Chicago School of Music

What Chicago School of Music does

The Chicago School of Music is a privately held, single-location music education business operating from 900 N Franklin St (#604) in Chicago's River North / Near North Side neighborhood. Founded in 1998 and relocated to its current site in 2012 after more than a decade in River West and Old Town, the school delivers in-person, one-on-one private lessons across piano, voice, guitar, violin, flute, drums, bass, and other popular instruments, served by a teaching staff of qualified instructors selected for their training and ability to motivate students. The customer base spans early-childhood through adult learners, with explicit segmentation into Children, Teens, Adults, Early Birds (early childhood), and Professional / Advanced Musicians; supplemental offerings include a Performers-for-Hire booking service and Music Teacher Training.

The school runs no disclosed technology platform and offers no remote/online lesson delivery; core technology is listed as "Not disclosed" and there is no app, API, or proprietary product stack. Marketing is executed through the company website, Twitter, Facebook (with 117,000+ page likes), Google+, and an email newsletter, serving a Chicago metro audience drawn from River North, Lincoln Park, Old Town, Gold Coast, the Loop, Hyde Park, Wicker Park, Bucktown, and the South Side.

Revenue mechanics are one-time / per-lesson private instruction at the physical site, with no public pricing disclosure and no institutional or capital-markets backing; ownership is private, no parent company or subsidiaries are reported, and there are no partnerships, patents, regulatory actions, or M&A in the data.

Name

Chicago School of Music

Legal name

Chicago School of Music

Website

https://chicagoschoolofmusic.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Single-location private music school in Chicago's River North offering in-person one-on-one lessons across multiple instruments for children, teens, adults, and professional musicians, plus performer booking and teacher training services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Education Services

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Fine Arts Schools (611610), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Music Lessons (Instrumental) (EDAMANAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Voice Lessons (Vocal) (EDAMANAB), Early Childhood Music Education (Ages 0–7) (EDAMANAD), Music Schools & Conservatory Prep (Pre-College) (EDAMANAE)

Keywords

• Private music lessons
• Music education services
• Early childhood music
• Music teacher training
• Advanced music training

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Private Music Lessons: Revenue generated from private one-on-one music lessons for various instruments including piano, voice, guitar, violin, flute, drums, and bass for adults and children. Lessons are taught individually by qualified instructors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Chicago School of Music is a single-location music education institution in Chicago that provides private, one-on-one music instruction in guitar, voice, piano, flute, drums, bass, violin, and other popular instruments. It supplements these core lessons with age-segmented programs for children, teens, and adults, an early childhood music program (Early Birds), advanced training for professional and active musicians, music teacher training, and a performer booking service.

Product overview

The Chicago School of Music is a single-location music education institution offering private music lessons as its core product, with supplemental programs segmented by age group (children, teens, adults) and skill level (beginner through advanced/professional). The school provides one-on-one private instruction across multiple instruments (guitar, voice, piano, flute, drums, bass, violin) and also offers early childhood music education through its Early Birds program. Additional services include performer booking for events and professional development training for music teachers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Private Music Lessons One-on-one private instruction in guitar, voice, piano, flute, drums, bass, violin, and other popular instruments for students of all skill levels and ages.
• Early Birds Music Program Early childhood music classes designed to introduce young children to music fundamentals and foster their interest and curiosity in music.
• Advanced Training Elite training programs for professional musicians, active musicians, and music teachers, including audition assistance and advanced pedagogical approaches.
• Programs for Children Music lesson programs designed specifically for children to introduce music education at a young age and develop interest and curiosity in music while learning fundamentals.
• Programs for Teens Music lessons tailored for teenage students at various skill levels to build skills, confidence, and appreciation for music during adolescent years.
• Programs for Adults Music lessons for adult learners at all skill levels, from beginners to advanced, with flexible learning options for busy adult schedules.
• Performers for Hire Booking service connecting customers with professional musicians for events and performances.
• Music Teacher Training Training programs available for aspiring and practicing music teachers to enhance their pedagogical approaches and methods.

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• TakeLessons: Online marketplace for private music lessons offering both in-person and virtual instruction across the U.S. Comparable private-lesson offering with broader geographic reach and a lower-friction booking experience than a single-location school.
• Lessonface: Online platform connecting students with music instructors for live, virtual private lessons across instruments. Comparable private-lesson product delivered through a digital channel that CSM does not currently offer, representing the most direct substitution risk.
• Musika Music Lessons: Online and in-home music lesson provider serving students across multiple U.S. metro areas including Chicago. Comparable private-lesson model with the option to send instructors to students' homes, increasing convenience over a fixed-location school.

Broad incumbents

• New England Conservatory Preparatory School: Pre-college music program affiliated with a major conservatory, offering private instruction and advanced training for serious young musicians. Comparable on the Advanced Training and audition-preparation offerings that CSM highlights as differentiating.
• Yamaha Music School: National music school franchise offering private and group lessons across a wide range of instruments and age groups, including early childhood. Comparable product structure but operating at scale across hundreds of U.S. locations.
• Music & Arts: Nationwide retailer of musical instruments that also offers in-store private lessons at many of its locations. Comparable private-lesson product bundled with instrument retail, creating a one-stop alternative that competes for the same beginner student segment.
• School of Rock: National franchise music school offering private and group lessons with a performance-based curriculum. Comparable private-lesson business model for children and adults, though it scales via franchising and emphasizes group/ensemble instruction rather than pure one-on-one.

Direct peers

• Merit School of Music: Chicago-based nonprofit music school offering private lessons, early childhood programs, and advanced training. Directly comparable as a single-metro music education institution with similar age segmentation and a focus on serving the broader Chicago community.
• Sherwood Community Music School: Chicago-area community music school affiliated with Columbia College Chicago, offering private instruction across instruments and age groups. Comparable as a Chicago music education institution with similar private-lesson core product and supplemental programs.
• Old Town School of Folk Music: Long-standing Chicago-based nonprofit music school offering private and group lessons across a wide range of instruments and ages. Directly comparable as a Chicago-rooted, multi-program music education institution serving a similar demographic, though materially larger and with a folk-music specialty.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/chschoolofmusic
• Facebookfacebook.com/117386557747
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chicago-school-of-music

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Chicago School of Music