Meet Amy the mama and musical guru behind Blossom Musik Studio. Blossom Musik Studio is a Kindermusik franchise offering music & movement programs to babies, toddlers and preschoolers. The music classes provide age-specific and developmentally appropriate activities to engage your child in learning about musical concepts and introduce them to the idea of routine and structure but in a really fun way! The classes involve singing, dancing, playing a variety of instruments and using props like scarves, parachute, sensory play, bubbles and more to express these ideas and allow your child to express themselves too.
Do you have kids? If so how many & age? Yes I have two - Ethan (7) & Hailey (4)
What's one thing people probably don't know about you? If you are a a family member or friend then there’s not much you don’t know - I’m rather an open book. But if you are a client of mine you may not realize that I’m also a lead singer in a local rock and R&B band called Leaudown Sound. Music teacher by day and rocker by night ;)
Are you a stay at home mom? No, I run a music studio but luckily make my own hours. This allows me to be there to pick up my kids after school and still be very present for my family particularly as my husband is a shift worker.
What is your favourite thing to do for yourself? I am rather an exercise addict and go the gym 5 x’s a week, kickboxing once a week and yoga when I can.
What is your favourite date night activity?
What’s date night again? lol. I’m really up for anything. I’m the one suggesting things like indoor rock climbing, skating or mini putt. But also love a date night in playing board games and Super Mario Kart with glass of wine...oh and hubby.
What's one thing you couldn't live without?
My girlfriends. With my husband being a police officer and not always around and my family living in Ottawa & Toronto, my girlfriend’s are my family. They are always there to support me in life or business. They are always there to chat, give advice, listen, hang out with, laugh with, dance with and be silly with. I love my gf’s to bits and lucky to have a wonderful network of them.
Who's your IG inspiration? I try to be inspired by what is real. I think IG can give people the wrong ideas and sometimes not a reality for some. If it weren’t for owning a business and having to have a social media presence I would be deleting my IG and FB immediately or at least deleting off my phone. I do use Instagram for workout ideas or for craft ideas with the kids but I try not to follow and be consumed by it too much.
What advice would you give your younger self? Embrace yourself and what you love. You are beautiful, confident and can do anything! Don’t be afraid to try and never stop believing in yourself.
Where is business located out of? I used to teach out of multiple locations from Burlington to Ancaster to Binbrook and even private in home sessions in Waterdown/Carlisle and as far as Stoney Creek. But as of last year I opened the doors to my very own studio. It is located at 1175 Wilson Street East, Hamilton. I love my new location as it’s so close to Hamilton Mountain, Ancaster, Dundas and only 15 minutes from my Waterdown home.
How did you choose the name for your business?
I actually didn’t choose the name. I actually purchased an existing franchise that used to run out of Blossom Yoga in Hamilton where I first started to teach Kindermusik. The owner sold off her studio and asked me if I would be interested in purchasing Blossom Musik. I decided to give it a try and I’m so glad I did. I kept the name as it was already established but rebranded it once I got my own studio. The logo was a lotus flower which was very “Yoga-ish” so changed it to my current logo with tree and musical symbols and heart in the Centre with a parent and child dancing. Went with the whole idea that children blossom & grow by the knowledge they learn in my classes :)
How do you balance having kids & running a business?
I think we are forever learning how to balance and re-invent the wheel. You keep what works and toss out what doesn’t work. Much like a business really. I make sure I have times when I shut out my business to have one on one time with my family and I also have many late nights working until 1am because there is never enough time in the day haha! It’s a process but if you love it enough you can make it work.
Is there any other type of programming offered at Blossom Musik?
Yes! I have numerous programs running and some wonderful Mompreneurs that I share my space with. Messy Play (Art & sensory program), Salsa Babies, Mom & Baby Bump Yoga (prenatal & postnatal), Mommy Bootcamp with Total Vision Fitness, Meditation classes and more to come ;)
I also run a drop-in program every Friday from 9:30-11:30am. I create an open play space in the studio with a music demo at 11am. Some Friday’s are special event days which I post as FB events.
What advice can you give someone looking to start up their own business?
Do your research first and know your competition. Remember that you are unique and will ultimately offer something different but don’t be afraid to stand out. Minimize your start up costs if you can and don’t go too crazy with ideas to begin with. Start basic and work up from there if you want your first year to break even or be remotely successful. Network, network, network! Work with as many people as possible and learn and grow with and from them. Support your fellow Entrepreneurs because you can help each other.
What sets your business apart from others alike?
ME! Lol. I joke but it’s true. I’m a very open, friendly and inviting person. I have a psych background so always try to be a good listener to Mommy’s that need it. I’m also one of those “tell it as it is” Mom’s and will share my stories of woes about parenthood and the many laughs that come with it. I enjoy building connections with people and promoting them in my classroom. There are often parents and their children that form long lasting friendships just because they met in my class. I love that part. My business is a community. That’s what I’m trying to build.
As an aside, I’ve also had parents tell me that I am flexible and good at engaging their children too. I understand that each child is unique and requires different types of attention and methods. I spend time with each child in my class to get to know them and what works best.
What is the most challenging part of running your business? The stress and hours I have to put in to make it work. Every session I worry about not getting enough enrollment and then I do but it’s always a battle. I have to constantly brainstorm ideas on how to keep growing my business. I know it will be never ending and I know that I won’t be successful all the time. But you can’t get disheartened and you just have to keep pushing forward and trying something new. Coffee or tea? Chai tea latte please! Neutral or colourful? Colourful Morning or night? Night owl right here Wine or beer? Both but I’m really a cider girl Starbucks or Tim Hortons? Starbucks - dairy free options!!! Online shopping or in store? In store - I’m a very visual and hands on type of person Instagram or Facebook? Instagram but if I could pull the plug on social media I would lol Text or phone call? In person, face to face
Instagram: @blossommusik Website: https://www.blossommusik.com/ Facebook: Blossom Musik Studio
@Camara.Crew Stamp of Approval:
I was extremely impressed by Amy's Wiggle and Grow Mixed Ages music class. I take Lily and Mason to a lot of programming. Lily and I have attended a few music classes when she was younger and I did not find she showed too much interest in it. I was extremely curious to see how Lily was going to respond to Amy's class. Usually Lily is slow to warm up and sticks very close to me when we try a new program. However, the moment we arrived at Blossom Musik Studio it was almost as if I wasn't even there. Lily immediately started playing, interacting with the other kids and Amy. I was so shocked because that is not typical of Lily at all. I think one of the reasons that Lily felt so comfortable was that the space that Amy has created is absolutely beautiful. The moment you walk into the studio it is inviting and kid friendly. She has a chalk wall when you walk inside the that kids can draw on and then right around the corner is a great free play area with a variety of toys for kids of all ages. Then you go into the studio and it is bright and inviting. There is not an overwhelming amount of stuff in the room and she already had some activities set up which I think helped engage Lily so quickly. It was all things she was familiar with such as a slide, balls and hula hoops.
I really loved that I was able to bring both Lily and Mason to the class. It is hard finding programming that is appropriate for both of them. However, Amy's class was great. Lily had a lot of fun interacting with the other kids and followed instructions throughout the class really well. She loved dancing along with Amy and playing the instruments. Mason also was able to participate in what we were doing. He loved listening to the music and was in awe of his surroundings. He even got to bang on a drum and when the bubbles came out he was in heaven! I love that there was a good variety of varying developmentally appropriate activities for the kids. I think it helped to keep them engaged for the entire class and wanting more! When we left, Lily asked me when we could go back and play music again. I love that she enjoyed the class so much and we will definitely be coming back to another class.
