Stephanie Sims Flack built the String Quartet of Northern Virginia after seeing musicians underpaid and overlooked — then turned a local quartet into a $100,000-plus BookLive business.

In this episode, Stephanie shares how she:

• Built a library of roughly 1,500 pop arrangements and a roster of about 16 long-term players
• Learned to price for the business — not only for the musicians onstage — after years of absorbing overhead herself
• Used networking, referrals, WeddingWire, her website, and BookLive to create a steady flow of wedding and corporate work
• Raised the quartet's floor to $1,750 while taking fewer, higher-fee gigs — including a $2,350 ceremony-and-cocktail-hour booking
• Stopped chasing follower counts: with roughly 330 Instagram followers, Stephanie says her website drives more inquiries
• Built a trusted team, including cellist and business manager Diana Flesner, so the group can serve clients consistently

Stephanie also talks about teaching, Paragon Philharmonia, student tours, and why musicians do not have to choose between being an artist, entrepreneur, educator, collaborator, and organizer.

Learn more at northernvirginiastringquartet.com, paragonphilharmonia.org, or stephanieflackviolin.com.

Remember: your music will not market itself!