Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Heather Petero. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Heather, thanks for joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

It is interesting—I never woke up one day and said, “I want to be a musician, private music teacher.” It really just happened. Looking back I can see how things just unfolded one day at a time, year after year.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I grew up in a very musical home and so singing and playing music was just part of our family. Most everyone sang or played an instrument. I started formal piano training when I was five years old. When I was thirteen I acquired my first professional position as a paid church pianist. When I was eighteen, I started directing choirs. As time went on I got more experience through performing and leading opportunities. In my twenties, I was in commercial radio as on-air voice talent and in a pop rock band. From classical, rock, jazz, to gospel and church music, I was always available and ready to do what was needed to lead, direct, or perform. In 1998, I had a teacher friend ask me to take over her teaching studio since she was moving. At first, I was not sure about teaching professionally . My mother was a school teacher and I knew I had the ability, but wasn’t sure I wanted to because of all the “stage kid” or “stage mom” horror stories that I had heard about. Well, she was very convincing and believed in me and really encouraged me. I did it and fell in love with the job. Now, twenty three years later, I can’t imagine doing anything else. I get to make a difference every day through teaching private voice and piano!

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is just that—the joy of being a creative. Creative by definition is one that has the power and ability to create. I also hope part of my definition is one that uses that power of creativity to make the world a better place. For me, my music, art, relationships, and life are all entwined. Who I am as a person dictates my art, how I run my studio, how I create curriculum, and even how I interact with vendors, students, parents, and others. Heart is everything. I hope that when I get to the end of my life, that the music I shared, the love I gave, and the life I lived will not be seen as separate things, but the collective of the creative whole person.

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

In 2020, the pandemic really changed our business as creative artist teachers. We had to adapt quickly, as did our students. It was all we could do to stay a step ahead of our students to hold on to our business. Many times we were all learning together. It also gave opportunities for others to create better tools. Zoom, Skype, and traditional video tools were adequate, but not the best with voice lessons as there was a lot of latency. I am thankful for the creators of these tools though and I think that the pandemic, though it was a huge struggle, helped to kickstart many teachers to newer and better horizons. With all of the bad things, there were also many good, if not great, things that also came out of this time. Because of the lack of performance gigs, it gave me an opportunity to practice on my own craft, learn new things in music technology, and how to utilize it to create more avenues of learning and income in my own studio.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.heatherpetero.com
• Instagram: singinsirengirl
• Facebook: Heather Petero Studios, Heather and the Tin Roof Band, Heather Petero
• Twitter: @singinsiren4him
• Youtube: Heather Petero
• Yelp: Heather P.