We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Holly Slice. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Holly below.

Alright, Holly thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Before we jump in with a few questions, can you take a moment to introduce yourself, your companies, and share what you feel sets your businesses apart?

For my personal work life, I am a music therapist, teacher, performer, and church musician. I also own a performance-based business, Lowcountry Pianist & Company, and a music-education business, SC Music Lessons. Each of those businesses have a team of 20-30 musicians.

Lowcountry Pianist & Company provides live music services within Charleston, SC, and surrounding areas including Greenville, Columbia, Bluffton, Hilton Head, and Savannah! We love to travel and visit new places. Our musicians are available as soloists or ensembles for weddings, retirement centers, corporate events, dinner parties, funerals, accompanying, and more! We consistently strive to do our best in all areas as we believe our clients deserve the highest quality. It is our honor to be a part of intimate gatherings and grand celebrations, enhancing each event with music!

SC Music Lessons provides virtual and in-person learning opportunities on a variety of instruments. We currently offer in-person lessons in the Lowcountry with plans to expand to other regions of the state in the future. There are so many benefits to learning music and we love seeing the growth of our students who range from age 3 to 70+. 

We appreciate you sharing that overview with us! You recently shared with us that you have become a new mom and in response, you have been reflecting on your own childhood. We’d love to hear about the ways your parents have influenced you and how those things have impacted your career and life.

Until this summer, a large part of my identity was found in in these two statements:

“I am a musician.”

“I am an entrepreneur.”

My life recently changed for the better though as we welcomed our son, Avery, into this world and now another part of my identity is developing:

“I am a mama.”

Becoming a new mom has been a wonderful and humbling experience. I personally believe that an individual’s potential is influenced by both nature and nurture; therefore, how can I be intentional with ensuring Avery has the knowledge and resources he needs to reach his full potential and develop his own identity?

I’ve been spending time in reflection over the past few months, specifically recalling many memories from my own childhood. What did my parents teach me and what opportunities did they provide me that have influenced both my life and my career?

A Love of Music

As the owner of a music performance business (Lowcountry Pianist & Company LLC) and a music education business (SC Music Lessons LLC), I’m forever grateful that my parents instilled in me a love for music and provided me the opportunity to take piano lessons from the time I was a preschooler.

When I was around 8 years old, I wanted to quit piano lessons. Almost every student I have ever known has wanted to quit at some point as there are mountains, valleys, and plateaus in learning and motivation. I can’t stress enough how glad I am that my parents would not let me quit during that stage and had a vision for the future when I did not. They treated music like any subject in school and I completed piano assignments just like math, history, etc. My life now would be drastically different without music. Music is how I express my faith, how I cope with stress, how I release creativity, how I am able to earn a living, and so much more.

A Longing to Learn

In our home, books were incorporated into each day. Some of my earliest memories are of my mom being our chauffeur while my dad would read to me in the backseat. Multiple studies have shown that reading to children not only boosts language development but also sets the foundation for being successful in school. Most importantly though, I believe reading books instilled in me a longing to learn. This has been one of my motivators in pursuing entrepreneurship because there is always something new to study!

Also, with learning came questions – lots of them. I was a “why” child, to which my dad would often respond, “Go look it up.” Although at the time I wanted the quick answer, I now see that he was fostering independence. Owning a business, especially without a business degree, has required me to seek the answers to a plethora of questions that arise.

An Appreciation of Organization

My parents had careers in computer programming and education. They both gave attention to detail and taught me how to do the same. Calendars and spreadsheets were second nature to me by the time I graduated high school. Without the organizational skills, it would be nearly impossible to coordinate live music for over 600 events per year and schedule private music lessons for over 100 students.

A Determined Spirit

Children learn so much from observation. Although my parents fostered determination within me, I often saw the benefits of determination from the life choices they made. Specifically, my mom designed our house and my dad did much of the work with his own hands, which took almost 3 years. He would work his full-time job and then dedicate his evenings and weekends to our home. Although I did not have the opportunity to see the process (as I was not born until the completion of the house), I grew up with a sense of pride in our home because I knew the hard work and determination it had taken my parents to bring their vision to fruition. Similarly, creating a successful business has not been a quick process but a long-term vision.

Additionally, their determination to be debt free motivated my parents’ decisions and they taught me to be wise with finances. When I was a little girl, I wanted a porcelain doll; however, since it wasn’t a need and wasn’t close to my birthday or Christmas, they encouraged me to save my allowance until I was able to purchase the doll. It took delayed gratification and that has carried over into entrepreneurship as I’ve had to pace myself when making financial decisions.

A Desire to Know God

Finally, and most importantly, my parents desired that I know God and strengthen my faith. Weekly involvement in church was the norm in our home. It was also the place where my parents encouraged a giving spirit, dedicating time, talent, and tithes. A Christian worldview influences every area of my life, including how I operate my businesses. The greatest commandment in the Bible is to love God and to love others as you would love yourself; therefore, I try to follow “the golden rule” with those who work for me and the clients we serve.

Thank you for sharing those stories with us! Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot as a business owner?

Part of starting a business is signing up for the unknown and unpredictable. I’ve learned if an idea doesn’t take off, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re not a good business owner. Instead, it could simply be that the market can’t support that idea. In addition to my two businesses, I’ve pursued other ventures that the market didn’t support, and that’s okay! Every experience has been a great learning opportunity and encouraged me to pivot, heading in a different direction. You’ll never move forward if you choose to remain still.

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

I’m grateful that I’m able to do what I truly love for a living. To me, that’s living the dream! The most rewarding part of my job is being able to make a difference through music. I’m there when a groom is moved to tears at a wedding, when a daughter gives the eulogy at her mother’s funeral, and when a gentleman who has dementia recalls a story from his childhood. It’s an honor to be able to connect with so many people through music.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lowcountrypianist.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/lowcountry_pianist
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/lowcountrypianist
• Other: www.scmusiclessons.com

Image Credits
Image Credits: Outdoor Team Photo – E Bea Photography (Molly Lawson) Holly at Baby Grand – E Bea Photography (Molly Lawson) Holly with Baby at Piano – Carrie Clicks (Carrie Watford) Baby Grand Photo (No People) – Holly Slice