The Fourforty (440) with Eric Branner

In this solo episode, Eric shares three things that have been on his mind. First, the story of Fons becoming MakeMusic Studio, from a 2016 studio management platform built for his own guitar students, through the years of growth, becoming part of the Peaksware brand family, and what the rebrand means for the community who uses it. Second, an encouragement for joining a professional organization, e...

Jason Sifford is a piano teacher, composer, and performer based in Iowa City. He runs an independent studio, writes pedagogical music published by Willis/Hal Leonard and FJH Music, composes original musical theater for a children's theater program that now reaches hundreds of kids across Iowa, and recently joined the MTNA Board of Trustees as West-Central Division Director. He also just launc...

Leila Viss has spent her career helping musicians find and trust their own creative voice. In this conversation, she shares the philosophy behind Space to Create, what her son’s accident taught her about music and grief, and why the opposite of anxiety is creativity. This episode is a must-listen for creatives, educators, and humans... Here's the blog post about her recent recital! Learn more...

What does a contemporary, thriving music career actually look like? Roberto Hermosillo has built it. He's a GRAMMY-nominated guitarist, studio musician, songwriter, TV actor, and the owner of Roberto's Music Studio, a boutique lessons agency in Santa Monica. In this conversation, Roberto and Eric talk honestly about the multi-hyphenate life: balancing artistry with entrepreneurship, ditc...

Jaci Mrozek just took the entire month of May off, and she's still getting paid. In this conversation, she walks us through exactly how she built a system to support her "radical sabbatical." Jaci is a piano teacher, presenter, and host of The Scrappy Piano Teacher Podcast. She's been teaching for 28 years and has spent the last several helping independent music teachers build...

Narciso Solero spent 30 years developing a framework in his head before he finally put it on paper. The result is Level It Up!, a series that organizes composers' piano repertoire from easiest to most advanced. Level It Up! has attracted teachers from across the country. In this episode, Narciso shares how the series came to be, what it means for teachers navigating the vast piano canon, and...

Elizabeth Swift didn't start composing until well into her teaching career. She wasn't trained to improvise. And the first time someone handed her a lead sheet and said "just noodle for a few minutes," she broke into a cold sweat. Today she is a composer published by Alfred Music, the creator of the Saga Land series,(video game-inspired piano music now used in studios nationwid...

Anne Katherine Davis teaches piano from Mexico to students and teachers across the world.  Her approach is unlike what you’ll find in standard method books. Grounded in Edwin Gordon's Music Learning Theory, Anne is passionate about audiation: the idea that real musicianship is thinking in music, not about it. In this episode, she and Eric unpack why the 'eyes before ears' approach h...

Tim Topham, founder of TopMusicCo and author of No Book Beginners, joins Eric to talk about creative teaching, the four pillars of modern piano pedagogy, the challenge of keeping students engaged in the age of TikTok, and why in-person community might be the most important investment music teachers can make right now. Learn more about Tim's work here. topmusic.co YouTube Facebook LinkedIn Ins...

Dr. Lisa Neher didn’t choose one lane. She’s an opera singer, composer, professor, private studio teacher, actor, and President of New Wave Opera... and she does all of it at a high level. In this conversation, we explore what it actually looks like to follow your curiosity into a multi-dimensional career in the arts. Lisa shares: Why she didn’t follow a traditional conservatory path How she navig...

Tony Parlapiano is the creator of popMATICS , an online music school built on a simple but powerful idea: great music education lives at the intersection of structure and freedom . In this episode, Tony shares how popMATICS evolved from private and travel teaching into a membership-based, community-driven music school for adults. He talks candidly about the moment he hit a financial ceiling, why a...

There’s a lot of excitement right now, and also a lot of anxiety in the music lessons industry. After returning from the NAMM Show and talking with teachers and industry leaders, I’m still wildly optimistic about the future of teaching private music lessons. In this solo episode, I share why the demand for music learning isn’t going away, what the data actually shows about instruments and lessons,...

Brian Chung has lived a rare kind of career—one where music and business were never opposites, but partners. In this wide-ranging and deeply human conversation, Brian shares the full arc of his journey: from a five-year-old who wrote “musician” in his childhood memory book, to a performer, educator, and eventually Senior Vice President of Kawai America Corporation, where he spent over three decade...

What does a truly professional music teaching practice look like in 2026? In this episode of The FourForty Podcast, I’m joined by Michael Richey, owner of Tennessee Music Academy, a multi-teacher, in-home music studio serving Nashville families. Michael shares how he’s built a calm, sustainable, high-trust studio by making a few clear decisions and sticking to them. We talk about flat-rate tuition...

Candace Lark-Masucci is a harpist, educator, and musicians’ life coach helping artists build careers that are emotionally grounded, mentally healthy, and financially sustainable. In this deeply honest conversation, Candace shares her journey from aspiring ballerina to concert harpist, through burnout, illness, and identity loss—and how those experiences shaped her work coaching musicians today. We...

Brian Shepard, CEO of the Music Teachers National Association, joins the FourForty Podcast for a thoughtful, wide-ranging conversation about the past, present, and future of music teaching. As MTNA approaches its 150th anniversary, Brian reflects on the organization’s founding mission, the role of community and association in a digital age, and why studio music teachers remain essential cultural l...

In this solo episode, Eric explores gratitude as a critical skill for musicians, educators, and creative entrepreneurs. Practice a guided meditation,  hear stories from the studio, and craft your own gratitude statement.  This one is especially for the days when your hands hurt, your students aren’t practicing, or a few families just left —and for remembering why you chose this musical life in the...

In this episode, Eric talks with guitarist and entrepreneur Anthony Sloan: co-founder and CEO of the Sloan School of Music. What started as a family idea grew into a two-location music school, retail operation, and community hub offering more than 30,000 lessons a year. Anthony shares the full story: building a business with friends, creating a welcoming “coffeehouse” atmosphere, attracting and re...

Drummer, educator, author, and industry leader Joe Bergamini shares how he built a resilient, multi-hyphenate career spanning Broadway pits, international touring, best-selling drum books, and more than 35 years of private teaching. We talk about confidence, nerves, community, curriculum, mentorship, the realities of gigging, and Joe’s “three-legged stool” model for a sustainable life in music.  T...

Today I’m talking with Josh Gillis, founder of Catfish Alley Studio in Columbus, Mississippi. Josh is one of the kindest, most curious, and most future-leaning educators in the Fons community. He’s building a modern, community-centered music studio that blends interest-based teaching, student experiences, founder-led marketing, and emerging technologies. We explore Josh’s journey from teaching in...

How do you stay joyful and grounded when you’re teaching, performing, and leading at a high level? In this episode, Eric talks with Kevin Chance, President of MTNA and Associate Professor of Piano at the University of Alabama about presence, purpose, and the realities of a life in music. Kevin shares stories from his recent sabbatical in Chile, his upbringing in Alabama, and the mentors who shaped...

Marketing mentor, voice teacher, and choral director Allie Tyler joins Eric Branner to explore how to grow a creative business without losing your joy. From running The Voicepreneur Program to directing a non-audition community choir in the mountains of Colorado, Allie shares hard-won wisdom about seasonality, courage, intuition, and loving yourself through every phase of entrepreneurship. A must-...

In this solo episode, Eric shares three vivid mentor stories. Pete (artist–entrepreneur), Terry (the open-hearted teacher), and Bryce (the student who became a guide) to unpack what mentorship is, how it shows up, and why becoming both mentee & mentor creates a virtuous cycle in our lives. You’ll hear practical ways to recognize mentors, cultivate intergenerational relationships, and know when...

Guitar teacher and Heartwoodguitar.com founder Rob Hampton joins Eric to share how a simple shift in mindset changed his life and career. Rob talks about The Jam , his all-day student concert that’s anything but a recital, and opens up about pricing, burnout, authenticity, and what it means to build a teaching life you love. Whether you’re a music teacher, coach, or creative entrepreneur, this epi...

How do we make arts education thrive in a world that’s changing faster than ever? Eric interviews Angelica Cortez, Executive Director of the Suzuki Association of the Americas. She shares how curiosity is a leadership tool, the power of music to keep us human, and what it really means to serve teachers, students, and communities with intention. They trace Angelica’s journey from trumpet player to...