Welcome back! It's January, which means tax season is officially upon us—so today I'm sitting down with CPA Charles Harris to kick things off. We're covering the basics—who needs to file, what to know about quarterly payments, and a few key deadlines—so you can feel clear on your next step. And quick note: registration is open for our free Self-Employment Tax Crash Course webinar coming up on February 5. You can find all the details for that at musicstudiostartup.com/tax.

A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at musicstudiostartup.com/episode178

MSS Entrepreneurs Hub + Mastermind

MSS Studio Launch Grant Competition

Music Studio Business Building 101

Business Finance for Music Teachers

MSS Tax Podcast Episodes:

162 – Business Travel and Conference Deductions for Music Teachers with Charles Harris, CPA

159 – Tax Prep Service for Music Teachers – Q&A with Charles and Andrea

158 – Charles Harris, CPA on Tax Prep Tips and FAQs for 2025

Tax-related Blog Resources:

• Music Teacher Income + Tax Calculator
• Lowering Taxes with Business Expenses
• 3 Ways to Track Your Mileage for Tax Purposes
• 4 Music Teacher Tax Myths
• 7 Smart Ways to Use a Tax Refund

Is independent teaching actually a stable career for music teachers?

In this episode, Andrea talks with Danielle Ingram, a former school music teacher who left a classroom job to build a sustainable, home-based private music studio. Danielle shares how she redefined stability, ran the numbers before quitting her W-2 job, and built demand before making the transition to full-time independent teaching.

They discuss practical questions many teachers face, including replacing a school salary with private teaching, marketing strategies that worked (and didn't), designing a home studio, and why flexibility and schedule control became just as important as income. If you're a music teacher considering self-employment or questioning whether private teaching can truly be stable, this episode offers a clear, honest look at what a thoughtful transition can look like.

A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode177.

MSS Entrepreneurs Hub + Mastermind

MSS Studio Launch Grant Competition

Music Studio Business Building 101

Business Finance for Music Teachers

 Today's episode is a rebroadcast of a super fun conversation I had a few years ago. I'm talking to two musicians about how they've made a career in music over the last 15 years. I think their story illustrates what it means to be not just an entrepreneurial musician, but an entrepreneur in general.

You'll hear about how they've made plans and pursued ideas, while keeping an open ear to what's going on in the market and the world around them, so they can respond with products and services that meet real needs and opportunities. At points this has led them to make pivots. COVID has been one of these points, but we also talk about how the 2008 financial crisis impacted their work and how they bounced back.

Here's my conversation with Barbara and Keith.

The transcript and show notes for this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode176.