Beginning My Hunt for the Perfect Online Scheduling System

Last week, I posted about various online scheduling systems available as I'm looking at ways to streamline operations for my music studio. It was basically my To Do List of systems to try out.

Inspired by entrepreneur Larry Keltto's hilarious yet informative review of several booking apps on the market, I tried out several, while honing my Wish List. Here is my search criteria:

1. Aesthetically pleasing and intuitive design

2. Easy to use - both on the client end and the administrative end

3. The ability to prevent short notice rescheduling

4. Various options for reminder notifications that can be customized by each user

5. The ability to synchronize appointments with several calendar platforms (e.g., iCal, Google Calendar, Outlook, etc.)

6. The ability to collect and process payments (might not use this initially but I'd like to have the functionality in the future)

7. The ability to customize the appearance for branding purposes

8. Various privacy options so that the general public cannot see who I am teaching/consulting with

9. Easy to reschedule appointments (client or me)

10. The ability to handle recurring appointments for a set period of time

11. The ability to allow group bookings with a cap

12. The ability to set different availability for each day

13. Solid tech support resources

14. The ability to specify a time zone for appointments (not needed initially but will once I teach online)

15. Viewable and usable on a desktop and mobile devices

16. Advance scheduling

Oh, and it should be reasonably priced too. Really, is that too much to ask for?

Online Booking Systems - Round One

To date, I've examined nine online scheduling systems - and I'm not done yet. Here, I share my experience with the first four: AppointmentQuest, Book Fresh, Acuity Scheduling and Booking Bug.

AppointmentQuest

This was recommended by a former studio parent. AppointmentQuest has several attractive features. It allows you to securely accept payments online. You get instant email notifications. You can schedule services, people and events in several locations. It's HIPAA compliant.

I played with the Music Studio Demo. Unfortunately, I didn't get very far. The demo wouldn't let me book a test appointment (either as staff or a client). I also didn't like how the public could see all details for an appointment. Call me a prude if you want, but I don't think the general public should be privy to my students' lesson and contact info, regardless of whether they are underage. I also couldn't get over the dated design.

Cost: $6.59 USD/month for the Express version (single schedule/staff, unlimited customers, 300 appointments/month, advance scheduling up to 2 months). There are premium packages available with more features.

Book Fresh

This was one of several programs that I really hoped would work out. It was recommended to me by Michael Lipnicki's Fine Pianos. Its free trial was fully functional.

It was one of the slickest designed online systems I tested. It has an attractive user interface that is easy to use. I loved the fact that it could handle class and group scheduling in addition to individual appointments. Calendar syncing was very good. The mobile apps and Booking Widgets are great features.

Unfortunately, Book Fresh couldn't handle course registrations, e.g. registering for a 13-week music theory course from Date A to Date B very well. Clients would have to sign up for each class in the course.

I consulted the Help sections to find a solution, only to see that there was very little information. My new "buddy", the Solopreneur found this too. This brought my test of Book Fresh to a dead halt.

Cost:  The Freebie version only allows you to have three bookings per month, only three services and can only be used by one staff person. There are premium packages with more options. For the reminder notifications and calendar syncing ability, payments, you have to go up to the Business plan which is free for 30 days and then $19.95 USD per month after that.

Acuity Scheduling

This was one I tried out briefly, left and came back to it wondering, "Why did I stop mid-evaluation?" The free trial let you try it all out.

Acuity has a WordPress plugin - a bonus for my WordPress site. Calendar syncing? Yes. Can it handle one-on-one and class appointments? Yes. Website customization: yes. Handles payments? Yes. Attractive and user friendly interface? Yes.

What was it then that sent me on another tangent mid-evaluation? Oh yes, it couldn't handle course scheduling and booking to my satisfaction. For someone who isn't running courses, then it should work fine.

Cost: The Free version gives you quite a bit. Full customization and one schedule (yours). Go up to the Professional Plan for $10 USD/month and you also get recurring appointments/classes, calendar syncing and automatic time zone conversion. You get more with the Premium plan (of course).

Booking Bug

This is the one the Solopreneur selected. It hit all the right buttons: calendar syncing, classes, multiple resources, payments. A bonus: social media integration, mobile apps, accounting and marketing integration, discount pricing options and an exportable customer list.

However, it didn't work nearly as well for me as it did with my app testing buddy. It wasn't letting me choose Google Calendar to sync with. It sent me way too many email notices when making a booking and once again, I was having a tough time setting up a course that runs for a finite period.

However, my brother and colleague reported that it had the most straight-forward user interface out of the ones he tested. I suppose I could have contacted Booking Bug support (excellent resources, from the looks of it).

Who knows? Maybe Booking Bug and I just weren't meant to be friends.

Cost: The Solo plan costs $19.95 USD/month (1 staff, 1 resource, unlimited services, events/classes/courses and unlimited resources). There are two more plans above that.

It was at that point that my brain melted and I needed to take a break. Fresh air and ice cream does the body good.  My search continues for the perfect online scheduling app for my students and I.

Exploring Japanese Independent Study

It's official, our Japanese language school is changing classes to Thursday nights next year. Several of my classmates are in the same boat as me: Thursdays just don't work. We could check out the continuing ed Japanese classes at MRU or the University of Calgary, but the timing may not work for all of us as a group.

To that end, we have been talking about getting together on a regular basis next year to keep up with our studies. One thing we'll have to really practice is conversing in Japanese.

We also discussed the need to get supplemental Japanese study materials.

This is another area that is worth exploring - online independent courses. Here are some courses that I've found:

Japanese 199 - Independent Study at UC Berkley

JAPAN 041: First-Year Japanese, Part 1 at BYU

DeWitt HS Japanese Independent Study

Music Practicing Tip - The Random Spot Drill

For many music students around the world, this is a really tense time. There are only weeks before their music exam.

If you're preparing for a music exam, chances are your parents and your music teacher are telling you that you need to practice more, etc. etc.

This month, I'm checking to see how secure my students' repertoire is by using the Random Spot Drill. Really, it's as it sounds. You walk by the piano, sit down and try to play one of your pieces from anywhere. Well, from any memory station, that is.

If you're in the middle of your practice, try it for about a minute. Try playing the intro of one piece, the middle of another and the end of a third piece. OK, that's not really random, but you can make it random by trying any of the following:

• Scribble out bar numbers onto slips of paper and put them in a jar or hat. Then number your pieces. Draw one slip to choose a piece and another to tell you which bar to start from.

• Ask a family member in another room to pick a number from 1 and X (the last bar of your piece).

• Get a random number generator app and have it choose your bar numbers.

• Close your eyes and move a finger randomly on the score. When it stops, that's where you start.

• Roll dice

• Spin the Bottle

The idea behind the drill is to see how quickly you can get into the groove of that piece. After all, you never know when a distraction will occur. It could cause a blip. To keep you and your audience on track, you need to get back into the groove with as few missed beats as possible.

Honens ProAm Piano Competition for Amateurs 2011 Review

This unique piano competition held Saturday, October 15, 2011 in Calgary, Alberta raised over $100,000 for the 2012 Honens International Piano Competition.

Four amateur pianists went head-to-head on Saturday, October 15, 2011, 7:30 p.m. at Theatre Junction GRAND at this unique music competition. Nearly every seat was full when Daniel Yang, Andrew Hoffmanns, Colin Edie and David Dixon performed their solo recitals.

Amateur Musicians Perform for a Good Cause at Honens ProAm

The Honens ProAm Piano Competition is the brainchild of Calgary-based philanthropist Jenny Belzberg. This unique event is a fundraiser for the Honens International Piano Competition. The first year the ProAm was held was in 2008.

This music competition is open to recreational pianists who play at a high-calibre. In other words, all competitors must have careers outside of music. Each of these amateur musicians performed a 15-minute recital from memory.

In addition to their recital preparations, they strove to raise a minimum of $25,000 each. Prior to the event, they collected pledges from family, friends, employers, colleagues and music aficionados.

The competitors were judged by three music experts: Bob Clark, Charles Foreman and Mélanie Léonard. Clark is a performing arts writer for the Calgary Herald. Foreman, a Professor Emeritus at the University of Calgary, has performed around the world as a solo pianist and chamber musician. Maestra Léonard is currently the resident conductor for the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Honens International Piano Competition Searches for the "Complete Artist"

Out of the many prestigious piano competitions throughout the world, the Honens is unparalleled in two areas. First, competitors must perform solo and chamber recital programmes in addition to a movement of a piano concerto. Jurors are tasked with finding the “complete artist”.

Secondly, Honens Laureates participate in an extensive artistic and career development program. This is above and beyond the prize money they receive. Some of the benefits include assistance in booking engagements, recording CD's and developing press kits.

The Honens was the brainchild of the late Esther Honens. She was a Calgary-based philanthropist who endowed $5 million dollars in 1991 to launch an international piano competition in Calgary.

All proceeds from the Honens ProAm goes towards the Seventh Honens International Piano Competition. The next Honens will take place in Calgary from October 17 to 26, 2012.

ProAm Competition 2011 Contenders Deliver Four Exciting Performances

The 2011 ProAm got off to a colourful and romantic start with Daniel “Marathon Man” Yang's performance. Yang, sporting a purple tux, opened with Prelude in b-flat minor, op. 28, no. 4 by Polish composer Fréderic Chopin. He then delivered a sensitive interpretation of Edvard Grieg's Notturno. This was followed by another popular Chopin piece, Nocturne in E-flat Major, op. 9, no. 2. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's “Rondo alla Turca” from his Sonata no. 11 in A Major, K. 331 rounded out the programme.

Yang is a Reservoir Specialist for Canadian Natural Resources and the CEO of Borealis Geopower. He holds a Ph.D. In Natural Sciences and studies with Calgary-based piano instructor Ann Davidson.

The second ProAm contender, Andrew “Dutchie” Hoffmanns, hails from the Netherlands. He moved to Calgary last year and works as a financial analyst for Shell Canada Limited. He studies piano with pianist, teacher and clinician Gabriella Jonas of Calgary.

Hoffmans performed two contrasting works which showcased his warm, rich tone. He began with Sergei Rachmaninov's Prelude in c-sharp minor, op. 3, no. 2. He concluded his programme with selections from Kinderszenen (Scenes from Childhood) by Robert Schumann.

Colin “Jock” Edie drew loud cheers when he strode confidently on stage in his light grey-blue tux and matching hat. That confidence rang through throughout his entire recital programme, in which he demonstrated a strong tone, good phrasing and balance.

He first performed “Allegro moderato” from Sonata in E-flat Major, No. 62 Hob. XVI52 by Franz Joseph Haydn. This was followed by La Cathédral engloutie by Claude Debussy. For his final work, Edie performed Chopin's Revolutionary Etude.

Edie works for Encana Corporation as a Petroleum Engineer. He has his Grade 10 certificate from the Royal Conservatory of Music and studies with Allen Reiser, a Calgary-based piano teacher, writer, performer, adjudicator and clinician.

The evening drove towards a dramatic climax with David “Big Band” Dixon's performance. This jazz fan performed two challenging works: La Danse de Puck by Impressionist composer Claude Debussy and Frederic Chopin's Scherzo in E Major, op. 54, no. 4.

Dixon, a Reservoir Engineer at Nexen Inc., displayed a strong command of the piano. His technique was solid, while his phrasing and dynamics were well balanced. He elicited a standing ovation from the audience.

David recently earned his ARCT Diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music. He studies with pianist, teacher, adjudicator and clinician Linda Kundert-Stoll in Calgary.

Honens ProAm Competition 2011 Declared a Resounding Success

The fundraising goal for this year's Honens ProAm was $100,000, which as exceeded. This year's Top Fundraiser Award went to Daniel Yang, who raised $43,000.

The audience was concurred with the event's jurors. David Dixon was declared the Audience Choice Prize winner and the 2011 Honens ProAm Champion. He won a gift certificate to the seafood restaurant Catch, the entire Honens CD library and a weekend residency at the Banff Centre for the Performing Arts.

The 2011 Honens ProAm Competition for Amateurs was held at Theatre Junction GRAND on Saturday, October 15, 2011. With four dynamic performances delivered to nearly a full-house and the fundraising goal surpassed, this original fundraiser for the 2012 Honens International Piano Competition is a resounding success.

Originally published on Suite101.com on October 18, 2011. Updated May 13, 2013. All rights reserved by Rhona-Mae Arca.

Taking Your Dog to Crowded Places

Maestro gets fidgety after sitting for too long. He needs stretch his legs before listening to the next band. Photo by R-M Arca.

Spring has finally arrived in Calgary. The sun has been shining brightly. People have been sporting shorts and capris. Even the family dogs are eager to sit in the backyard and catch some rays.

Outdoor festivals will be starting soon too. Lots of people will be out and about, not to mention loud music and all sorts of sounds.

Can you take your dog with you? Well yes, sometimes. However, to make it a pleasant experience for the entire family, you have to train together.

I've been taking Maestro out to festivals since he was approximately three years-old. Some festivals don't allow regular dogs on-site, but events like the Calgary Folk Festival take place in one area of a park. Maestro and I join the other families with their dogs and chill on the "free side of the fence".

I think the first time, I drove downtown and parked really close to Prince's Island Park. I picked one of the quieter times to head to the park and it wasn't too hot. Maestro and I brought snacks, water and poopy bags along with a blanket and his Doggles. We didn't stay too long - probably just a couple of hours.

With each passing event, Maestro came on longer festival "adventures". A few years back, he got his own backpack to carry his gear. It makes him feel special.

A few things I've learned along the way are:

• Know Your Dog: Do you know the signs your dog gives out when stressed? Angry? Hungry? Frightened? Needs to relieve him or herself? Tired? Overheated? You need to keep a vigilant eye on your pet and react quickly.

• Know the Area: When you arrive, scout out the area. You need to know where are the quiet areas that you can take your dog for a timeout. Also, you have to find a shady spot for your furry friend so he or she doesn't overheat.

• Keep an Eye Out for Irritants: If your dog has a fear of big truck engines or displays with loud generators, pick a different route. If you see a bunch of noisy kids or dogs up ahead, a little distance will do you good.

• Keep Together: You can't help your dog if you're 20 feet away and he or she is in distress. The bigger the crowd, the more important it is that you have your dog on a tight leash. It's as much for your dog's protection as everyone else's.

• Train your dog: If your dog doesn't know the equivalent of "heel", "come", "leave it", "stay", "stop", then your dog isn't ready yet.

Here are some informative articles I've come across on dogs and crowds:

Dogs and Crowds from Cats and Dogs Naturally

Dogs and Crowds from Paddington Pups

Dogs and Crowd Control from Cesar's Way

Cesar's article especially is worth a read.