Business Spotlight: Donna's Music Studio

The week's Business Spotlight is on Donna's Music Studio in Schnecksville. Patch caught up with Owner Donna Henninger for a quick Q & A.

 

Q – Name of and type of business?

A – Donna’s Music Studio – private music instruction    

 

Q - Number of years in business?

A - 35+ 

 

Q - Address, phone number, website, fax number?

A - 3320 Bellview Rd., Schnecksville; Phone: 610-799-5388

 

Q – Number of employees

A – Just me!

 

Q – What is your specialty?

A – Piano, instrumental, and vocal coaching.

 

Q – What or who is your biggest competitor and how do you provide better services/products?

A – I offer lessons tailored to each student. I’ll use whatever music they want to learn to teach the rudiments of music.

 

Q – What is your mission statement or philosophy behind running your business?

A - Music is an art, meant to be shared - from the simplest of tunes to the most rock-solid classics.

 

Q – Can you share a story about your business? A triumph or obstacle you’ve overcome, perhaps?

A - When a parent of a then current piano student asked if I would teach her son guitar, I initially said, “I don’t think so - I don’t play guitar at all.”

She said, ”Oh, I’m sure you could.” I made her promise me that if I did so,  she would take him to another teacher when I could no longer challenge him. So, I stayed three steps ahead of him, learning to play as I went, and now I usually average 3-5 guitar students at any given time!

 

Q – Is there a history regarding your business you’d like to share?

A - I’ve been teaching piano since I was in high school.

 

Q – What are your plans for the future?

A - Just continue to nurture a love for music in all my teaching.

 

Q - Do you have more than one location?

A - No.

 

Q – Is this a family owned/operated business?

A - Yes.

 

Q – Is this a chain or franchise?

A - No.

 

Q - Have you won any awards or had special recognition?

A - From my college days with the Pi Kappa Lambda national music honor society, I was named to “Who’s Who Among College Music Students.”

 

Q - Did you receive any type of special funding to start up your business?

A - No.

 

Q - Is there anything else you’d like to share about your business? History etc….

A - I had a cello student a few years back, who needed a challenge.  So he would bring his cello, we’d pull out some sort of music, usually some form of rock, and he played the bass line, while I played the piano.   Also, a flute student, with whom I couldn’t come close to matching technically on the instrument, so I challenged her musically, as we sight-read week after week after week and developed phrasing, and general musicianship.  It was tremendous fun (and a challenge for me to keep up!)