How This Music School Owner Grew 285% And Built Her Perfect Business (Without Burning Out)

Deborah Pratt didn’t set out to build a music school with 170 students, 10 part-time teachers, and three staff members. In fact, her journey started much smaller—just her, a piano, and a passion for teaching. But what she’s built today is nothing short of remarkable. And the best part? She’s done it all while staying true to her love for music and without burning out.

Her story is one of grit, growth, and a few hard-earned lessons along the way. From financial struggles to figuring out how to scale her business, Deborah’s path wasn’t always smooth. But with determination, a willingness to learn, and the support of a coaching program called Build a Music School (BAM), she’s created a thriving business that not only brings her joy but also sets her up for a flexible future.

From Side Hustle to Full-Time Dream

Deborah’s love for teaching music runs deep. After earning her master’s degree in music education, she worked in administration at the University of Iowa. But her heart wasn’t in it. “I wanted to teach so badly,” she recalls. So, she started small, teaching Kindermusik classes on Saturdays while keeping her day job.

Eventually, she took the leap. When she moved to Southern Oregon, she opened her first music studio and began teaching private lessons. It was just her at first, but over time, she added more instruments, more programs, and eventually, more teachers. Her studio grew steadily—from a handful of students to 150, then 170.

But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. One of her biggest missteps? Trying to add retail to her business.

The Retail Experiment That Almost Sank Her

At one point, Deborah thought it would be a great idea to sell instruments and music-related products in her studio. “I thought these instruments and fun kid things would just jump off the shelves,” she says. Her husband, who had found success in retail, encouraged her to go for it. So, she invested heavily in inventory.

Big mistake.

Not long after, big-box stores like Walmart started carrying similar products at lower prices. Deborah couldn’t compete. “I was underwater for quite a long time,” she admits. The financial strain was intense, and eventually, she had to sell off the retail portion of her business.

But here’s the silver lining: that failure pushed her to focus entirely on teaching and growing her studio. “It’s kind of funny because I said I didn’t like retail, but without it, I probably wouldn’t have built the music school,” she reflects. Sometimes, the wrong turn leads you to the right path.

The Game-Changer: Automatic Payments

In the early days, Deborah struggled with one of the most awkward parts of running a business: chasing down late payments. “I hated that,” she says. Then, in the mid-1990s, she attended a seminar that introduced her to the concept of automatic payments. It was a lightbulb moment.

“I implemented it, and it changed my life,” she says. No more awkward conversations. No more late payments. Just steady cash flow and peace of mind. Today, she encourages every music school owner to adopt this system. “It saves so much time and stress,” she says.

Hitting a Plateau—and Breaking Through

Even with her systems in place, Deborah eventually hit a wall. Her business had grown, but it wasn’t growing anymore. She wasn’t sure how to move forward. That’s when she discovered Build a Music School (BAM), a coaching and resource platform for music school owners.

Through BAM, Deborah learned how to leverage tools like Google Ads and implement smarter marketing strategies. She also hired an administrative assistant to handle follow-ups and other tasks she couldn’t keep up with. The results? Game-changing. “We’ve grown 30% since I hired an admin and started implementing the advice from BAM,” she says.

Delegating was a pivotal moment for Deborah. “Even though I’m still doing a lot of the same things, I gave her the tasks I could never get to, and it’s made a huge, huge difference,” she says.

A Day in the Life of a Thriving Music School Owner

These days, Deborah’s life is a mix of teaching, running her business, and pursuing her own creative passions. She starts her mornings early, practicing the cello—a skill she’s been working on for the past decade with the goal of joining her local symphony. By 9 a.m., she’s at the studio, tackling tasks like accounting, lesson planning, and growth initiatives. Afternoons are spent collaborating with her admin staff, and by 3 p.m., she’s back to teaching.

Evenings? That’s when she gets creative. Whether it’s updating the studio’s website or crafting email campaigns, Deborah loves the work she does. “I love every minute of everything that I do,” she says.

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Planning for the Future

As Deborah approaches retirement age, she’s focused on creating a business that can run without her constant presence. “I’m really working on delegating all of the things that I do so that if I wasn’t there for a week or two, things could still run without me,” she explains. Her goal is to have the flexibility to visit her children and enjoy more personal time while still staying connected to the studio she’s poured her heart into.

Looking back, Deborah wishes she had access to a resource like BAM when she first started. “It would have saved so much time and money and grief,” she says. The program’s training videos, mastermind groups, and supportive community have been invaluable to her. “The cost is really reasonable,” she adds. “The value far outweighs the investment.”

Advice for Aspiring Music School Owners

Deborah’s advice for new music school owners is simple: start small and think big. “Think like you already have a school,” she says. That means setting up systems like automatic payments, developing marketing strategies, and saving money to fund future growth. She also emphasizes the importance of having a full roster of students before hiring additional teachers. “It ensures financial stability and reduces the need for debt,” she explains.

Speaking of debt, Deborah is candid about her own mistakes. “The biggest mistake I’ve made is going into debt to do retail,” she says. While debt might work for some, she’s learned the value of saving and operating within her means. “Mistakes often lead you to the answer,” she says. “They’re opportunities for growth.”

Building a Community—and a Legacy

For Deborah, the most rewarding part of running a music school is the sense of community it creates. She loves the camaraderie among her teachers and the family atmosphere of the studio. “I love the community that we’ve built,” she says.

As she looks to the future, Deborah hopes to sell her school while staying involved in some capacity. “I really don’t want to go back to teaching alone,” she says. For her, the joy comes from building something bigger than herself.

Deborah’s story is proof that growth is possible at any stage of life or business. With the right mindset, resources, and support, challenges can become opportunities, and dreams can become reality. For anyone thinking about starting a music school, Deborah’s journey is a roadmap to success—and a reminder that passion and perseverance can take you far.

What is Build a Music School?

Build a Music School is a membership-based platform designed to help music school owners grow profitable, sustainable studios while improving their work-life balance. Build a Music School has a huge library of over 500 training videos, covering everything you will ever need to know about growing or running a music studio. Members also get access to a private Facebook community for networking, monthly mastermind sessions with industry experts, one-on-one coaching & much more

We work with music school owners of all levels of business, from solo teachers to large studios, providing actionable strategies to boost profits, reduce workload, and streamline operations. The program is built around a supportive community of music school owners who share resources and experiences, helping each other succeed.

Interested? Grab an information pack HERE:

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