Guest Blogger on Intuit's Blog

Last week I was a guest blogger on Intuit's blog. They wanted to know about the surprises and unexpected challenges of the early days of business and what lies ahead for the future of the studio. Check out the post here. Thanks again Intuit for all your support and for making dreams come true!

Thank you Frazee Carpet and Interiors

Damon Frazee, owner of Frazee Carpets and Interiors in Durham, North Carolina supplied the carpet and tile for the studio. Damon and his company provided very professional and personable service and the results were fantastic. His company has been servicing the state for over 29 years and offers expertise in a broad range of products and brands. I would highly recommend Frazee Carpet and Interiors for any type of flooring you may be looking for, including hard woods, tile, carpets, area rugs, laminate flooring, etc.

Frazee Carpet and Interiors

3113 Hillsborough Road

Durham, NC 27705
Tel: 919-286-5570

Fax: 919-286-3059

http://frazeecarpet.com/

Julie, Decorating Expert!

I met Julie while playing on the Worship Arts Ministry at our church. Julie sometimes sang on my team and we got to know a little about each other. She mentioned that her daughter had an interest in piano and I had shared with her just a little about how I wanted to expand my business.

After I won the Intuit Grant, Julie contacted me about helping me decorate the studio in exchange for some lessons for her daughter. Teaching piano lessons seemed a whole lot easier than decorating over 1000 sq. ft. of space- the barter was on! Julie helped with everything from picking out colors, tile, carpet, finishes, styles, the layout of the studio, and making many decisions that are involved in a project of this scope. Julie kept her poise and strength and helped me make decisions when I felt I was going to crack under so much pressure. She gave me many suggestions of what would work and I would go out and find bargains that fit within our budget! Julie helped with the final staging and was sooo generous to give us the chairs for the waiting room and the tile in the kitchen.

Throughout the last few months, Julie has had to fly back several times to see her mother who is quite ill. I know her mother was a priority through all of this (Julie and her mom pictured above), and yet she followed through to the end of the project with joy and inspiration. Julie, thank you for taking the time to invest in Harmony Music Studio-so many students are going to be blessed because of you!

More pics. of studio

Many of you have been asking how I furnished the studio. I LOVE bargains, so I did not purchase anything at full price. When setting out the budget for the studio, we decided to leave a minimal amount for furnishings as this could always be changed later. We spent the majority of the budget on building materials and sound-proofing - the elements you cannot reverse.

With a lot of patience, I was able to find most of the items at GREAT bargains

Here are some more pictures of the studio (my camera was really acting up, so some of these pictures may be a little dark):

Large studio room with new Yamaha U3 piano! I purchased the piano from Craigslist. I spent a lot of time looking for the right piano without cracking the budget. Yes, a grand would have been nice, but the expense would have used most of the grant money. This piano sounds beautiful...I love teaching and practicing in this room!

This room will eventually hold several electric pianos that will be used for group lessons and camps. For now, the couch is filling up the space so the room will not look so empty:)

This is the second studio room. The paint color was actually a light lavender, but it dried more like a light blue. I know UNC fans are loving this- go Tar Heels! Pictures are from Home Goods!

This room turned out fabulous. It is so relaxing and the Chocolate brown compliments the blue quite well.

Here is the bathroom vanity. This is my favorite find in the whole studio. We were just going to buy the cheapest vanity and sink from Lowe's, you know, the one they tell you that contractors won't even buy because they are so cheap. I happened to go to Home Goods and found this gorgeous vanity with marble top for half the price of the one at Lowes. This is by far the best deal I have found! LOVE Home Goods! I did buy the mirror from Lowe's:)

View of computer area and table for kids to have their snacks and do homework. Purchased the clock in the background on clearance from Lowes fro $15 (marked down from $84).

Snack area and galley kitchen used for recitals and music parties! Found this awesome table and benches on craigslist...works beautfully!

Waiting area for parents. Love how this room came together....the chairs were given to us and had slip covers put over them to match the room. The picture was sitting around in the house and I found the table and sconces at Ross all for under $20. Bought the couch used at a garage sale...it really looks brand new!

Another view of the computer stations.

Grand Opening!

Yes, I know the grand opening was a few weeks ago, but this is really the first time I have had to sit down and blog since then! No one said it was easy running all the aspects of a small business, but it is sure worth it.

The opening was quite a success! We made our deadline and of course, there are still a lot of little things that need to get done, but everything is functional! Students have been taking lessons at the studio for the last month. The computer programs are a hit and the waiting area is quite convenient for the parents. Most of all...it was such a relief the first day of lessons to know that all the hard work we put into sound-proofing worked!

Overall, it is so exciting knowing that Harmony Music Studio will invest and impart the gift of music to so many students. Here are some pictures from the grand opening:

This is the path the students take to the studio.

Great food at the opening! Great friends who helped me prepare the spread.

Curtis giving the dedication and prayer.

Students checking out the new piano.