Rock School Proprietor Podcast

Music school owners make assumptions every day. Most of them come from experience, and they’re part of why we’re good at running lesson studios. But some of those assumptions can keep us stuck with lower lesson rates and student retention, or doing tasks that could be handed off. In this episode, John Kozicki ( Michigan Rock School and RockSchoolProprietor.com) and Mandy York ( Music Time of Milfo...

In this episode John Kozicki ( Michigan Rock School and RockSchoolProprietor.com) interviews Cathy Hallessey, founder of U-Rock Music School. Cathy shares her innovative approach to running a community-focused, performance-based music school that has thrived for nearly 30 years -- pre-dating the big rock school franchises. Through U-Rock, Cathy has broken the mold on some long-standing music schoo...

In this episode John Kozicki ( Michigan Rock School and RockSchoolProprietor.com) and Mandy York ( Music Time of Milford ) have an unscripted conversation about the current hectic season in their lives and music lesson studios. They talk through what tasks they can drop, what must be kept up, and what can be maintained at a lower level while managing staff training, client experience, and family d...

In this episode, John Kozicki ( Michigan Rock School and RockSchoolProprietor.com) talks with Jonny Wilson, founder of Build A Music School and Hello Cashflow. As a coach to hundreds of music school owners, Jonny has a perspective that few others do. A common struggle he noticed for studio owners to understanding their business financials -- something he used to find challenging too. So he built H...

In this episode John Kozicki ( Michigan Rock School and RockSchoolProprietor.com) and Mandy York ( Music Time of Milford ) unpack the "expert blind spot": why deep musical mastery can make it hard to understand beginner struggles. They explain how the skills of playing and teaching a musical instrument differ, share hiring and evaluation tips, and outline practical traits to look for in music inst...

John Kozicki ( Michigan Rock School and RockSchoolProprietor.com) and Mandy York ( Music Time of Milford ) return with a follow-up to their three-part series, Play Beats Practice, after a clip from Part 2 sparked pushback from instructors online. In this episode, they unpack what that pushback actually revealed, and why the real conversation isn't about minutes per day at all. Included: Why the co...

John Kozicki ( Michigan Rock School and RockSchoolProprietor.com) and Mandy York ( Music Time of Milford ) explain why play in music lessons should come before practice in final installment of their three part series, Play Beats Practice. In this episode, they share practical strategies for educating parents, aligning instructors, and offering measures of progress beyond minutes practiced, includi...

John Kozicki ( Michigan Rock School and RockSchoolProprietor.com) and Mandy York ( Music Time of Milford ) explain why play in music lessons should come before practice in part two of their three part series, Play Beats Practice. In this episode they revisit a list of 10 play-based assignments—like sharing favorite songs, hosting informal concerts, learning from YouTube, songwriting, and trying ne...

In this episode John Kozicki ( Michigan Rock School and RockSchoolProprietor.com) and Mandy York ( Music Time of Milford ) launch a three-part series that questions the traditional "minutes-per-day" practice expectation. They argue that play—not logging minutes per day of practice—sparks curiosity and drives real progress. They also revisit a framework from an earlier episode that distinguishes sk...

This episode explores how music schools and lesson studios can use local collaborations to grow, drive visibility, referrals, and community trust in ways paid ads often can’t. In this episode focused on creative marketing tactics, John Kozicki ( Michigan Rock School and RockSchoolProprietor.com) and Mandy York ( Music Time of Milford ) share real examples and practical ideas for events and worksho...

In this episode John Kozicki ( Michigan Rock School and RockSchoolProprietor.com) and Mandy York ( Music Time of Milford ) discuss how hustle culture and social media pressure push music studio owners to equate busyness with success, often leading to burnout. They explore why student numbers aren’t the only growth metric and why adding programs should match your mission and life priorities. In thi...

In this episode John Kozicki ( Michigan Rock School and RockSchoolProprietor.com) and Mandy York ( Music Time of Milford ) explore practical ways music instructors and school owners can use AI.  When it comes to "busy work," AI can save time—polishing newsletters, analyzing data, automating spreadsheets, and creating instructor training materials—while keeping authenticity intact. So you can spend...

In this episode, John Kozicki ( Michigan Rock School and RockSchoolProprietor.com) interviews Sam Reti, founder of Muzie.live . Sam discusses the full rebuild of Muzie, the online music lesson platform, and why his team rebuilt it from the ground up. He also shares how their innovative tech used to deliver live video music lessons online inspired Sam and his team to launch a completely new company...

In this episode John Kozicki ( Michigan Rock School and RockSchoolProprietor.com) and Mandy York ( Music Time of Milford ) explore what really makes a music lesson studio stand out beyond table-stakes features like qualified instructors and flexible scheduling. They discuss how specialized programming (bands, unique curricula), parent education, cohesive visuals, and authentic storytelling create...

In this episode Mandy York ( Music Time of Milford )shares a recent experience with a negative Google review and how she handled it, then she and John Kozicki ( Michigan Rock School and RockSchoolProprietor.com) use that story to explore the broader effects reviews have on reputation and website SEO. We cover Google’s updated rules on review solicitation, what practices are now risky, and practica...

This episode is part 7 of the Building a Band Program series on the Rock School Proprietor podcast, hosted by John Kozicki ( Michigan Rock School and RockSchoolProprietor.com). In this episode John shares insights on how to create memorable and effective band concert experiences that boost student retention and engagement. Learn practical tips on venue selection, student and staff preparation, aud...

Organic reach for Facebook business pages has collapsed, and this episode explains what that means for music studio owners and where to focus content creation instead. In this episode John Kozicki ( Michigan Rock School and RockSchoolProprietor.com) and Mandy York ( Music Time of Milford ) share insights on adapting strategies in a shifting digital landscape to maintain effective engagement and gr...

This episode is part 6 of the Building a Band Program series on the Rock School Proprietor podcast, hosted by John Kozicki ( Michigan Rock School and RockSchoolProprietor.com). In this episode John shares strategies for managing student behavior during band rehearsals. He explains how to address poor behavior from band members when it comes up, and how to redirect and create a positive environment...

On this Q&A episode of the Rock School Proprietor Podcast, John Kozicki ( Michigan Rock School and RockSchoolProprietor.com) and Mandy York respond to a listener whose long‑time instructor left, opened a competing studio, and poached students. Now a competitor, this instructor also reused photos and reviews from the original school. They unpack what options the studio owner has, explain how co...

Kids are busier than ever with travel sports, marching band, theater and other time-intensive activities, and it’s directly impacting private music lessons. In this episode John Kozicki ( Michigan Rock School and RockSchoolProprietor.com) and Mandy York ( Music Time of Milford ) explore why these shifts are happening and share practical steps studio owners can take to retain student. In this episo...

This episode is part 5 of the Building a Band Program series on the Rock School Proprietor podcast, hosted by John Kozicki ( Michigan Rock School and RockSchoolProprietor.com). In this episode John shares how to plan, structure, and execute productive band rehearsals. From setting up expectations with students to creating a predictable routine that gets band members working together effectively, J...

On this episode of the Rock School Proprietor Podcast, John Kozicki ( Michigan Rock School and RockSchoolProprietor.com) and Mandy York ( Music Time of Milford ) explores a compelling story about a 13-year-old music student facing challenges and discovering new ways to connect with music. They highlights the importance of personalized teaching, understanding student strengths, and the power of fle...

This episode is part 4 of the Building a Band Program series on the Rock School Proprietor podcast, hosted by John Kozicki ( Michigan Rock School and RockSchoolProprietor.com). In this episode John shares tips on how to select songs for band programs. He covers the importance of matching song difficulty to student ability, structuring songs predictably, and maintaining variety to keep students eng...

In this episode, John Kozicki ( Michigan Rock School and RockSchoolProprietor.com) interviews Tony Parlapiano, founder of popMATICS , about his innovative online piano curriculum that focuses on playing by ear, creativity, improvisation, and practical theory. Tony explains how he's built a strong online student community through popMATICS. He also discusses how storytelling and collecting 'musical...

This episode is part 3 of the Building a Band Program series on the Rock School Proprietor podcast, hosted by John Kozicki ( Michigan Rock School and RockSchoolProprietor.com). In this episode John shares strategies for effectively grouping students into bands in your music school. This includes using variables like age, ability level, and musical interests in conjunction to find the best fit for...