Victoria Clark Piano

When I was growing my studio, I used to see teachers with waiting lists and assume they were just entirely different from me.

I thought they must have been teaching for decades, held every qualification at the highest level, and had built something I could never aspire to.

I was completely wrong.

A waiting list isn’t the result of being exceptional in ways that are out of reach.

It’s the result of teaching consistently, showing up visibly, and being honest about who you are and what your studio stands for.

The right families find you because you’ve made it clear what you’re about.

You don’t have to be the most experienced teacher in your area. You don’t have to have the fanciest website. You just have to be clear about who you are and what working with you looks like.

More on this coming very soon. 🎙️ 😉

If any of this feels like you, send me a message. I’d love to hear where you’re at with your studio. 💚

This month I’m handing out updated studio policy agreements to all my families, something I do every June as part of my annual studio review.

It’s also something I talk about in depth in Episode 5 of the podcast this week, because the wording in your studio policy matters more than most teachers realise.

If your policy is vague, even unintentionally, you’re setting yourself up for exactly the kind of conversation nobody wants: where you and a parent have read the same document and come away with completely different understandings.

Clear, direct wording in a signed agreement removes the ambiguity before it ever becomes a problem.

If you’d like a copy of my free Studio Policy Template as a starting point, comment POLICY below and I’ll send it over.

One of the most common things I hear from teachers is this: “I know I need to raise my fees, but what if people leave?”

It’s a completely understandable fear. I had it too, for a long time.

But here’s what I’ve found after doing an annual fee review every June for the past four years: the students who leave over a fee increase were rarely staying because of the low fees.

There’s always been something else going on, and the fee increase just brings it to a head a little sooner.

The families who value what you do, who turn up, who practise, who’ve been with you for years? They’re not going anywhere over a small annual rise.

Episode 5 of the podcast is out this Wednesday and it goes into all of this in a lot more detail, including how to calculate your increase, how to word it to families, and how to handle the fear that comes up every time you even think about changing your fees.

Comment FEES below and I’ll send you the link when it’s live.

Long overdue introduction, but here we are. If any of this sounds familiar, especially slide 4, you’re exactly who I’m here for.

I’m Victoria: piano teacher, music teacher mentor, knitter, beginner runner, and someone who spent far too long running her studio out of fear before finally figuring out a better way.

If you’re a music teacher who feels guilty charging what your lessons are worth, dreads any kind of confrontation, or just suspects things could work so much better than they currently do, this page is for you.

I share honest, practical content about building a studio that fits around your life, not the other way around. And if you want to go deeper, my podcast, The Victoria Clark Show for Music Teachers, is where it all lives.

Comment PODCAST and I’ll send you the link. Come and have a listen.

Victoria x

2025 has been quite a year! Not just for my teaching, but also my business supporting music teachers, and also for myself and my family.

For my teaching:
Achieving milestones like entering students for the Portsmouth Music Festival, enabling some of my young students to take their first exams and absolutely excel, and hosting my summer recital

For my business:
I’m beyond grateful for the growth I’ve experienced this year; spreading the word about my piano planners and doing the giveaway that was the most exciting part of my year(!), connecting with and supporting so many music teachers, creating digital resources that truly help teachers succeed in their studios, and collaborating with Tim Topham and his TopMusic Mag 🤩

For myself:
Starting (and continuing) to learn Chopin’s Ballade No.1 a beauty of a piece, finally getting on with running for exercise, turning 40 😁 and although not an achievement, allowing myself to take the week off to recover from a particularly nasty cold. Quitting alcohol in December 2024 was an attempt to get a handle on my chronic migraines, and even though the migraines are still here, my body and my brain feel better all round - and it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be 😌 I also started learning to play the harp! 🪉

For my family:
By persevering for 2 years, completing reams of paperwork forms and going through the tribunal process we managed to succeed in convincing the council to place Lily in a school that can meet her needs as an autistic child with complex sensory and emotional needs. The result has been indescribable - our family is now in sync, Lily’s anxiety has come way down enabling her to enjoy life and engage socially, she even has a fascination for plants and the independence to care for them 🌱 We’re no longer surviving but thriving as a family.

So, 2025 thanks for being a year of positive change and exciting discovery 🥳 Here’s to an even better 2026 ❤️

Happy New Year 🎉🎉🎉