The Powerhouse Musician

Today I am joined by Julia Marble from Marble Music Studios in Nebraska. She began teaching Suzuki violin at age 12 and is now the owner of her own studio. I was lucky enough to coach her through this process and we are going to share her journey with you today. We discuss how she knew it was time to make the transition, what to expect and what she wishes she did differently. Connect with me: Instagram: @rebeccalanecoachFacebook: Rebecca Lane CoachWebsite: rebeccalanecoaching.com 

There are a lot of numbers involved in business.  And, in the music studio business those numbers involve students and money. For a lot of musicians, this is a scary thought. But we can conquer that fear! I’m here to tell you what numbers you need to be looking at regularly, plus what they mean and what to do with them to keep your business healthy. Connect with me: Instagram: @rebeccalanecoachFacebook: Rebecca Lane CoachWebsite: rebeccalanecoaching.com 

Are you a music studio owner? Do you have multiple teachers working for you? Then this episode is for you! Today I’m sharing 3 pieces of tech (plus a bonus) that I use to keep my studio of almost 50 teachers running smoothly. These programs will help you level up your business and keep it running smoothly. Implementing this tech has been a crucial piece to keeping my business organized and professional; by helping my staff and I work efficiently while allowing a proper work-life-balance.Connect with me: Instagram: @rebeccalanecoachFacebook: Rebecca Lane CoachWebsite: rebeccalanecoaching.com 

Every single person on planet Earth struggles with procrastination, myself included. But over the years I’ve noticed that my procrastination is usually giving me some really important data about myself. Looking back on tasks we procrastinated on can provide us with nuggets of information that help us move forward when we aren’t moving forward. Let’s talk about tasks I avoided and how they eventually helped me move forward and grow.Connect with me: Instagram: @rebeccalanecoachFacebook: Rebecca Lane CoachWebsite: rebeccalanecoaching.com 

Today we are starting a revolution! #itshappening We are making music our national sport. I want everyone to consider music part of our Canadian national identity and I hope you do too. Music education and classical music is seen as a dying industry. But there is plenty of evidence to show that music is still extremely important to our society and it’s time we start saying it out loud. Here’s my mission. I hope you join me!

It seems our Canadian identity centres around hockey. From watching Hockey Night in Canada every week to teaching our kids to skate as soon as they can walk, many aspects of our lives revolve around Canada’s national winter sport. What would the world look like if music lessons were in as high demand as playing hockey in Canada? What if people lined up to register for music lessons, or were willing to pay incredibly high prices for symphony tickets (even if the symphony didn't play that well)? What kind of future would we be building?  What could be we doing now to start?

Two questions I am frequently asked are: 1. How do you get everything on your to-do list done? 2. How do you balance motherhood, marriage and a successful career?  For me, it all starts with what I do in the morning to set me up for a productive day. In this episode, I walk you through the nitty-gritty of my typical morning routine and how that has allowed me to be both a mother and businesswoman.

One of the biggest barriers to making a living as a private music teacher is the financially accessible piece. We don't want to price ourselves so high that students can't afford our lessons, but we also need to make a living. I believe that we can and deserve to do both for us and our students. Many musicians got to where they are today, including myself, through the generosity of teachers who believed in them. Here is how you can pass on the kindness of accessible music lessons without sacrificing your bank balance.

I like journals A LOT! So, today I'm sharing how I use my journals to organize my thoughts and my time. And…it’s gonna get messy! I use journals to dump my fears and anxieties, keep track of tasks, and make schedules. I hope that you can find a useful nugget in this episode to organize your thoughts and time. I would also love to hear about the creative ways you use your journals in day-to-day life.

Are you ready to move your music school into a brick-and-mortar business? Today we are discussing how to assess a space to decide if it is right for you and your students. Here are three questions you should be asking yourself before taking this big step in the life of your business. These decision apply to simply moving to a bigger apartment with an extra bedroom to opening a multi-studio school.

Policies are tricky to write, but essential to making sure students respect your boundaries. From the very first lesson you need to let them know that “These are the laws of my music studio” and have what you need to enforce them. Here is how to make sure your policies are effective, clear and enforceable.

Do you ever feel the urge to produce but are stuck in a pocket of downtime? We have a lot of down time or “dead” time as musicians that can feel unproductive when we have big goals. How can we use the time between students, commuting to gigs or staying home with our sick kiddos effectively? Here's how I work towards my goals when I can’t turn on my laptop or open my instrument case.

Teaching independently at your own music studio versus teaching at a music school: Which option is best? From music teacher to music teacher the answer will differ. Should you teach from your home and take care of all the admin work yourself? Teach at a studio owned by someone else with a community of colleagues? A mix of both? Let's talk about the pros and cons so you can figure out which teaching situation will work best for you.

Is it time for you to make a big leap? Making big changes in our life and career takes a lot of courage. But don’t worry, you aren’t alone! I’m here to help you make a plan to successfully make this leap; and it only takes three steps. Let's break down how you can make your next big step a successful one.

How do you spend your time? Do you know where your time goes? Is it spent the way you want it to be spent? Making a schedule is useful to keep track of what you need to do, but t be more efficient you need to know how you are currently using your time. Every moment is important, and I want you to make the most of every single one. Whether it’s work, play or just eating dinner here’s a way to make sure you get every task completed with the simple tool of time auditing.168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think by Laura Vanderkam: https://lauravanderkam.com/books/168-hours/

The greatest struggle in the career of a private music teacher isn’t choosing repertoire for students or finding a recital venue; it’s pricing music lessons. In our growing global community, it is harder and harder to pin-point that perfect price. While I can’t give you an exact number, I can give you the tools to find it yourself and how to present it to your students.

As musicians, we have all learned how to set goals, break them into steps then successfully reach them. However, we aren’t taught what to do when we miss the mark. What should we make of the goals we never reach? The ones we think we are capable of but don’t quite achieve. Here's my take on how to turn your missed goals into gold.

We use technology in many different ways as musicians. It’s used in performing, marketing and researching. But how do you use it as a private teacher and music studio owner? Today I'm sharing my top 3 online subscriptions I use to keep The Lane School of Music running smoothly and why I think you should use them too. And the best part? They are all free!

We all share a singular purpose to make the world a better place. As musicians, we need to find a way to convince our audiences and students to join our mission. To find that resonating factor, we need to first ask ourselves, “why do we do what we do?” Once you finally understand the “why,” you can turn it into ticket sales, new student enrollment, and eventually, a healthier bank account.

Everyone loves a good life-hack! We are always looking for ways to make everyday tasks a little simpler. Why not do the same with your goals? Today I’m walking you through my best tip to hack your way into achieving big things. It’s simple but not easy.

We often hear about reaching our full potential, but what about expanding it? When you’ve hit a wall and feel you can go any, further you haven’t failed, you’ve reached your full potential. Luckily potential isn’t limited! As we grow and learn our potential shifts. So that “stuck” feeling means it’s time to expand past our potential. Let’s reframe how we think about potential so that we are able to increase what we are capable of. Sometimes that expansion is scary! So, let me tell you what to expect about the process of expanding.

Are you preparing for the big successes you want to achieve in your musical career? Success can look different for everyone. It can even look different from what you are expecting it to look like. That’s exactly what happened to me when I expanded my music school into a brand new location in 2021. Today I'm reflecting on how I prepared for the biggest summer of my career to date, and I'm sharing 3 things that come before big success. Achieving bigger success involves bigger decisions, solving bigger problems, and letting go of bigger things.

Welcome to The Powerhouse Musician! Thanks so much for tuning in. This is a podcast for classical musicians to get allll the goods: the business intel, the savvy, and the motivation to make it in today’s classical music scene.  When I started my music school several years ago, I had no idea what I was doing.  I threw together a website and jumped into the world of business and marketing… all while teaching a full studio of violin students and raising a family of, at the time, three small kids.  Now with over 650 students at The Lane School of music and team of 50 teachers and administrative staff, I can say I’ve learned a thing or two about how to get a music studio up and running. And guess what? A lot of what I’ve learned about sales, marketing, and mindset is directly applicable to musicians in any field. So have a listen to a few clips from the upcoming episodes, and see what nuggets you can take away to make your own powerhouse musician path.