Meet Eva.
Eva Zust
from
Joyful Sounds
Tell us about yourself
I’m located in Bligh Park, and love to call the Hawkesbury my home. The access I have to such beautiful surroundings, local op shops, cafes, bush walks, my church community, plants me firmly here and it brings me so much joy! I moved out to the Hills for a year in my mid 20’s but it wasn’t for me- out in ‘the sticks’ was definitely for me. I’ve always loved music, whether it was playing an instrument, singing, or dancing in the loungeroom. It has been a point of connection, and shared moments between family and friends for as long as I can remember. I loved music so much that I attended Nirimba TAFE back in the early 2000’s after I finished school to learn how to create music and record. Sound engineering is still one of my main passions, that luckily is a great tool to have as a music teacher.
Tell us about your business
My main goal is to make music accessible to all ages, and all walks of life. Whether you’re a beginner still learning your alphabet, used to learn when you were at school and need some help getting back into it, or simply want to try something new. The biggest task as a teacher is finding what makes each student tick- how do they learn, what excites them, and what will help them keep these skills long term.
What's the heart behind your business?
My heart is to equip people of any age to access music, and for them to find creativity and joy in that- then I feel like I’m doing my job well. If it’s something they can sustain outside of our weekly lessons, and something they take with them through life.
What does a typical, or ideal, work day look like for you?
Depends when I start! My hours are flexible and are different every day depending on whether I’m teaching after school/work, or homeschool families. At the start of the day I see who I have for lessons, set the loungeroom up with all our resources, and plan our lessons. Usually I keep my phone close incase I get new student enquiries, or my current students end up in a pickle and need to postpone. I’ll have a quick cup of tea before lessons start, then swing the door open for my first student and keep going until dinner time! (If I’m clever I’ve put the slow cooker on, or have something premade ready to go for dinner. So I can close the door on the last student and go straight to eating! No one wants to eat at 8:00pm?)
Have there been any struggles in your business that you've overcome? What did you learn from them?
Time management and learning when to close my laptop! You don’t have to be on call 24/7 if you run your own business. Have good boundaries and make them clear, so when you are present you can work efficiently.
What's been a highlight for you in business?
When parents share the excitement their child has about lessons, and how that manifests at home with their child practising. If it’s my adults, when they come to lessons with questions, ideas, or goals they’ve achieved at home at practice. End of year concerts are such a highlight, when you see everyone’s hard work come to fruition, and family and friends cheer them on!
What advice would you give others wanting to start a business?
Have key people you can bounce ideas off. Be consistent. Don’t underestimate the power of social media and word of mouth. Be proactive in finding work, don’t wait for them to find you, you find them and tell them why they should pick you! Learn what your strengths are- you need to believe in yourself first.
How can people find you?
joyfulsounds.au on facebook
@joyfulsounds.au on instagram
