Last updated 19/8/2025, Music Monitor version 9.255
This is just a quick list of features, so that you may spot some that you hadn't realised were available. For a guide to how the system works, see instead Start Here, and then Music Monitor Basics.
Database
Music Monitor is a set of files that run in a full-powered database application (FileMaker Pro). This allows some things that are not possible in some other systems:
Fully customisable, complex searches in any fields, and export of the contents.
Complex, customised data imports.
Complex, customisable functions to replace field contents.
Enrolments
Of course, administering music enrolments is the core function of this system. Music Monitor manages:
Individual lesson enrolments
Shared lesson enrolments
Group, Ensemble, and Class enrolments
Ensemble parts
Ensemble subgroups
Enquiries, waiting lists, and deferred or suspended enrolments
Manage Tuition Enrolments
Manage Ensemble Enrolments
Method for Enquiries
Method for Waiting Lists
Student Records
The system is centred around students. Music Monitor can:
Import student information from your main student database OR it can be your main student database
Work with additional students who don't appear in your main database
Record multiple contacts for one student
Work with split families
Record debtor contacts separately from primary (lesson arrangement) contacts
Record demographic and medical alert information
Record the campus that different students attend
Articles about the Students File
Scheduling
Music Monitor can manage:
Regular weekly or fortnightly lessons
Lessons on a rotating schedule
New in 2025! Lessons on an alternating schedule
Lessons that are not assigned to a scheduled time
Schedules that include a mixture of these types of lessons
Last-minute changes to a scheduled lesson
Emailing the schedule to teachers or students
Creating calendar (e.g. Outlook, iCal) events out of schedule information
Manage Timetabling
(Teacher Guide) Use the Schedule to Create a Timetable
Rotating, Fortnightly, or Alternating Lesson Times
Room Management
Music Monitor can manage:
Rooms on different campuses
Regular and one-off room bookings
Finding an available room
Room capacities, maintenance, and other notes
Attendance
Music Monitor can manage:
Lesson Attendance
Custom attendance codes that independently vary on:
Whether the student is present at the lesson
Whether the student is billed for the lesson
Whether the teacher is paid for the lesson
Teacher comments on attendance records
Can be made compulsory for specific attendance codes
Parent notification of missed lessons
Ensemble/Class Attendance
Partial attendance score for late arrival
Credit due for cancelled rehearsal
Manage Attendance
Set Up Attendance Codes
Resources
Music Monitor can record:
Types of Resources
Instruments
Multiple identifying and categorising fields
Accessories
Repairs
Purchase information
Sheet Music / Books
AV Resources
Costumes
Lockers
Other custom items (e.g. keys)
Loans & Hire
Checkout and return dates
Hire cost and billing
Stocktake
Other Student Activities
Assessment Reports
Pre-existing templates or request a custom one
For all lessons and ensembles/classes
Awards
Simple text description fields
Exams
Pre-prepared list of AMEB exams available
Parent approval for exam enrolment
Accompaniment arrangements
Billing for exam and accompaniment
Excursions / Camps
Medical and dietary notes
Travel and accommodation information
Billing
Performances
All performance details
Workshops
Location
Staffing
Participation numbers
Billing
Billing Calculations
Music Monitor can:
Bill for individual activities or for large or small batches
Bill in advance or in arrears
Apply discounts to enrolment charges
Bill for miscellaneous items
Calculate billing adjustments based on attendance records
Apply GST as needed
Export for other systems or generate invoices in Music Monitor
Apply early-bird discounts or late fees
Record payments and produce statements
Billing Overview
Process All Unbilled Amounts
Produce and Send Invoices
Payroll Calculations
Music Monitor can:
Calculate pay information for work delivered during each pay period OR calculate pay information averaged across a longer time such as term or semester
Calculate pay information for:
Regular scheduled work relating to enrolments
Shortened or lengthened lessons and additional lessons
Other work such as accompaniment, performance, admin, etc.
Manage different pay rates
Manage preparation time or similar loadings in addition to the scheduled hours
Export the information and optionally also produce and email payslips
Salaries Overview
Set Up Salaries
Staff and Other Contacts
Music Monitor can:
Distinguish salaried from sessional staff
Handle staff who have some salaried and some sessional teaching
Record contact and employment details
Record other types of contacts, e.g.:
Accompanists
Instrument repairers
Supplies
Other custom categories
Email and SMS
Music Monitor can:
Generate a blank email to selected students or staff for you to write the content into
Generate emails with mail merged content containing:
Each student's current enrolment details
Details of a lesson that a student missed
Details of a new student enrolment (to the teacher)
Details of the next lesson (to the student)
Details of an exam you propose to enrol the student for
Copy and paste the selected email addresses instead of generating an email
Save template emails for general use
Generate an email formatted for an SMS system that accepts creation of messages via email
Teacher Access
Music Monitor facilitates teaching staff having access to the system to:
View and edit their teaching schedule
View and manage membership of their classes and ensembles
Mark their rolls
Submit claims for pay for work other than their scheduled teaching
View some student details and send email to their students
Complete student assessment reports
View and manage student instrument loans and hire
Book rooms for other uses
Note their own professional development
Administration staff can enable or disable teacher access to individual modules, and also give different teachers different access levels.
New in 2024! Admin staff can switch to a teacher's view of the system, to see what teachers see.
New in 2025! Admin staff can select any teacher to see exactly what they see.
Teachers - Basic Overview
Set Up Teachers to Use Music Monitor
Manage Login Accounts
Reporting and Exports
Music Monitor has various options for taking data out of the system:
Because you're working in a fully functional database application, you can use FileMaker's inbuilt functions in any set of records to
Save as Excel
Perform a highly customisable export in a selection of formats
Music Monitor has a long list of pre-prepared reports that export in Excel or PDF
Music Monitor has a statistics module that is primarily designed to support NSW Regional Conservatoriums in their bi-annual reporting to the NSW DoE.
If you need a report that is not currently in the list, we can often build it for you easily and at low cost.
Save and Export
Articles tagged "export"
Articles tagged "print"
NSW DoE Reporting for Conservatoriums
Importing and Shortcuts
Music Monitor has options for bringing in or updating large amounts of data:
Import using FileMaker's inbuilt importing capability. This should generally be done with our support because some important fields or steps can be missed otherwise.
Use Music Monitor scripts or inbuilt FileMaker functions to replace in bulk the contents of a field with either copied or calculated data.
Integrations
Music Monitor has a growing list of options for integration with other systems:
Custom import or export scripts, for processes such as:
Regularly importing student data from your main school database
Importing enrolment application data from an external application form
Running a specified report and exporting the output on a schedule
Direct API integration with:
TASS
Wonde
Others in the pipeline or by request