps so many of us stuck in the refund and reschedule cycle long after we know it isn't working. I also share the reframe that shifted everything for me around what students are actually paying for, what really happened in my studio when I stopped refunding, and why switching to monthly billing made the whole thing structurally so much easier. If you've listened to Episode 1 and thought "yes, but I still can't do it," this is the episode for you. In this episode: Why refunding missed lessons costs you more than moneyThe key reframe: what your students are actually paying forHow people-pleasing shows up in your studio policies, and what to do about itThe apology spiral, and why it's working against youThe fear of losing students, addressed honestlyWhy monthly billing and a no-refund policy work so well togetherResources mentioned: Monthly Billing Transition Toolkit (£12)Free Studio Policy Template Access the show notes here: Episode 3 Show Notes

Send me a message! You probably already know you need a cancellation policy. Most teachers do. The problem isn't the knowing; it's the doing: the awkward reply, the stomach-drop when the text comes in, the path of least resistance that ends with you letting it go again. In this first episode of The Victoria Clark Show, I'm talking about cancellation policies in practice: what a clear, fair policy actually looks like, how to communicate it to new and existing students, and what to do when someone pushes back. I also share a real moment from my own studio where I held my boundary, fully expecting the worst, and what actually happened. If you've been winging it on cancellations, or you have something written down somewhere that you've never quite managed to enforce, this is your starting point. In this episode: Why cancellation policies are the issue teachers struggle with mostThe real cost of not having a clear policyWhat my policy looks like and how I put it into practiceHow to communicate it without sounding harshWhat to do when a parent pushes backThe mindset shift that made it all feel more manageableLinks mentioned: Free Studio Policy Template Access the show notes here: Episode 1 Show Notes