We were lucky to catch up with Chelsea Durrah recently and have shared our conversation below.

Chelsea, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

Opening my private voice studio felt like a huge risk, and in many ways there are still risks involved one year later. When I began the process of setting up my studio, all I knew was that singing had been my life‘s work and joy, and that I wanted to extend the knowledge that I have gained to others who were looking to make singing feel good for themselves- within their own bodies.

The biggest challenge of this risk has been building the practice and skill of consistency. Providing a service is vulnerable. Singing is vulnerable. Collaboration is vulnerable. Maintaining the culture of the kind of studio that I want to run, where consistent service and consistent effort is the core of what both my students and I bring to the table, can often feel daunting. This feeling is even more prevalent on days when I feel that I am not making an impact. However, they reward in all of this has been the connections that I have made. I have been exposed to and worked with people that I feel I would not have met otherwise. I have had the opportunity to walk with my students through some of the toughest parts of their vocal journey- the parts that feel ugly, and I feel honored and blessed.

I am fortunate to have been exposed to the journey of entrepreneurship from a young age, as my parents started their fragrance and body care business, D & L fragrances when I was 10. Watching them work and being a part of the trial and error of learning how to run a business was my first extended lesson on how to hustle. I am and always will be a student of my fellow entrepreneurs and of this risk that I have taken, but I believe that it was the right one to take. Here’s to the headaches, the laughter, the long road ahead, and the leaps of faith to come.

Chelsea, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Chelsea Durrah. I am a voice instructor and choral director located in the upstate of South Carolina. I grew up with a family that will burst into a gospel rendition of any song at any given moment, a large circle of church musicians, and a strong choral community. All of these influences are a large part of what has led me to pursue music education as a private instructor and public school director.

My goal with my private students is to make singing feel good for them. I do this by helping them to navigate common sensations and sounds so that they can use the muscle groups that create them as a guide for maintaining a supported sound, rather than squeezing notes out and hoping for the best. This goal becomes broader when it comes to my work with choral students. My goal with them is to teach them functional musicianship that specifically pertains to the choral performance world. I teach them healthy habits and expectations that will allow them to make positive contributions no matter which musical community they choose to be a part of once their time in my choir has ended.

I am the most proud of the leader that teaching all of my students has taught me to be.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Word of mouth! I truly believe that your work will speak for you and your gifts will make room for you. Being consistent and creating results will bring the right people to your business.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I have always been a type A and anxious kind of person. If I don’t see movement, I get antsy. I had a voice teacher who once told me that, “you have to slow down to speed up.” These words have helped me through times when I felt like I was in limbo. I have had to unlearn the idea that faster and more are the only signs of success or progress. I am not teaching voice, I am teaching people. And because people are complex, I won’t always be able to time their progress or the results of our work towards their vocal goals. Not seeing immediate results does not mean that good things aren’t happening. Slow and steady CAN win the race!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://chelseajd.wixsite.com/durrah-studios
• Instagram: durrahstudios
• Facebook: Durrah Studios & Co.

Image Credits
Takesha Martin Rebecca Wise