We are happy to launch Forte’s new and improved teacher profiles. You can now add additional information to your profile, including setting parameters for prospective new students, tailoring the list of genres you teach, creating a short bio about your teaching career and methodologies, and more. This is all in preparation for the upcoming launch of Forte Connect, where new students will be able to search and view your public teacher profile and request lessons directly through the platform.
In order to optimize your profile to attract new students, we’ve created this guide to show you what’s new and different, as well as to provide some useful tips.
Where is my teacher profile?
To access your teacher profile you must be logged into your Forte account. Click here for quick access. Clicking on “Profile” on the left will take you to the new form.
If you are reading this article in preparation for Forte Connect, but haven’t yet created an account, you need to sign up here first before continuing on.
Tell us the instruments you teach.
The first step is to add all the instruments you teach. The add button is at the top right corner (see image below). It allows you to select from our list of instruments. Students will search for teachers based on the instrument that they want to learn, so you need to have a separate profile for each instrument you teach. This way, if you have varying credentials or teaching methods amongst your instruments, you can tweak your profile accordingly.
Upload a professional photo or headshot.
A picture is worth a thousand words and your profile picture is no different! Your profile picture is a chance to create a great first impression with prospective students. If you have a professional headshot, that works perfectly. If not, don’t worry! There are a few ways you can take a professional photo with your phone or laptop that will work just fine.
So, what makes a good headshot? A good headshot…
- captures you looking directly at the camera (eye contact is one of the most important elements of a great headshot).
- has good lighting on your face (beware of weird shadowing).
- showcases the personality and aura you want to project.
- is easy to see and notice, even when small.
- includes your instrument!
Additionally there are many free and affordable professional headshot apps on your phone and computer that may be able to add some assistance. You can see a few examples of good headshots and professional photos below.
Tell students about yourself.
The first step is to write a brief introduction that will capture the attention of prospective new students and sets you apart as they consider a variety of teachers. It’s one of the first aspects of your profile they’ll see.
It should be brief – one or two short sentences that highlight key facts about you. You want to tell students as succinctly as possible why you would be a great teacher for them. It could include…
- Where you studied music or what organizations you played with.
- A snapshot of your teaching methods and style.
- Something unique that captures your personality and skill as a teacher.
An interested student will have the ability to click on the brief bio and see an expanded version. This is where you can write as much as you want and go into as much detail as you need (see image below):
If you’ve never written a bio before, here are some guidelines to get started:
- Introduce yourself. (*currently we’re only approving bios that are written in the first person)
- Include the professional achievements that you are proud of as a musician and teacher.
- Include details about your studies and/or musical development that might resonate with potential students.
- Do you teach a particular method or school of playing or singing? (Suzuki, Dalcroze, Salzedo etc.)?
- Put your best foot forward, but be pithy. Don’t obscure your impressive accomplishments with gratuitous information.
- Discuss what your students will learn from lessons with you, and include any specialties or focus areas you have.
- Mention your personal music interests.
- Describe a typical lesson format with you on Forte (i.e., warmup, playing, discussion, etc.).
- List any books and exercises that you prefer.
Remember, for every instrument you include on Forte, you need to create a separate profile. If you only teach one instrument, you will only need one profile.
Set up your student preferences.
In order to match you with the right students, we ask that you answer and scale five separate questions. This doesn’t take very long and will help us show your profile only to the types of prospective students you most want to teach.
For the first four questions, your answers need to add up to 100%. For example, if you would like the students in your studio to be an even mix of adults and teenagers, answer the age question this way:
That’s it! You’re now another step closer to matching with new students on Forte. Make sure you save any updates to your profile. Once you hit “Ready to Review” a member of our team will check out your profile and may reach out with suggestions.
We look forward to seeing you on Forte Connect soon!