Life & Work with Sarah Icardi of Ohio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Icardi.

Hi Sarah , thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started violin at age 5. Violin has always been a huge part of who I am. I knew from an early age that I wanted a career as a musician and so as a child, I started working towards that goal. I practiced a lot, attended music camps, played in orchestras and studied with the best teachers to turn my dream of being a musician into a reality. I graduated with a degree in Violin Performance from Baldwin Wallace University in 2018 and quickly got started with my career. I played in orchestras and was teaching. In 2019, I knew I loved teaching. At the time, I was traveling to students’ homes because I didn’t have a teaching space. While it seemed like a great system, I was driving all over Medina County and it got tiring fast.
By late summer of 2019, I knew something needed to change. That’s when we came across our studio space in Medina and instantly knew it would be the home of Sarah’s Violin Studio. It was the perfect place! The rooms were just the right size, the location was ideal, and it had such a cozy, welcoming atmosphere. Now, I couldn’t imagine having the studio anywhere else.
In the beginning, it was just me teaching at the studio.
Fast forward a couple years to 2021, I was teaching at full capacity. Every lesson spot was filled, the waitlist was growing daily, and while I felt so thankful that so many families in Medina wanted music lessons, I also felt terrible that I couldn’t take more students.
That’s when I realized… I need help!
I began searching for like-minded teachers to join the studio. Educators who shared the same passion for high-quality, personalized, encouraging instruction. I now have 8 violin, piano, viola and cello teachers who teach alongside me at the studio. Today, I’m so incredibly thankful for our teaching team because this studio wouldn’t be what it is today without them! I love being able to be a source of high quality music education for the community of Medina.

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?
Opening a business is full of struggles! Being a business owner requires a whole lot of grit and hard work! The biggest challenge that comes to mind is the pandemic. The Covid pandemic started just months after opening my studio. I had worked so hard to build a studio in those first few months. I built my studio to 40 weekly students and then the pandemic shut downs happened just days after! We had to move the entire studio to Zoom lessons for about 2 years. When we finally re-opened for in-person lessons, it was such a joyful day. I am so incredibly grateful my business was strong enough to survive the pandemic. Being a small-business owner during a pandemic also has changed my outlook on challenges. I find myself a lot more optimistic about my business challenges now. Now, I always greet challenges with the mindset of “well, at least we aren’t in a pandemic!” Even though the pandemic was really hard, we got through it and I believe the experience gave me so much strength, flexibility and the ability to adapt to find a way forward. I feel as though I’m the kind of person who doesn’t let a challenge get in my way of what I want. I find a way to persevere and work through it to get to my goals!

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
At Sarah’s Violin Studio we offer violin, viola, piano and cello lessons. We are a team of 9 teachers who believe in giving each student a high-quality music education. Together, we teach over 250 youth and adults weekly. We have really amazing teachers. Our teachers all have their music degrees. They all come with a wealth of knowledge about their instrument. Apart from being well educated and experienced, they are also all kind, encouraging people who truly care about their students. We offer lessons to children as young as 4. We also have an adult music lesson program! Our teachers really sets us apart. I believe we have the very best teachers in the area at our studio!

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
We are now enrolling new violin, piano, cello and viola students. Spots are limited.

Pricing:

• $33/half hour lesson

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sarahsviolinstudio.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahsviolinstudio/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063640567164