Whetting your appetite.(Forum focus: independent music teachers)

Kansas City is a city with an appetite for great food, great music and good times. Located near the geographical center of the United States, Kansas City mixes influences of East and West, North and South in a unique blend. The birthplace of KC Bar-B-Q and a blues-based swing style of jazz, Kansas City boasts museums covering everything from traditional and contemporary art to a famous outlaw (Jesse James) and an American president (Harry S. Truman).

Sounds like a great place for independent music teachers, doesn't it? Especially when you add to the list of attractions the lineup of IMTF programs at the 2004 MTNA National Conference. Here are some brief descriptions, to whet your appetite.

Professional Studio Saturday will kick off the conference on Saturday, March 27, from 8:15 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. This year's program focuses on music teachers as entrepreneurs. Running an independent studio is indeed a small business operation. Teachers need marketing, recruiting and scheduling skills. They should be up to date on the latest materials. They need a high degree of financial acumen, allowing them to make informed decisions about allocating money for taxes, insurance, vacation and retirement.

MTNA is partnering with the Small Business Association, the Service Corps of Retired Executives and the Internal Revenue Service to provide sessions that will arm teachers with the tools they need to run a successful business. Educational publications, CD-ROMs and websites will be introduced, as well as information about other available products and services.

Kelly Setler Scheer will offer a session called Are You "In the Zone? Real-life overviews of zoning problems for home-based teaching will be discussed. The session also will include information about how home properties are zoned and how to apply for permits and licenses. John Kuzmich will give teachers the tools to build their own websites--in less than an hour!--in a session entitled How to Promote Your Music Studio: Web Development Techniques Part I (Basic Fundamentals). Beth Gigante Klingenstein, NCTM, the respected AMT columnist and authority on independent music teaching, will present thought-provoking information on teacher wellness, among ...