Rock School Proprietor Podcast

Latest Episodes:

75: Greatest Hits With Dave Simon & Tim Topham Dec 31, 2025

Show notes

On this special “Greatest Hits of 2025” episode of the Rock School Proprietor Podcast, John Kozicki (Michigan Rock School and RockSchoolProprietor.com) brings together some of the most impactful moments from two standout conversations of 2025, featuring Dave Simon and Tim Topham. This curated episode highlights big ideas, fresh perspectives, and practical strategies for lesson studio owners who want to elevate the student experience and strengthen their business.

In this episode:

Rethinking the “practice problem” with Dave Simon—why traditional views on practice fall short and what to do instead.
How to reframe practice in a way that keeps students motivated and parents confident in their child’s progress.
The traits Dave sees most often in successful music schools, and how group learning and fun-driven instruction help students stay engaged longer.
Insights from Tim Topham on shifting toward a student-focused approach to teaching music.
Why “playing first, reading second” can unlock creativity, intuition, and deeper musical connection.
How modern music education is moving beyond traditional methods and leaning into collaboration, community, and real-world musical experiences.

This episode brings together the wisdom of two influential voices in music education, offering studio owners fresh ways to think about practice, teaching approaches, and building thriving learning communities. It’s a perfect year-end reflection to spark ideas and inspiration as you look ahead to the future of your studio.

Full versions of the episodes featured:

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Your ratings and reviews on Apple Podcast and Spotify are always appreciated!

Join our private Facebook group, "The Modern Music School," a community for like-minded professionals to connect and share insights.

Looking for a simple and effective guitar curriculum that includes FREE instructor training and support? Consider John's book, Complete Guitar Strumming.

74: Mistakes We Made Running our Studios (And How We Fixed Them) Dec 24, 2025

Show notes

On this episode of the Rock School Proprietor Podcast, John Kozicki (Michigan Rock School and RockSchoolProprietor.com) and Mandy York (Music Time of Milford) have an honest conversation about the mistakes they’ve made while running their music lesson businesses, and more importantly, the lessons that came out of them. From pricing missteps to programs they didn’t promote soon enough, this episode pulls back the curtain on some real challenges studio owners face as they grow.

In this episode:

The early mistakes that cost time, money, and momentum, including undervaluing services and offering too many unpaid demos.
Why promoting full band programs matters and how overlooking them slowed down growth.
The importance of qualifying ideal clients and how misalignment can drain energy and resources.
How delaying key hires created bottlenecks—and what changed when they finally brought new team members on.

This candid conversation offers a look at the missteps that many studio owner encounters, along with the simple shifts that can help you avoid them. If you’re building a lesson program or growing a team, these insights will help you spot challenges early and make confident, sustainable decisions for your studio.

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Your ratings and reviews on Apple Podcast and Spotify are always appreciated!

Join our private Facebook group, "The Modern Music School," a community for like-minded professionals to connect and share insights.

Looking for a simple and effective guitar curriculum that includes FREE instructor training and support? Consider John's book, Complete Guitar Strumming.

73: Eric Branner | Teaching Boldly and Founding Fons Dec 17, 2025

Show notes

In this episode John Kozicki (Michigan Rock School and RockSchoolProprietor.com) interviews Eric Branner, founder of FONS studio management software, and host of the 440 Podcast. The two have an introspective conversation about treating teaching as a calling and building a studio grounded in purpose. They discuss Eric's journey founding FONS, automating scheduling and payments, owning your pricing, perceived value, and how bold decisions create momentum for studios and teachers.

In this episode:

How teaching is a calling and should be embraced as such, and success in teaching often comes from confidence and clarity in purpose.
Why perceived value significantly influences student enrollment, and parents often seek the best for their children, impacting their choices.
How taking a bold approach to pricing can actually attract more students.
How mentorship plays a crucial role in personal and professional growth, and mindset shifts can lead to increased opportunities.

Tune in for practical lessons on elevating your business, cultivating community, and rethinking what music teaching can mean for your life and career.

Eric's Podcast, The Fourfourty (440) with Eric Branner

Eric's Website

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Your ratings and reviews on Apple Podcast and Spotify are always appreciated!

Join our private Facebook group, "The Modern Music School," a community for like-minded professionals to connect and share insights.

Sign up for our email newsletter on the website, and visit the Resources section to get FREE guides to help grow your music school, improve retention, and more.

Looking for a simple and effective guitar curriculum that includes FREE instructor training and support? Consider John's book, Complete Guitar Strumming.

72: Which "Hat" Do You Wear in Your Business - Technician, Manager, or Entrepreneur? Dec 10, 2025

Show notes

Hosts John Kozicki (Michigan Rock School and RockSchoolProprietor.com) and Mandy York (Music Time of Milford) adapt Michael Gerber’s E-Myth to music schools, breaking down the three essential roles—technician, manager, and entrepreneur—and how each impacts running your studio.

They discuss how to identify which role fits you, practical ways to delegate or hire, using systems and tech to streamline work, and why shifting from “how” to “who” can prevent burnout and enable growth.

In this episode:

There are three primary roles in every business: technician, manager, entrepreneur.
How to identify your role, or the role you're best suited for in your lesson business.
The technician is often the doer, focused on the technical aspects.
The manager oversees operations and ensures efficiency.
The entrepreneur drives vision and innovation.
Self-awareness helps in identifying which role you play, and which you want to play.
Each role has its own set of characteristics and challenges, and how balancing these roles can lead to better business outcomes and greater personal fulfillment.
Recognizing your strengths can enhance your effectiveness in your role and how collaboration among roles is key to a successful business.

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Your ratings and reviews on Apple Podcast and Spotify are always appreciated!

Join our private Facebook group, "The Modern Music School," a community for like-minded professionals to connect and share insights.

Looking for a simple and effective guitar curriculum that includes FREE instructor training and support? Consider John's book, Complete Guitar Strumming.

71: Sara Campbell | Stop the 'Ick' -- Authentic Marketing for Music Teachers Dec 03, 2025

Show notes

John Kozicki (Michigan Rock School and RockSchoolProprietor.com) talks with business and marketing coach Sara Campbell of Savvy Music Studio about using your existing student relationships to transform your marketing. Instead of inventing ideal client personas or copying flashy social media tactics, Sarah shows how the language you already use in lessons and the real progress you see every week are your best marketing tools.

In this episode:

Why inauthentic tactics (fake scarcity, polarizing posts, product-style marketing) feel icky for music teachers
How focusing on truth, trust, and niche specialization attracts better-fit clients.
Why authenticity in communication is more effective than marketing jargon, and how to niche down to find your unique voice as an instructor
Practical tips like capturing small lesson moments, asking students what mattered in a lesson, and marketing to your current families as much as to prospects.

This episode offers clear, actionable advice for studio owners who want to market more authentically, improve retention, and grow by leaning into what already works in their studio.

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Your ratings and reviews on Apple Podcast and Spotify are always appreciated!

Join our private Facebook group, "The Modern Music School," a community for like-minded professionals to connect and share insights.

Visit the Resources section of our website to get FREE guides to help grow your music school, improve retention, and more.

Looking for a simple and effective guitar curriculum that includes FREE instructor training and support? Consider John's book, Complete Guitar Strumming.

70: Adam Pattee | Maximizing Efficiency & Growth with MyMusicStaff Nov 26, 2025

Show notes

Which music school management software is best? The answer will vary based on your specific needs, but on this episode of Rock School Proprietor Podcast, John Kozicki (Michigan Rock School and RockSchoolProprietor.com) does a deep-dive into MyMusicStaff with Adam Pattee, the platform's demo & onboarding specialist.

This episode digs into the benefits of integrated studio management software with. We cover the importance of time management in lesson business operations, emphasizing how integrated systems can significantly reduce manual work and improve efficiency. Adam highlights how automation and connected tools save studio owners hours, enforce policies without drama, simplify instructor training, and support growth from solo teachers to large schools.

Adam dispels the myth that MyMusicStaff is only for small studios and shares how the platform is built to grow as your studio grows. It is used by solo instructors and multi-location studios with thousands of students. Learn about scheduling, billing, website and tagging features, and how these systems free you to focus on teaching and growing your music school business.

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Your ratings and reviews on Apple Podcast and Spotify are always appreciated!

Join our private Facebook group, "The Modern Music School," a community for like-minded professionals to connect and share insights.

Visit the Resources section of our website to get FREE guides to help grow your music school, improve retention, and more.

Looking for a simple and effective guitar curriculum that includes FREE instructor training and support? Consider John's book, Complete Guitar Strumming.

69: How Surveys Save Time and Shape Programs for Music Schools Nov 19, 2025

Show notes

In this episode John Kozicki (Michigan Rock School and RockSchoolProprietor.com) and Mandy York (Music Time of Milford) explain how to use surveys to develop new programs, evaluate instructors, and measure overall client satisfaction in your music studio.

They cover what to ask (and what to avoid), how often to survey without causing fatigue, tips on platforms and question wording, and how to use feedback to improve scheduling, event planning, staffing, and studio practices.

You can leverage all of this information to determine what resonates with your current clients, and use that to attract more students. Build your music school smarter, not harder!

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Your ratings and reviews on Apple Podcast and Spotify are always appreciated!

Join our private Facebook group, "The Modern Music School," a community for like-minded professionals to connect and share insights.

Looking for a simple and effective guitar curriculum that includes FREE instructor training and support? Consider John's book, Complete Guitar Strumming.

68: Top 3 Tech Tools to Transform Your Music School Nov 12, 2025

Show notes

John Kozicki (Michigan Rock School and RockSchoolProprietor.com) and Mandy York (Music Time of Milford) each share the three technologies they rely on to run their music studios more smoothly. The cover platforms from project management and scheduling to email marketing and team communication. They discuss tools like Trello, ActiveCampaign, Acuity/Squarespace scheduling, Slack, ClickSend, Canva, and payment processors, plus tips on choosing the right features and avoiding shiny-object overload.

Many of these platforms offer free or low-cost options that work well for most studios, and the episode focuses on practical integrations that save time and reduce admin work so teachers can focus on teaching and growing their studios.

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Your ratings and reviews on Apple Podcast and Spotify are always appreciated!

Join our private Facebook group, "The Modern Music School," a community for like-minded professionals to connect and share insights.

Looking for a simple and effective guitar curriculum that includes FREE instructor training and support? Consider John's book, Complete Guitar Strumming.

67: Response to Dave Simon's 3 Metrics for Student Retention Nov 05, 2025

Show notes

On this episode John Kozicki (Michigan Rock School and RockSchoolProprietor.com) reacts to Dave Simon's podcast about the three P's of music lesson success—pleasure, practice, progress—and proposes a fourth P: purpose.

He argues that understanding why a student is taking lessons changes how we weight practice and progress, and can improve retention.

The episode explores how emphasizing practice without knowing a family’s goals can push students to quit, offers practical thinking for teachers, and points to resources for redefining what counts as practice and aligning lessons with student purpose.

Additional suggested listening:

Music Lessons & Marketing: The 3 Metrics Parents Use to Define Music Lesson Success | EP268

Ep. 29: Dave Simon | Revisiting the 'Practice Problem'

Ep. 30: Inside Look at Why Parents Pull Kids from Music Lessons

Ep. 4: What "Counts" as Practice? Redefining Practice in Music Lessons

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Your ratings and reviews on Apple Podcast and Spotify are always appreciated!

Join our private Facebook group, "The Modern Music School," a community for like-minded professionals to connect and share insights.

Looking for a simple and effective guitar curriculum that includes FREE instructor training and support? Consider John's book, Complete Guitar Strumming.

66: Demitris Maddox | 3 Simple Videos to Turn Website Clicks Into Students Oct 29, 2025

Show notes

Your website might be doing a great job explaining what you offer but is it helping parents feel confident about choosing you? On this episode of Rock School Proprietor Podcast, John Kozicki (Michigan Rock School and RockSchoolProprietor.com) and Mandy York (Music Time of Milford) are joined by Demitris Maddox (Provide Impact) to talk about the strategic use of video on your music school's website. Most schools still aren’t using video on their sites in the right way, and it is such low-hanging fruit to boost conversions and grow your studio.

Demitris explains three easy to create videos to add visitor value to your website, and how strategic placement of those videos can go a long way to making better connections with prospective students and families.

What Happens at The First/Intro Lesson?
The 7 Top Questions Parents Ask Us
What Happens When I Fill Out This Form?

Demetrius explains how well-placed videos answer parents' questions, address their concerns, and build trust before they even reach out. The videos he recommends require very little effort and can be shot on your phone — this isn’t about fancy production, it’s about using video strategically to turn website visitors into enrolled students and build your music school.

To access the BONUS video mentioned in the episode, visit http://provideimpact.com/videofour

To hear Demitris Maddox on a previous episode of the show: 40: Demitris Maddox | Designing Music School Websites That Attract & Convert

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Your ratings and reviews on Apple Podcast and Spotify are always appreciated!

Join our private Facebook group, "The Modern Music School," a community for like-minded professionals to connect and share insights.

Visit the Resources section of our website to get FREE guides to help grow your music school, improve retention, and more.

Looking for a simple and effective guitar curriculum that includes FREE instructor training and support? Consider John's book, Complete Guitar Strumming.

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