Kelly Riordan
Building a Sustainable Private Music Lesson Business
Tuesday, December 9th, 2025
10:30am-12pm
Private music teachers and studios of all sizes can ensure sustainable success and build a thriving studio business using these strategies for effective policies, predictable tuition structures, organic marketing, and long-term student enrollment.
This session will provide actionable strategies to help private music teachers build a stable, thriving studio business while maintaining their passion for teaching and avoiding burnout.
Attendees will learn how to structure their studio to maximize revenue with policies that support smooth communication between teachers and students. We will outline predictable tuition and attendance structures to help teachers maintain consistent cash flow and avoid the stress of last-minute cancellations.
The session will also cover effective marketing techniques for attracting ideal students with an emphasis on building relationships with local organizations. By shifting away from paid advertising and focusing on organic outreach and long-term enrollment strategies, teachers can create systems that keep their studio sustainable for years to come.
With real-life examples, practical advice, and dedicated time for Q&A, attendees will leave with a clear, actionable plan to enhance their studio business and take their teaching career to the next level.
Date:
Tuesday, December 9th, 2025
10:30am-12pm
Location:
PianoPiano Rehearsal Studios:
37 W 65th St 4th Floor, New York, NY 10023
Theater
Kelly Riordan is a musician, pedagogue, and music business marketer. As the co-founder of Outside the Bachs, she supports musicians in developing their private music studios and delivering the highest quality education to their students. Her passion for music education is present not only in her own studio, but in her support of 5,000+ students in studios around the world.
Her marketing experience began with an internship at the Waukesha County Conservatory of Music, where she was responsible for running outreach programs in the community to build brand awareness and attract new students. Her marketing experience quickly expanded beyond music, and she was actively recruited for organic marketing campaigns by major brands including Cadillac, Red Bull, American Express, and Anheuser-Busch.
Upon relocating after the completion of her graduate program, Riordan used these same principles to grow her private studio to a full-time business of 43 students in less than 3 months. When the majority of lessons moved online in 2020, Kelly stepped up and began helping colleagues learn to teach remotely, refine their business management, and find students through organic marketing.
In addition to creating content and hosting The Outside the Bachs Podcast, Riordan presents regularly at conferences and universities, with recent sessions at The NAMM Show, University of Tennessee, Miami University, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and University of North Carolina School of the Arts.
As a performer, she has appeared with the Augusta Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Music Athens, the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, and the Summa Cum Laude Festival in Vienna, Austria. Riordan is also a member of The Athena Trio, an all-female ensemble that aims to foster opportunities for female composers and musicians.
Kelly Riordan holds a Master of Music (MM) in Performance and Literature from the Hugh Hodgson School of Music at the University of Georgia and a Bachelor Arts (BA) in Music from the Peck School of the Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Her primary teachers include Dr. D Ray McClellan, Todd Levy, and Val Wisnewski. As a Conn-Selmer Artist & Clinician, she exclusively performs on Selmer Paris clarinets.Outside of music, Kelly enjoys baking, water sports, traveling with her husband, and taking their dog, Mahi, for long walks. Kelly Riordan is currently based in Hartland, Wisconsin.