Modern Mama has made it a priority to help highlight some of the wonderful small businesses that are right here in our backyard. Sometimes all a business needs is a little help to get their product/service out there. We are happy to give back and be able to help so many businesses gain a little exposure, especially in the midst of a pandemic.
Due to the pandemic many businesses have had to shift course and go online/virtual to be able to still supply services to clients. Arianna Mae Studios is music studio offering piano and voice lessons to all ages, ranging from classical to contemporary. They are based out of Maple Ridge and offer in-person piano lessons with COVID protocols in place, and with the magic of technology, they are now able to offer these services to anyone in Canada. If you are looking for a last minute gift idea, Arianna Mae Studios offers gift certificates that are valid for 4, 6, or 8 x 30 minute or 60 minute voice and/or piano lessons. You can find them on the Web, Facebook and Instagram.
What made you choose this type of business?
I have always wanted to have a career that revolved around music. I have been a
performing musician for many years now, and after finishing up my Masters
Degree in Classical Voice at the University of Toronto in 2017 I began teaching
part-time at one of the top-rated multi-teacher studios there and absolutely loved it.
At that time I was also developing my career as a singer-songwriter and recording
artist, and decided that even though I really love performing, teaching also brought
me a lot of joy. I have combined both by founding Arianna Mae Studios and
continuing to write and record as Arianna Mae, and I really enjoy the balance of
the two.
What is your favourite small business (aside from your own)?
Great question! I LOVE supporting local small business owners, and I think it’s so
important. I’m still fairly newly back to Maple Ridge (it’s been about a decade since
I graduated high-school – yikes!) but I adore the Little Cricket Gift Gallery, the
Chameleon Cafe, Stomping Grounds Cafe & Bistro in Osprey Village (best tea
lattes I have ever had), Bruce’s Market, Keep Well Kept, Therapy Clothing, and
Triple Tree Nurseryland.
If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?
Be scared and do it anyway! Connect with people who run successful businesses
that are great examples of what you are hoping to create. Learn from your
colleagues who are farther along in the game. I was lucky enough to connect with a
group of music teachers online from all over the world; we share everything from
effective business models and strategies to pedagogy. There is this idea out there
that businesses are all in competition with each other, and that there isn’t enough to
go around. But there is! It is so much more fun and productive to work with other
people than it is to work against them.
If applicable, has your business been affected by COVID-19? if so, how?
Absolutely! The changes in the way music lessons are run have been pretty drastic.
Back in mid-March, the studio I was working for in Toronto shifted immediately
from in-person to online lessons, and I was blown away by how awesome online
lessons could be! Once I decided that this was the summer I would move back west,
which had always been my long-term plan, I founded Arianna Mae Studios and
began building a roster of students all across Canada thanks to those online
platforms I had begun using in March. In a way, this pandemic has encouraged me
to expand my expectations of what I can offer and who I can offer it to. I really
miss teaching voice students in person and collaborating with other musicians, but
that’s just the name of the game right now. We are so lucky to have all of this
amazing technology at our fingertips!
What are your long-term business goals?
Long term, I hope to continue building my music lessons studio here in Maple
Ridge, BC and managing my career as a songwriter and recording artist. I dream
of one day running a well-renowned multi-teacher studio that allows students of all
ages to come together and do something that they love in a space free of judgment,
and that encourages bravery and expression while building lifelong skills and
relationships. I will also continue to write and record my own music, and make sure
that I always create time for that.
What are you most looking forward to with the launch of your new business?
I am really looking forward to getting to know the community here in Maple
Ridge, and to creating a place for myself where I can serve the people here and
build something beautiful. Music lessons are important for so many reasons; for
some, it’s a weekly act of self-care and an opportunity to take the time to do
something they love. For some kids, it’s the highlight of their week! Other students
are on a mission to share their musical creations as a career. It’s my ultimate goal to
build a brave space where students feel they can express themselves doing
something they love and learn valuable skills in the process.
What is your funniest/weirdest/most memorable experience with a customer or
client?
I get the best stories from the really young students! Our dog run in the backyard is
visible through the window the piano sits against, and once a 6 year old student
turned to me and asked with a serious look on his face ‘Where are the chickens?’.
That cracked me up! He was very disappointed when I answered that
unfortunately, we didn’t have any, and that the fenced in area he could see was for
our dog. For the next couple of weeks, he kept encouraging me to get chickens.
A big thank you to Arianna Mae for being apart of our small business Sunday feature this week!
