Manchester born piano teacher and entrepreneur Jenny Keane likes a challenge and has been extra-busy in lockdown. First off she has made a smooth transition to successful online teaching to all students from her well-equipped home studio, no mean feat in itself.
Next, having teamed up with marketing guru Gina Conolly, the pair is about to launch MusicSpark, a brand-new music school providing expert tutoring training to musicians across the country, and beyond, who are looking to make a living by capitalising on their talent.
MusicSpark provide instrumental tutor training to musicians via their e-learning course and is the only establishment of its kind. The Associate Course, which teaches everything a musician needs to launch their own tuition business is designed to assist out of work performers due to COVID restrictions.
Demand for quality instrumental tutors has soared in the UK and abroad during the COVID pandemic and the MusicSpark team are ready to play their part in meeting it. They’re upbeat about the future for musicians who sign up because of the host of benefits they’re offering to aspiring tutors. Jenny says, ‘The closure of so many venues has meant many talented musicians and performers are forced to change careers or be out of work. Musicians spend years crafting their talent and it brings so much joy to others’.
Jenny is utilising her teaching and business skills coupled with Gina’s commercial marketing experience to run the 10-week course consisting of both business and teaching content. Jenny says, ‘What we offer is simply not available within the established music tuition hierarchy. I know from my own experience that for the individual musician setting up on your own can be very daunting and even off-putting. At MusicSpark we will be sharing all the know-how and expertise that our own success is built on. So, our trainees can be sure they will be expertly supported every step of the way as they establish and run their own tuition businesses.’
Current music teachers too can also benefit from their tailored fast track course and immediate membership of the MusicSpark Academy, providing access to a host of bespoke materials and related services.
Gina adds, ‘We’ve meticulously researched and designed our courses to cover every aspect of the instrumental tuition industry. Successful trainees who have the necessary determination and ability can confidently go on to become the go-to MusicSpark home tutor for their instrument in their local area. They can expect to earn considerably more than their school-based counterparts and will have all the ongoing support and mentoring they need behind them. In these very difficult times for everyone, it’s a really welcome win–win story for musicians and music teachers!’
Jenny is proud of what she and her co-founder have achieved so far, especially when jobs are disappearing across the country and budgets severely stretched for so many. She believes that MusicSpark offers a largely forgotten group of talented people an excellent, value for money career opportunity, one that could not have come at a better time. The future looks bright for would-be music tutors and for MusicSpark too!
Students join the interactive 10-week e-learning course delivered via a mix of webinars, workshops and assessments as well as some valuable one to one mentoring in business and teaching essentials. All the bespoke tools that the founding partners have designed, and use on a daily basis, will be made available to everyone who goes on to join as members of the new MusicSpark Academy.
Not only that, but the team also have big plans for expansion, including ‘MusicSpark Artists’, another unique package that will help members to hone their performance skills and enhance their public profile, once our live music scene is back up and running.
Check them out at www.music-spark.com.
