Today we’d like to introduce you to Krysta Rehkemper.
Hi Krysta , thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Music has been apart of my life since I can remember! Growing up my father was the Head Band Director for a small town in the Hill Country. I have so many memories going with him to band competitions, football games! When I graduated from high school I wasn’t sure what path I wanted to take but I knew I wanted it to include music. I found a wonderful bachelors program for Music Therapy at West Texas A&M University, so I packed my life up , moved 10 hours away from parents and went to college at my parents Alma mater. One of our final projects was to come up with a business proposal, that’s actually where my idea for Butterfly Music started! After graduating from WT I worked as a music therapist with a few schools but felt like something was missing. I started to teach lessons on the side to help fill that gap. I was working full time and then running a studio of 30 students on the side. When COVID hit in 2020 my program was cut from the school I was working at and my studio of 30 went down to 5. It was then that I felt like God had bigger plans for me. So I stepped away from what I had always done and put my focus in building Butterfly Music Studio’s. 6 years later my studio has grown to 55 students all across the United States! COVID forced me to learn how to teach online and then I realized there was a market for that. So now half my studio is in person and half is online! That 20 something year old college kid “just doing a final Project” is actually putting that proposal to use!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Starting your own business is always a scary and hard thing! There has been plenty of bumps in the road, covid being one of the biggest hurtles. Covid taught me how to adapt and learn how to teach virtually. I’m proud to say being able to do that has brought me students from Illinois,Virginia,Hawaii,California,Arizona. Even though these challenges can be hard in the moment. I do feel like they have helped me be a better teacher, musician, person and business owner
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Butterfly Music Studio is focused on building well rounded musicians. So we focus on music theory, reading music, sight reading and ear training. My goal is that a student can be given a lead sheet , chord sheet , traditional music for their instrument and succeed. I teach Piano, voice, ukulele and guitar. Majority of my students will start on piano and the we either add another instrument or they may transition to another instrument.
My music therapy background helps me think outside the box when teaching. I know how to explain things to my students in a way that can make sense to them and come up with fun activities to help them grasp a concept.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My parents definitely instilled the importance of being a good teacher and musician. They put the ground work for me wanting to pursue music therapy. While in college my professors Dr. Edward Kahler, Dr. Nick Scales and Dr. Russ Teweleit helped me realized I had potential and could accomplish my goals. Then there is my husband, we met 20 years ago and he has always believed in me, he has always been my biggest supporter. When I came home 6 years ago and said I want to focus on building my studio and it not just be a side gig he was ready to jump in. I have also been blessed with some of the best friends and studio parents who believe in me and my dream. If it wasn’t for each of these people I wouldn’t be where I am today.
Contact Info:
- Website: Butterflymusicstudio.weebly.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/butterfly_music_studio
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/17m2iiqd6Y/
Image Credits
Faith Shwartz Photography Family phot – top knot shots
