April 23, 2025
Entrepreneurship thrives on passion, which is exactly what led Sarah Davies to create The Piano Place — a private studio offering customized music lessons and instruction in a variety of instruments. What began as a home-based venture has grown into a successful business with locations from Idaho to southern Utah.
The studio boasts over 100 specialized teachers, reflecting Davies’ early realization that there wasn’t time in her schedule to teach 70 students while navigating marketing, billing, and providing all the performance opportunities she wanted.
“I also realized I wasn’t the best fit for every child that walked through my door,” she said. “But I still desired to create a space where students could be inspired by the atmosphere, and ultimately make music lessons more fun and personalized.”
Davies started teaching piano at 14, but the idea for a formal studio took shape years later, when she and her husband passed a small for-lease sign in the window of a Draper barbershop.
“Something in my soul ignited, and I knew I needed it,” she said. “My husband nervously questioned how we would ever possibly justify the $1,000 rent every month, but somehow I knew we would — and to my shock, we completely outgrew the space within three months.”
Rapid growth led to the opening of a second Draper location and 11 subsequent studios. While the business was mostly bootstrapped, Davies and her husband received assistance from a few SBA loans, a private equity firm, and — most importantly — their families.
“Both of our dads are entrepreneurs and have helped inspire and guide us tremendously,” Davies said. “Our families have been so supportive, stepping in and filling various roles when we’ve needed the extra help. We couldn’t have gotten to this point without them.”
When it comes to entrepreneurship, Davies says, “Whatever it is that lights your soul on fire, do that. Business ownership is not for the faint of heart, and the difference between someone who’s made it and someone who fails is simply persistence. When there is a will, there is a way.”
Davies also credits the state’s strong sense of community and culture for the studio’s success.
“Utah is our home,” she said. “Our business wouldn’t have been nearly as successful in any other state or market. We are so grateful for the many communities that have warmly embraced us and Utah’s amazing culture that prioritizes family, music, and the arts.”
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The information in this article is current as of the publishing date and is intended for informational purposes only. This article does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal, tax, or business advice. Any resources and organizations mentioned, unless an entity of or a partner of the state of Utah, are not formally endorsed by the Startup State Initiative or state of Utah.