Coast Academy of Music

What Coast Academy of Music does

Coast Academy of Music is a Central Coast NSW-based music school founded in 2014 by Tom and Leah Brett, headquartered in Kincumber. It delivers individual and group music instruction across guitar, piano, vocals, drums, bass, and songwriting, and operates a school partnership program extending lessons into 10+ Central Coast schools. The company is an accredited AMEB Regional Examination Centre, which positions it as a formal assessment venue in addition to a tuition provider. Teaching staff are working professional musicians with verifiable high-profile credits, differentiating instructor quality from hobbyist-driven local competitors.

The company's commercial offering is multi-tiered: introductory lessons at $25, casual lessons at $45 per 30-minute session, group programs at $150-$180 per 10-week term, and a CAM Membership subscription at $155/month that bundles recurring lesson access. Revenue channels include studio-based lessons, online Zoom-delivered lessons (introduced during COVID-19 lockdowns), school partnership contracts, and a recently launched e-commerce store for instruments and accessories. The technology stack is intentionally lean and off-the-shelf: Pike13 for client management and scheduling, Zoom for online delivery, and PayPal for payments, with no proprietary platform or AI/ML components disclosed. Customer reach is described as 'hundreds of students per week,' and the business operates with 11-50 employees, indicating a small-to-mid-sized regional services operation.

The business model is predominantly direct-to-consumer, with consumer-facing students as the primary revenue base and a secondary institutional channel via school partnerships. Geographic concentration is entirely within the NSW Central Coast region, with no disclosed expansion beyond that catchment. The company is privately held with no external funding, no M&A activity, and no patent or IP filings, positioning it as a bootstrapped, operationally focused regional education services business.

Name

Coast Academy of Music

Legal name

Coast Academy of Music

Website

https://coastacademyofmusic.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Coast Academy of Music is a Central Coast NSW-based music school founded in 2014, offering individual and group instruction in guitar, piano, vocals, drums, bass, and songwriting, and serving hundreds of weekly students through studio locations and partner school programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Education Services

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Instruction (Instrumental & Vocal) (EDAMAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Music Lessons (Instrumental) (EDAMANAA), Private Voice Lessons (Vocal) (EDAMANAB)

Keywords

• Music education services
• Private music lessons
• Instrument instruction
• Music school programs
• Group music classes

Headquarters

HQ city

Kincumber

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Private Studio Lessons: 30-minute private lessons offered at $25 introductory rate for new students and $45 for casual bookings. Core recurring revenue from enrolled students via CAM membership or term-based billing.
2. Group Lessons and Programs: Coast Academy Choir ($150/10 week term), Coast Academy Kids ($180/10 week term), Sing & Strum ($180/10 week term), and Songwriting classes. Fixed-term programs during school terms.
3. CAM Membership: Monthly membership at $155/month providing weekly 30-minute private lessons, reserved lesson time, end-of-term recital participation, unlimited reschedules with 24-hour notice, and VIP workshop access. Annual cost spread evenly over 12 months.
4. Instrument and Accessories Sales: E-commerce store (shop.coastacademyofmusic.com) selling guitars, keyboards, drums, and accessories with click-and-collect and COVID-safe delivery within 10km of Kincumber Studios.
5. Music Examinations: Regional examination centre for Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB) providing external music examination services.
6. Drum Rental Partnership: Partnership with Studio19 for drum kit rentals. Referral arrangement for students wanting to try drums before purchasing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Coast Academy of Music is a contemporary music school that delivers private and group music lessons in guitar, piano, vocals, drums, bass, ukulele, banjo, songwriting, and audio production across its Kincumber studio and partner schools on the NSW Central Coast. The portfolio is anchored by 30-minute one-on-one Studio Lessons and In School Programs, supplemented by recurring group classes, a subscription-style CAM Membership, school holiday workshops, and a regional AMEB examination centre service.

Product overview

Coast Academy of Music is a contemporary music school on the NSW Central Coast offering a unified portfolio of music education services. The core offering consists of private Studio Lessons (30-minute one-on-one instruction in vocals, piano, guitar, drums, bass, ukulele, banjo, songwriting, and audio production) and In School Programs delivered at partner schools. These are supplemented by Group Lessons including Coast Academy Choir, Coast Academy Kids, Sing & Strum, and Songwriting Class. The CAM Membership provides a monthly subscription model ($155/month) bundling weekly private lessons with VIP workshop access and flexible rescheduling. Additional offerings include School Holiday Programs, casual lessons ($45/half hour), a $25 introductory lesson for new students, AMEB examination centre services, and an Online Store for instrument purchases. The product portfolio is coordinated through Pike13 client management software for enrollment and scheduling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Studio Lessons Private 30-minute one-on-one lessons in vocals, piano, guitar, drums, bass guitar, ukulele, banjo, songwriting, and audio recording/production, delivered at the Kincumber studio and selected schools.
• Coast Academy Choir Weekly group choir sessions on Wednesdays 7:15-8:15pm focused on harmonising and vocal techniques through modern pop songs; $150 per 10-week term.
• Coast Academy Kids Group music lessons for primary school students covering guitar, ukulele, and piano basics including chords, rhythm, reading music, and tablature; $180 per 10-week term.
• Sing & Strum Thursday 6:00-6:30pm group class for students with basic chord and rhythm abilities; covers vocal techniques, rhythms, strumming, and ensemble playing with a new song each week; $180 per 10-week term.
• Songwriting Class Wednesdays 5:30-6:15pm class teaching song structure, lyric writing, melody creation, and harmonisation under the guidance of an experienced songwriter.
• In School Programs Music education programs delivered on school premises — including private and group instrument tuition, ensemble programs, workshops, and clinics — at 10+ partner schools across the Central Coast (Kincumber, Copacabana, Point Clare, Saratoga, Tuggerah, East Gosford, West Gosford, Erina, Wyoming, Gosford).
• CAM Membership Monthly subscription membership bundling a weekly 30-minute private lesson, a reserved lesson slot, end-of-term recital participation, unlimited reschedules with 24-hour notice, and VIP access to workshops and clinics; $155 per month with annual cost spread over 12 monthly payments.
• School Holiday Programs Workshops and master-classes offered during NSW school holidays, with dates published throughout the year.
• AMEB Examinations Regional examination centre service delivering Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB) external music examinations on-site, enabling students to obtain formal qualifications.
• Online Store (Instruments and Accessories) E-commerce store at shop.coastacademyofmusic.com selling guitars, pianos, keyboards, drums, and accessories, with click-and-collect and COVID-safe delivery within 10km of the Kincumber studio.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students develop from complete beginners to performing on stage at recitals and larger concerts
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Central Coast GuitarsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGuitar maintenance and service partner. Dave Rumsey from Central Coast Guitars regularly services all guitars for Coast Academy of Music and occasionally teaches lessons. Friend of the academy who provides professional guitar servicing and repair support.
• Studio19minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDrum kit rental partner. Many students hire through partnership with Studio19 for drum kits. Referral arrangement where Coast Academy recommends Studio19 rentals to students wanting to trial drums before purchasing.
• Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB)coreOthersCoast Academy of Music is a regional examination centre for AMEB, enabling students to take external music examinations on-site. This provides formal qualification pathway for students seeking external assessment.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• School of Rock: Largest franchised contemporary music school globally, teaching guitar, bass, vocals, keys and drums through private and group lessons with a performance-based curriculum. Directly comparable to Coast Academy's private-lesson-plus-recital model, though at much larger scale and with a franchise GTM.
• Forte School of Music: Australian music school network offering structured group and private lessons in multiple instruments across age groups. Closest direct Australian peer in terms of lesson portfolio, group program structure, and supplementary offerings like school-holiday workshops.

Others

• Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM): International music examination board with an Australian presence. Comparable to AMEB as the credentialing backbone of the exam-prep niche that Coast Academy's HSC/AMEB students pursue, and represents an alternative exam pathway for music students.
• Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB): National music examination body and existing partner of Coast Academy of Music. AMEB is a complementary ecosystem player — the accreditation relationship gives CAM students an external qualification pathway and exam venue on-site.

Emerging players

• Music Together: Internationally franchised early-childhood music education program (typically ages 0-7). Partially overlaps with Coast Academy Kids and other early-childhood offerings, and represents a complementary rather than head-to-head competitor in the same market segment.
• Muzart: Australian franchised music school targeting children and adults with group and private lessons. Overlaps with Coast Academy on age group, instruments, and group-class format, and represents a more franchise-oriented emerging competitor in the same geography.
• Rockschool (RSL Awards): UK-based contemporary music examination and qualification body with growing global reach, including Australia. Adjacent competitor in the exam-prep pathway and an alternative to AMEB for rock/pop students that Coast Academy could partner with or compete against.

Regional players

• Alla's Music School: Independent Australian music school offering private lessons in piano, guitar, vocals and other instruments. Comparable in scale, lesson format, and target demographic, but operates in different regions without Coast Academy's school-channel distribution advantage.
• Central Coast Conservatorium of Music: Regional community music school operating on the Central Coast, the same geography as Coast Academy of Music. Directly comparable in terms of lesson portfolio, AMEB exam pathway, and student demographic, making it the most relevant head-to-head local competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Yamaha Music School (Australia): Global brand operating structured music education programs in Australia. Competes for the same parent demographic with a more formal, method-driven curriculum, but serves as a broader incumbent with significantly greater scale and brand recognition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/coastacademyofmusic
• Instagraminstagram.com/coastacademyofmusic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Coast Academy of Music