One of the stops from the trip around Greensburg was an art & music studio called 12th Octave in downtown Greensburg, right near the Greensburg Library.
They are open:
- 4:00 PM–9:00 PM Wed thru Fri
- 8:00 AM–9:00 PM on Saturday
- 2:00 PM–9:00 PM Sun thru Mon
- 3:00 PM–9:00 PM on Tuesday
They offer private lessons for piano, guitar, bass guitar, percussion, mandolin, saxophone, violin, ukulele, voice, and trumpet, as well as group mini-sessions for Home School Music, Beginning Violin, Music 101, Music Theory, and Bandwagons. Though they’re primarily a music studio, they offer art and creative writing lessons as well as other creative skills.
12th Octave began as an idea in 2008, one that Sharon Bratton had while working with young musicians. The idea to open a “music school / coffee shop” was one that stayed with her for years, all the way until 12th Octave was incorporated in 2018. In June of 2019, Sharon and her business partner Dan opened a music studio in Greensburg, after she realized she wanted one relatively close to her home in Monroeville. The music studio was opened to the public as 12th Octave in August of 2019. Their business mission is centered around “establishing a sense of community in the studio to foster a life-long love of learning,” as it mentions on their website.
The interior of the building is cozy and comfortable, with a relaxed atmosphere that surely puts students at ease. The original owners had planned for a “coffee house” vibe, and they’ve certainly succeeded in their intentions. The instructors are kind and welcoming, and they do their best to accommodate you and make sure you are able to feel at ease in the space. Overall, the building itself feels like a place to learn without too much added stress, allowing students to have fun with their learning instead of having to worry about mistakes.
12th Octave has also been involved in several events in the community. They’re usually part of the Greensburg Art Walk as a stop along the way, where they hold a type of “scavenger hunt” through the building as a way to spread the word about the business. They’ve also been a part of the Greensburg Night Market every single year it’s been held, except for the very first. They have internship opportunities available as well, and they would love the opportunity to talk to students about helping with hosting events and being a presence in the studio.
They’ve had a few hardships, most notable of which was the COVID-19 pandemic that happened the year after they opened. Almost immediately, they had to learn how to adapt and adjust to the differences that caused problems for many other local businesses as well. On top of that, they had to accommodate for the health problems of one of the original owners. Because of this, they had to get used to trusting the instructors to open and lock up the studio when they weren’t there. They also experimented with several different class and payment models before they were finally able to find one that allowed the business to thrive.
When asked about personal qualities or valuable skills needed for running a business, Sharon replied that “persistence and ‘stick-to-it-iveness’ is key.” She also mentioned that flexibility, decent people skills, and a never-give-up attitude are some of the most important personal qualities to have in order to run a business. Running a business is difficult, especially a local one, and supporting local businesses makes all the difference for the owners. It shows that people respect the time and effort that they have put into making a special place to provide for the community. It also could encourage more local businesses to appear, so if you want to make your community a better place, go ahead and support businesses that are right there in your own community!
