Meet Gabrielle Martin Jarin Watkins of Surround Sound School of Music

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabrielle Martin Jarin Watkins

Hi Gabrielle Martin, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My Co-Founder, Jarin Watkins, and I have always desired to share our love and passion for music with others. Upon graduating from Gardner-Webb University with multiple music degrees, we both moved to Wake Forest, NC to teach music. Each of us knew that music would remain a constant in our lives. Whether that was via our band ‘Lady May and Redd’, individually by way of our respective instruments, or through teaching. I have always been very entrepreneurial minded, drafting up concepts for many small business ideas as a young child and teen. Owning a music school had always been in the cards for me.

After gaining a total of 50+ students at our respective studios in the Triangle area, we felt the desire to be more hands-on and involved in the details of each and every student’s growth and development. We noticed that our large student base didn’t adequately allow for this type of involvement. In addition, we observed that many of our students had to discontinue lessons due to evolving schedules and conflicts that arose. Ultimately, we wanted the ability to provide the most high-quality music lessons to each of our students, while saving parents and families the hassle of driving to a brick and mortar studio location. Thus Surround Sound School of Music was born!

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?
In all honesty, I believe that the initial launch of Surround Sound was easier than we both thought. We were very organized and meticulous during the early stages of the planning process, which I believe made it easier for us to launch our small business. As of right now, the challenge that we currently face involves marketing, and social media presence. Frankly, this has been trial and error. The internet is wonderful tool, however, there is only so much advertising that can be done through a screen. We believe that face to face community engagement is a strong and necessary tool that we have to use in order to expand our reach.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Surround Sounds mission is to provide high-quality in-home music lessons at a fair rate, ensuring student and parent satisfaction. Surround Sound aims to develop well-rounded musicians and performers who not only know how to play their instrument, but can articulate the how’s and why’s involved. Each student within a teacher’s studio will not be one of 50+, but rather will be a part of a small group where individualized lessons take priority.

Our in-home lesson program is specifically tailored to the students age, skill level, interests, and goals. Whether you are interested in the Suzuki method, or want to rock out on stage with KISS, we have an instructor ready to craft an outstanding lesson plan!

Students will also have the opportunity to perform in semi-annual recitals at live-music venues, and take advantage of performance opportunities in the community.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Planing is everything! As creatives at heart, we both have the tendency to jump in feet first. Knowing this about ourselves, we put in an immense amount of time and thought into the work that goes on “behind the curtain.” Throughout the early planning stages, we constantly challenged every system and idea with “what if’s”, and tried made proactive decisions regarding them.

Pricing:

• 30 Minute Lesson: $45 per lesson
• 45 Minute Lesson: $57 per lesson
• 60 Minute Lesson: $69 per lesson
• 50 Minute Group Lesson: $25 per student per lesson

Contact Info:

• Website: https://surroundsoundschoolofmusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/surroundsoundschoolofmusic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560864984612
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@surroundsoundschool