How do you build, organize, and manage your website?
George Litterst is a nationally known music educator, clinician, author, performer, and music software developer. A classically trained pianist, he is co-author of the intelligent accompaniment software program, Home Concert Xtreme, and the electronic music blackboard program, Classroom Maestro, from TimeWarp Technologies.
A professional website is the essential doormat for the 21st-century piano studio. It is a location where prospective students can learn about you and what you offer, a tool for communicating with your students, and a venue for sharing your students’ performances with the rest of the world.
If you have not yet set up a studio website, you need to do the following: 1. Acquire a domain name (i.e. www.mypersonalpianostudio.com). 2. Sign up with a web hosting service. 3. Create and upload your web pages.
The italicized terms will be explained later in this column. Suffice it to say for the moment that you can undertake these tasks separately, or you can sign up with a web hosting service (#2) that will help you to acquire a domain name (#1) and create your web pages (#3).
If you already have a studio website, you should be updating it regularly and asking yourself if it needs a facelift. Your first attempt to craft a website should not be your last. A website is something that can and should evolve over time.
I think that you will enjoy the responses to this issue’s question. Jocelyn Morrow provides you with details for how to get started. Ellen Johansen shares her experiences setting up a professional looking website without doing all of the work herself. Lastly, Alejandro Cremaschi offers some thoughts on how to take an existing website to the next level.
As a supplementary activity to reading this column, I recommend that you check out the websites of each of these writers, investigate the links that they cite (excluding the fake, sample website names, of course), and take a look at as many other teacher websites as you can.
Where do you begin???
by Jocelyn Morrow
Jocelyn Morrow of Golden, CO is Director of Keyboards For Kids, Inc., an after-school enrichment provider to over 500 students. Her husband, David, is the CEO. Keyboards For Kids, Inc. offers group keyboard, strings, guitar, and drum classes at schools, churches, and recreation centers. You can contact Jocelyn through this website: http://www.KeyboardsForKids.com.
Why have a website?
If you would like to promote yourself for fun and profit, easily and inexpensively, then a website is a great way to go. You can use it to communicate with your current students, attract future students, and substantiate your credibility with your colleagues and potential customers.
The Internet is a powerful tool for communication, and 21st-century musicians and teachers may be missing out if they do not take advantage of the opportunities a website provides for establishing a presence for quality music, education, and credibility!
Website 101
Let’s start with some basic terms. I’ll assume that you have some idea about general Internet usage, but that you know nothing about how to proceed with setting up a website.
First, let’s define a few things: hosting is the term used to describe the service of storing computer files on your behalf and making those files available on the Internet. In the case of a website we’re talking about web hosting — storing specially formatted files which are read by web browsers (e.g. Internet Explorer , Firefox , Netscape Navigator , or Safari ).
This special formatting is called HTML or Hyper Text Markup Language. You can learn how to compose HTML pages if you like, but it’s really not necessary. There are many easy-to-use tools that make the creation of webpages as simple as using a word processor or page layout program. Another term you’ll need to know is domain name . Your domain name is the web address that people will use to get to your site (e.g. http://www.TheKeyboardGuy.com or http://www.MakeMyPiano.net). The web browser uses this name to locate your website (kind of like saying “we’re at 6th and Vine”).
In order to take possession of a domain name and use it as the address for your website, you must register it. In that respect, it is somewhat like a copyright or patent. It belongs to you as long as you pay a small yearly fee (as little as $10/year).
What many people don’t understand is that the domain name is separate from the web hosting company. The web hosting company may help you register your domain name, but it is yours to take with you, if you want to switch your website to a different web hosting company for some reason.
If you build it, they will come!
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of companies that can host your site. All you need to do is Google the term web hosting , and you’ll find plenty of options, with some good ones and some, ah, not so good ones. You can pay a lot, a little, or even nothing at all (in exchange for advertising), but in my experience this has little to do with the quality of the hosting company.
If you’ve never had a web host before, I recommend that you consider starting with Yahoo (http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/webhosting/), which is a reliable and trusted service provider. If for no other reason, check out the Yahoo link above for the purpose of seeing if the domain name that you would like is available.
Using Yahoo, you’ll have everything you need, including a Domain Name, pre-built site templates, editing tools, marketing tools, online help, and more for about $12/month. Using Yahoo’s simple tools and templates, you can be up, running, and online in less than an hour. (Be advised that once you create your site, it may take from several hours to several days before your domain name can propagate through the Internet and actually be accessible to others worldwide).
Get organized!
Websites consist of one or more pages , which are really just that — you can think of a web page as just a single piece of paper. However, it is a piece of paper that can be as long as you want. People can just keep scrolling down as they read and view a page of any length.
In practice, though, long pages make it hard for people to find what they are looking for. Most sites divide up the information into multiple pages, with each page containing a certain category of information. To get around your site and navigate to the various pages, you need to provide a menu , which is basically a list of links to the different pages. The templates on Yahoo contain menus that you can edit for this purpose.
Here is a sample list of pages you might want to include on a studio web site:
• “About Me” or bio — be sure to include your educational training, awards, recognitions, and job history.
• Calendar of events.
• A map to your location and other contact info.
• Links to both local and national Arts Associations (MTNA, local associations, symphony, music festivals, Keyboard Companion ).
• Information regarding instrument purchase or rental, upkeep, and repairs.
• Technical information on playing (scale and arpeggio fingerings, special exercises, etc.), practice pointers and tips, memorization.
• Studio policies, tuition and fee structure, refund and cancellation policies.
• Pictures of yourself, your studio, students, performances, etc.
Final thoughts
The best thing about the Internet is that it provides easy and fast access to knowledge. If you have questions about any aspect of building your own website, use your web browser to log onto your favorite search engine, enter a few keywords, and before you know it you’ll have more answers than you’ll have time to read!
Using affordable and professional help
by Ellen Johansen
Ellen Johansen is a classically trained pianist and independent piano teacher living in East Hampton, NY. She is a trained Musikgarten teacher and has taught early childhood music classes in her community for over ten years.
How I got started
Having a website for my studio has proven to be an effective way of getting my information out to the public 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. For new clients, the website is often the first source of information about my studio.
When I decided to create my website, I began with several goals. I wanted a website that would look professional, provide information about my programs, and enable clients to register online for my music programs. However, I didn’t want to deal with the learning curve associated with professional editing programs such as Dreamweaver (http://www.adobe.com). For this reason, I decided to hire an online web master to do all the set up work for me. The only thing that I needed to do was provide the necessary information to get the site up and running.
First I needed to create a domain name. I went to http://www.GoDaddy.com and bought http://www.EllenJohansenMusicStudio.com as my domain name. I pay a small yearly fee to register this name (thus guaranteeing that no one else can use it). Next I joined http://www.makingmusik.com, which offers affordable websites for music education businesses. MakingMusik is a web hosting service that not only hosts my site but also provides ready-made web designs and online tools for building my site. For my home page, I wrote a mission statement for my studio and a few paragraphs describing what makes my studio unique. I uploaded a fun picture and a short video describing my program. On another page, I included my bio and uploaded a picture of myself. I filled out a class schedule page that included all my early childhood music classes, my group keyboard classes, and my availability for private lessons. That page briefly describes each music program, advertises when the class meets, and tells prospective clients how much the program costs, including class materials and tax.
I also created a policy page, a location page with directions to my studio, an FAQ (frequently asked questions) page, a free preview class coupon page, a photos page, a news and events page, and a newsletter page. Using the convenient online tools provided by MakingMusik, I was able to get up my web page in just a few hours!
The webmaster at MakingMusik also created an online registration form, with an easy way for my clients to pay for the program online using their credit card through a transaction service called PayPal. (I also let my clients pay by traditional means such as sending a check by mail or paying with cash when visiting my studio).
Creating an online presence can even be fun!
Maintaining my website has been easy and fun. Refining and adding material throughout the season is as simple as editing a word processing document. I can change the dates and times of classes and give myself a yearly raise. There is an area where I can keep lists of email addresses, and I can email select specific groups of clients directly from my private online administrator page. If I wish, I can send an email to specific groups, such as my private students, providing uplifting essays on practice tips, warnings about getting ready for a recital, or reminders about holiday schedules.
Getting my website noticed
Although I would like to think that these online webpage editing tools can also wash windows, I realize my website doesn’t promote itself. So, I have done a little work to make my site visible to people searching for music lessons. For example, search engines can lead parents to my website, but I have to make sure I am on the top of the list when they Google the words Music Lessons in East Hampton, NY . To make my site easily findable, I followed the tips that my webmaster suggested by submitting my URL (i.e. my website’s address) to a variety of commonly used search engines, such as Google.com and Yahoo.com.
To encourage the general community to visit my website, I:
• Mention my website address on my voice mail greeting.
• Add my website address when I advertise in the local newspaper or in a classified ad.
• Create postcards including my address that I hand out or send to preschools, libraries, kid places, and local music stores.
• Register for every online music teacher registry I can find.
Concluding thoughts
Creating a website has been fun and maintenance has been easy, leaving me with plenty of time for teaching and playing piano. If you haven’t done so already, I hope you take the plunge and create a website that your music business deserves! _
Taking your website to the next level
by Alejandro Cremaschi
Dr. Alejandro Cremaschi teaches piano and pedagogy, and coordinates the class piano area at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He is a specialist in technology, group teaching, and Latin American repertoire. As a clinician and presenter, he has appeared at numerous conventions, including the Music Teachers National Conference and the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy. An accomplished pianist, he is in international demand as a performer of music by Latin American composers. He has recorded for the labels IRCO, Meridian (in press), Ostinato, and Marco Polo.
Developing and expanding your website
A comprehensive, well organized, frequently updated website can be extremely useful and effective as a marketing and communication tool for your piano studio. When building and organizing my website, first I try to define who my users and visitors will be, and then I try to put myself in the “visitor’s shoes” to decide what information to include, and how to organize it.
I invite you to visit my website at http://alejandrocremaschi.com. Since I divide my professional activities between performing and college teaching, my website may not serve as a model for the private piano studio website, but it may help illustrate some of the ideas that I explain below.
The most frequent visitors to your piano studio website are your current students and their parents. Within your website they will expect to find specific information such as:
• Contact information.
• Studio calendars.
• Upcoming studio events (location, time, directions, forms, fees, etc.). ·
•Upcoming deadlines.
• News and announcements.
• Tuition and payment information.
More advanced website features that you may want to explore are:
• Affiliate links to an online music store, such as http://www.SheetMusicPlus.com or http://www.BarnesandNoble.com, that enable your clients to buy specific music books or CDs, and that pay you a commission for items sold through your site .
• Email subscriptions to your newsletter through services like http://www.ConstantContact.com. The Internet provides a wonderful opportunity to share not only administrative information, but also the beautiful results of your students’ hard work and progress:
• Photos.
• Sound and video files of student performances and studio activities.
• Studio journal (blog).
This type of communication with parents and family members helps create a sense of community within the studio, and it pays dividends through increased student motivation and parental support. Another likely visitor to your website is the parent or student looking for a piano teacher. While most students and parents tend to find teachers through friends’ referrals, a website may give these prospective customers a chance to find out more about you and your studio. A professional looking, organized, and comprehensive website may make a difference in their decision to call you. Important information that you may want to share with these prospective students includes:
• Your teaching and performance credentials.
• Information about your studio, such as location, contact information, equipment, studio requirements, fees, tuition, and calendar.
• A description of your goals as a teacher, your teaching philosophy, the kind of students and the music styles that you teach.
• Audio or video samples of your teaching and playing.
• Samples of student performances.
In addition you may want to consider an area of your site that is targeted for your younger students. Some of the content there may include:
• A journal (also known as a blog ) on topics such as practicing tips, composers biographies, pianists, etc.
• Links to educational sites and games, such as Morton Subotnik’s Creating Music (http://www.creatingmusic.com) and others.
Some simple tools for getting started
Building such a complete website from scratch yourself may prove to be a challenging and time-consuming task. Instead, you may want to try any of a number of commercial Internet providers that offer templates and tools to modify and organize simple websites easily and directly using your browser. Some of these providers are, for example, http://www.GoDaddy.com and http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com.
Consider hiring a professional web designer
If you are looking for a personalized look, or more complexity and flexibility, hiring someone to design and upload your site may be a smart investment. Even people who are comfortable with computers and have the time and curiosity to explore tools may want to hire someone with a good eye for design to assure a pleasing result. If you hire a designer, be sure to have him/her teach you how to do small changes and updates to the site yourself. Nowadays there are a number of free tools that your designer can install in your site that offer password protected online editors, enabling you to log in and do simple updates and modifications with ease and convenience — almost as if you were typing in your word processor. Examples of these free tools include Joomla! (http://www.joomla.org) and PHPNuke (http://www.phpnuke.com). They are pretty complex to install (but easy to use), so it is best to leave this job to your designer.
Advanced tools you can use
If you are a do-it-yourself person and have time to learn and explore new tools, I recommend the following applications, which I personally use:
• nVu (http://www.nvu.com, Mac and PC) This is a free program that enables you to create web pages.
• Adobe Dreamweaver (http://www.adobe.com for Mac and PC) A powerful commercial program to create web pages. It can be pretty expensive; buy it only after you have successfully experimented with nVu or other less expensive, similar programs.
• Audacity (http://sourceforge.net/projects/audacity, for Mac and PC) This free application can be used to edit your sound files, convert them to MP3 format and get them ready for web publication.
• iMovie (http://www.apple.com for Macintosh) or
• Pinnacle Studio (http://www.pinnaclesys.com for PC) Video applications that enable you to edit your video and convert it to compressed formats ready for online posting.
• Photoshop Elements (http://www.adobe.com for Mac and PC) This is a commercial program for organizing and editing photos and images. Picasa (http://picasa.google.com) is a similar free program for PC. There are a number of free online services that I use in my website to make it more complete and useful. Some of these are:
• Google calendar (http://www.google.com/googlecalendar/overview.html) This free tool enables you to easily manage a personal, public online calendar with upcoming performances and events, and to embed it on your website. You need to have a (free) Gmail email account (http://mail.google.com) to manage it.
• Picasa Web Albums (http://picasaweb.google.com) A free tool that enables you to manage photo albums, and to embed them into your website. Users can even order prints from your public albums. You also need a Gmail account to manage it.
• Blogger (http://www.Blogger.com) This website enables you to start a blog or web journal easily. The journal may include text, photos, sound files, and links. You can include a link to your blog in your website for easy access.
• YouTube (http://www.youtube.com) Video files tend to be very large, and sometimes they will max out your personal web hosting space. The solution: YouTube. The YouTube website allows you to store your public video files in the YouTube server, and to link them to your website easily through a very convenient embeddable player that includes all of necessary play controls.
In the next issue: What do you use for a curriculum in your technology lab?