These folks are amazing.
They put in the work and got results.

I learned more in the first session of The Music Teacher’s Playbook about being a successful private teacher than in six years of music school.

Katherine presents information in a way that is relevant, clear, thought-out,

and fun. She covers every aspect of building your studio and has a detailed solution for every problem. Katherine gives concrete tools to apply the knowledge and those tools work. Her passion for helping others shines through her work, and I always enjoyed our sessions.

Since completing the program, I have:

Increased my studio size
Learned how to successfully market myself
Gained invaluable knowledge in building and managing a thriving studio
Learned how to build a website from the ground up

I’m so grateful to Katherine for creating The Music Teacher’s Playbook and

for sharing her wisdom with us. I cannot recommend this course enough!

- Gianna Capobianco

- Erin Keeney, Playbook 4

I took Katherine’s Music Teacher’s Playbook course at a point in my life when I was pivoting my career in music education and when I did not currently have a single private student. I was uncertain I could build a full private studio and make it financially sustainable. Luckily for me, I found this course just when I needed it; it provided a practical, tried-and-true method for building a thriving studio, and perhaps even more beneficial for me, it emphasized the mindset shifts that were necessary to make it happen. The Music Teacher’s Playbook is thoughtfully designed and sequenced in a way that breaks down what barriers hold us back from building a personalized career that we love and stepping into our fullest potential as music educators.

What inspires me most about learning from Katherine and having her as a role model is her creativity and her determination to be fully herself. Learning from a leader who “walks the walk” in addition to “talks the talk”, I shifted my mindset to believe that I could build a secure, fulfilling career, and I took the steps to build a full private studio that has operated with a waiting list for the past year. I think this course should be a required course for every undergraduate music major. Moreover, I would highly recommend it to anyone seeking to dig deeply into crafting a career that is uniquely your own through embracing not only recruitment of new students, but also an expansion of your current music-teaching methods.

As I move into my second year as a private studio teacher, I am reviewing the course’s materials and continually learning from Katherine’s example as I strive to express my creativity more fully and deepen my studio culture or what she calls “glue”. I do not worry about losing students or struggling financially even during a time of COVID-19, and if I do, I feel confident I could recruit more through utilizing what I learned in this course. I find myself asking the question now of, “How can I deepen my connection with my private students, expand my music education offerings, and continue to further my studio culture?” Coming from a place where I used to ask, “How can I sustain myself financially through this career path and make sure I do not lose students?”, I have seen a shift in me that is absolutely priceless.

I've been a private flute teacher for over 30 years, but I was feeling like I was in a rut. I was in a transition period, moving all of my students to my home studio and letting go of the satellite studio where I was teaching part of the week. As I prepared to make this change, I saw The Music Teacher's Playbook advertised on Facebook. I was intrigued by the promises of helping participants to add new students and increase income, as well as fine-tuning lesson policies, programs, and websites.

I decided to sign up. I figured if nothing else, I could get some website assistance from the course. I did get that . . . and so much more! Katherine's course -- complete with homework assignments -- made me rethink how I perceive my studio, from my teaching philosophy to what I offer to my students to how I present myself to the world. I gained a few marketing skills that I didn't even know I needed, but I'm very glad to have! I also gained insight and ideas on how I can improve my teaching, which resulted in two new programs I developed to offer to my students and band directors. Most importantly, I've gained two new students (and counting), and I convinced two others to switch to longer lessons. Yes, my income has increased -- and in the summer, no less!

Best of all, I gained a bunch of new friends! Not only is Katherine an enthusiastic, inspiring teacher, she fosters a sense of community and camaraderie within the group. I think we all learned as much from each other as we did from the course materials, and we now have a permanent group where we can continue to share our ideas and support each other.

The Music Teacher's Playbook is very thorough, well-organized, and fun! Whether you're a seasoned teacher or just starting a studio, you can learn a lot from the course. By the way, the course is applicable to other private lesson teachers, not just flutists! It was well worth the investment of time and money; I wish this course had been around when I was starting my studio decades ago!

- Emily Smith, Playbook Grad

...and there's more!

- Catherine Flinchum, Playbook Grad

The Music Teachers Playbook is the most helpful course for any musician either starting their private studio OR just looking to learn new ideas and strategies to help their teaching business improve!

Katherine was able to give me a much more personal and professional perspective on contacting music teachers in the area, creating new and innovative ideas for music camps, programs and lesson methods, so I can attract new students and grow my current studio. She provides helpful feedback on your ideas and presence online via email, web page & social media. Plus, real talk, if you are undergoing tricky or awkward situations regarding your teaching life, Katherine and the Playbook community are always there to help give you advice/feedback that might help alleviate current stress and be helpful for next time!

On top of taking this course, my life on the other end is a crazy, chaotic mess of a busy schedule, and honestly that is okay if you decide to take the course! Katherine is there to help YOU grow your business, so if you miss a session or late on an assignment there is always time to make up by watching a session a day later or sending in an assignment the next week. I am very thankful for her patience & understanding!

So if you need help with your teaching life, don’t hesitate in starting this course! Create the opportunity of teaching success now musician friends!

I initially found Katherine's class information through social media. I liked either her Instagram or Facebook page and I really liked the information she shared. When she gave the tour of her flute cave I was really impressed at how well thought out her program was and I felt her explanations were very truthful and relatable. I kept watching her pages and kept getting tidbits of info that were helpful to teaching flute lessons. When she started promoting her online course I was a little hesitant about paying and committing to the time, but it was well worth it.

I have now reworked my website and feel like I have a better idea of how to market and teach for flute lessons. I have started to reach out to other flute teachers and band directors in the area and am working on creating a flute community. I also really enjoyed getting ideas from the other participants in the class. As Katherine says, we are now a tribe and it's nice to have people to bounce ideas off that are doing the same thing as you are. Another thing I really enjoyed about Katherines class is her professionalism and her sense of humor.

She was very through and timely about feedback. I feel like she also has a very good understanding of how kids think and how to present musical ideas in a fun way.

If you play the flute or any instrument and want to teach, you will not regret taking this course. It is well worth the money and you will get so much out of it.

- Beth Galloway, Playbook Grad

- Anne Gordon, Playbook Grad

I cannot say enough good things about THE MUSIC TEACHER'S PLAYBOOK. As a teacher with twenty years experience, I am renewed, rejuvenated, and excited about the growth and development of my flute studio over the coming months. Katherine Isbill Emeneth is a wonderful teacher and mentor. She has a proven method to establish and grow a successful, happy, and thriving flute studio, no matter where you are. Her weekly lessons are well-organized, always thought out to the smallest detail, and have prompted me to reevaluate what I've been doing for twenty years.

With three weeks left, I am excited to see what she has to say next, and to further put her instructions to use. I have already started two summer specific programs, and have added two new students to my roster. I have fall employment from three schools where I haven't been employed previously, and the phone calls and emails keep coming in every day. My contact list has grown, and now includes over 300 people who know about what I'm doing in my little corner of Marietta, GA every week. With Katherine’s help, I have gone from the same tired and worn strategies and methods I used for YEARS to a new way of doing things with a renewed energy. I am truly excited about everything I have to offer (and Katherine has made me realize that it's a whole lot) to my students. My newly overhauled studio will focus on my students as human beings, not just as flutists. Perhaps most important to me, though, is that I now have so much more confidence about communicating with parents and band directors during that very first phone call or email, because there is a way (and Katherine will teach it to you, too!) to successfully close the deal. (Hint: it's not about you!)

Fellow music teachers, you are doing yourself a disservice by not taking advantage of learning from someone who has truly figured out how to be a successful and happy flute teacher. Sign up now. I guarantee you won't regret it.

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- Trey Bradshaw, Playbook 5

I had always felt a bit lost when it came to building a flute studio. It’s something I knew I wanted, but it was never addressed in 6 years of music school, and I was desperate to figure it out. So I decided I needed to try something new if I wanted to create something bigger than just a handful of students I’d found here and there. That’s why I decided to enroll in Katherine’s course, Music Teacher’s Playbook. I gave the class a chance because after I read her bio, it was clear that she had tons of studio building experience (three different studios in radically different areas) as well as first-hand knowledge of the essentials for high level music performance. I had seen MTP floating around on social media for a few years, but was motivated to make the jump due to all the uncertainty about music during the pandemic.

Throughout the course, Katherine has proven that she is the real deal.

She gives a clear picture of what will get you recruiting results.
She provides countless templates and handouts that make it as easy as possible to take action.
She generously devotes TONS of time outside of the course meetings to give prompt feedback.
She even addresses all of the logistical and mental hurdles that are holding you back from fulfilling your studio’s potential.

Katherine delivers on everything she promises and much more.

Personally, I’m leaving the Music Teacher’s Playbook feeling empowered. The course helped me build a website (something I never thought I’d be able to do), create a clear vision of my dream studio (with actionable steps towards making it a reality), and develop an understanding of all the business essentials needed to make a living from private teaching.

If you’ve ever felt like it’s impossible for you to get a full studio, be it because you think the area has an excess supply of teachers, there isn’t a demand from students for lessons, you’re new in town, or you think you’re not qualified enough, this course is for you. Thanks to Katherine, I feel excited, not scared, of what I can build for myself and future students as I move across the country to an unfamiliar area. I cannot recommend this class enough, you won’t regret it!

"Two months ago, I had zero students. I was giving up on my private studio before I had really begun. Life was making me believe that it was impossible. My collegiate schooling had taught me that I was not yet in a position where it was possible for me to make a positive impact in the music education scene in my area. I was too young, too inexperienced, I didn't have the right space, I didn't have the right expertise.

I was hitting my head against the wall. I want to teach! But I didn't know how to make it happen.

By pure happenstance - Katherine's Music Teacher's Playbook course popped up on my feed. I decided that I'd give it a shot and man am I glad I did.

Look, she didn't say anything that was completely revolutionary. What she did do was give me permission to try - encouragement to do it - and a format that works. Like, really, really works. Sure I had heard some of these things before, but it was always "in the future" or something that I jotted down about and then forgot. Katherine's class made me do it NOW - whether I felt like I was ready or not. It was worth it.

I'm still in the beginning stages, but I'm happy to say that have STUDENTS (plural!) now, a teaching space, and the tools I need to grow my studio. If you find that you too are hitting your head against the wall about this teaching thing - you need to talk to Katherine and get into her course. I can't emphasize enough how much it has helped me in the past two months."

- Leanna Keith, Playbook 1

"Working with Katherine in The Music Teacher's Playbook has been just what I've needed to build the confidence and skills to tackle my teaching goals head-on!

Before taking this course, I wasn't really sure what exactly I could do to expand my oboe studio. I'd tried the "email all of the band directors in existence in my area" approach with very limited success in previous years. It wasn't until I signed a contract to teach at a local music store a few years ago that I started getting more students. But then I reached a point where I realized I could have even more students if I only knew how to. I wanted to become more independent, less reliant on a music store to help me find students.

That was when I learned about Katherine's course, and I recognized immediately it was exactly the help I was looking for! This course did not disappoint. While I currently have the same number of students in my studio as I did at the start of the course, I have made important steps forward that are laying the foundation for what I anticipate will be big growth in the near future:

I learned how to email band directors (and others!) in ways that get the responses I'm looking for, and received help from Katherine on every single email draft I wrote.
I learned through those emails how I can change my approach in the future. For example, many band programs in my area don't currently have oboe students. So now I know I can formulate specific programs tailored to make it easy for those directors to want to have oboe students (using Katherine's tried & true program formula!)
I learned that band directors are not the only way to find new students. There are many other approaches, and I received specific guidance on how to use many of these.
I made improvements to my site and received specific feedback from Katherine on ways I can continue to improve my site.
I have started incorporating new teaching strategies and initiatives in my studio that will make my studio unique and attractive to the students I want to have!

I can't wait to see what happens as I continue to implement everything I learned from Katherine!"

- Charlotte Ethington, Playbook 7

"Even though I’m an experienced teacher, I have learned so much about growing my studio from the Music Teacher’s Playbook. it was worth every penny I spent for the course. I was able to launch my very first website and I did it all on my own! Yay! I had gotten lazy about connecting with the local band directors and Katherine showed me ways to offer programs that band directors and students really need. I now have 3 new students who were directly recruited by my new programs. I’ve also added 3 new adult students simply because I was more assertive in promoting myself. One of the band directors even asked me to solo with the community band he directs. This would not have happened if I had not made that connection with him.

The Music Teacher’s Playbook is not just an online lecture once a week. Katherine is working very hard reviewing our homework, sending out handouts and commenting on our posts in the private Facebook group. She has helped me rethink my rates, fine tune my studio policy and be more confident about what I have to offer. I have also received some great new ideas to make learning more fun in my studio. If you’ve only relied on word of mouth to get new students (like I did for years), it is isn’t enough anymore. In our current world we need to market ourselves and The Music Teacher’s Playbook is the perfect format to learn to do this."

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- Debbie Gilbert, Playbook 4

“When I first saw Katherine's course, I found it intriguing but felt like I was not in a position to pay for a course. The pandemic shutdown was in full swing, I had just gotten married, and I was trying to stabilize my financial situation. However, after hearing so many wonderful things from previous Playbook members, I decided to take a leap of faith and invest in myself. And I am so glad that I did!

Katherine's course spoke directly to many of my self doubts, worries, and fears. In addition to all of the helpful materials to structure the business and marketing side of being a studio owner, I received so much construction feedback that provided a foundation for personal confidence. I learned to identify and break down the mental barriers that I had been creating for myself, which allowed me to recognize and enhance the positive things in my studio building.

Even though I have had my own studio for many years, I have been shy to advertise my skills and have typically relied on word-of-mouth to gain new students. But with Katherine's guidance, I was able to revamp my website, learn new ideas for building community among my students, and learn how to find the "right" students who would benefit from my teaching style and philosophy. I also got countless ideas to keep students engaged in the world of online lessons!

The biggest accomplishment I have had since taking this course has been connecting with my existing network of teachers and musicians, and understanding how to expand that network. I have received responses from every director I have emailed, and they have all been excited and positive about the new programs and courses I developed during the course.

Katherine understands how the business of studio building works, and most importantly she understands how people work and thrive. This course is not one of those "get rich quick" schemes... although I have already gained four students through this course, Katherine knows how to help you build/grow your studio while maintaining the human aspect of it all. She helps you identify your purpose and reason for teaching, acting as a sounding board for your ideas so that you can get down to what really matters to you in a personal and professional realm."