Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Brian Carrion. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Brian, appreciate you joining us today. Some of the most interesting parts of our journey emerge from areas where we believe something that most people in our industry do not – do you have something like that?

“I believe most people don’t need to ‘learn music’—they just need to start playing it.”

As a 20-year professional musician, I’ve learned that music doesn’t have to be complicated to be powerful—or fun. For years, I toured, gigged, wrote songs, and collaborated with other musicians… without ever reading sheet music or knowing proper music theory. And guess what? It never held me back. I made a living, made lifelong friends, and had a blast doing what I loved.

It wasn’t until later that I circled back to learn the “boring stuff”—notation, theory, all the rules. And I do see the value in it. But I also know this: if I’d started there, I might have quit before I even began.

Most people don’t dream of reading music—they dream of playing music. They want to strum their favorite songs, write something meaningful, or jump into a jam with friends. That’s where we start at Best Lesson Ever. We make it fun first. Accessible first. Personal first. Because when music feels good from day one, people stick with it—and eventually, many want to go deeper.

We’re not anti-theory. We’re just pro-joy. Music should feel like a celebration, not a worksheet. That’s the hill I’ll die on.

Brian, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m Brian Carrion, and I run Best Lesson Ever!, a modern music lesson studio in Friendswood, TX that’s all about making music fun, personal, and seriously engaging for kids and adults.

I got into music like a lot of people do—obsessed with bands, writing songs, playing any instrument I could get my hands on. But early on, I had a few pretty discouraging run-ins with music teachers and band directors. They didn’t care what I wanted to play or how I wanted to grow. They were rigid, dismissive, and honestly made me feel like I didn’t belong in music. I almost walked away from it altogether.

Thankfully, I didn’t. I kept playing, kept creating, and eventually built a career as a professional musician—touring, recording, songwriting, and performing for over 20 years. That experience stuck with me, and it became the driving force behind Best Lesson Ever. I wanted to build the kind of music school I wished I had growing up—one where students feel heard, inspired, and excited to come back every week.

At Best Lesson Ever, we teach piano, voice, guitar, drums, ukulele, songwriting, and music production. But more than that, we teach confidence, creativity, and community. Our lessons are student-led, fun-first, and tailored to each person’s goals—whether that’s learning to shred on guitar, producing original music, or just jamming along to Taylor Swift.

What sets us apart? We ditch the one-size-fits-all method. We use technology, games, performance opportunities, milestone pins, and a serious sense of fun to keep students engaged. Our teachers are all multi-instrumentalists and performers who know how to connect, not just instruct. We also host open mics, group classes, band programs, and even karaoke birthday parties to make music a full-on experience.

I’m most proud of the culture we’ve created—where students feel like rockstars, parents feel supported, and learning music is something kids brag about. I want people to know that Best Lesson Ever isn’t just a cute name. It’s our promise: to make every single lesson the best one ever—for real.

If you’ve ever had a bad music lesson or felt like you didn’t belong in the music world, this is your sign. Come hang out with us. Music’s way too awesome to be boring.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

We hit a real low point in August of 2024. We had just 50 students left, no physical location, and honestly—no clear direction. The future of Best Lesson Ever was completely up in the air. I was staring down the possibility of shutting the whole thing down. The risk of committing to a new space felt massive, and part of me wondered if it was time to let it go.

But I sat down, ran the numbers, had some honest conversations with my wife, and we made the call to take one last big swing—we signed a lease on a new retail space. It was terrifying. I knew it meant I’d have to step away from teaching regularly, which is something I love deeply, to focus fully on rebuilding the business. But that’s what leadership demanded in that moment.

Fast forward: it was the best decision we could’ve made.

Today, we’re thriving. The new studio gave us structure, legitimacy, and momentum. I get to support our teachers, design our programs, and build a team that carries out the vision every single day. And while stepping back from teaching was hard, I now get to create opportunities for more students and more teachers than I ever could have on my own.

That moment tested everything. But we didn’t fold. We bet on the mission. And we came out the other side stronger.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

This business was built one lesson at a time—literally. I started Best Lesson Ever in 2020 by teaching in-home music lessons, just me and a car full of gear. No investors. No big bank loan. Just grit, late nights, and a growing list of students who told their friends.

As the student roster grew, I moved into a small studio space. I kept reinvesting every dollar—saving, hiring great teachers, and slowly expanding. By the time we were ready to take the leap into a real retail lease, we did it with zero debt. No loans, no credit cards, just the savings I’d built from years of bootstrapping.

That was a huge risk. All our chips were on the table. But going debt-free has always been important to me. It keeps my mind clear and our business flexible. We can pivot fast, invest where it matters most, and grow on our terms—without the weight of monthly payments or outside pressure.

We’re still 100% self-funded today, and proud of it. This isn’t just a business—it’s a mission, built from the ground up by real work, not borrowed money.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bestlessonever.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bestlessonever
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bestlessonever/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiJnAbDRJToionCwhRztOQA

Image Credits

Paul Pelc, AJ Santana