Meet Casey & Stephanie Wilkes | Musicians and Educators

We had the good fortune of connecting with Casey & Stephanie Wilkes and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Casey & Stephanie, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
“Make a good product, make it well.” We started reminding ourselves this especially when we first opened. There are so many uncertainties when starting a business but it starts with having a product or service that you are proud of and know for a fact is a good product.

Another affirmation we remind ourselves about is “Keep doing what we do best.” Every business will have competitors and its very easy to fall into judging your business against them. It always sucks when a client tells you they decided to go with a different option but reminding yourself that every client who finds you, stays with you etc. means you’re doing something right. Instead of trying to emulate what someone else does well, we double down on what we are best at to deliver the best service we can give.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Elk Creek Music Studio started as a private music lesson studio. Our services have grown to include a youth choir, a summer camp program, and a program for toddlers. We also offer general music services such as piano tuning and instrument maintenance.

What sets us apart is that our students are able to come to one location for all their needs. We have instructors for virtually all instruments so if someone’s interests change, they don’t have to go back and seek out another lesson teacher. If they need their guitar set-up or their piano tuned, they can schedule all of those services with us all in one location. For a community whose next option is likely close to an hour away that is a big deal.

How we got to where we were today: My wife and I were teaching and working together at a music studio in Maryland when a family death spurred us to relocate back in Colorado to be closer to family. We started dreaming up our own studio around the end of 2019 and opened a physical location in 2020. Obviously starting a business during 2020 came with it’s own particular set of obstacles, however we were quickly accepted into the community and brought a service that was greatly appreciated.

We learned during our second year that constant growth won’t happen unless you actively work each day to make your business better. We had reached our initial milestone attendance pretty quickly and although we offered great lessons each day, I personally started to fall into a routine (or a “rut”, depending on who you ask). By the end of the year, our reports reflected our efforts. Our next year, we started offer string and brass lessons, group summer camps, and toddler classes. We contacted a local business coach to give us some insight and I began studying piano tuning. We advertised events such as an open house day for families to drop in and see our studio and collaborated with a local dance academy where we held a sold out event between young musicians and dancers. Now we look forward to our next steps as we approach our 5th anniversary.

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?
We are located a bit outside of the city but Denver has many great places to show out of town folks. Top of our list would be DPAC and the events that take place there. No matter what season it is, there is a Symphony concert, play, musical or ballet worth experiencing. Now that Dazzle is located there as well you can catch some of the best live jazz in the state.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
We want to dedicate our Shoutout to Jon Gauer, premiere Denver trombone player and leader of “The Cat’s Glasses”. He is a consummate professional and an amazing musical asset to Denver.

Website: https://www.elkcreekmusicstudio.com

Facebook: Elk Creek Music Studio