During Spring Quarter 2024, the UC Irvine ANTrepreneur Center hosted a new program called the Side Hustle Challenge. The Side Hustle Challenge offered students the training, resources, and networking opportunities they needed to turn their passions into bonafide ventures. Throughout the quarter, the students learned about branding, finances, legal considerations, e-commerce, and other key aspects of building a business. The program culminated in a Finals Marketplace where the UC Irvine and wider Orange County communities were invited to explore the various student-developed side hustles and shop their products and services.
To highlight some of the incredible student side hustlers who participated in the challenge, Ryan Foland, ANTrepreneur Center Director, invited these ANTrepreneurs for a series of informative interviews. Welcome to Side Hustler Stories!
In this interview, Ryan sits down with Economics student Noah Conger (UC Irvine Class of 2025) to talk about his side hustle OC Melodies Music Studio.
Ryan: Ahoy Noah! Thanks for meeting with me today; I’m excited to feature you and your business in this new installment of the Side Hustler Stories interview series. To get things going, can you tell me a little bit about yourself?
Noah: Hi Ryan, and definitely. I am currently in my senior year with a major in Business Economics. In addition to starting my own business, I have worked in accounting for three companies during my college career. My leadership experience includes founding and leading an entrepreneurship club at Irvine Valley College. I am also a piano performer, composer, and teacher with sixteen years of experience and seven years of formal training—four of which I sat under Professor Emeritus of USC Thornton School of Music Dr. Mark Sullivan. I have two years of teaching experience and enjoy sharing the gift of music with people of all ages.
Ryan: It’s awesome to see that piano plays such a huge role in your life. Is that what inspired you to open your studio?
Noah: Since my teenage years, I have dreamed of owning my own business, but I was somewhat held back by the fear of talking to people. I finally overcame that and decided I wanted to enjoy the freedom of self employment and make money while in college. I opened my studio in the summer of 2022 and have been teaching ever since.
Ryan: You offer lessons from beginner to intermediate levels. How do you tailor your teaching approach to meet the needs of students at different skill levels?
Noah: The key to mastering music, as with anything, is practice. My pedagogy seeks to instill good practice habits and self-discipline in the student. Musicality is stressed at all levels. At the beginning levels, students will learn the basics of music theory and performance using method books. For intermediate students, I introduce them to period styles using progressively difficult classical repertoire. My teaching style progresses to include interpretation, music appreciation, and advanced theory.
Ryan: Piano teaching can be highly individualized. How do you ensure that each student stays motivated and engaged, especially when tackling challenging pieces or concepts?
Noah: Inspiring students is the first step. All the technical pedagogy is secondary. To keep things interesting, I use a progressive classical repertoire to introduce ideas vital to music appreciation and developing a command of specific musical and technical skills.
Ryan: With a competitive rate of $80/hour, how do you position OC Melodies Music Studio to attract new students while providing a valuable experience that justifies the price?
Noah: I offer a competitive rate for piano teachers in Orange County. Besides knowledge of the instrument, OC Melodies offers dedication to students and solid academic credentials. My quality of teaching, competitive rates, and locality are my biggest selling points.
Ryan: What are some of the most common challenges your students face, and how do you help them overcome these obstacles?
Noah: Throughout my own experience as a piano student, I realized that the main drive behind improvement in any area is simply hard work. Hard work requires inspiration. When inspiration dies, the student gives up and quits practicing. Without practice, further progress is impossible. This shaped my approach to teaching younger students. Rather than just throwing out knowledge about how to plunk out tunes on the keyboard, OC Melodies’ philosophy revolves around inspiring creative ambition and a hunger for learning. For example, I give my students copies of the book Story of the Orchestra on their birthdays and give them listening assignments with the hopes that they will be leaders in the learning process rather than followers.
Ryan: Music education has evolved with technology. Do you incorporate any digital tools or resources into your teaching, and if so, how have they enhanced the learning experience?
Noah: For students beyond the method book stage, I use online tools like Theta Music Trainer to develop accessory skills like ear training. I also use Spotify and YouTube to share repertoire pertinent to the student’s curriculum.
Ryan: As an instructor, what’s the most rewarding moment you’ve experienced while teaching?
Noah: A student of mine was selected at school to share something about himself, and he chose to perform a piece I was teaching him for his friends. He told his mother he was starting to enjoy playing piano. The reward of knowing you were a part of that journey, that you empowered a student to have that happiness, goes beyond the normal pay of a 9-to-5.
Ryan: Through the Side Hustle Challenge, what have you learned about managing a service-based business?
Noah: I learned that communicating with clients, parents, students, etc. is central to every single business. My experience with things like studio policies taught me that being clear and fair is all important. When it comes to communication, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of remedy.
Ryan: Looking ahead, do you have any plans to expand OC Melodies Music Studio?
Noah: I am expanding into other avenues, which I have yet to introduce publicly. Stay tuned!
To check out OC Melodies Music Studio, visit our Linkedin page. Inspired by Noah’s story and interested in other student side hustles? Then stay tuned for the next installment of the Side Hustler Stories series.
Want help developing and launching your side hustle or business venture? Then visit the ANTrepreneur Center website to learn more about programming, speaker series, Micro-Internships, funding, and more. You can also learn more about the Center’s collaborations with Blackstone LaunchPad, Tech Coast Angels, Tech Coast Venture Network, OC Startup Council, and SoCal Celebrates Entrepreneurship. Keep up with the Center’s latest news by following them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.