In 1993 the Victorian Music Teachers' Association (VMTA) published a fund-raising cookbook, Prestissimo Food for Agitato Musicians. Community cookbooks provide social historians with valuable windows into the lives and personalities of the contributors. The VMTA cookbook is no exception, bringing individuals into sharp relief and including asides that delineate the life of a studio music teacher. This narrative historical research relies on primary and secondary sources that are analysed and interpreted to explore this more informal insight into past lives. The data reveal busy lives negotiating teaching schedules and competing demands, with humour and practicality. The glimpses into the lives of past studio teachers resonate with current practices in this somewhat conservative profession. In this research, we also recognise the contributions of past colleagues.