Inspiring Conversations with Molly Murphy of Miss Molly’s Music

Today we’d like to introduce you to Molly Murphy.

Hi Molly, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I moved to Nashville a few years ago to pursue being a singer-songwriter and got a job at a school when I arrived. I was placed in the pre-school wing and worked primarily with kids 3 to 6 years. I had worked with kids before with babysitting and tutoring but I was still nervous and didn’t feel like I was completely comfortable with that age group yet.

After a little bit of time there, I realized that that age group is a great fit for me because I’m good at being patient but find it more difficult to assert myself as you have to do with older kids. When we all returned to work after COVID, I was starting to feel stuck and found myself in a difficult place mentally and emotionally. I felt like I was saying yes to everything and not being protective of my time, so much so that I was falling behind with my primary pursuit as a musician.

My sister suggested that I look into a program called Music Together®. Music Together® is a music class for ages 0-5 years that she did with her one-year-old baby.

I needed to rebuild some confidence and self-esteem and I figured getting certified for this program might be a good start. It ended up being a happy accident that I not only signed up with them to get certified as a teacher but also got a license to start my own center, not realizing that you could do one without the other.

After I received my certification, it was six months of trying and failing to successfully start my center. I would announce a class but then not have enough people to hold it and have to cancel.

I started to get really discouraged, but the church that I was working with (Woodmont Hills Church) was incredibly supportive and accommodating and I knew that I needed to see this through. I finally was able to hold my first class, and really fell in love with the work and seeing how it benefitted the babies and toddlers.

The next semester of class that I held doubled in size, which just goes to show you how things start to move after you put in the foundational work. I now am in such a happy place as both a musician and a music teacher, as one feeds into the other and benefits the other.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Starting a business is difficult and I don’t think it’s ever smooth. I have always really struggled with self-confidence and tend to be too hard on myself even when I’m doing a good job. When you’re starting something new, it is never going to be pretty and you mess up so frequently that if you’re expecting perfection out of yourself it’s easy to get discouraged.

It took me six months to even hold a full class. I either did a demo and people didn’t seem to be interested, or I had only one or two families sign up and I had to cancel. I felt like I was failing left and right and wondered whether it was ever going to work. I also started to worry that the church I was holding my classes at would get fed up with my constant rescheduling and pushing back and drop me, but they never did and were always supportive.

Even when I finally did have enough families to hold a class, I still had to contend with unexpected problems. There was a huge COVID surge right before I was about to hold my first session indoors. I changed the class policies to require vaccinations, but I was worried some people would drop out because of that and I’d have to cancel yet again.

It ended up working out, but as a business owner, I think you just learn to expect the unexpected and pivot.

As you know, we’re big fans of Miss Molly’s Music. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Miss Molly’s Music is a licensee of a program called Music Together®. I hold music classes for children ages 0-5 years, with no child being too young to participate. I am passionate about the work that I do because through getting trained I learned how important it is for babies to be exposed to music.

They are developing their musicality at the same time that they’re learning to speak, but a lot of parents don’t know that and only focus on helping them learn to talk. I am a one-woman show, which I think allows me to better serve my clients. When someone emails the business, they are talking directly to me and in classes, they are working directly with me.

It allows me to know what is going on with each client and how to maximize their experience. I also think that we have a very laid-back and positive vibe, and my goal is always to help my clients be comfortable with the unique way that babies learn.

What was your favorite childhood memory?
I really loved being outside when I was a little kid. We had a backyard with lots of trees and flowers which made it perfect for playing make-believe.

Pricing:

• Between $160-$180 a semester.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: missmollysmusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/missmollysmusic/

Image Credits
Phil Kelly Photography