Manhattan School of Music

"People still talk about that budget to this day"

From its beginnings as a small community music school, to its current incarnation as a highly regarded music conservatory, Manhattan School of Music (MSM) has upheld a tradition of excellence in music education. As one of the world’s premier music conservatories with more than 1,000 talented undergraduate and graduate students representing dozens of countries and many states within the United States, MSM is known for its world class education — offering classical, jazz, and musical theatre training.

Nathan Mortimer, CFO of MSM explains that the school had an extraordinary turnover of its finance staff and needed help, “YPTC slid in and filled various finance roles for MSM until we stabilized and hired our own staff. YPTC functioned as our assistant controller, senior controller even in some respects, and took over the daily functions of accounting and reconciliations in a time where the records were in a state of disrepair.”

He expresses deep appreciation for the breadth and depth of knowledge within the YPTC team, saying, “I primarily worked closely with two staff members—Amy Sargent (Manager) and Jonathan Brown (Associate)—both of whom were exceptionally skilled technicians. They helped keep our accounting and financial reporting functions moving along until we were able to hire staff and assume those roles ourselves. They helped make an incredibly challenging time within the Finance Department less worrisome.”

Nathan continues, “Jonathan was instrumental in helping me navigate the school through a period of significant upheaval in the accounting department, helping to ensure we met our statutory and regulatory deadlines. As for Amy—she was just phenomenal. She helped us through several challenges, including partnering with me to develop what was the most robust and well-documented budget the school has ever had. People still talk about that budget to this day.”

“I recommend YPTC because of its people. They are seasoned, knowledgeable professionals who were able to come in and work through some gritty projects and get to the conclusions and outcomes that really prepared us for the future.”