What You’ll Learn
Opus1 Growth Summit NYC is an in-person gathering for performing arts school leaders to connect, learn, and share ideas with peers across the industry. Designed as a collaborative, community-driven experience, the event will bring together leaders to exchange perspectives, discuss common challenges, and learn from one another—alongside a range of sessions exploring growth, operations, community engagement, and long-term strategy.
Throughout the day, attendees will take part in conversations, hear from experienced leaders, and build meaningful relationships with others in the performing arts education space. Whether you’re looking for fresh perspectives, practical ideas, or a stronger sense of connection within the community, this event is designed to leave you inspired, supported, and part of something bigger.
Sessions & Speakers
PRESENTATION SESSION
Strategies That Scaled Opus 1 Music Studio to 1,400 Students / 3 Locations / $5m+ Revenue
Sam Lellouche, founder and Chief Strategy Officer (former CEO) of Opus1.io, as well as owner of Opus 1 Music Studio, will share the strategies, systems, and insights behind scaling a modern music school.
Sam grew Opus 1 Music Studio to over $5M in recurring revenue, 1,400 active students, and 3 locations—while eventually removing himself completely from the day-to-day operations. At the same time, he was building Opus1.io, a software platform designed to help music schools streamline operations and scale more effectively.
In this session, Sam will break down the often-overlooked levers that drive real growth: the metrics that actually matter, the operational systems that reduce chaos, and the policies that enable consistency across scheduling, retention, and staff management. He will also share how the right use of technology can transform a school from an owner-dependent operation into a scalable, process-driven business.
This talk is designed for music school owners who want to move beyond the “small studio” model and build a business that is efficient, profitable, and capable of growing without constant owner involvement.
SPEAKER:
Sam Lellouche
Founder & CSO (former CEO), Opus1.io | Owner, Opus 1 Music Studio
PRESENTATION SESSION
How to Increase Revenue Without Spending More on Ads
Every music school is sitting on hundreds of missed opportunities: leads that never enrolled, students who quietly walked out the door, and contacts who just needed the right follow-up at the right time. In this session, David Martin — experienced music school entrepreneur and former owner of a 1,000+ student school — breaks down exactly how to build a follow-up and reactivation system that converts the audience you already have. You don’t need more leads to grow. You need a smarter way to work the ones you’ve already earned.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Most schools are sitting on hundreds of missed opportunities—leads that didn’t enroll and students who left—without any system to bring them back.
- You don’t need more leads to grow—you need a way to convert and re-convert the ones you already have.
- Discover how to turn your existing contacts into predictable, consistent enrollments without increasing your ad spend.
- Walk away with a simple, actionable system for follow-up and reactivation that you can implement immediately.
SPEAKER:
David Martin
Music School Entrepreneur | Former 1,000+ Student School Owner
INTERVIEW SESSION
Scaling a Music School Without Losing Your Culture
As music schools grow, maintaining the culture and experience that made them successful in the first place becomes increasingly challenging. In this interview-style session, Dr. Talonda Thomas shares insights from scaling New York Musician’s Center across multiple locations while preserving a strong, student-centered culture.
Through a candid Q&A, this session will explore how to build systems that support sustainable growth without compromising quality, how to hire and develop teams that embody your values, and how to create accountability as your organization expands. Attendees will also hear real lessons learned from launching additional locations and a franchise model—including where many school owners get stuck and what it takes to move forward with clarity and confidence.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Developing Scalable Systems: Design operational systems that support growth while maintaining a consistent, high-quality student experience.
- Building the Right Team: Hire, train, and implement team accountability that upholds your culture as you scale.
- Growth and Franchising Lessons: Learn practical insights from growing multiple locations and launching a franchise model.
- Overcoming Plateaus: Identify common growth bottlenecks and strategies to move forward with confidence.
SPEAKERS:
Talonda Thomas, Ph.D.
Founder & CEO, New York Musician’s Center
David Martin
Music School Entrepreneur | Former 1,000+ Student School Owner
PRESENTATION SESSION
From Owner to Builder: Designing a Purpose-Driven, Independent School
Many performing arts school owners start with a passion for music, only to find themselves trapped in a business that depends entirely on them. This session explores how to build a music school that is both purpose-driven and operationally independent, allowing owners to create impact without burnout.
Drawing from real experiences growing a music school and time spent bringing music programs to men recovering from drug addiction, and helping build music programs in orphanages in Thailand, this talk will challenge attendees to rethink success—not just as revenue, but as freedom, impact, and alignment with purpose.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Redefining Success: Move beyond income as the primary metric and focus on impact, freedom, and fulfillment—avoiding the trap of staying perpetually busy without building a sustainable business.
- Building a School That Runs Without You: Implement systems and structures that reduce owner dependency, strategies to build team trust and delegate effectively, and shift your leadership mindset to enable long-term, sustainable growth.
- Purpose as a Business Advantage: Leverage a clear mission to attract aligned students, families, and staff, and create a stronger, more resilient business than one driven by profit alone.
- Lessons from Dawn Island: Gain perspective from Darvin’s real-world experiences working with individuals in recovery. He will share how that experience reshaped the way he views business, leadership, identity, and the true impact of his work.
- From Owner to Builder: Evolve from day-to-day operator to vision-driven leader, creating the space needed to think strategically, grow your business, and build community.
SPEAKERS:
Darvin Lau
Founder & CEO, The Bay Ridge School of Music
WORKSHOP
Hot Seat: Real Challenges, Real Solutions
This is where the room becomes the resource. Before the summit, attendees are invited to submit their biggest business challenge — the one keeping them up at night. A handful will be selected and worked through live, led by David Martin, a former music school owner and seasoned performing arts school coach who has seen (and solved) it all.
Whether it’s a retention problem, a staffing headache, a pricing question, or a growth plateau, no topic is off limits. Watch as real challenges get unpacked in real time, and walk away with frameworks and fresh thinking you can apply to your own school (even if yours isn’t the one in the hot seat).
SPEAKERS:
David Martin
Music School Entrepreneur | Former 1,000+ Student School Owner
Frequently Asked Questions
The day will feature a dynamic mix of presentations, engaging Q&A discussions, and hands-on, interactive workshops.
Attendance is free! Space is limited and expected to fill quickly, so we encourage you to reserve your spot as soon as possible.
Yes! We’ll have light refreshments available throughout the day, along with a catered lunch.
About Opus1
Opus1.io is the modern end-to-end Music and Performing Arts Management Platform for growing schools.
Founded by music school owners and built for music school owners, Opus1.io empowers performing arts schools to operate efficiently and grow.
The Opus1 platform delivers the capabilities needed to manage schedules, billings, payments, teachers, communications, marketing, and more. Our advanced technology is ideal for any type of learning format, including individual or class-based learning.
Operate and grow your business more efficiently with Opus1.io.
