From a Living Room to a National Network: The Inspiring Story Behind a Top US Music School

What does it take to build one of the largest networks of music schools in the country? For Brady and Sarah Davies, it started with a single step, a shared vision, and a lot of determination. Today, they own 27 locations across the United States, employ nearly 500 people, and teach over 5,000 students every week.

But long before they were running massive, multi-location recitals for thousands of students in Utah, they were just two students at Brigham Young University trying to figure out their futures.

Growing up, Brady and Sarah had very different relationships with music. Brady took guitar lessons briefly as a child but didn’t have a great experience, steering him toward sports and football. Sarah, on the other hand, was known around town as the “piano girl”. Coming from a deeply musical family, she began taking lessons at age eight. Though she briefly quit in the sixth grade out of boredom, a moving experience playing piano at her grandfather’s funeral in the seventh grade brought her back to the keys. By age 14, she was teaching neighborhood kids, slowly growing a student base that followed her all the way to college.

Meanwhile, Brady’s path toward entrepreneurship was sparked during an LDS mission in Budapest, Hungary. His mission president, Gary Boffman (the former CEO of Mattel) flatly rejected Brady’s thoughts on entering the medical or dental fields. “Why would you do either of those things?” Boffman told him. “You’re made for business.”

After marrying, the couple balanced a whirlwind of opportunities. While Brady jumped into real estate brokerage and development, Sarah balanced public relations work, including pitching national clients on major networks like Good Morning America, while simultaneously growing her music student roster to a staggering 70 to 80 clients a week.

Eventually, teaching out of their home and her parents’ basement became overwhelming, especially when they became pregnant with their first daughter, Claire. They needed a pivot, and Sarah caught sight of a “For Lease” sign in an old building on historic Fort Street in Draper, Utah.

Though Brady was initially hesitant, joking that he was the “Scrooge” who just wanted to unwind after 10-hour workdays without a house full of kids, Sarah convinced him to take the leap. Within four months of opening that five-room space, they completely maxed out their capacity and expanded into a second location.

The road to success wasn’t without its hurdles. In their first month, they realized their historic building used swamp coolers, creating an absolute “sweat box” for employees and students until they negotiated an HVAC installation with the landlord. Then there was the time they painted an enormous, 8-foot logo on the side of the building, prompting a bewildered phone call from the city about its scale.

Beyond infrastructure, Sarah had to navigate the emotional challenges of business ownership, including early instances where parents confronted her in the lobby to question school policies.

“There has been so much personal growth through it,” Sarah reflects, noting how she had to learn to let things roll off her back. “We don’t have to be everything for everyone. It’s okay.”

What kept them going through the moments that brought them to their knees? For Brady, it was attending the student recitals. Seeing kids overcome confidence issues, step onto a level playing field, and achieve something amazing inspired him to stay fully committed.

For both Brady and Sarah, quitting was never an option because their ultimate mission has always been bigger than the hardships. They are entirely driven by a shared passion: helping kids stick with music and discover what they are truly capable of achieving.