Graduate targets American expansion for music web business

A graduate from Nottingham Trent University will take his business Stateside in the new year to capitalise on the popularity of his jazz piano tuition website, PianoGroove.

Hayden Hill, 27, launched his online business in 2015 and has seen the website generate 1.5 million hits, register 27 thousand YouTube subscribers and enrol students from 48 countries.

Now he plans to expand into America, the birthplace of jazz, to be closer to the growing number of students in the states and to recruit talented pianists as tutors for the new website.

Subscribers pay a monthly fee to access high definition videos which teach them through the eyes of a jazz pianist. A synchronized keyboard which lights the correct note to play and an in-video music sheet are other features to help students learn.

The expansion will also see the appointment of full time staff to help edit content in line with PianoGroove’s unique three part video layout.

Hill, from Bury, Manchester, studied Business Management and Economics at Nottingham Business School, part of Nottingham Trent University, and has played piano from a young age.

A placement year in Holland, working in digital marketing for a recruitment company, ignited his interest in jazz and the entrepreneur saw an opportunity to combine digital media and his passion for the piano.

Support from The Hive – Nottingham Trent’s centre for enterprise and entrepreneurship – provided Hayden with initial investment and invaluable mentoring in the early stages of PianoGroove.

Hill said: “The US is where jazz originated and the scene is much bigger than anywhere else in the world.

“Reincorporating in America will give me access to the best talent and also help with my personal development as a jazz pianist and educator.

“Jazz piano is my main passion and I will always continue to teach on the website but providing different styles from multiple tutors will complement and enhance the learning experience for all students.

“The Hive provided a wide range of support in the creation of PianoGroove.

“The structured mentoring sessions helped identify potential strengths and weaknesses in the business model and the financial support facilitated investment in PianoGroove that would otherwise not have been possible in the early stages of the business.”

Phil Clarke, enterprise adviser at The Hive, Nottingham Trent University, said: “When Hayden first came up with the extremely innovative PianoGroove concept, the digital virtual environment was still in its infancy.

“In his own way he was a pioneer and the success he is now experiencing is a rich reward for a lot of hard effort and dogged persistence engaging with his intended customer base.

“His time at university and particularly working with the Hive gave him the firm foundation on which he was able to build.”