It's all your business: office skills for the independent music teacher.

Office Skills = Computer Skills

Had anyone told me years ago I would someday be joined at the hip to my computer, I would have laughed. I swore never to touch one of those darn computers, thank you very much. Not even knowing how to type, I paid others to type my college papers, and later my recital programs and studio documents. Having resisted technology for decades, I eventually was forced kicking and screaming into the twenty-first century. If you feel a similar reluctance to embrace technology, you may be missing out on its many benefits. By learning basic office/computer skills, you can save money, free yourself from dependence on others, gain control over your studio documents and record keeping and present your studio more professionally.

Word Processing 

Today, a number of essential studio documents are needed. Being able to use a word processing program, such as Microsoft Word, to type and update these documents saves not only money, but time. Word processing can allow on-the-spot, easy changes within necessary documents, such as a studio policy sheet, as well as quick formatting of supplementary materials, such as a library lending form.

For example, a studio practice book is most useful when customized to your specific needs. Personally designed pages may include: weekly assignments, daily practice logs, notes to parents, scale charts, circle of fifths chart, music history and listening assignments, studio policy sheet, calendar of events and so forth. Each student can purchase a bound copy, similar to purchasing a commercially produced practice book, only this one is customized by you.

When taking your materials to someone else to type, you may have asked yourself, "Do I have the time to take care of this during work hours? How long will someone else take to finish my project? Will somebody else understand what I want?" Whether you are relying on the kindness of friends, relatives or strangers, you are placing yourself in a position of dependence rather than independence.

Once you know how to use Word, formatting your choices from the following list of studio documents is simple:

* Policy sheet

* Registration forms

* Studio calendar of upcoming events

* Recital programs

* Scholarship forms

* Practice agreement

* Practice record

* Studio inventory

* Lesson inquiry/phone call form

* Lending library record

* Practice record

* Scale/technique chart

* Studio letters

Your studio name and logo can be added easily to each document. Everything may be saved on your computer and reused or updated with ease, year after year. Imagine how cumbersome going to someone else would be every time you needed a new letter or updated form!

Online tutorials for Word can be round at www.fgcu.edu/support/office2000/word/index.html.

Record Keeping

We all must keep accurate financial records for tax purposes as well as personal bookkeeping. For years I did this completely by hand, resulting in the inefficient and time-consuming adding of monthly tuition payments and yearly expenses. Today, a number of computer programs are available to track financial records.

A Microsoft package of programs often includes Excel. Excel allows you in create spreadsheets that automatically will calculate the sure of separate categories, such as tuition payments. Excel does not perform all functions that might be needed for record keeping, but it will keep track of studio income and expenses.

Online tutorials for Excel may be found at www.fgcu.edu/support/office2000/excel/index.html.

Microsoft Access is an office database management program also included in many Microsoft packages. Organizing student contact data, mail merging and printing mailing labels all are possible with Access.

Online tutorials for Access may be round at www.fgcu.edu/support/office2000/access/index.html.

Programs that perform a number of functions and are designed specifically for small businesses are available. QuickBooks accounting software can generate reports on student activities and payments, write and print checks, keep student records including contact information, keep track of income and expenses, print invoices, print address labels and more. In other words, one program can be customized to handle a multitude of needs.

Additional information can be found at www.quickbooks.com.

TimeSig2000 is a program designed by independent music teachers for the independent music studio. Available since 1991, TimeSig2000 handles student profiles (history of performances, theory levels and contact information), scheduling and billing, financial reports for taxes, group lessons and tuition/lesson payments. Teachers can enter progress reports for each student and print a summary progress report when desired. Scheduling festivals or competitions also is possible if a teacher should ever have that duty. An online manual is available for help, and annual updates are provided.

More information may be round at www.casamusica.com/timesig.html.

Creative Design and Marketing

Designing studio materials allows you to have more creative control over your professional documents. Explaining to someone else how you would like your studio brochure to look presents a problem, especially if things change as you "see" your thoughts on paper. Although Word is usable for the majority of items listed below, even more attractive designs are possible in programs such as Microsoft Publisher.

* Brochures

* Newsletters

* Business car&

* Resume

* Letterhead

* Greeting cards 

* Fliers

* Recital invitations

* Recital programs

* Studio calendars

* Award certificates

Many teachers use personalized, professional-looking studio materials for marketing. Publisher helps provide teachers with eye-catching marketing tools such as brochures and fliers.

Online tutorials for Publisher may be found at www.bcschools.net/staff/PublisherHelp.htm.

Many teachers have their own web pages as an additional marketing tool. Creating a web page is hot that difficult, with numerous design programs available, including Microsoft FrontPage.

Additional information about FrontPage may be found at www.fgcu.edu/support/office2000/frontpage.

Communication

Going without e-mail in this day and age is somewhat like doing without a telephone. E-mail is a quick and inexpensive method of communicating with your whole studio, individual students and parents, and other music professionals.

If, for example, you have a job within your local or state music teachers association, or need to communicate with MTNA offices directly, e-mail is invaluable. At times, you will need to be reached or contact others quickly about job duties. Phone calls sometimes are problematic, as phone tag is not a fun game to play. Snail mail takes ton long, and group postal mailings are expensive. A group e-mail gives you immediate access to a whole board or committee.

For instance, when planning a state music event, group e-mails provide a quick and easy way to reach other planners. If a teacher does not have access to e-mail, he might be unable to take part in the quick, last-minute decision making that takes place by using group e-mails.

For the times when you do want to send letters through the postal service, group mailings are handled more easily and professionally with technology tools. Mail merges print a single letter to a number of addresses, envelopes are easily addressed or mailing labels are easily processed. Group mailings will take less time to prepare and look more professional than when hand written.

Research

For those who use the Internet with any regularity, you know what a valuable tool it can be. I constantly look up music books, publishers, music topics and so forth. I give my students research assignments on composers or periods of music history. A quick Google search provides me with information in an instance that would take hours or even weeks to track down in another venue.

The Internet is a mountain of information, both good and bad. If you use it wisely, the Internet brings a gazillion-story library, open twenty-four hours a day, right to your studio.

A New World

Many teachers already use technology in their studios for pedagogical and business purposes. Many others feel overwhelmed and unable to enter the world of technology. If you feel reluctant to use computers or anxious about improving your skills, I hope you will take a deep breath and jump right in. Plenty of people are willing to help-friends, family, community instructors and even your students.

There cannot be a person alive who resisted technology more vehemently than 1. From the start, I felt fearful and overwhelmed. During my its-hard-for-me-to-change" mid-40s, I started teaching at Valley City State University, a university with high expectations for technology use. I had to touch one of those darn computers after all.

As hard as it was for me, it was liberating to say, "Hello, ray name is Beth, and I know nothing about technology." Fortunately, my initial fear and embarrassment did hot hold me back. I will continue to learn more, not because it is easy for me, but because of the many professional benefits I experience from improving my technology skills.

Beth Gigante Klingenstein, NCTM, has been an independent music teacher for twenty-eight years and is on the faculty of Valley City State University (VCSU) in North Dakota, where she also is the director of the VCSU Community School of the Arts.