Meet Tembi Gray | Director, The Young Musician’s University

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tembi Gray and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tembi, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My husband and I have a passion for music. We met at Claflin University during our freshman year. We both played in the jazz band, were members of the gospel choir, and my husband was the personal musician for Alice Tisdale, the Claflin President’s wife. Upon graduation from college, I went into youth development while my husband began his career as a professional musician. After a couple of years, he had a divine encounter with God where he had a dream about teaching music. In 2003, we combined our passion for music education and youth development and established a music school catering to youth ages 4-18. We have now been in business for over 20 years and continue to touch thousands of lives through the powerful gift of music. After owning a brick-and-mortar music school for several years, in 2017 we began to position our music school to begin reaching students nationwide through online music education. What started as a dream from God has transformed into The Young Musician’s University, an online music school for students ages 4-18.

What should our readers know about your business?

The Young Musician’s University is an online music school where students age 4-18 can learn, explore, create, share, and connect as a community of young musicians nationwide. Students can take music lessons in various instruments, experience our electives, participate in collaborative music projects, attend workshops and clinics, create music in our online recording studio, work on songwriting projects, and participate in virtual field trips. The Young Musician’s University is the culmination of over 20 years of owning and running a successful brick-and-mortar music school. We have taken our best practices and transformed them into an online music education ecosystem where students thrive and discover their passion for music and the arts.

At YMU, we stand out from the rest thanks to our advanced technology, strong educational partnerships, and hands-on project-based learning opportunities. These elements combine to create an exceptional learning experience for our students.

What makes me most proud of our business is seeing the accomplishments and progress of our students. I know that every student will not choose to become a professional musician, but every student involved in our program will reap the benefits that music education provides. It never gets old watching a student accomplish something they did not think they were capable of doing, or witnessing the self-confidence of a student increase through their involvement in music. Some of our students have won district awards, gotten accepted into performing arts high schools, received scholarships to music colleges and universities, and become nationally renowned music producers, performers, and singer-songwriters. Some have even continued their education and earned their doctorates. It’s great to watch our students excel in other professional disciplines as well. Above all, my biggest accomplishment to date is seeing so many of our students become well-rounded good citizens who have had the opportunity to learn the importance of follow-through, perseverance, time management, problem-solving, and more through a simple tool, music. Seeing youth discover their creativity and develop through music is hands down my greatest reward.

Consistency, innovation, and perseverance are qualities that have helped us get to where we are today. People look for consistency in business, especially when it comes to serving families and kids. It’s one thing to offer a service, but it’s another thing to offer a service they can count on. We have blue sky meetings with our team where there are no boundaries to ideas. Instead of saying, “That can’t happen”, we ask, “How can we make that happen?” This allows us to remain innovative, solution-orientated, and open to new and creative ideas. Lastly, perseverance in the face of challenges is key. There will always be hard days in running your own business, but if you can persevere you will find that good days are right around the corner.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Columbia, SC is where we are based. I must say that Columbia has really expanded its art, cuisine, and entertainment scene over the years. Restaurant choices are quite vast, so there is something for almost any taste bud. You can explore Main Street for a more gourmet flair and vibrant nightlife, Five Points if you’re into laid-back dining and vintage clothing and record shops, Devine Street if you fancy local boutiques and breakfast spots, or even The Vista if you’re looking for fine dining near museums and galleries. We also have a few restaurants that are James Beard finalists! My family, though we love the local scene, really enjoys exploring random small towns and staying at quaint hotels or Bed and Breakfasts. We still like experiencing the brand hotels and resorts in the larger cities and traveling to other countries, but we mix it up as well. We’ve really come to treasure learning about small-town jewels and their history.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
We owe our success to many people who have supported us with their encouragement, resources, and time. Most of them are our family and close friends, for whom we are extremely grateful.

Website: www.ymunow.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ymunow/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-young-musicians-university

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ymunow

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ymunow

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1HB12iYuSc_fepKYK8usPg

Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tembi-gray/