TC237: Solving Makeup Lessons Once and for All with Laura and Dave from LessonMate

by Tim Topham in Podcast on April 16, 2021. 1 Comment

Have you ever been frustrated about makeup lessons? There are a variety of ways teachers handle makeup lessons from not offering them at all to having to take extra hours planning them. Laura and Dave have solved make-up lessons once and for all!

Today, my guests Dave and Laura of LessonMate will give you strategies around another option where you can offer unlimited makeup lessons. Yes, unlimited makeup lessons through video.

We’re going to learn how the software works, its advantages, and how it can help you offer unlimited makeup lessons to your students.

[03:18] A quick overview of their studio and teaching history.
[08:40] Defining makeup lessons.
[09:50] Current best and worst options for makeup lessons.
[12:47] The catalyst behind starting LessonMate
[14:44] How LessonMate works.
[21:00] Advantages of LessonMate versus zoom.
[24:52] Policies for missed lessons.
[31:37] An example of a win from using LesssonMate.
[32:56] Advice on changing policies
[36:28] Special discount for TopMusicPro members.

Transcript of the show

If you’d like to download a PDF transcript of this episode, please click below.

Links Mentioned

LessonMate Website

About our Guest

Dave Hemann and Laura Porter have been private music teachers and freelance musicians for over 30 years. Dave graduated from the University of North Texas with a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance. Laura received her Master of Music from the Eastman School of Music in Saxophone Performance and Literature and has also completed the Orff Schulwerk Levels 1 to 3. They’ve taught music in every imaginable situation and venue from universities to neighborhood schools and homes. In 2008, Laura and Dave opened the Bloom School of Music and Dance, which now serves over 800 students a week.

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About the author

Tim Topham

Tim Topham is the founder and director of TopMusic. Tim hosts the popular Integrated Music Teaching Podcast, blogs regularly at topmusic.co and speaks at local and international conferences on topics such as integrated teaching, creativity, business, marketing and entrepreneurship. Tim has been featured in American Music Teacher, The Piano Teacher Magazine, California Music Teacher and EPTA Piano Professional. Tim holds an MBA in Educational Leadership, BMus, DipEd and AMusA.

1 Comment

Jennifer Foxx says:

12/05/2021 at 12:37 pm

I’ve been doing video lessons when students miss for years and and it is truly a win-win. *Highly recommend* I don’t call it “unlimited make-ups”, it’s just part of the studio benefits. Parents and adult students constantly thank me for being so “flexible” which cracks me up because I am just doing what they paid for. I took it one step farther this year and pre-recorded video lessons for one of the method books so if someone needs to miss, I already have a video of their pieces (for most students). I also repurpose “theory” themed video lessons for different students. For the pre-recorded videos, I do a short separate intro video that is more personal…. calling them by name, mention something in relation to why they are missing, giving them a brief overview of the video lesson, etc. Doing this has been a game changer! 🙂

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