Dentsu Inc. B Team's Alternative Approach [4]Let's create a "Piano Class by Motivation"!
Hidetoshi Kurashige
Creative Project Base Co., Ltd.
Ten specialists from Dentsu Inc.'s 'B Team '—known for solving problems through unconventional approaches—attended a '10-Genre Simultaneous Brainstorming' session, each proposing solutions from their professional perspectives.
This time, as a special one-time project, we selected topics from reader concerns submitted to Web Dentsu Inc. News and conducted an actual brainstorming session. Here is the second part of the report. (Part 1 is here )
*"10-Genre Simultaneous Brainstorming" is a service provided by Dentsu Inc. B Team to companies and local governments. For inquiries, please contact Dentsu Inc. B Team ( info@bbbbb.team ).
＜Table of Contents＞
▼⑤Health-wise? Piano Lessons That Strengthen Seniors and Heal Troubled Parents and Children
▼⑥Peace? Mutual understanding through duet piano brings peace
▼⑦Sociologically? Incorporating festive events like Christmas parties
▼⑧Festival/Celebration Perspective? Recitals by "Not-So-Skilled Adults" Get Everyone Pumped!
▼⑨ Molecular Cuisine Approach? Let's disassemble the piano and play it by banging on its parts!
▼⑩Conceptually? Piano classes tailored to different motivations
■Topic: "The problem of my mom's piano studio not gaining students"
Client: University 3rd-year student, Ms. N
※As the client is a student, this is published under a pseudonym.
■Information about the mother's piano lessons, as provided by the client
- She started teaching ten years ago. The reason she began the piano studio was to support the household finances.
- The studio has no specific name. When advertising, it is listed as "Piano Lessons."
- Lessons are held in the piano room at home (8-tatami mats).
- Currently has 25 students. 90% are children (ages 3 to junior high school), 10% are adults (ages 20 to 60).
- The location is in a residential area, a modest neighborhood.
- The mother holds qualifications in aromatherapy, facial esthetics, mental training, and is a certified psychological counselor.
Kurane:Continuing from the previous part, thank you for joining us. Mr. Wada, how are you health-wise?
Wada: When thinking about health, it's common to consider that "finger exercises have a positive effect on the brain," right? From that perspective, as Naja-san mentioned last time, it doesn't necessarily have to be children.
⑤ Health-wise? A piano studio that trains seniors and heals troubled parents and children
Wada: The target could be people like me who took lessons as kids but haven't played in decades, or seniors attending to maintain or improve cognitive function.
In that case, rather than aiming for music college, it could be more salon-like—with multiple students practicing together, days for free practice, and chatting. Creating a piano community is good for mental health, right? Especially since you mentioned aromatherapy and having a certified psychologist qualification.
Tanaka: Piano studios do become communities. In my case, it's nice because after dropping my child off at lessons, I can wait at a nearby cafe reading a book. But since N's studio is in a residential area, I don't think there are cafes nearby. So, if we turn the studio itself into a gathering place kind of service, we could raise the customer spending per visit (laughs). Maybe bake cookies or something.
Wada: Also, last time we heard about a "naughty child whose attitude changed after piano lessons." When kids have issues, it often affects the parents' mental state too. So having parents with those kinds of worries attend the studio together might be good.
Koike: Playing duets as a family could be great. It's tough to adjust to someone else, so they'd learn that too.
Wada: Like a grandpa and grandchild playing together. I really enjoyed playing duets with my daughter—it made going to lessons something I looked forward to.
Torisu: Oh, may I just say something? Speaking of peace, I think playing duets is wonderful.
⑥ For peace? Mutual understanding through duets brings peace.
Torisu: In terms of understanding others, what about projects where people from different cultures play duets, or where people who are fighting play duets? Or residents from countries or regions that don't get along playing duets together. In that sense, I thought duet playing could lead to peace. It might be closer to a problem-solving tool than a piano lesson program.
Tanaka: There are many ways to utilize duets. Like a boss and subordinate playing together.
Kurashige: That's good, but really, it should be Hirokazu Tanaka and Hirokazu Tanaka playing together! (laughs)
⑦ From a sociological perspective? Incorporating festive events like Christmas parties
Tanaka: Absolutely possible (laughs). I did play piano, so I considered playing duets with the kids, but I was too embarrassed.
Wada: It's fun! Like at recitals, you could even coordinate outfits.
Tanaka: That got me thinking—recitals are such special occasions. My kid has one in June at a proper concert hall, and another in December at the teacher's house, like a Christmas party recital. Events like that are really important.
Koike: The reason kids start piano lessons is often because of mom friendships or seeing friends do it, right? Joining a class straight away can feel like a big hurdle. But if you say, "We're having a Christmas party at so-and-so's house on such-and-such date, come listen!" that can lead to "Maybe I'll let my kid try lessons too." So local events like that are really important.
Yamada: A Halloween party would work too. When I was a kid, I went to an English class, and the reason I started was because they had an event where kids dressed up for Halloween (laughs). If there were a piano class with a Halloween party where kids could dress up, I think little ones would be interested.
Nakajima: An event where they can dress up! Rent a venue and make it an open festival event. Like a "Mozart's Birthday" event where everyone wears Mozart wigs and plays piano (laughs). Also, it's really fun when it's not professionals but just friends or family members playing.
⑧ Festival/Event-wise? "Bad Adult" recitals get everyone hyped!
Nakajima: A few years back, a friend of mine—just a regular salaryman—planned a pretty big music event with professional musicians. It was going great, and just when I thought it was wrapping up, he suddenly brought out a piano and said, "I've been playing piano for 10 years, so I'll play Mozart" (laughs). He came out right after the pros, and man, he was terrible (laughs). What mental toughness! But it got everyone really hyped. So I think events where you get to see a different side of someone close to you, seeing them really give it their all, are really interesting.
Naja: Like a private concert just for family. Or grandparents dedicating a song to their grandkids. Mastering a song just for someone special like that is really nice too.
Yamada: When I was a kid, my grandparents always went to karaoke at the local community center. Piano can feel so formal, but really, even if you're not that good, it'd be nice to go together like karaoke and just play, like "Okay, next up is Mr./Ms. ○○!" A piano contest like a karaoke contest.
Uezu: Speaking of events, I think a "music festival without assigned pieces" could work too.
⑨What about molecular cooking? Let's disassemble the piano and play it by hitting the parts!
Uezu: When I was a kid, my piano studio had something written in Italian or something like "Freely!" on the wall. My teacher told me to "play freely," so I ignored the sheet music and just banged away—and got scolded (laughs). That's why I think it'd be great to have a music festival event where you could bang away freely. Also, I only understood how instruments work as an adult, so I'd love an event where everyone disassembles a piano together.
Koike: Speaking of disassembly, there's a group in America called the Piano Guys. They open up pianos together, hit all sorts of parts to make different sounds. Two members did a surprise performance at a nursing home, and the elderly residents were thrilled. So, it's not just about "playing well" or "playing with both hands" – events where everyone opens up a piano and hits it together sound fun too.
Uezu: It's like how kids freely draw pictures. Young children are often better at abstract things than drawing people, so maybe we could do that with music and instruments too.
Sakamaki: Like "prepared piano," right?
Tanaka: John Cage's.
Sakamaki: Prepared piano involves attaching strings or bells to the piano's strings or hammers, so when you hit the keys, you get sounds other than the piano. Wouldn't it be super fun to do prepared piano at Christmas? Gather the students like you're decorating for Christmas and say, "Now we're going to modify the piano!" It'd be fun to make it an activity where everyone freely plays Christmas songs or even composes something.
Yamada: If we're in a residential area, maybe someone could donate an unused piano...
Koike: Oh, another idea—if students come to the teacher's house for lessons, maybe we could use that. Like, if they play well, they get cute socks (laughs).
Yamada: Or maybe when you join, they have cute socks with your name on them ready to use as slippers during lessons.
Tanaka: And stylish practice bags! Original N Piano Studio designs.
Naja: With other lessons, your mood gets lifted by what you wear or carry, but piano doesn't really have a uniform, right? So, if there was a system where your uniform changed as you improved, that could be motivating. Like getting to wear a Mozart wig (laughs).
Yamada: I think some little kids might want to take outfit photos at the entrance after every lesson. Like, "I wore this today!"
Torisu: Number 10 is Kuranari-san, please share your concept ideas!
Kurashige: Hmm, let's see. Piano schools have this "you have to be like this" vibe, but but after hearing everyone's ideas, I thought it might be good to offer different courses based on motivation.
⑩ Conceptually? Motivation-Based Piano Lessons
Kurashige:If we create several courses tailored to student motivations— like wanting to dress up for a piece, wanting to prevent aging, wanting to have tea with friends, or wanting to wear Mozart's wig —couldn't we make all of that happen?
Nakajima: Regular piano lessons are usually just about "wanting to get better at piano," so it's pretty broad. So, for example, we could have a "Relaxation Course" where a certified psychologist selects the pieces. Burn some aromatherapy too.
Tanaka: That kind of motivation-based piano class seems perfect for the client's mother, who has all those certifications.
Naja: Oh, then there's that "Song Gift Course" from earlier. Grandpa intensively practices just one song in a short time to give as a gift to his grandchild.
Yamada: At weddings, it's become a popular touch lately for husbands who can't play piano to practice just one song for their wives. So a song gift is great!
Nakajima: Combining facials, mental wellness, and more into a "Become Beautiful Course. "
Kurashige: And then a "Science Course. " Like taking apart a piano and playing with it.
Sakamaki: In the "European Course," we'd want to do things like accompany chansons, right?
Torisu: I've compiled them! (※In no particular order)
- Piano Party Course
- Fashion Course
- European Course
- Relaxation Course
- Song Gift Course
- Become Beautiful Course
- Science Course
- Duet Course
- Anti-Aging Course
Kurashige: So, the average customer spend varies for each one, right?
Yamada: The Song Presentation Course is definitely pricier.
Koike: It's intensive and short-term, after all.
Wada: When families use it together—kids, moms, dads, grandparents—the average spend goes up, right?
Sakamaki: It's more about increasing the "total number of student sessions" than just the number of students. It's about getting the current students to come twice as often.
Kurashige: With the declining birthrate, many piano schools are struggling these days. So it's about attracting students with diverse motivations, not just those who simply "want to get better at piano." Maybe we should take this to the ○○○ Music School or something (laugh).
*Later, when I shared these brainstorming results with the client, Ms. N, she replied as follows:
"Thank you so much for the '10-Genre Simultaneous Brainstorming' session. My mother and I reviewed it together! We never imagined the discussion would branch out like this. My mother wasn't enthusiastic about this project at first, but after reading the draft, she said, 'This project is surprisingly interesting~' (laughs).
As Tanaka-san and Koike-san suggested, making the recital more special or, conversely, having a more casual gathering like a Christmas party could work. Regarding Wada-san's "salon idea," apparently there were actually a couple of adult students in the past who barely played piano at all and just talked for about 60 minutes before leaving. So, I think there's definitely demand for it. We also talked about how it would be great if Naja-san's idea for a "short-term song gift course" could be put into practice.
Thank you for your kind feedback! We'd be delighted if you could put it into practice when the opportunity arises.
N, thank you for providing the assignment! All of us members sincerely wish for the continued growth and success of your mother's piano studio.
Was this article helpful?
Share this article
Newsletter registration is here
We select and publish important news every day
For inquiries about this article
Back Numbers
Author
Hidetoshi Kurashige
Creative Project Base Co., Ltd.
Joined Dentsu Inc. in 2000 and was assigned to the Creative Bureau. Since then, expanded and applied advertising skills to lead diverse projects across genres, including collaborations with corporate new business divisions, overall production of APEC JAPAN 2010 and the Tokyo Motor Show 2011, and the 400th anniversary project for Arita ware in Saga Prefecture. Launched Dentsu B Team in 2014 with employees possessing personal B-sides. In 2015, he established the Active Learning "How About This?" Research Institute. On July 1, 2020, he founded Creative Project Base Co., Ltd.