BHHS Lesson Program
Written by John Kalajian
How Bishop Hendricken High School Scaled Access to Private Music Lessons with Maestro
(Warwick, RI)
(Multiple instruments)
Executive Summary
Bishop Hendricken High School is a private school located in Warwick, Rhode Island, drawing students from more than 45 towns across the state. With approximately 600 students enrolled, the school maintains a strong commitment to the arts—nearly 30% of students participate in arts programming, spanning band, choir, drama, and visual arts.
Despite a thriving and rigorous music department, Hendricken lacked an organized or structured way to provide private music lessons for students. Like many schools, private instruction relied heavily on informal word-of-mouth recommendations, placing a logistical burden on families and limiting student participation.
Maestro partnered with Bishop Hendricken to design and operate a fully managed, on-site private lesson program. The result: students could take lessons immediately after school with vetted, local instructors- without requiring the school to build new administrative infrastructure.
Now entering its fourth year, the program has become a core component of Hendricken’s music ecosystem, improving student engagement, accelerating skill development, and strengthening the overall band experience.
Challenges: The Pre-Maestro Landscape
Before partnering with Maestro, Bishop Hendricken faced several common—but limiting—challenges:
- No centralized system for organizing or facilitating private music lessons.
- Reliance on informal recommendations rather than vetted, consistent instructors.
- Low student participation and practice engagement due to scheduling and logistical friction.
- No formal mechanism for the school to sponsor or subsidize lessons for students in need.
These constraints made it difficult for motivated students to access consistent instruction outside the classroom and placed additional strain on music faculty.
Objectives
The partnership with Maestro was designed around three clear goals:
- Create a simple, reliable channel for students to book private lessons on campus after school, including scheduling and payments.
- Increase student engagement and musical growth beyond the classroom.
- Enable structured sponsorship opportunities, allowing the school to support student participation where needed.
The Maestro Solution
Maestro implemented a custom private lesson program tailored specifically to Bishop Hendricken’s needs.
What Maestro Delivered
- A curated roster of qualified, local instructors covering all requested instruments.
- Dedicated weekly availability reserved exclusively for Hendricken students.
- A custom booking experience through Maestro’s online platform within approved instructor schedules.
- On-site lessons held immediately after school, eliminating transportation barriers.
- Ongoing program management, instructor coordination, and administrative support.
Instruments offered through the program included saxophone, percussion, vocals, and more—ensuring broad access across the music department.
Results & Impact
Quantitative Improvements
- Increased participation in private lessons due to reduced logistical barriers.
- More consistent weekly practice driven by reliable instructor access. Students have taken over 300 lessons through the program to date.
- 6+ instructors offering dedicated availability each week for a variety of instruments.
Qualitative Benefits
- Noticeable improvement in student musicianship and preparedness.
- Stronger alignment between private instruction and ensemble performance.
- A more cohesive, motivated band program overall while also reducing the load on school administration.
As observed by the Hendricken music staff, students receiving private instruction demonstrated faster growth and deeper engagement in rehearsals.
Lessons Learned & Best Practices
- Private lesson programs can be structured exclusively for music students or expanded to the broader school community.
- Flexibility around payment models (school-funded vs. family-funded) directly impacts scale and accessibility.
- Dedicated instructor availability significantly increases participation and follow-through.
- Schools benefit most when lesson programs are actively operated—not merely enabled.
Conclusion
For Bishop Hendricken High School, Maestro delivered far more than an online scheduling tool. Maestro built a custom program infrastructure, supported students through tailored discounts and sponsorships, coordinated instructors, and actively managed lessons to ensure consistent quality and outcomes.
The result is a sustainable, scalable lesson program that combines software with a network of expert musicians, strengthening the school’s music culture year after year.
Ready to scale music access at your school?
Maestro currently supports schools across Rhode Island and Southern Massachusetts with custom fine-arts programs, private lesson management, and instructor partnerships.
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