Music Studio Startup: Helping music teachers thrive as entrepreneurs5 Marras 2025

174 - The Power of Steady Creativity: Growing a Second Income Stream Through Self-Publishing with James Michael Stevens

If you've ever wondered whether the music you compose or arrange for your students could become more than a creative outlet—maybe even a second income stream—this episode is for you.

My guest, James Michael Stevens, is a composer and college music dean who has steadily built something quite remarkable: a catalog of thousands of piano and organ pieces, all self-published online, that reaches players around the world. What I love most about his story isn't just the scale of what he's created—it's how he's done it. His process is simple, consistent, and completely self-driven, and it offers a model for any creative teacher who wants to turn small, steady efforts into something substantial.

In our conversation, James shares how he got started, what keeps him motivated, and the systems he uses to sustain that level of creative output year after year.

Whether you write music, design resources, or just have an idea you've been meaning to follow through on, this episode is full of practical wisdom for anyone building something one step at a time.

Here's my conversation with James.

A full transcript and resources from this episode can be found at MusicStudioStartup.com/episode174.

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180 - Anna Showalter on Launching a New Studio and Winning the MSS Studio Launch Grant

Well, hello again! It has been a minute since we released a new episode here on the podcast. This spring, we wrapped up our second tax season with Charles Harris, and Music Studio Startup exhibited fo...

29 Touko 32min

179 - Business Networking the Not Obnoxious Way with Stephanie Bonte-Lebair

I first interviewed today's guest, Stephanie Bonte-Lebair back in Episode 025. The focus of that interview was about how she rebranded her voice studio to attract a more profitable niche, but in telli...

18 Helmi 43min

178 - 2026 Tax Season Kickoff with Charles Harris, CPA

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...

28 Tammi 17min

177 - From "Safe Job" to Sustainable Studio with Danielle Ingram

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, ...

14 Tammi 1h 9min

176 - Building a Flexible Music Career Through Recessions, COVID, and Beyond with Barbara Siesel and Keith Torgan

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 il...

17 Joulu 202555min

175 - How Guitars 4 Vets Scaled to 100+ Chapters to Bring the Healing Power of Music to Veterans with Bernie Kampf

This week, as we observe Veteran's Day in the US, I'm honored to be talking to a Vietnam Veteran and guitar teacher for a non-profit organization that aims to brighten the lives of veterans who suffer...

12 Marras 202536min

173 -Rethinking Lessons, Branding, and Belonging in Your Studio with Leischen Moore

Today I'm talking to the owner of a boutique voice studio about how she rebranded her studio to make it more about her students and less about her. You'll hear all about how she introduced the new bra...

22 Loka 202529min