Today we’d like to introduce you to Stathia Orwig.
Hi Stathia, 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?
I started Music SO Simple in the spring of 2016. I’ve always wanted to have a music school in Richardson, close to home. Together with another music teacher, Meredith Manley, we began traveling to our students homes and renting a room at St. Joseph Catholic School after school one day a week. Some students came to our homes as well. The next year, we had to expand at St. Joseph’s to 4 days a week and had hired another teacher. We began with mostly piano lessons and a few voice lessons.
By 2018, we had established quite a few students and were able to move into a commercial space at Plano Road and Arapaho. We had 5 teaching rooms and 2 waiting areas. We were still traveling to some student homes in addition to teaching at the school. It was amazing how all of our students were coming to us through word of mouth. Of course, we know, great parents tell other parents about where their children are studying piano! We added in guitar and string lessons.
We continued to grow through the pandemic! We offered virtual lessons and in person lessons. Even adults started taking up an instrument since they had a little more free time.
Today, we are a staff of 11 teachers including me and 1 operations manager. We offer Music Together® classes, preschool music classes, group piano classes for both children and adults, and private lessons in piano, voice, guitar, and strings.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Absolutely not! But it has been incredibly rewarding! My main struggle have been finding the right teachers. I’m a mom too, and when you think about your kids being alone with an adult once a week, that adult needs to not only be a great teacher, but also a great human. Many of our students say that their teacher feels like their therapist! Ha! But really, the relationship between student and teacher is the most important value at MSS. Because of this, our students take for many years.
I’ve also started this business as a preschool music teacher and piano teacher- so the business-part has been something I have had to learn. I started learning from a coach and now am in a group of music school owners. We learn a lot from each other and it’s nice to know that even though we are all going through different things, we all share the same problems and rewards.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I wanted to build a music school that was “simply” about the music. The “SO” are my initials (Stathia Orwig). Music SO Simple has become a well-known music school in the area and is trusted by many students.
Music SO Simple is a music school in Richardson whose mission is to promote a love of music through simple & traditional instruction. We make it easy to learn music with our patient and compassionate teachers. We believe in simple and honest conversations for the teachers, simple connections between teacher, student, and parent, and simple learning and instruction between teacher and student.
We offer lessons and classes for ages 0-99- there is something musical for everyone!
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I grew up the oldest of 4 kids in Dallas. My Father immigrated to the US from Greece and met my mother in Dallas. My parents owned restaurants and we grew up learning what hard work really was! My parents worked hard to give us a good life and put us through St. John’s Episcopal School and Ursuline Academy.
In addition to school and going to Greek school, we all took piano lessons! I loved entering festivals and competitions in both Dallas and Garland. I decided to audition for a piano scholarship at Austin College and that helped pay for college. I majored in piano and after college, got a job teaching at Dallas Music in Snider Plaza.
Pricing:
- Private Lessons begin at $165 per month
- Music Together® classes begin at $100 for a semester
Contact Info:
- Website: https://musicSOsimple.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musicsosimple
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/musicsosimple
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stathia-orwig-nctm-b9b44550
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@musicsosimple6571
