Eric was a third-generation music teacher making a great living when he got hooked up with a tech business founder looking for a new project. Eric realized he was spending a lot more time on admin tasks than he realized, so together they launched an online payment and scheduling app called Fons. If you’re familiar with Fons, you might be surprised to learn what the original vision was for the platform and how they got to the platform they have today. Eric loves mentoring students in 1:1 lessons ...
Feb 13, 2019•32 min
Today’s podcast is part two of my interview with Thomas Grayston, the developer of the Note Rush app. ( iTunes and Google Play ) In it, Thomas puts on his app developer hat and guides us through the first steps teachers can take if they have app ideas they want to bring to market. There is a TON of information in this episode, so be prepared to take notes! Full show notes available at musicstudiostartup.com/episode022...
Feb 06, 2019•31 min
Today’s episode is the first of a two-part interview with Thomas Grayston, the developer of the Note Rush app. In this week’s episode, Thomas puts on his entrepreneur hat and shares his startup story. In next week’s episode, he’ll put on his developer hat and talk about first steps non-technical teachers can take if they have app ideas that they want to bring to market. Full show notes available at musicstudiostartup.com/episode021...
Jan 30, 2019•34 min
I have to take a quick break from the podcast to move Music Studio Startup HQ (and the rest of my life) from Maryland to Missouri! If you haven’t heard the earliest episodes the podcast, now is a good time to catch up. If you want to read about the steps I’ve been taking to close and transition my studio in Maryland, you can check out those details on the blog! Moving - Part 1: Decisions, Decisions, Decisions Moving - Part 2: Making & Communicating Plans...
Oct 31, 2018•2 min
Cindy Hsu is from a slightly different category of entrepreneur than my usual guests, but she has such a great sense of hustle and so many insights to share on building an audience. I know I picked up some gems to apply to my business endeavors! Full show notes available at https://www.musicstudiostartup.com/episode020/
Oct 24, 2018•26 min
A lot of entrepreneurial stories have meandering starts, often with setbacks and challenges that test a founder’s dedication and perseverance as much as the business idea itself. Today’s guest has one of those stories, but she stuck it out and made it to the other side. Here’s our conversation! Full show notes available at https://www.musicstudiostartup.com/episode019/
Oct 17, 2018•34 min
Last week we heard from Jolene Madewell , who used Instagram and other social media to build her online flute studio, so I thought talking to a full-time digital marketer would be a great follow-up. Today I’m talking to Molly Marshall about how local businesses like music studios can set themselves apart on Instagram. She talks about using hashtags, geotags, video, and good ol’ fashioned networking to establish a presence in our local communities. Full show notes available at https://www.musicst...
Oct 10, 2018•32 min
Lots of teachers transition in-person students to Skype students out of necessity when someone has to move, but today I’m talking to a flute teacher who has done the opposite. When Jolene’s local studio wasn’t gaining traction, she decided to focus on teaching virtually. She ramped up her social media presence and built her studio of mostly online students. After a couple of years, her local community started taking notice of her work online and she started picking up more in-person students as ...
Oct 03, 2018•27 min
Today Lance LaDuke of Carnegie Mellon University shares the story of his winding career and how he created his dream job encouraging and mentoring music students who want to pursue entrepreneurial ideas. Full show notes available at musicstudiostartup.com/episode016
Sep 26, 2018•38 min
Dr. Joel Pierson, founder of Sadsap Music and creator of the “You Suck at Piano” series, gives us an honest, behind-the-scenes look at how he raised $85,000 in his first Kickstarter campaign. Joel tells us about the thought process behind setting a good Kickstarter budget, what it was like working with a PR firm, how crazy expensive international shipping can be, and some of the other surprises that came up along the way. He also talks about his experience trying to get a publisher, being turned...
Sep 19, 2018•28 min
Shawn Bartley is a business lawyer in Maryland. In our discussion, he shares practical steps we can take to protect our music studios, collect payment, and minimize our tax burden. We discuss what to include in teacher and student contracts, what records we should keep in case we need to defend our businesses in a tax audit or in court, and we discuss some of the hard choices teachers have to make. Full show notes available at musicstudiostartup.com/episode014...
Sep 12, 2018•29 min
Ashley’s own journey as a church musician led her to start a blog and create resources for others who have found themselves in similar roles. Last year she began to monetize her blog by creating and launching two online courses. In our conversation, Ashley shares tons of practical advice on the steps she went through to validate, create, and market her courses. Full show notes available at musicstudiostartup.com/episode013...
Sep 05, 2018•30 min
Andrea Yahr, accountant and tax preparer, explains the different business structures (sole-proprietorship, LLC, S-Corp, C-Corp) music teachers can choose from, and when different structures might make sense. She also clear up some often misunderstood information around self-employment taxes and shares loads of resources. Full show notes available at musicstudiostartup.com/episode012 Webinar The Nice Teacher’s Guide to Tough Conversations (or, how to enforce your studio policy and still be a nice...
Aug 29, 2018•27 min
Aaron Garner is a piano teacher and champion for innovation in music education. Like other teachers I’ve interviewed, Aaron’s business idea came from an inefficiency he noticed in his piano studio. The solution he came up with led him to raise $600k in capital and start a software company called Piano Marvel. Full show notes available at https://www.musicstudiostartup.com/episode011/
Aug 22, 2018•26 min
Joanne Haroutounian is a piano pedagogy professor at George Mason University and founder of MusicLink Foundation, a non-profit organization which creates opportunities for eager students to participate in music lessons, despite financial disadvantages. In this episode, Joanne and I discuss the components of MusicLink, the development of a 501(c)(3), and how music teachers and individuals passionate about music education can get involved. Full show notes at https://www.musicstudiostartup.com/epis...
Aug 15, 2018•33 min
Sean Murphy is a saxophone teacher who managed to teach 112 students on a weekly basis by teaching in schools, during the school hours. In our interview, Sean shares his scheduling strategies, communication tips, and how he keeps his income up in leaner summer months. Full show notes at musicstudiostartup.com/episode009
Jul 25, 2018•29 min
Scott Stratton, a financial advisor, tells us about retirements options available to self-employed musicians. Full show notes available at musicstudiostartup.com/episode008/
Jul 18, 2018•19 min
Tara O'Brien tells us the story of how developed and brought to market a tool called Note Match, to help her students learn to read music. Full show notes at musicstudiostartup.com/episode007
Jul 11, 2018•20 min
Wendy Racer is an interior designer and the owner of Way Interiors. In this episode, she shares her five profit-boosting interior design tips for music teachers and studio owners! Full show notes available at musicstudiostartup.com/episode006
Jul 04, 2018•30 min
Emilee-Mae Feely, owner of Plume Piano School shares the challenges and successes of starting her traveling piano school. Show notes at musicstudiostartup.com/episode005
Jun 27, 2018•22 min
Managing money can be a complicated topic for self-employed music teachers. Shannah Compton Game, a certified financial planner, shares her tips to help self-employed musicians make smart money moves. https://www.musicstudiostartup.com/episode004
Jun 20, 2018•23 min
Regina Ngo is the owner of Regina’s Music Studio in South Pasadena, California. In our interview, Regina shares how she went from teaching at a music school to to travel teaching to teaching from her home, to eventually opening a multi-teacher school in a commercial location. She's tried it all and it's interesting to hear her progression. Regina explains how she uses teacher development workshops to help foster a sense of "family" among her teachers and to help them continue to offer high quali...
Jun 13, 2018•31 min
Heather clears the mystery around health insurance for self-employed music teachers and gives some helpful advice on first steps to take.
Jun 06, 2018•25 min
Tasha Locke of Arpeggio Music School shares how she used Google AdWords to launch her studio in a new city. With this strategy, she was able to fill her piano studio (and start a waiting list) in less than two years.
Jun 06, 2018•22 min
Music Studio Startup is a podcast all about the business of teaching music. Here's what you can expect from future episodes! Want more resources? Check out MusicStudioStartup.com
Jun 05, 2018•2 min
