Today we’d like to introduce you to Anna Backer.
Hi Anna , can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Cincinnati School of Music (CSM) is a family-owned company, established by my husband and me. I first met Joe at Brevard Music Festival, where we were both studying piano. From the start, we shared a passion for music and helping others that eventually led us to follow our dreams and build a community music school for students of all ages. We first started what eventually became the Cincinnati School of Music back in 2009.
We both had a background in music performance, music education, and business, and we saw the noteworthy amount of musical talent in Cincinnati and felt inspired to create a professional space and community where local musicians could share their talents and passions by teaching music to students of all ages and abilities. After years of planning and saving, we took the leap in 2012 and invested our savings to open our first commercial location. Not long after we signed the lease, we found out we were expecting our first child! It was a very exciting time, and we knew we still had a lot of hard work ahead of us to transform our dream into reality. I remember those first few weeks getting it off the ground. I was pregnant, we were both teaching in students’ homes by day, then we’d come back to our new space to paint and move in furniture late into the night getting everything ready before our grand opening.
We worked tirelessly and eventually expanded our talent recruitment by hiring more teachers to meet growing demand from the community. What started as a small music studio has since grown into 5 thriving music schools in Cincinnati. Today, CSM has locations in Mason, Montgomery, Maineville, Middletown, and Anderson.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
We’ve experienced many challenges, but it’s also been extremely rewarding. One of the first significant challenges was figuring out systems and processes to operate in an efficient and organized manner while still delivering an experience that exceeds expectations for our clients, staff, and community.
Time management and establishing a healthy balance between work and family life was another big challenge for us. For years, we both worked 7 days a week (and sometimes we still do). We poured every moment of our days into building our business, responding to emails, phone calls, planning recitals, interviewing teacher candidates, managing the finances and administrative requirements during the day, and teaching piano lessons in the afternoon and evenings. I remember our first-born spent most of her first two years crawling and toddling around at work with us. It was a family affair!
We opened our second location in Mason a couple months after our second child was born. That was a busy, exhausting, and wonderful time! As our business and family grew, I knew I needed to figure out how to balance everything. This was a difficult moment when I realized I had to give up teaching in order to shift my focus toward administrative management during the day and being be more present for our children in the evenings.
As we’ve grown, it’s been important to us to maintain the same close-knit family feel within our business we’ve had since we first opened. Right around the time we first started CSM, a mentor told me that all significant endeavors are built on the same thing: strong relationships. And that sage advice has remained ever present in my mind as we’ve grown. While it takes more time and effort to go the extra mile, it’s important to us that everyone we work with feels seen, heard, valued, and respected. Every student, parent, teacher, office staff, and community partnership that make up our music school has been built through relationships we have fostered and fortified through open communication, respect, and good will.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My background and credentials include a combination of undergraduate degrees in piano performance and piano pedagogy paired with graduate degrees in business and non-profit arts administration, all of which are highly creative fields. I’m grateful to have combined my love of music, education, and business into a creative enterprise built with love and care as a team with my husband.
I specialize in creating detailed step by step systems and processes that can be used toward helping students learn music, training employees, maintaining organized operations, and more. I am most proud of the interpersonal skills I’ve developed over the years that have helped me to connect with a wide range of amazing people and make a positive impact in some way, whether through teaching music, professional development for our employees, or giving back to our community through collaborative efforts like our annual food drives and winter coat drives.
I’m also very proud of my husband, Joe Backer, for his dedicated musical study from a very young age and talent achieved through hard work. He’s shared his talent through hundreds of gigs across the United States and abroad. Not only is he a gifted performer, he is an equally gifted educator. In addition to Joe’s musical and educational abilities, he is a visionary when it comes to business. We complement each other perfectly, as he is great with seeing the big picture and making strategic decisions (including picking the locations for each of our music schools!), while I’m much better with the nitty gritty details. We make a great team!
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Something surprising that most people we work with might not know about us is that Joe and I also share a passion for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and train regularly. Jiu Jitsu is a beautiful martial art that combines elements of Japanese jiu jitsu, judo, and wrestling. It’s been very empowering to learn and participate in this sport with my husband and our kids.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cincinnatischoolofmusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cincinnatischoolofmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CincinnatiSchoolofMusic
