Meet Brenda Earle Stokes | Piano/Voice Teacher and Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brenda Earle Stokes and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brenda, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
After years of freelancing as a musician and music teacher, I decided it was time to become more intentional about my work an income. I had been dabbling in online courses for a few years, and decided during the pandemic that it was time to dive in and see if I could make something that had more impact. At the same time, I had been doing a lot of work supporting other “experts” in the business and I decided it was time for me to step out as the expert.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a jazz pianist, vocalist and composer with a never ending curiosity for learning new things. It’s this hunger for knowledge that has led to my wonderfully varied career as a recording artist, composer, music educator, church organist, early childhood educator, piano bar entertainer and choral conductor. It’s this versatility that makes me unique in my field and definitely adds to what I offer my students.

Every step of the way I have allowed myself to follow my interests with an unconscious confidence that I would somehow figure things out. This helped me immensely when I started my online music education membership The Versatile Musician.

This wide variety of expertise means I have an incredible range of courses and tutorials that I offer my members, which has made a huge impact in their learning. My willingness to try things and trust that I can figure it out meant that I was able to build out this course without needing extensive training or support. When I didn’t know something, I took a coaching with someone and just kept going.

The Versatile Musician is an all-inclusive online membership that teaches piano skills, music theory, ear training, singing and musicianship. The membership consists of nearly one thousand unique tutorials, hundreds of pages of print materials and live support. The Versatile Musician serves professional and avocational musicians around the world and offers a boutique experience for a low monthly fee.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in New York City, so the possibilities are endless. I would definitely take them on a jazz safari to Smalls and Mezzrow downtown with a stop at Smoke Jazz Club uptown. I am also a big museum buff and we would stop in at The Met Museum and zip up to my favorite museum – The Museum of the City of New York.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My biggest shoutout goes out to my husband Gerard, who supports my wild and wonderful ideas every step of the way. Every time I think it’s time to throw in the towel, he always tells me that I always find a way of figuring things out. It’s because of his support that my business has become as successful as it is.

Website: https://pianoandvoicewithbrenda.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brendaearlestokes/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrendaEarleStokes/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/pianoandvoicewithbrenda

Other: Artist Website: https://brendaearle.com