Learn to Play the Fiddle! - Drunken Fiddles

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in music education but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Laurel Morgan Parks, Founder of Drunken Fiddles, located in Kansas City, MO, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

My business is Drunken Fiddles. We teach adult beginners how to play the fiddle from the absolute beginning in a fun and relaxed environment. Our participants have one thing in common: they all want to enjoy playing music in a group.

Tell us about yourself

I started Drunken Fiddles in 2015 with just five people - of which was my husband - in my living room. The idea for this class came from my father, who brought home a fiddle when I was four years old. He had been taking a community class, and I was smitten with the instrument from the moment I saw the violin.

Over time my class started growing, and I developed a method of teaching that worked for adult beginners who wanted to learn casually without the pressure of one-on-one lessons. Now we have five classes in 5 locations in both Kansas and Missouri. Our reach has been extended with the launch of our Drunken Fiddles Online school, where learners can self-pace themselves through fiddle lessons in a wide variety of genres.

What motivates me to create my business and work on it each day is the joy that my participants receive. Many people I work with say that Drunken Fiddles is their favorite activity each week as it gives them a sense of community and joy apart from their daily lives.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

When people experience the joy of music, and I can see that emotion on their faces - that's my biggest accomplishment. I am also proud of the fact that we are able to grow in a variety of markets - from a bigger city such as Kansas City to the smaller town of Lawrence, Kansas.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Definitely getting over my own obstacles. Owning a business is a spiritual process that brings up all of your own blocks. I've had to become comfortable with being uncomfortable.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

1. Find some sort of a resource - a coach, a podcast, a business mentor - who can inspire you along the way.
2. Never quit.
3. Remember that the obstacle is the way.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.fiddlelife.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drunkenfiddles
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drunkenfiddles/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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