Con Brio in Rio Grande City
Corine Garcia grew up surrounded by music. Her mother, a piano teacher, wanted a space for a music studio, moved her three children to share a bedroom and converted the newly empty room into a music studio. Corine inherited the same determination and optimism from her mother and channeled con brio (a musical term meaning “with energy and spirit”) as she continued her musical studies well into college to graduate from The University of Texas-Pan American and work at Roma ISD in their nationally acclaimed mariachi program. Taking her accomplishments as an educator and recording artist, Corine has brought her knowledge and passion for music and business to Rio Grande City.
What was your primary motivation for starting your business?
I saw a niche missing in Rio Grande City. As a music teacher, I found it frustrating that the musical resources necessary for teaching and performing were not locally available. Students that have private lessons progress faster in their music but have to travel to McAllen to do so. And as a musician, providing a local retail store to sell musical instruments and supplies, without having to travel for over an hour, was beneficial to the city and surrounding area.
Did you write a business plan?
Not really, but I was familiar with the process because I had taken an economics class where we had to write one. I helped my mother with her business for years, so I was familiar with bookkeeping and budgeting. I started out slow and set up a goal to sign up and maintain a certain number of students so I could meet my overhead costs which included rent and musical instrument purchases.
What key personal characteristics do you think are critical for achieving success in running a business?
I think you have to be brave. Taking on a challenge is more about getting over the fear of failure. For me, my fear consisted of thoughts like, what if it does not work or how much is it going to take for me to invest in terms of time and money, but once I set that fear aside, everything fell into place. Creating personal relationships with clients and customers is good for any business but for me specifically, it is important to always be prepared and organized so I can help my students work towards achieving their musical goals.
Taking on a challenge is more about getting over the fear of failure.
How did you decide on the location of your business?
I knew I wanted to be in Rio Grande City. Rio Grande City is central to Starr County and I have students from Roma, La Grulla, Alto Bonito and the surrounding area. I had performed at the Lopez-Tijerina Courtyard for an event and fell in love with the culture and history of Main Street and the downtown area. After inquiring at several downtown locations, I was able to set up shop at La Borde House. I love being here because I am in the middle of everything.
How do you go about marketing/advertising your business?
I believe having a web presence is really important. I went through various web-hosting sites before I found one that I liked. I also rely on Google Analytics quite a bit to help me fine tune and target potential customers based on its feedback. I have sponsored searches on Google so when someone types in a search for piano lessons in Starr County, my name will be the first one that pops up. I use Facebook as another marketing tool from which I get the bulk of my business.
If you could talk to one person in history, who would it be and why?
Well, it might sound cliché, but as a musician I would choose Beethoven. I think its fascinating that, having gone deaf later in life, he was still able to create and produce such wonderful music. I have studied and read a lot about him and he was known to have a disagreeable personality. But I would consider it a challenge to get him to open up about his experiences and his creative process despite having an audible handicap.
Quick Facts
Starr Music Academy
601 E. Main Street Ste. E • Rio Grande City, Texas 78582 • (956) 847-8477
Would you like to see your business showcased in this series? Email mgomez@rgcedc.org or call (956) 487-3476.
Credits:
Photography by Melinda Gomez