The best ideas are the result of the work of many. I don't remember where I heard or read this, but I definitely agree. Creating something amazing not only has a higher chance of success if it's not an individual endeavor, but it's also much more satisfying when done as part of a larger team.
That's why at Playground Sessions, we've made partnerships not only a fundamental but also a strategic element of our development plan. We've achieved this by teaming up with music legends, leading producers, and major publishers who believe in our mission to revolutionize piano education.
When we first set out to solve the problem that causes nine out of 10 keyboards to end up under the bed in less than 30 days, we knew we needed more than just innovative technology and new approaches to learning in the digital age. We needed to combine talent, experience, and industry connections to create something truly special. This vision was born at the board level, where we were fortunate to collaborate with the former CEO of Guitar Center and the former Executive Vice President of Yamaha.
Soon after, we brought on board David Sides, the first YouTuber specializing in piano, who later became our lead teacher. And soon after, music legend Quincy Jones agreed to join the company as a collaborator, investor, and ambassador. Their deep industry knowledge and connections helped lay the foundation for the extensive network of partnerships we subsequently built.
Our founding partners
David Sides brings something truly inspiring to Playground Sessions. As YouTube's first pianist influencer, he has already captured the hearts of aspiring pianists worldwide, amassing over 400,000 subscribers and millions of views of his beautiful arrangements.
His ability to transform popular songs into stunning piano pieces has inspired countless people to learn the piano. This gift for making piano playing accessible and engaging made him the perfect partner to become our first and most important piano teacher at Playground.
David's influence was so significant that he quickly became more than just a partner—he joined Playground Sessions as a co-founder, helping shape our curriculum, build our community, and develop marketing strategies for years to come.
With Quincy Jones as a co-author, we gained not only a music industry icon but also a passionate advocate for music education. His vision for democratizing music education has been our guiding light from day one. Quincy opened countless doors for us, from publishing partnerships to working with producers, and his involvement helped bring other renowned educators to the Playground Sessions platform.
Plus, his name is so reputable that he convinced many users who were considering our platform simply because they trusted Quincy.
Quincy played a crucial role (pun intended) in recruiting Harry Connick Jr. as a Playground Sessions instructor. Harry has proven to be an incredibly valuable addition to our team – he brings a fun, easy-to-learn teaching style, backed by a genuine desire to pass on what he learned from his inspiring teachers. As a brand ambassador and instructor, his genuine enthusiasm and deep commitment to his students' success perfectly embodied our mission.
Harry genuinely cared about the results, wanting to pass on the gift of music that had had such an incredible impact on his own life.
Hardware industry leaders join our mission
Our mission to transform piano education resonated strongly with two of the world's largest keyboard instrument manufacturers, Yamaha and Casio. Both companies understood that while they produced incredible instruments, the key to long-term success lay in helping their customers actually learn to play. This led to innovative partnerships in which new keyboards came with a free trial of Playground Sessions immediately upon purchase.
This collaboration proved to be a win-win strategy. For Playground Sessions, it significantly reduced customer acquisition costs while connecting with motivated students at the perfect moment—when they first received their keyboards. For Yamaha and Casio, it helped solve a long-standing problem with keyboards ending up under beds or in closets.
Moreover, as users progress in their musical development with Playground Sessions, many will eventually upgrade to more advanced digital pianos, creating long-term value for both our companies.
Creating Historic Moments
When the pandemic forced people to stay home and children couldn't go to school, we saw an opportunity to bring people together through music. Playground Sessions teamed up with Quincy Jones and Hal Leonard to offer a free online piano course teaching the inspiring song "You Raise Me Up." What happened next exceeded all our expectations: over 7,000 people learned the song, and a staggering 1,000 videos were uploaded from 52 countries, creating the largest virtual piano concert in history. The Piano Guys joined the performance, helping promote the video, which went viral and demonstrated the unifying power of music in difficult times.
The collaboration with Hal Leonard, the world's largest publisher of printed music, demonstrated how strategic partnerships can create meaningful moments that unite the global music community. What began as a way to help people cope with isolation has evolved into a historic musical event that has touched the lives of people around the world.
The event generated unprecedented press and social media attention, was featured in leading news outlets, and garnered millions of views across multiple platforms, significantly expanding Playground Sessions' reach and visibility worldwide.
Photo: Unsplash
The Power of Published Content
Our ability to offer an exciting and diverse music library would not be possible without our incredible publishing partners. Through collaborations with Universal, Sony, Warner, Disney, Alfred, Hal Leonard, and many others, we've created a vast collection of songs and educational content that our users love.
These partnerships ensure that our students can learn to play the music they love while supporting the artists and songwriters who created it. It's a win-win situation that benefits everyone in the music industry.
A look into the future
As we grow, we understand that successful partnerships are not just business arrangements, but shared values and a common vision. Each partnership we've formed has added a unique dimension to Playground Sessions, whether through
World-class training, innovative marketing partnerships, equipment integration, or expanded access to the music you love.
These strategic partnerships have helped us reduce customer acquisition costs, expand our audience reach, and most importantly, improve the learning experience for our users.
The future of music education lies in collaboration, and we're proud to work with partners who share our vision of bringing the joy of piano to people around the world. Together, we're not just teaching people to play piano—we're building a community that celebrates the universal language of music.