We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Erica Calvert a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Erica thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

My parents told me that when I was a toddler I pointed out the window and said, “Airshine.” My mom thought that maybe I came up with another word for “sunshine.” I started using Airshine as my brand-name when I was in grade school. I’d write it on the back of hand made greeting cards, or anything that I wanted to stamp as my own. My word for my work.

When it came time to name the business, Airshine was the only word that seemed to fit. Then I thought about music filling the air of the room where it’s being played or performed. Doesn’t it make the air seem to shine with sound?

Before I had made the business name official, I felt awkward when I said “Airshine” out loud. It’s a made-up word that I said when I was 18 months old that had no real meaning to anyone outside my family. When it came time to put pen to paper and apply for a business license, it became official and the whole world could use this word, my word.

Now, 14 years later, Airshine is a meeting place for teachers, students, creatives, artists and friends to gather. I’m so happy that this word has meaning for so many who are part of the community and make the school shine with their music and their presence.

Erica, 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?

I’m a pianist, vocalist and music educator who got into teaching in high school. I made my way to San Diego to study Music at Point Loma Nazarene University and settled in after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 2006. After five years in the non-profit arts sector, I made my way back to PLNU to earn a Teaching Credential and Masters. Since undergrad, I had a dream to start a music school that would serve students and teachers, who really are teaching artists. I wanted to become an educator who could create a well-rounded and rigorous program and give voice to students’ artistic ideas to express their creativity.

I’m committed to the craft of teaching, solid pedagogy and incorporating innovation with technology and educational research. At the same time, I’m committed to my craft as an musical artist, expressing myself to grateful audiences and inspiring my students to do the same by my example. I’m so proud to be working alongside brilliant teaching artists who share this vision and goal and make me better at what I do.

Airshine provides private lessons in piano, voice, guitar and ukulele. In Fall 2023, we started a Vocal Ensemble for young singers to find their voice as an individual and as a group. It’s our goal to create a student band that will play with the ensemble and perform together.

For little music makers, Airshine offers a preschool class that gets children 3-5 singing, dancing and moving together. The class gets children comfortable and confident to make music with others and prepares them to learn an instrument and sing when they’re ready for lessons or classes.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

The biggest pivot in business came in March 2020. The pandemic was in motion and schools were closing for 2 weeks (or so we thought) and I had a weekend to adjust. I jumped into action to do what all businesses did: go online. Over the next two days, I emailed all students and parents to inform them of how Airshine would be adjusting to keep music lessons coming to them during the lockdown and the logistics of connecting with their teachers over Skype and Zoom. By Monday, plans were in place and services to our students were uninterrupted. It took a while to get used to using the technology, keeping materials organized and trying to find a quiet place to teach in a house with a 7- and 5-year old. But we all did it and we live to tell the tale.

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

I had the idea for a product in 2017 that I could use to teach piano to preschool children. But I had no idea how to make it or manufacture it. I had no contacts in the field, but I had Google. I reached out to the San Diego Woodworking Group on Facebook to find a maker for the prototype that lived on paper. Thankfully, the first manufacturer I reached out to was a great fit. The other maker I worked with was my artist friend Gil Ruiz, who had done countless graphic designs projects for me in my public radio days and when I first started my business. The three of us collaborated for years and then we hit a wall. The woodworker moved out of San Diego and the woodworker she recommended was not up for the task. Gil and I gave each other countless pep talks about staying the course and holding on to the hope that we would find the right manufacturer. Gil searched and found RC LaserCraft, where we met Jerry Roca and his amazing team of makers who share our passion for education and innovation. We are in the final stages of prototyping and will be launching The Piano Key Puzzle later this year.

What have I learned along the way? Remember why you started and let your why fuel your passion. A closed door does not mean you should quit; it means you need to find a new door. When you find a good partner, lean in, go together and be grateful.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.airshinemusicschool.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/airshine_music
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/airshinemusic
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericacalvertmusic/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/airshine-music-school-san-diego-2?osq=airshine