I’m Ben Steger, trumpet teacher and co-founder of Virtu.Academy, and I want to offer our support in light of the upcoming closure of TakeLessons. I understand how disruptive changes like these are to our livelihoods as music teachers, and our entire Virtu.Academy team wants to do whatever we can to help teachers navigate this transition.
The sudden closure of TakeLessons has left many educators in a tough spot. We’ve been meeting with music teachers and following the conversations within the music teaching community, and we have heard three primary concerns:
• Losing a Platform: Years of building your reputation, student reviews and visibility on TakeLessons are suddenly up in the air.
• Uncertainty: Concerns about finding new students and maintaining a steady income.
• Administrative Burden: The prospect of handling all the logistics—scheduling, payments, and more—on your own.
Virtu.Academy was founded in 2018 out of similar challenges that my friends and I faced teaching music lessons while students at Oberlin Conservatory. Managing a teaching business—finding new students, scheduling, handling payments, and dealing with cancellations—took time away from what we enjoyed most: teaching. To address these frustrations, we created Virtu.Academy to help us manage and grow our studios. Over the years, it has evolved into a platform that has facilitated over 100,000 lessons, but we have always been committed to doing what’s best for music teachers.
VirtuStudios is our free platform designed to help music teachers manage their studios without being bogged down by administrative tasks. VirtuStudios is what our team of teachers and I use to manage everything we need to operate our studios.
1. Automated Administrative Tasks: We handle scheduling, payment processing (with direct deposits), and no-shows, so you can focus on teaching.
2. Total Flexibility: Set your own rates, schedule, and teaching style. VirtuStudios gives you full control over how you run your studio.
3. Ongoing Support: Our incredible team is here via email, phone, and text to assist you 7 days a week and take as much off your plate as possible. They will get to know you and your studio’s unique needs.
While VirtuStudios helps you manage your current teaching practice, Virtu.Academy offers you the chance to grow your business. Our team actively promotes teachers and connects them with students who are eager to learn to fill up their studios.
How Virtu.Academy Can Help You Grow:
1. High-Quality Community: Rather than an open marketplace, we meet with and interview every teacher, and we promote you heavily to students who we think would be a good fit to fill your studio.
2. Partnership, Not Competition: Unlike other platforms, we don’t rely on algorithms or bidding systems. Our focus is on helping you succeed by learning about your teaching preferences and actively promoting you with the right students. You do not need to compete with other teachers for visibility.
3. Comprehensive Growth Support: Beyond lessons, we partner with our teachers to help you grow your business including promoting your albums, concerts, workshops, and more, giving you new avenues to expand.
Both VirtuStudios and Virtu.Academy are built on the same foundation, which means all of your teaching activities—whether they’re with your existing students or new ones through Virtu.Academy—can be managed in one place. This integration allows you to smoothly work with your own students while also growing your business with ease.
Transitioning to VirtuStudios is simple, and you can start using the platform for free today:
1. Sign Up: Create a free VirtuStudios account.
2. Set Up Your Profile: Enter your rates, schedule, and availability.
3. Start Teaching: Begin working with your students on VirtuStudios. Let us manage all of the administrative tasks while you keep 100% of your rate.
4. Apply to Virtu.Academy: If you’re ready to grow your student base, apply to join our network of educators.
5. Grow Your Studio: Once you are a selected as a Virtu.Academy teacher, we will quickly connect you with new students until your studio is full.
The closure of TakeLessons is undeniably challenging, but it also presents an opportunity to grow your business faster than ever.
If you’d like to discuss how we can support your transition, feel free to reach out to me directly at ben@virtu.academy. Let’s work together to ensure this next phase of your teaching career is your best yet.
Sincerely,
Ben
Co-Founder, Virtu.Academy
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