Articles

Insights and updates for music teachers

Icon of growth, representing a teacher increasing their student numbers

10 ways to grow your private studio

There are lots of ways to get more students, and different things will work in different places. A combination of approaches works best when building a private music teaching studio.

September 28, 2026

A small group of piano students learning together at digital keyboards

Teaching

Ways to Run Group Piano Lessons

Group piano lessons can increase capacity and create valuable ensemble experiences, but they need to be designed differently from private lessons. Here are the main formats, curriculum choices and practical considerations to think through before starting.

September 26, 2026

A snail representing the deliberately slow pace of slow practice

Teaching

5 facts about slow practice, and 8 ways to actually do it

Slow practice is recommended in almost every music studio, but students aren't always shown exactly what it does or how to use it. Here are five useful facts and eight practical ways to make slow practice work.

September 22, 2026

Comic image of JS Bach asking if you should offer makeup lessons

Studio Practice

Makeup lessons: three ways to run them, and how to set each one up

Should you offer makeup lessons? Makeup lessons can create unnecessary admin and open-ended obligations. Here are three clear ways to handle missed lessons, and how to set each approach up in Octavia.

September 17, 2026

Elizabeth Wight of In Session Studios discussing her experience using Octavia

Updates

Interview with Elizabeth Wight from In Session Studios

Elizabeth Wight shares how moving her multi-teacher music studio from Word documents and Dropbox to Octavia has simplified scheduling, lesson notes, attendance, makeup lessons and team administration.

September 14, 2026

Calendar syncing between Octavia and external calendar apps

Updates

One lesson calendar, synced everywhere

Your lesson calendar already exists and is already accurate. Calendar syncing lets teachers, parents and students see lesson changes automatically in the calendar apps they already use.

September 5, 2026

Dr Frankie Dyson Reilly, piano teacher, composer and music theory educator, discussing her experience using Octavia.

Updates

Interview with Dr Frankie Dyson Reilly

Piano teacher, composer and music theory educator Dr Frankie Dyson Reilly shares how she uses Octavia to manage lesson notes, invoicing, communication and teaching across multiple locations.

August 22, 2026

Violin teacher Vanessa, an Octavia user, discussing her private teaching studio and studio administration.

Updates

Interview with Vanessa - Octavia User

Violin teacher Vanessa shares how she uses Octavia to manage scheduling, attendance, billing and the day-to-day administration of her private teaching studio.

August 22, 2026

Abstract illustration of invoice data flowing from a studio system into Xero.

Product Design

Getting studio invoices into Xero without re-keying them

How Octavia exports contacts and sales invoices to Xero, and the export-time design that keeps your music-studio billing and your accounts in sync.

July 9, 2026

Abstract illustration of bank transactions being matched to invoices.

Product Design

Reconciling bank payments without breaking your records

How Octavia reconciles bank-transfer payments from a CSV against your invoices, and the design choices that keep your billing records reliable.

July 9, 2026

A music teacher reviewing invoices and bank transactions at a desk.

Studio Practice

Closing the loop on billing: why reconciliation belongs in the same system as your invoices

Reconciliation is the final step in studio billing. When invoices, payments, and credits live in the same system, teachers can see who has paid without cross-checking three different tools.

July 9, 2026

Students taking part in a school music practice challenge

Teaching

How to Run a Practiceathon at Your School

A practical guide to running a school or studio practiceathon, including planning decisions, tracking options, fundraising, parent communication, prizes, and follow-up.

May 27, 2026

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