We were lucky to catch up with Giana Gallardo Hesterberg recently and have shared our conversation below.

Giana, appreciate you joining us today. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?

As an author, educator, and lifelong lover of music, I longed for nonfiction children’s books that were not boring. As a former classroom teacher, I saw that the large majority of my students picked fictional books to read when given the opportunity. Nonfiction books with real photos of people and/or objects did not appeal.

For the last several years, I have seasonally given private piano lessons. This was born out of being a piano student myself for 12 years. I am quite familiar with instructional books like those I first started learning with– Alfred’s Basic Piano Library. They have a certain ease and order when presenting musical concepts to beginners. I thought, “What if I created a book that introduced music theory to children and was actually FUN?!”

Thus, Music, Music, You Can Too! was born– my nonfiction children’s book that gets students up and moving around, and rhymes. I knew this would be a worthwhile endeavor simply because I saw no other literature like it that existed. When you have a highly specific niche that caters to a need and a particular audience, you WILL be successful!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I live in Brownsville, Texas, a small city on the border of Mexico. In high school, my claim to fame was that I attended the southernmost high school in the United States. Culture and music have always been a large part of my identity. When I was in 7th grade, my favorite English teacher told me I had a gift for writing. I began keeping a journal that year, a practice that has continued now more than 30 years later.

I majored in Elementary Education at Central College in Pella, Iowa, and am currently pursuing a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. I published my first book, Stories by the Seashore, a devotional, in 2019, and my second one, Music, Music, You Can Too!, a nonfiction children’s book, in 2020. Since then, I have given presentations on the writing and self-publishing process at different libraries, schools, and community literacy events. These are the moments I am most proud of– I love connecting with students and people in general.

What sets me apart is my experience. I have been an educator for close to 20 years, and my passport stamps and public speaking skills give me an edge in tailoring presentations to the needs of any given audience.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

One of the main things I think non–creatives struggle to understand about creatives is that our lives and careers typically do not look like theirs. I remember when I shared that I was resigning from being a classroom teacher after 7 years (a major career pivot), there were audible gasps in the room and comments like, “You can’t quit teaching! How will you survive?!”

That was more than 10 years ago, and I have been a nontraditional educator ever since. Many people in the world dedicate their entire lives to one profession. While I think that is beautiful and noble, I’m not one of them. The thought of doing any one thing for the rest of my life unsettles me.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I’ve had an author Facebook page (@gghesterberg) for about four years now. It was just last month that I received a notification from Facebook saying I can now qualify for royalties depending on how well my posts do. Building an audience, in general, takes time. I am thankful for every single person I interact with online and face-to-face. The fact that they believe in and support my product (whether that’s my books and/or me) humbles and inspires me.

I have no desire to be a household name, but I do want to make a positive difference in the lives of as many people as possible. Connecting with others is at the top of my list for building a base. If people trust you and/or your product, they will support and follow you.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.storiesbytheseashore.com
• Facebook: @gghesterberg