Today we’d like to introduce you to Chao Ting (Jasmine) Yu.
Hi Chao Ting (Jasmine), please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My husband, Lawrence, and I met while studying at the University of San Diego. Like many kids from Asian families, we started out on the “practical” path—he was studying to become a pharmacist, and I was on track to be a dentist. But even as we followed those paths, our love for music never really faded.
We both grew up surrounded by music. Lawrence is a classically trained pianist with a passion for modern music and composing, while I’ve always loved playing classical piano and viola, especially in orchestras and symphonies. When college started, we put lessons on hold, but over time, that quiet pull toward music became impossible to ignore.
Eventually, we each made a bold decision to switch our majors to Music Performance—without even knowing each other yet. It was such a daring move that it caused tension and arguments within both of our families. We had always been the obedient ones, so this was probably the most rebellious thing either of us had ever done. We understood our families’ concerns, but the only way we knew to ease their worries was to work even harder.
With little support but a lot of determination, we finally crossed paths in our music classes. Knowing how challenging a career in music could be, we pushed ourselves to excel. I graduated with honors in performance, and Lawrence completed his thesis by composing a full orchestral work. Later, we both continued our studies at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music—mine in Viola Performance, and his in Technology and Applied Composition. My dream was to become an orchestral musician, and his was to compose for film or game industries.
While in school, we started teaching music as a side job—just a way to earn a little extra income during our college years—but over time, it grew into something much more meaningful. We discovered a true love for helping students grow, not just as musicians but as individuals.
We’re passionate about passing on what we’ve learned and sharing the lifelong benefits of music with the next generation. For us, the value of learning music goes far beyond enjoyment—it builds resilience, patience, problem-solving skills, and the ability to express one’s thoughts clearly. These are qualities that serve anyone well, in music and in life.
We also love performing and collaborating with other musicians, and we hope to inspire our students to experience that same joy by sharing music within their own communities.
After earning our master’s degrees, we each spent some time pursuing our individual goals in music. I auditioned and traveled overseas to perform in various music festivals as an orchestral musician, while Lawrence worked as an intern at several recording studios in California, learning the craft of sound engineering. Alongside these experiences, we continued teaching, which remained our main source of income.
Then the pandemic hit—and like so many others, our world was completely turned upside down. But in the middle of that chaos came an unexpected opportunity. Lawrence’s boss decided to sell his music and art studio, and for the first time, we began to seriously consider stepping into the business side of the arts.
We spent countless hours discussing our vision—what it might look like to run a studio that brought both music and art together. It was a mix of fear, uncertainty, and excitement, but deep down, we knew it was a chance to grow in ways we never had before. After six months of negotiation and reflection, we made the leap. We invested all of our quarantine savings to purchase a small studio that, at the time, wasn’t even turning a profit.
Despite objections and worries from friends and family, we decided to take the risk—and that’s how our entrepreneurial journey began.
We didn’t just want to run “another afterschool studio”. We wanted to build a community—a space where teachers could thrive and grow, and where students, educators, and parents could connect in a community. A school that nurtured both creativity and character—a safe, welcoming space to learn, collaborate, and find joy! This is our vision, and our thrive.
While the journey has been exhilarating, entrepreneurship has come with its fair share of challenges. The transition in ownership brought its own set of hurdles—keeping the business afloat, finding the right team, managing finances, navigating taxes and legal matters, and learning how to stay profitable while applying the kind of management style that works for the team. There was so much to figure out all at once!
During that first year, we worked long hours, lost plenty of sleep, and faced countless moments of doubt—and yes, lots (and lots) of arguments! Sometimes I’m the dreamer while Lawrence keeps us grounded, and sometimes it’s the other way around. We quickly realized just how challenging it is to run a business—especially as a married couple. We’ve learned to communicate better, compromise when needed, and truly function as a team.
With a limited budget in that first year, we built everything from the ground up—handling paperwork, negotiating leases, managing payroll and taxes, and consulting lawyers, all for the first time. We even designed our own website, created marketing materials, and personally reached out to local businesses to form partnerships.
Now, five years later, we’re so proud of how far we’ve come. We’ve relocated, expanded our team, and tripled our number of clients. Our roles have evolved from teachers to business owners—caring for our staff and families while developing programs and setting internal standards for our school.
What an exhilarating journey it’s been! Over these five years, we’ve truly learned what it means to live and breathe our business. Weekends are rare, our laptops go everywhere with us, and we’ve become experts at working from the car or even a park bench. But through all of it, we’ve grown so much—gaining knowledge, experience, and the joy of connecting with people from all walks of life. We may go to bed exhausted, but always content and excited for what’s ahead.
Looking back, we feel incredibly grateful for all the opportunities and people who’ve crossed our path. Nothing about the past decade went according to plan—we never imagined dating back then, let alone being married and running a business together! The journey of entrepreneurship has been tough but deeply rewarding. And while we know there will be more challenges ahead, we’re both lifelong learners—and we’re lucky to have each other as partners to face whatever comes next, together.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has definitely NOT been a smooth road! Our biggest challenge was that neither of us had ever run a business before. The first major hurdle was negotiating the purchase price ourselves. The business didn’t have clear financial records, organized POS, or a scheduling system. As a couple in our late 20s with limited funds, we felt nervous about buying a business that couldn’t prove profitability while also paying $8,000 per month for a commercial lease. The risk was huge, and the excitement often gave way to worry. Negotiations with the previous owners took six months, to the point where we were completely okay if the deal didn’t go through. Surprisingly, we were able to reach an agreement—and the deal was signed right around Christmas 2020.
Operations brought another set of challenges. We officially took over the business during the holiday season of 2020, and the studio reopened in January 2021 with no transitional period. We had to help both previous and new staff quickly adapt to a new POS and scheduling system, while also handling business registration with the city. Many nights we worked until 10 p.m. without dinner, with client messages still piling up. On top of that, some clients struggled to adjust to the new ownership. Setting deadlines for payments, establishing late fees, or enforcing rules that hadn’t existed before sparked complaints—and occasionally harsh words, like, “You guys are too young to know how to run a business.” Naturally, we lost a few clients during this initial stage.
Other challenges came fast and from every direction: unauthorized entry by managers or landlords, managing teachers and staff, standardizing different teaching styles, resolving conflicts between teachers, marketing, attracting new clients, meeting customer requests, negotiating leases, maintaining financial stability, dealing with losses, and even handling homeless people or unauthorized solicitors near the studio. On top of that, we dealt with flooding caused by a nearby tenant and a host of other unexpected operational headaches. We also faced competitors showing up unannounced, digging for information that hadn’t been made public.
Simply put—everything in business has been a challenge for us!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Symphony 9 School was founded with a vision to create a joyful environment where everyone can give their best. The name “Symphony 9” comes from Beethoven’s Ode to Joy—a piece by one of history’s most brilliant and resilient composers. For many composers, their ninth symphony represents their most mature and defining work—their magnum opus. This idea continues to inspire our vision and the way we approach our work every day.
One of the things we’re best known for is our Little Ensemble Program—a class where young students play a variety of music together in small groups. With Lawrence’s background as a classical pianist and composer in the film and game industries, he skillfully arranges music for different instruments and levels. We’ve always loved performing with fellow musicians, but we noticed that most schools reserve ensemble opportunities for advanced classical students. We wanted to change that. We believe music is most joyful when it’s shared, and that every genre is worth exploring. Through ensemble playing, students not only make friends but also learn teamwork, cooperation, and find greater motivation to practice—because it’s simply more fun to make music together!
Our teachers are another cornerstone of Symphony 9. They are talented, caring, and patient educators who truly want their students to develop a genuine love for music and art. Many have been with us for years, offering one-on-one lessons that families deeply value. They bring fresh ideas, collaborate with us to find solutions, and continually grow alongside the school. Over time, our teachers have truly become like family. Our clients often tell us how much they appreciate not just their teachers’ expertise, but also their warmth, sincerity, and dedication.
Our studio offers one-on-one music and art lessons, ensemble classes, band programs, group theory, and themed summer camps each year. We also host student recitals, public art exhibitions, and faculty performances to celebrate progress and community.
While Symphony 9 School offers a wide range of art styles for students of all levels, our instrumental program provides lessons in piano, strings, woodwinds, voice, guitar, and drums—covering most orchestral and band instruments. For students pursuing advanced studies, we offer preparation for local school auditions and international music exams. We are also proud to serve as Orange County’s official testing center for the world-renowned ABRSM (The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music).
We’re incredibly proud and grateful of our school—it’s the result of the hard work and dedication of many talented professionals. We welcome everyone to come try a free lesson and experience it for yourself!
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Yes! We love visiting the local library or borrowing ebooks to learn about business! Some of our favorite is “Creativity Inc.” by Amy Wallace and Edwin Catmull, it helps us to ensure an working environment where our staff can speak freely and share their thoughts that improve the company’s flow and management, as well as implementing creative ideas in teaching methods that benefits the students. We also love Steve Job’s’ biography by Walter Isaacson. His persistence in pursuing what his beliefs is truly inspiring for any entrepreneurs who feel lost where the world has so many voices and changes that might confuse your directions and visions. My husband Lawrence is currently reading “Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman, and he loves the book as it offers lots of wisdom in making decisions, particularly balancing the slow and fast reactions we tend to be biased toward for certain situations. I am currently reading “The Startup Lifecycle: The Definitive Guide to Building a Startup from Idea to Exit by Gregory Shepard. It provides valuable insight for entrepreneurs as it opens our mind to different strategies during different stages of the business.
We also love listening to podcasts on a casual walk or during workouts. some includes “the Manager Tools” that offers insight on different management style that works for different companies , “The Upfilp Podcast” where you listen to different stories of Entrepreneurs sharing stories and strategies for their businesses.
Actively looking for exterior sources for business owners are so helpful, and we are truly grateful for these existing materials that help shine the lights to new entrepreneurs, or even just hearing others stories to get back on your feet again. Business is such a interesting world where there is honestly no cooking cutter or a formula of success, and it is constantly changing with the world. We find it so helpful in constant learning, so we can absorb knowledge and adapt to changes in all aspect of business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://symphony9school.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/symphony9school/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/symphony9school/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVMkUz1keOyQxK7qQ1e0HWg
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/symphony-9-school-lake-forest
Image Credits
We usually take pictures by yourselves, or our staff helped us. No photographer hired.
