Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Huffine.
Hi Chris, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My story began long before La Di Da Lessons had a name. I have been teaching music for about 25 years, and what started as a way to share my love of music gradually developed into something much larger. Over the years, I worked with students of many different ages, backgrounds and ability levels, and I came to understand that music lessons are about much more than learning notes, chords or scales. They can build confidence, encourage creativity and give people a meaningful form of connection and self-expression.
As my teaching practice grew, I began thinking about how to create a music school that could offer the personal attention of a private instructor while also providing students and families with more flexibility, variety and support. That vision eventually became La Di Da Lessons.
La Di Da Lessons is based in Bend, Oregon, but our lessons take place live online, allowing us to work with students and instructors in different locations. We offer one-on-one instruction in guitar, ukulele, piano, voice, violin, viola, cello, drums and electric bass. Although the lessons happen through Zoom, they are very much live, personal and interactive. We have worked hard to make the online experience feel engaging and connected—not like watching a prerecorded course or trying to learn alone from an app.
Building the business has been a gradual process of learning, adapting and improving. I started primarily as a teacher, but over time I have had to grow into many other roles: business owner, mentor, recruiter, administrator and marketer. One of the biggest steps has been expanding beyond my own teaching schedule and building a team of talented instructors who bring different personalities, specialties and musical backgrounds to their students.
There have certainly been challenges along the way. Running a small business requires you to continually adjust—to new technology, changing customer expectations and the everyday realities of scheduling, staffing and keeping a business financially healthy. At the same time, those challenges have encouraged me to become more organized, thoughtful and intentional about the experience we provide.
Today, I am proud that La Di Da Lessons has grown into a community rather than simply a collection of appointments. We teach young children taking their first musical steps, teenagers developing their own artistic identities and adults who may be returning to music after many years—or beginning for the very first time. Some students want to perform, write songs or play in a band, while others simply want a rewarding creative outlet. We try to meet each person where they are and help them make music a lasting part of their life.
We are still growing, and I feel that the business is entering an exciting new chapter. My long-term goal is to continue expanding our team and reaching more students while preserving the personal, encouraging approach that brought La Di Da Lessons this far. After 25 years of teaching, I still find it incredibly rewarding to watch someone realize that they are capable of making music. That moment of discovery is really at the heart of everything we do.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has definitely not always been a smooth road. Like most small-business owners, I have had to learn a great deal through trial and error, and many of the most important lessons have come from things that did not go according to plan.
One of my biggest challenges has been learning how to make the transition from being a self-employed music teacher to becoming the owner of a growing music school. Teaching has always come naturally to me, but running a business requires an entirely different set of skills. I have had to learn about marketing, hiring, training, scheduling, customer service, technology, financial planning and developing systems that other people can successfully follow. Balancing those responsibilities with my own teaching schedule can be demanding.
Building a dependable team has also required patience. A talented musician is not automatically a great teacher, and a great teacher is not always the right fit for an online school. We need instructors who are musically knowledgeable but also patient, encouraging, comfortable with technology and able to connect with a wide variety of personalities. Finding those people—and then creating the systems and support that allow them to do their best work—is an ongoing process.
Another challenge has been overcoming the perception that online music lessons are somehow less personal or effective than in-person lessons. When online instruction is handled well, it can be remarkably interactive, convenient and productive. However, families sometimes need to experience a lesson before they fully understand what is possible. We have worked hard to refine our technology, teaching methods and communication so that students feel genuinely connected to their instructors.
There are also the everyday realities of running a service-based business. Students’ schedules change, families move, instructors’ circumstances evolve and enrollment naturally fluctuates. Developing subscription options and policies that provide flexibility for students while giving instructors and the business enough consistency to operate sustainably has taken considerable thought and adjustment.
Perhaps the hardest part has been accepting that growth is rarely linear. There have been periods of exciting momentum and other periods when I have questioned whether I was making the right decisions. As a small-business owner, the work feels very personal. When something does not go well, it is difficult not to take it to heart.
At the same time, those struggles have helped clarify what matters most. I have learned to communicate more clearly, build better systems, listen carefully to both students and instructors, and remain willing to change when something is not working. The road has not always been smooth, but each challenge has made La Di Da Lessons stronger and has made me a more capable and thoughtful business owner.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about La Di Da Lessons?
La Di Da Lessons is an online music school based in Bend, Oregon, offering live, one-on-one instruction to children, teenagers and adults. We currently teach guitar, ukulele, piano, voice, violin, viola, cello, drums and electric bass through a growing team of professional instructors.
What sets us apart is the personal nature of our approach. Although our lessons take place online, they are not prerecorded courses or one-size-fits-all programs. Every student works directly with a dedicated instructor in real time, and each lesson is adapted to the student’s age, experience, musical interests, personality and goals.
Some students come to us wanting a strong foundation in music theory and technique. Others want to sing while accompanying themselves, write original songs, prepare for performances, join a band or simply enjoy making music in their spare time. Our instructors are encouraged to help students develop solid musical skills while still making room for creativity, curiosity and fun.
The online format also gives students access to a broader selection of instructors and makes lessons easier to fit into busy family and work schedules. Students can learn from home without commuting, and they can often continue working with the same instructor even if they travel or relocate. We put considerable effort into helping students set up Zoom correctly for music, because good audio and thoughtful use of technology make an enormous difference.
I am especially proud of the supportive community we are building. We want students to feel known and encouraged, parents to feel informed, and instructors to feel that they are part of a team rather than working entirely on their own. We use shared lesson materials, ongoing communication and lesson summaries to help create greater continuity and accountability between sessions.
As the owner, my professional life now combines teaching with mentoring instructors, improving our programs and systems, communicating with students and families, and planning for the future of the school. I still teach because working directly with students keeps me connected to the heart of the business. At the same time, I am focused on growing La Di Da Lessons into a larger, sustainable organization that can create meaningful opportunities for both students and music educators.
The thing I am most proud of is seeing music become an important part of someone’s life. That might mean watching a young student perform for the first time, helping a teenager discover their own artistic voice or seeing an adult accomplish something they may have postponed for decades. Those moments are what make this work meaningful to me.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
No business like this is built by one person, and I have been fortunate to have many people contribute to the growth of La Di Da Lessons.
First and foremost, our instructors deserve a tremendous amount of credit. They bring their own musical knowledge, teaching styles, creativity and life experience to the school. They are the people meeting with students week after week, celebrating their progress, helping them through frustrations and finding new ways to keep them engaged. As the business has grown, I have also learned a great deal from listening to our instructors and considering their perspectives. Their work is at the heart of what La Di Da Lessons provides.
Paul Haigh, who has worked with La Di Da as both an instructor and in business development and student enrollment, has also played an important role. He has helped prospective students and families understand our programs, connect with the right instructors and feel comfortable taking the first step. Having someone who understands both music education and the personal nature of choosing a teacher has been extremely valuable.
Our students and their families have been some of our strongest supporters and advocates. Many have stayed with us for years, referred friends and relatives, written thoughtful reviews and trusted us to play a meaningful role in their children’s—or their own—musical development. Their feedback has helped us improve, and their encouragement has often sustained me during the more difficult periods of building the business. I am especially grateful to the families who gave online lessons a chance before they were widely understood and then shared their positive experiences with others.
I also appreciate the support of the broader Bend music and small-business community. Local musicians, performance venues, music stores and other business owners have created opportunities for connection, collaboration and encouragement. Hosting local open mics has allowed me to watch students, instructors and community musicians support one another in a welcoming environment. Those relationships remind me that music education does not exist in isolation—it is part of a much larger creative community.
Finally, I am grateful for the friends, colleagues and professional advisers who have challenged my thinking and helped me develop skills beyond teaching. Whether the subject was technology, marketing, business systems or simply maintaining perspective during a difficult period, their guidance has helped me make better decisions.
I may be the founder of La Di Da Lessons, but its success belongs to a much larger circle of instructors, students, families, colleagues and community supporters. Their trust and contributions have made the business what it is today.
Pricing:
- 30, 45, 60, 75, and 90-minute sessions
- 2-Lessons-Per-Mo ($99-$185)
- 3-Lessons-Per-Mo ($145-$275)
- 4-Lessons-Per-Mo ($190-$360)
- Initial Trial Lesson ($50)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ladidalessons.com/
