Keep the music.Share the load.
Good Measure Performing Arts is a partnership of independent music schools. Our approach is to preserve each school’s name and local leadership, invest in the business and its people, and provide the capital and support to grow.
For owners, that could mean continuing to lead the business with a partner, spending more time teaching, or planning a transition over time.
Our purpose
Good teaching needs a strong business behind it.
The quality of a music school depends on its teachers and the business supporting them. We help schools recruit and develop good people, improve their facilities and systems, and reach more students.
Bringing schools together gives us more resources to put into that work, while keeping each school’s name, local leadership, and connection to its community.
We take a long-term approach to owning and growing these businesses.
What matters to us:
The student comes first
Every decision we make is measured by what it does for the student in the lesson room. We believe progress and fun go together: students stay with music when they enjoy it, and they enjoy it more when they can hear themselves improving.
Teachers are the craft
A school is only as good as the people teaching in it. We treat teaching as a career worth building, with fair pay, real benefits, room to grow, and the freedom to teach.
Stewards of every legacy
Every school we partner with was built by someone who gave it years of their life. We see ourselves as stewards of that work: its name, its place in the community, and the families who trust it. Our job is to keep it serving students long after its founder steps back.
For school owners
What would you like to do next?
Some owners want to keep growing. Others would like to change their role or begin planning for retirement. We are open to different structures depending on the owner and the business.
Keep leading and grow
A partnership could allow you to sell part of your business, retain an ownership stake, and continue to lead it. We would work together to grow the school through additional programs, new locations, or acquisitions.
Spend more time teaching
If teaching is the part of the business you enjoy most, we can discuss how to shift more of the operating responsibilities to a broader team so you can spend more time with students.
Plan a transition
If you are thinking about stepping back or retiring, we would work with you on a transition plan, including who will lead the school and how responsibilities will change over time.
How we work
Local schools, shared support.
We agree on the right division of responsibilities with each owner. The goal is to keep decisions about teaching and the student experience close to the school, while sharing the business functions that make sense to handle together.
What stays local
Our approach is to preserve:
- The school’s name and reputation
- Relationships with students, families, and the community
- The knowledge and experience of teachers and staff
- The teaching approach, programs, and performance traditions that work well
Where we provide support
- Accounting, payroll, and financial reporting
- HR and benefits administration
- Scheduling, billing, and enrollment systems
- Marketing, websites, and student recruitment
- Teacher recruiting and staff development
- Capital for facilities, instruments, new locations, and acquisitions
A little about me.
My name is Collin van der Veen. I live in Boston and grew up playing the guitar. My talents peaked in high school, when I played second-chair guitar in the jazz band. I still do not think I have seen my mother prouder than after I hit a solo in “Birdland” by Weather Report.
I lost touch with the guitar through college and the first few years of my career. A few years ago, I picked my old Martin acoustic back up and have been playing again since.
Professionally, I began my career in investment banking at Goldman Sachs before moving to CrossHarbor Capital Partners. I now run Gurnet Holding Company, where I focus on opportunities to partner with business owners to acquire and grow service businesses.
Through Good Measure, I partner with experienced music school owners who see an opportunity to grow together. My focus is on capital, acquisitions, and supporting the business, working alongside owners with deep experience running schools.
Open to a conversation?
If you own a music school and would be open to discussing a sale or partnership, I would enjoy the chance to learn more about your business and tell you more about Good Measure and how we work with owners.
You do not need to have decided whether you want to sell. A first conversation is simply a chance to get to know one another and see whether there could be a fit.
All conversations are confidential.