The New School for Music Study

What The New School for Music Study does

The New School for Music Study (NSMS) is a community music school and piano pedagogy center founded in 1960 by Frances Clark and Louise Goss in Kingston, New Jersey. It operates as the founding division of The Frances Clark Center for Keyboard Pedagogy, a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization. NSMS delivers weekly private piano lessons paired with group classes to approximately 300-400 students ranging from pre-school beginners to pre-college music majors and adult learners, and maintains a faculty of 25+ piano teachers. Its core curriculum is built on the proprietary Music Tree method, complemented by the annual Piano Progressions assessment system, Royal Conservatory of Music examination preparation, and structured performance programming including recitals, chamber music, and the Silent Film Celebration.

The school's revenue model is a hybrid of subscription-based piano lesson tuition (annual 10-month academic year, paid in 4 or 8 installments) and fee-for-service revenue from teacher education programs. The teacher education vertical — comprising the Postgraduate Teaching Program (stipend-funded, 10-month commitment), the Comprehensive Practical Teaching Program ($2,500/term), the new Piano Teacher Engagement Series ($25/session or $275/full series), Applied Piano Lessons for Teachers, and Summer Intensives — represents a distinct B2B-adjacent stream targeting piano teachers nationally and internationally. Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer via in-person instruction at the Kingston campus, supplemented by Zoom-enabled virtual options and online theory tutoring. Marketing relies on community events, recital circuits at partner venues (senior living facilities, public libraries, churches), social media, and the broader Frances Clark Center ecosystem including Piano Magazine and the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy (NCKP).

NSMS is institutionally embedded in the piano pedagogy field through its relationship with the Frances Clark Center, its founding-school status with the Royal Conservatory of Music, and partnerships with Steinway Society of Greater Princeton and recently displaced Westminster Conservatory of Music faculty. Technology adoption is limited to standard SaaS tools (Wix, JotForm, My Music Staff, Zoom) with no disclosed AI/ML capabilities. The institution does not pursue venture or private equity funding and operates as a tuition-and-donation-supported non-profit.

Name

The New School for Music Study

Legal name

The New School for Music Study

Website

https://nsmspiano.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The New School for Music Study is a non-profit community music school in Kingston, NJ, founded in 1960 as the founding division of the Frances Clark Center. It delivers private and group piano instruction to ~300-400 students of all ages and runs nationally recognized teacher education programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Education Services

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Fine Arts Schools (611610), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Music Lessons (Instrumental) (EDAMANAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Music Exam Prep & Certification (ABRSM, Trinity, RCM, AP Music Theory) (EDAMANAJ), Music Schools & Conservatory Prep (Pre-College) (EDAMANAE), Music Instruction (Instrumental & Vocal) (EDAMAAAE), Online / Virtual Music Instruction & Platforms (EDAMANAI)

Keywords

• Piano music education
• Private piano lessons
• Music pedagogy training
• Piano teacher education
• Community music school

Headquarters

HQ city

Kingston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Piano Lesson Tuition: Annual tuition based on a 10-month school year, covering weekly private lessons and group classes. Tuition also includes year-end recital, annual assessment, mid-year performance in Parents Class, and special event recital opportunities. Payment options include four or eight equal installments. Tuition rates vary by program.
2. Teacher Education Programs: Revenue from postgraduate teaching program, comprehensive practical teaching program, and applied piano lessons for teachers. Programs include certificate-awarding courses and professional development offerings.
3. Summer Programs: Summer piano lessons and intensives providing flexible scheduling with 4 private lessons plus 2 group classes. Additional group sessions and specialized summer courses available.
4. Specialized Tutoring: Online music theory tutoring sessions (5 or 10 weeks), chamber music lesson packages (10 weeks), and applied piano lessons for teachers available as separate revenue streams.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The New School for Music Study provides private piano instruction, group classes, performance opportunities, and annual skill assessments to over 300 students of all ages and levels at its Kingston, NJ campus. The school also offers teacher education and professional development programs, including a Postgraduate Teaching Program and Comprehensive Practical Teaching Program, delivered both in-person and via Zoom. Programming is anchored in the proprietary Music Tree curriculum developed by founders Frances Clark and Louise Goss.

Product overview

The New School for Music Study (NSMS) is a community music school and piano pedagogy center offering a comprehensive suite of music education programs. The core offering consists of private piano lessons combined with group classes for children (ages 5+), adults, and specialized programs including Piano Detectives Club for pre-schoolers, Music Tree Group Program for elementary students, and the advanced PEPS (Program for Excellence in Piano Study) for middle and high schoolers. NSMS provides supplementary programs including Summer Piano Programs, Music Theory Tutoring, Chamber Music sessions, and Assessment programs (Piano Progressions and RCM Examinations). Performance opportunities include Student Recitals, Faculty Recital Series, Silent Film Celebration, and Student Composition Contest. Teacher education programs include the Postgraduate Teaching Program, Comprehensive Practical Teaching Program, Piano Teacher Engagement Series, Applied Piano Lessons for Teachers, and Summer Intensives. The school serves over 300 students with a faculty of 25+ piano teachers and is internationally recognized for comprehensive teacher education and professional development programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Private Piano Lessons Weekly individual piano instruction tailored to students of all ages and levels, from young beginners to advanced pre-college students and adults. Lessons are part of an annual tuition package that also includes group classes, recitals, and assessments.
• Piano Detectives Club
• Music Tree Group Program
• Student Repertoire Programs
• Junior PEPS (Program for Excellence in Piano Study)
• PEPS (Program for Excellence in Piano Study) Advanced high school program founded in 1995 by Phyllis Lehrer, preparing students for collegiate-level music study with intensive projects, theory work, and additional performance opportunities.
• Adult Piano Study
• Summer Piano Programs
• Music Theory Tutoring
• Chamber Music
• Applied Piano Lessons for Teachers
• Postgraduate Teaching Program
• Comprehensive Practical Teaching Program
• Piano Teacher Engagement Series
• Summer Intensives
• Silent Film Celebration

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Frances Clark Center for Keyboard PedagogycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNSMS is the founding division of The Frances Clark Center, a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational institution. The Frances Clark Center advances piano teaching through NSMS, National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy (NCKP), Piano Education Press, Piano Magazine, Journal for Piano Research, and Piano Inspires Kids publications.
• Brandywine LivingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for student recitals presented at Brandywine Living facilities in Princeton. Students gain performance experience while bringing music to senior living community residents.
• Maplewood Senior LivingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for student recitals at Maplewood Senior Living in Plainsboro, NJ. Students perform holiday-themed pieces, original compositions, or selections of their choice for residents.
• Princeton Public LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue for faculty lecture recitals and student performances including PEPS recitals. Library provides community space for educational performances open to the public.
• Plainsboro Public LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue for faculty lecture recitals including performances by Dr. Molly Sanford and Dr. TianYi Li. Library serves as community partner for educational programming.
• Steinway Society of Greater PrincetonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSteinway Society and NSMS jointly organize musicales featuring school faculty to raise funds for an annual Steinway Society award. Society's balance of funds transferred to NSMS to provide financial support to students who might otherwise be unable to afford instruction.
• Nassau Presbyterian ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity venue for faculty recitals and special events including the recital honoring Marvin Blickenstaff. Provides acoustic performance space for school events.
• AMC Bridgewater 7minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue for Fifth Annual Silent Film Celebration event. Theater hosts student performances accompanying silent films for community audience.
• Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNSMS is a Founding School for RCM, offering both practical and theory exams. Teachers are experienced in preparing students for these assessments, and many students have achieved high honors. RCM is one of the largest and most respected music education institutions in the world.
• Westminster Conservatory of MusicminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpecial application portal opened for former Westminster Conservatory faculty following Princeton campus closure announcement. NSMS welcomes WCM faculty seeking teaching opportunities within the NSMS community. All instruments are welcome to apply.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Curtis Institute of Music: Highly selective conservatory offering advanced training and pre-college programs for exceptional young musicians. Comparable to NSMS at the advanced/pre-college tier, though Curtis is conservatory-degree-granting while NSMS focuses on pre-college and community education.
• Yamaha Music School (Yamaha Corporation of America): Globally scaled music education franchise offering group and private lessons (including piano) for children and adults. Comparable to NSMS in piano instruction for beginners/children, though Yamaha uses a proprietary group-based curriculum and franchise model rather than NSMS's discovery-based private-plus-group approach.
• Manhattan School of Music Pre-College: Pre-college program offering advanced music instruction to talented young students in the greater NYC metro area. Comparable to NSMS PEPS in serving pre-college music majors preparing for conservatory admission, with similar audition/assessment-driven admissions.
• Royal Conservatory of Music: Globally recognized music education institution offering graded examinations and certification. NSMS is a Founding School for RCM, and RCM-aligned exam preparation and certification constitute a direct product overlap in piano assessment and curriculum standards.
• Juilliard School - Pre-College Division: Premier conservatory with a Saturday pre-college program serving advanced young musicians. Comparable to NSMS's PEPS and Junior PEPS programs in preparing pre-college students for collegiate music study, though Juilliard operates at a much larger scale and broader instrument scope.

Direct peers

• Westminster Conservatory of Music: Pre-college community music school serving the greater Princeton/NJ area with private lessons, group classes, and teacher education. Directly comparable to NSMS by mission, customer base, and service mix; recently lost faculty to NSMS following its Princeton campus closure.
• Community Music Centers (e.g., Settlement Music School): Non-profit community music schools offering private and group lessons across multiple instruments and ages. Comparable to NSMS in mission (community music education) and structure (nonprofit, sliding-scale tuition), though broader in instrument scope than NSMS's piano-only focus.

Regional players

• Mason Gross School of the Arts (Rutgers University): Rutgers University's performing arts school offering pre-college and community music programs in NJ. Comparable to NSMS as a regional NJ-based pre-college/community music education provider serving overlapping geographic markets.

Others

• The Frances Clark Center for Keyboard Pedagogy: Non-profit parent organization of which NSMS is the founding division. Operates the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy, Piano Magazine, Piano Education Press, and online teacher education. Directly comparable ecosystem-level peer and sister brand rather than direct competitor.

Emerging players

• Suzuki Method Schools / Suzuki Association of the Americas: Network of instructors using the Suzuki method for early-childhood instrumental instruction (including piano). Comparable to NSMS Piano Detectives Club and Music Tree Group Program in targeting young beginners with structured, method-driven group and private lessons.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/nsmspiano
• Instagraminstagram.com/nsms_piano
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-new-school-for-music-study

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The New School for Music Study