At first glance, most music schools look the same. Private lessons. Recitals. Qualified teachers. And yet, some schools quietly stall at 120–150 students… while others keep growing year after year.

In this episode, we unpack the real reason behind the plateau — and why it has nothing to do with marketing, talent, or even enrollment.

It's about structure.

More specifically, whether you've built your school around a schedule… or around a mission. If you've ever felt like your growth hit a ceiling — or you're working harder but not compounding — this episode will change how you think about your business.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• The hidden weakness of private lesson-only models (and why they feel busy but fragile)
• Why "personality loyalty" is dangerous — and how to build brand loyalty instead
• The uncomfortable test that reveals whether your school is replaceable
• What "emotional gravity" is — and how it reduces churn
• Why churn (not marketing) is the silent killer of scale
• How mission impacts hiring, onboarding, retention, and even pricing power
• The structural shift that turns a music school from a job into an asset

If you want scale, durability, and a school that doesn't depend entirely on you, this conversation matters.

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Hiring isn't about filling a teaching slot. It's about protecting your culture.

In this episode, I sit down with Luisa Rodriguez-Haag, Recruitment Manager at Ensemble Performing Arts, to unpack the biggest hiring mistake music schools make — and how to fix it before it costs you retention, morale, and your brand reputation. You're not just hiring someone to teach. You're hiring someone to represent your promise to families. We break down what separates a "warm body" from a true culture carrier and why skill alone isn't enough.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why teaching is a transfer of emotion, not just information
• The red flags of a misaligned hire
• How to interview for values, not just availability
• Why rushed hiring leads to turnover
• How culture-first hiring strengthens retention and referrals

If you've ever made a desperate hire or struggled with turnover, this conversation will reshape how you interview.

Because your brand walks into the room every time your teacher does.

This episode is a heartfelt tribute and a powerful reminder of what truly makes a music school memorable. After the passing of Greg Hipskind, founder of QC Rock Academy, Dave reflects on the quiet but profound impact Greg had on his students, families, and community. Not through flashy ads or clever funnels, but through generosity.

In this episode, you'll discover how generosity can become one of the most effective (and overlooked) marketing strategies in your music school.

You'll learn:

• Why the most talked-about music schools give students experiences, not just lessons
• How "talk triggers" turn ordinary schools into word-of-mouth machines
• Why generosity doesn't have to be spontaneous—and how to systematize it
• Simple, realistic ways to build community outside the lesson room
• Why the impact of generosity won't show up in spreadsheets—but will show up in retention and referrals

If you've ever wondered how to make your school stand out, keep students longer, and give parents something genuinely worth talking about—this episode will shift how you think about growth.