The joy of group piano lessons: an interview with pianist and instructor Molly Wheeler
Imagine doubling your piano teaching income without doubling your hours. Imagine offering your students an antidote to the loneliness of practicing alone. Imagine lessons where technology makes teachers better at their job and spurs students to achievement. As a career traditional, one-on-one piano teacher (I taught for 26 years), these things seemed too good to be true. I’d passed off many of the online group lesson formats as being inferior to traditional lessons and it wasn’t until I had a long conversation with a pianist and instructor whose work I greatly respect that I changed my mind.
Professional pianist and instructor Molly Wheeler taught students of all ages and levels for 20 years before she discovered the magic of group lessons. Using the popular Piano Marvel system, she revitalized her studio, watched as students learned more easily (and with more enthusiasm) and saw her income double. One conversation with her convinced me that she needed to share her experience with other teachers who might be considering switching to a group format. As my former duo piano partner, Wheeler has appeared on No Dead Guys in Plays Well With Others: how to be a great duet player, as well as Gazebo Dances by John Corigliano. It is an honor to feature her in her own words.
What drew you to piano teaching and why did you choose to make it your profession?
Piano is the one childhood activity that I stuck with all through high school. I enjoyed playing but hadn’t considered performing or teaching as a career path until my college teacher encouraged me to do so. Her confidence and mentorship helped me to embrace music, both performing and teaching, as my career path. Piano teaching was a natural outlet, and as I grew in my experience with teaching and became a parent myself, I realized how important that mentor relationship can be in kids’ lives. I enjoy teaching technique, artistry and problem-solving skills. But helping them to see and reach their potential and encourage their emotional growth has become even more valuable.
How many years did you teach traditional one-on-one lessons and what prompted you to switch to a group lesson format?
I taught traditional one-on-one lessons for about 20 years. I had some experience teaching group lessons in grad school group piano classes as well as music camps, and I always enjoyed the camaraderie and energy of group teaching. I was prompted to switch because I needed to be more efficient with my time, both for myself and my family life, but also for my student’s success. Now they are each in the studio for 50-60 minutes per week so they can get more done in the lesson which helps motivate practice at home. Because I am moving from student to student and they have plenty of supervised practice time, I am better able to see what their practice is like at home. I have had to learn to be very concise in my instruction and not to talk excessively. I try to teach them the process and then give them the space to do their own work and thinking without me hovering. Most students are relaxed and focused on their work in the lesson.
What sort of studio space and equipment did you need for group lessons?
My studio is about 18 feet x 12 feet. There is enough room for 4 full-size keyboards, a grand piano and several bookshelves. I have two Roland FP-10s and two Yamaha P125s, 8 sets of headphones, 4 computers (Windows laptops, Chromebook and a desktop computer, as well as 2 iPads that I pass out for note reading and rhythm apps.
How did you convince existing students to switch to group lessons, and what sort of marketing did you do to recruit new students?
When I did the conversion in 2019, I called all of my existing families and discussed my plan. I focused on the positive points of a longer lesson time for the same cost, building independence in the learning process (thus making independent practice at home easier) and how much more fun and motivating it would be to come to lessons. I haven’t had to market my studio; everyone comes to me via word of mouth. My name gets passed around my kids’ school and mentioned in Facebook groups. That is all I have needed to stay plenty full. Since I have been able to take so many more students and my schedule provides a lot of flexibility, I have that many more people recommending me to their friends.
I understand that you have had great success using Piano Marvel, a piano learning software. What can you tell me about this system and why do you think it has been so effective with your students?
I started using Piano Marvel in the fall of 2022. I was impressed with the motivational aspects of the software and knew the program’s monthly challenges would be a hit with my existing groups. About 90% of my students love it and those that don’t use traditional books. Piano Marvel takes care of assessing student’s rhythm and notes, as well as breaking down pieces into smart practice sections to help them learn in chunks until mastery. Students love the feedback of knowing exactly how well they played each time and it motivates them to beat their last score. Working with Piano Marvel has increased my students’ independence, which allows me more time to focus on artistry and technique. Since it provides supportive note reading tools, even beginning readers can play complicated sounding music since it breaks it down into small sections. Many of my students compete with their classmates in the “golden ticket” challenges each month—a motivational tool where students must complete a song at 97% accuracy to get a golden ticket. Piano Marvel has been very effective for motivation and note and rhythm accuracy.
How have technology-shy students responded to Piano Marvel software?
For some students it takes 10-15 minutes to get used to playing with Piano Marvel, but after that everyone has been fine. It is mostly challenging for those who might have trouble playing with a metronome. They have the option of playing with the metronome and backing tracks all the time, or they can turn these down. The ones who don’t like it tend to be a few of my older students who play advanced music, are intrinsically motivated, and prefer to learn the way they always have.
How well does the group lesson format serve students who progress beyond the intermediate level?
I have quite a few late intermediate/advanced high schoolers. They all enjoy group piano and work hard in the lessons. I think they appreciate that there is less pressure, that I have created a working environment where they can focus and enjoy playing the piano without always being in performance mode. However, I have needed and wanted to supplement some one-on-one coaching for some as they have gotten closer to festivals and events. I want them to be working on the grand piano and have my undivided attention, working through all of the details in the score.
What drawbacks (if any) have you discovered about group lessons?
I wish I could have every student playing on a grand piano with good pedals and still use the technology. I want more individual coaching time close to performances. You have to teach discipline and have studio rules to keep kids focused, not something one-on-one teachers ever have to deal with.
Without sharing hard numbers, how much has the switch to group lessons improved your financial bottom line?
I have almost doubled my teaching income from 2018 without adding more teaching hours. In fact, I am teaching fewer hours, but spending more time during the day planning for lessons and communicating with parents.
What advice can you offer to teachers who wish to embrace the group lesson format but are unsure of how to make the switch?
Group lessons, whether it is with headphones in mixed age classes like mine or out loud in same level classes, tend to be more fun for students and for the teacher. It has eliminated all of the boredom, monotony and excessive sitting I did in one-on-one lessons. I don’t have to sit and listen to students practice. I feel healthier and more engaged with my students and the teaching hours fly by. I would advise teachers to do their research and see how other group studios are doing it and realize that students can still get high quality teaching in a group setting.
Molly Wheeler has been teaching piano in the Portland, Oregon area for 25 years. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance from Linfield College and Masters in Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Oklahoma.
An active and enthusiastic performer, Molly has a special affinity for duet music having performed with her partner, Rhonda Rizzo, for more than 12 years at music festivals around the Pacific Northwest. The duo has a recording- 2 to Tango: Dance Music for Piano Duet.
In addition to concert work, Molly has been active as a church musician and accompanist and is currently enjoying playing in a band with other musicians trying her hand at bass, percussion as well as keyboard. She met her bass playing husband through music and enjoys teaching piano to her two daughters as well as all of their friends.