Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Linda Wehrli. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Linda, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?
Agreed. The story begins back in the 1990s during an interview with LA Parent magazine. She asked me to describe what services my business provides to the community. Drawing and Painting classes and Piano Lessons for ages 7 and up was my simple answer. Going into depth on how the curriculum develops lifelong artistic and musical skills that fuel a passion for the arts, prompted the interviewer to comment, “Those are pastimes that can be enjoyed for a lifetime!” I replied, “Yes, pastimes for a lifetime!” This resonated like a bell in my mind – that truly is my mission! Since a business name should reflect its purpose, I took the leap and switched the teaching practice from my personal name to Pastimes for a Lifetime, and haven’t looked back since.
Linda, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
It’s an honor to meet your readers. I’m an art and piano teacher based in Valley Glen, California. Sharing my joy and passion for art and music with my students and sparking theirs is a privilege. My students are my inspiration. Helping them achieve their goals and delight their souls is my calling.
Full disclosure – learning to draw, paint, or play the piano can be challenging. As a child and teen my mom knew I was searching for a more robust no-nonsense curriculum to develop my drawing, painting and piano playing skills. She understood I wanted more than to just draw or paint pictures or play songs. I wanted to master the craft.
It was a desert for the most part. Remember, there was no internet in the 1960s and 1970s. Just the Yellow Pages and word of mouth. My mom found a few good piano teachers who were supportive but taught rote from a teacher’s curriculum. Good foundation but uninspiring. Art classes were hit or miss. As a young adult, I even cleaned an art studio in exchange for classes that taught random techniques but no curriculum. It was difficult to remember which techniques to use when.
By the time I was an adult, I had amassed a number of art and piano techniques. A year into marriage, my hubby suggested I create an art curriculum while we developed our piano curriculum. It had to have a checksheet that moved the student from basic to more advanced techniques, gently on a gradient with a Certificate of Completion at the end of the course.
The pilot art and piano programs were tested in real time in the courseroom and refined from student feedback. It took a village, but today we have published several piano instruction books that my husband and I teach from with compliments from fellow teachers and university professors.
The Drawing and Painting curriculums while not officially published yet, are provided to each student either in studio or emailed for Zoom art classes. The Drawing programs include courses in Graphite, Charcoal, Pen and Ink and Gray Colored Pencil. For the Painting programs, Oil Pastel, Watercolors, Acrylics, Water-Soluble Oils and Chalk Pastel curriculum are available. A no-nonsense robust curriculum comes with unique, actionable information. (I wish I had these programs back in my day.)
I’ll let you in on a little secret: My unpleasant experiences in various art and piano programs and with certain blasé or harsh instructors turned out to be my best teachers. They not only informed me what not to do but emphasized the importance of teaching with humor and humility!
The studio environment, both online and live, allows me to listen to each student’s questions and concerns and answer them in real-time. Providing a more intimate learning environment stems from my personal mantra borrowed from American novelist and science fiction writer, Robert Anson Heinlein: “When one teaches, two learn.”
Students have grown up in my studio. I take pleasure in helping them with letters of recommendation and scholarship applications to universities. Many stay in touch, keeping me apprised of their accomplishments. Looking back over the years and the years to come, Pastimes for a Lifetime has proven to be more than art and piano classes. It’s a village of creative and supportive art and music spirits. Proud art and piano teacher.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
My childhood dream of being a teacher took a back seat while I pursued a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from California State University Northridge (CSUN), majoring in Marketing. My parents convinced me having this degree would open doors to any field I chose afterwards, including the arts.
Also taking a back seat were my art classes and piano lessons due to the intense study required by my professors. To stay connected to the arts, I minored in Graphic Design. The connection between Marketing and Graphic Design proved invaluable as a business owner later in life.
After graduating, I took employment in the marketing departments of various companies, each providing life lessons as well as business skills. After marriage, the last firm I worked at allowed me to work from home with an Apple II and a fax machine!
Not having to commute allowed me time to start a small teaching practice in our home. Business grew with our living room and dining room filled to the brim with art and piano students. At that point, the firm closed shop, allowing me to keep the computer and fax machine. This was the moment the universe tapped me on the shoulder and said, “You go girl! Full time art and piano teacher all the way!”
No safety net. Just a deep breath and supportive family and friends while I bootstrapped my school, eventually moving it from the living room (to my husband’s great relief) to the charming cottage where the school resides to this day.
I’ve come full circle, following my childhood dream of being a teacher while feeding my inner business maven. The path was far from straight, and downright challenging at times. Knowing my passion makes a difference in students’ lives kept me on that path to this day.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Word of mouth. Trust. Results. Referrals are a business owner’s best friend. Happy students who grow up to continue their passion for the arts either as a vocation or avocation have built Pastimes for a Lifetime’s reputation for over 25 years. We’re more than a school. We’re a community of artists and pianists with a passion for the arts.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.pastimesinc.com//
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pastimesinc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PastimesInc
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindawehrli/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/PastimesInc
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/PastimesInc
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/pastimes-for-a-lifetime-valley-glen-5
Image Credits
Linda Wehrli