MSMP 78: Chris Wilson on The Arts Online

What Does MSMP 78: Chris Wilson on The Arts Online Talk About?

In this episode of the Mads Singers Management Podcast, host Mads interviews Chris Wilson, founder of the Academy of Music and Art outside Chicago. Chris, a Berklee College of Music graduate, discusses the challenges of managing a team of creative professionals who often leave for auditions or career opportunities. He shares strategies for employee retention, such as offering flexibility within reason and fostering a culture of mutual support. The conversation also covers the shift to online lessons during Covid, the importance of proper delegation, and the need for mentoring programs to help new teachers develop pedagogical skills. Chris and Mads delve into books that have influenced their management philosophies, including 'The E-Myth' and 'The One Minute Manager.'

It’s not that obvious, but being qualified as an artist doesn’t make you a great teacher.Chris Wilson

Who Is Featured on MSMP 78: Chris Wilson on The Arts Online?

Chris Wilson is the founder of the Academy of Music and Art, located just outside Chicago, Illinois. He graduated from Berklee College of Music in the 1990s as a guitarist and began teaching from his apartment. Over time, his practice grew to a team of 25 instructors serving 650 clients pre-Covid. Chris is passionate about helping artists transition into effective teachers and has implemented a mentoring program to support new instructors. He also emphasizes the importance of delegation and flexibility in managing a creative workforce.

What Are the Key Takeaways From MSMP 78: Chris Wilson on The Arts Online?

• Chris Wilson was warned that there were no jobs waiting for students of the arts, which shaped his pragmatic approach to career building.
• Being a qualified artist does not automatically make someone a great teacher; mentoring is essential.
• Delegation should involve providing support and not abandoning the person to figure things out alone.
• Flexibility within reason helps retain creative employees who may need to leave for auditions or other opportunities.
• Remote work post-Covid has benefits for music and dance lessons, but theater productions remain challenging online.

While Chris can’t control the circumstances of his crew of creatives, he has found a way to keep them teaching with him as long as possible: offering flexibility...within reason.Mads Singers

Is MSMP 78: Chris Wilson on The Arts Online Worth Listening To?

This episode is highly recommended for managers and entrepreneurs in creative industries, particularly those running arts schools or working with freelance talent. Chris Wilson provides practical insights on retaining a transient workforce and balancing flexibility with accountability. The discussion on delegation and mentoring is valuable for any leader seeking to improve team performance. Listeners will also appreciate the book recommendations and the honest conversation about the realities of the gig economy. Overall, it is an engaging and informative episode that offers actionable advice.

Who Should Listen to MSMP 78: Chris Wilson on The Arts Online?

• Arts school managers
• Creative entrepreneurs
• Music instructors
• HR professionals in creative fields

What Are Listeners Saying About This Episode?

It’s not often that you’ll hear a guitar strumming in the background of the Mads Singers Management Podcast, but that’s precisely what my guest Chris Wilson was doing at one point when we discussed the changing ways his team gave music lessons post-Covid.  Chris graduated from the Berklee College of Music in the 1990s as a guitarist and started teaching in his apartment.  Before long his practice grew and pre-Covid he and his team of 25 were servicing 650 clients at the Academy of Music and Art just outside Chicago, Illinois.

One of the challenges that Chris faces is that there are no long-term music instructors in his team.  A lot of these people graduate from arts programs, as Chris did, and want to do something in that field.  So they will go to auditions or try various options while teaching, whether that’s in music, dance, or theater (all of which Chris’ academy normally offers).  Sometimes they teach for a few months, sometimes for a few years, but if they end up working in the arts, they will stop teaching, and if they don’t make it in the arts, they leave the field entirely.

While Chris can’t control the circumstances of his crew of creatives, he has found a way to keep them teaching with him as long as possible: offering flexibility...within reason.  Understandably people in the arts will sometimes need to leave for an audition suddenly and will need to deal with their group of students.  Chris and his team have found ways to accommodate that, but it all starts with that attitude that everyone is there to help everyone else.  Options include:

• Getting a fellow teacher to substitute for you
• Making a video for your current students, asking if they would like to delay lessons for a week

Anything is possible...except just leaving without telling anyone.  

While employee retention is key, so is employee training.  It’s not that obvious, but being qualified as an artist doesn’t make you a great teacher.  Chris realized this right away and put together a mentoring program making sure that the newest teachers had time and conversations with the most senior teachers.

We also talked a LOT about books that impacted each other (linked below) and Chris shared his passion for proper delegation, which for him means giving as much support as possible to someone when you delegate, not assume they know everything and abandon them.  We also talked about the adjustments he and his team have had to make during Covid (music and dance lessons are fairly easily done online, theater productions cannot be done at all).

It was fun to have a musician on the show and I think you’ll enjoy our discussion.

Key Learning Points:

 1. Chris tells of the (accurate) warning he received that there were “no jobs waiting for students of the arts.” - 1:30

2. Chris talks about being part of the gig economy - 2:53

3. Chris shares his initial mistake in management, then how he rectified it - 5:20

4. Chris notes that being qualified as an artist or musician doesn’t qualify you to teach - 10:04

5. Mads chimes in, noting that often the best way to learn is to teach - 12:41

6. Chris observes that many creatives are, indeed, shy - 13:43

7. Chris points out that delegation should not be abandoned - 15:07

8. Chris talks about the transitional nature of his workforce - 20:00

9. Chris and Mads talk about the benefits of remote work post-Covid - 26:40

10. Mads questions the point of being angry...ever. - 35:00

Resources Mentioned:

1. The E-Myth by Michael Gerber

2. The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard

3. Work the System by Sam Carpenter

4. Success Principles by Jack Canfield

Connect with Chris Wilson

 The Academy of Music and Art