Austin, Texas is a pretty great place to live if you have an entrepreneurial streak and want to start your own business. So many interesting and inspiring Austinites are forging new paths and making a difference in the lives of others. We love our small business community, and want to celebrate Austin’s hard-working small business founders, so we’re excited to introduce some of them to you through a series of interviews.
Amber Nichols and a little friend.
Amber Nichols, founder of tuneBugz!
Today I’d love for you to meet Amber Nichols of tuneBugz!, a company that offers music and movement classes for children and their grown ups, in three Austin locations. Amber is passionate about building a community of music-loving families, and her tuneBugz! classes are evidence of that. Her unfailing optimism and enthusiasm shines through everything she does.
What is your professional background?
Before tuneBugz! I spent 16 years growing in educational textbook development. I started as a temp doing Production Assistant work and worked my way up to Managing Editor of the World Languages Department at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. My day job was fascinating as I am to this day intensely curious about how children learn, but I also made time for music. Textbook girl by day, punk rock girl by night. I sang, wrote and collaborated on songs for the band Split Christie from 1999 to 2003. My other love was getting my scare on every fall at the Nightmare Factory Haunted House. I started working at Nightmare on 5th Street (in the old CopperTank building) when I was a Junior in high school, playing scary dollies, Norman Bates’ mother and Regan (Linda Blair) from the Exorcist. Nightmare was my first job in Austin when my family relocated here from West Virginia. I was hooked…. I worked every Halloween season without fail. I worked my way up to General Manager until the 2005 season when it was very obvious that I was way too pregnant to be useful in a haunted house of this caliber.
When did you start tuneBugz?
TuneBugz! was founded in the Summer of 2009. I taught my first tuneBugz! class in September of 2009.
Why did you want to start your own small business?
I was raised to believe I could do anything and be anything. Once I started having children I started wondering if there was a job out there where I could work AND raise my children, balance work and life and not lose the years I spent climbing that corporate ladder. Sadly, nobody was knocking down my door with an offer, so I began a soul searching mission for what work I could do in the world for others that would also bring me authentic joy and be the job I always wanted. Music is a gift to children and their well-being and it really matters to me that I give Austin’s children the chance to be musicians from birth. Too many children and adults are told they can’t sing or have two left feet – these words have a tragic and lasting impact. All the other ways to be musical get swept away with these negative (and often mistaken) judgements. I want to show parents and children all the ways they are musical and confirm musicality for them, to support their growth and have it be so strong that nobody will be able to convince them otherwise. There are tons of ways to be musical – everyone in my world has a chance to grow in all the ways music flows in them.
How has your business grown and changed since you launched?
My slow growth model has been a perfect fit for me as a parent of three boys. Early on in 2009, I had one kiddo in school and one on my hip and I was offering one or two classes per week. These days I have two in school and one running around like a madman (he’s two) and I am running 11 classes in three locations including our recently renovated flagship studio in the heart of Windsor Park. I have also added two wonderful teachers to the mix: singer-songwriter Sara Louise (catch her live at in.gredients!) and South Austin’s most beloved baby whisperer and all around magical mama, Ms. Amanda. I am happy to have a team after so many years of going it alone. Solos are great but adding in the harmonies–connecting and collaborating with others–is a whole other level of joy for me.
What has been your biggest challenge?
My biggest challenge has been to keep up with the growth and popularity of tuneBugz! When working with kids and families everything must be done with the utmost care, from transitioning families who have been with me since 2009 to new teachers, to deciding what new programs to offer, to making time for bringing our community together in support of local children’s organizations and serving the elderly – these are all matters of the heart. You might not think that leading with your heart is so hard until you insist that your brain come up with the plan and the business case to support where your heart is calling you to go.
What do you love most about living and working in Austin?
If you love music, Austin is home. Teaching music in Austin is such an honor, delight and a huge responsibility all at the same time. It is just thrilling. I don’t think you can find a community more supportive of music makers anywhere on Earth. When not focused on music, I love getting out with my family to enjoy the wilds of Austin’s greenbelts, vistas, creeks and creative outdoor play spaces. I truly love Austin and still feel like a kid in a candy store anytime our family heads out for some fun in this darling “little” city. With just a little planning to account for traffic, some of the most amazing adventures are just minutes away at any given time.
How can Austin families give tuneBugz a try?
It is super easy – a free trial demo class can be scheduled at anytime using our online Demo Scheduler.
Additionally, since our classes follow the seasons in four semesters, we open up a full week of free demo classes all around town preceding each new semester. Days and times to fit most any schedule are most plentiful in the first week of Jan, mid-April, mid-June, and the first week of September.
Parents are also invited to contact Amber directly at 512-632-6695 or [email protected] with any questions.
