Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Uyechi.
Hi Kimberly, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My husband, Doug, and I have been long time musicians. Starting in school marching and concert bands in our respective high schools. We met at Baylor University in the Golden Wave Marching Band. We have been involved in music ministry as instrumentalists, leaders and also developing young musicians. We also taught private music lessons from time to time.
After the pandemic a friend and fellow musician wanted to start a music conservatory in the Salado area where we lived. Nine months after opening the conservatory, he decided to retire and move. We, along with another music instructor and wonderful friend Krista Eshbaugh, were faced with the decision to discontinue the conservatory or begin a venture together. We knew music education was needed in the area so we decided to rebrand and open Salado Conservatory of Music in the fall of 2021. We had no idea what to expect when we opened for enrollment but had decided to give it one year to see if we could make it. We started with 4 instructors offering private lessons in piano, drums, guitar and voice as well as youth choir. We started with two lesson rooms in about 600 square feet of space. We quickly enrolled 15 students with 8 of those also being our little choir ensemble. By that first December we had more than doubled our enrollment. This fall we opened our 5th season with 9 instructors offering piano, guitar, bass guitar, percussion, drum set, voice, theater coaching, and two youth choirs. Our studio is now approximately 1600 sqft.
We have built Salado Conservatory of Music with the goal of providing quality music education to our students using the students’ interests to engage and guide our lessons. Our motto is Learn, Create, Inspire and Pass It On. We strive to teach our students that as they learn they have the ability to create their own music which in turn inspires others around them to begin their own musical journey and the love and learning of music is passed on to others.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It’s been quite a learning curve to begin our own business but the joy we feel watching students develop into musicians and demonstrate what they’ve learned in recitals as well as at community events is worth it.
We had no idea what to expect and really wondered if we would have any students register when we first opened our doors. When you put a lot of hard work and heart into planning and building something you hope for the best and then it feels like holding your breath waiting to see if you will fail or fly.
We want music education to be accessible to everyone so we know cost is a factor. We have had to carefully choose our location and space size to be financially manageable for a small business. We are blessed to lease our space from Salado Creek Martial Arts owners, David and Sharon Woodall. They share a vision for making the arts accessible to everyone.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’ve been an educator for over 30 years. My hobbies outside of music include painting as well as prop building and set artistry for theater. I am also a homeschool mom with two children at home. It’s been important to me to provide opportunities for my children to grow in the arts. I’m most proud of providing a place for students of all ages as well as my own children to explore the arts and grow in music and theater. My personal interests and abilities as well as my years in teaching and being a parent all come together in working with our wonderful students and families at Salado Conservatory of Music.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I don’t really believe in luck. I believe we all have purpose for our lives. We have all been created with unique talents, personalities and abilities that should be used for good in our communities and the world. We should work hard to use our abilities to encourage and build one another up, to spur one another on and be a light for good in this world.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://saladoconservatory.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saladoconservatory
