Monkey Chatter

Identical twin sisters, Laura and Ruth are the latest franchise owners to join the Monkey Music Family.  We recently caught up with them in their home town of Edinburgh, where they’ve recently launched classes.

Tell us what motivated you to become Monkey Music Franchisees?

Our first experience of Monkey Music was in 2019 when we attended our first ever Monkey Music class together with our babies. We were both blown away by the experience and could not believe the impact the class had on our little ones. They were completely mesmerised by the sounds of the instruments and captivated by the teacher and music. We loved seeing our babies develop from week to week and we often spoke about how we would love to be a part of the Monkey Music family in the future.

After the birth of our second babies, we became aware that there was an opportunity to re-open Monkey Music classes close to where we live as they had recently closed.We started to think seriously about the Monkey Music business opportunity so we could bring the joy of Monkey Music back to Scotland for Scottish children and families.

What did you do before applying to Monkey Music?

We were both Primary Teachers, working in Edinburgh Schools for over 10 years and during this time we taught across all age groups, but found our real passion was in teaching in nursery and Primary 1 as we love the enthusiasm, imagination and joyful energy young children bring to the classroom.

Music always played a crucial role in the day to day running of our classrooms and we have both seen the joy, excitement and learning that singing, dancing and playing musical instruments can bring to children. Music can lift the mood in the classroom, improve concentration, boost self-esteem and develop children’s creativity and imagination.  

We have always been passionate about creating a nurturing, inclusive and engaging environment for children to thrive in academically and socially and we hope that we can bring this same passion to Monkey Music classes in Edinburgh.

What are you looking forward to most in bringing Monkey Music back to your local community?

There has been a shortage of of premium music classes available in Edinburgh, which has been a huge loss for babies, toddlers and families. We cannot wait to welcome back familiar families and also introduce new families to Monkey and the wonderful original music and experiences.  We are excited to see children and carer’s engaging with the songs, developing skills and confidence and sharing precious time together.

What aspects of Monkey Music's mission and values resonated with you?

Everything about Monkey Music resonated wholeheartedly with us! We have seen first-hand through our teaching experience and also through attending classes with our own children, the power that music can have on babies, toddlers and children. It sparks imagination and creativity and helps children to begin to make sense of themselves and the world around them.

We really related to the idea of “sharing precious time together” and believe this could not be more vital in an ever-changing world where technology and the pace of life means connection is becoming less of a priority. We love that Monkey Music classes offer a means for parents to connect fully with their babies, with no distractions; they are able to be present and enjoy sharing time with them exploring sound and music together.

What kind of support and guidance have you received from Monkey Music to help launch your franchise?

We have received so much support from the Head Office Support Team at Monkey Music who have guided us through every step of the way. Writing and presenting our Business Plan was a big challenge as neither of us have business backgrounds and having been stay at home mums for the past few years, it felt very daunting, however, the business plan template was clear and straightforward and we had the support of the team at Monkey Music Head Office to deal with any questions we had - we actually really enjoyed presenting our business plan!

We received extensive teacher and business training which covered all aspects of running our business and the comprehensive Business Manual will be invaluable to us in the day to day running of our business going forward so we feel very confident about our launch in January.

What has been your most memorable moment to becoming a Monkey Music franchisee so far?

During teacher training we had the opportunity to teach part of a Rock’n’Roll and Heigh-Ho class to babies/toddlers and their carers. This experience was amazing! It was wonderful to see the little ones and the grown ups engage with the lesson, joining in with actions and songs, playing instruments and smiling away! It has made us SO excited to launch our own classes and build relationships with our own families in Edinburgh.

What do you find most rewarding about being part of the Monkey Music family?

We love observing other teachers and being inspired by their amazing ideas and creativity.  The community of teachers are so friendly and willing to offer ideas and share their experiences – it is such a supportive environment. The Monkey Music family are always striving to make the services we offer to families even better and this means it is an incredibly rewarding organisation to be a part of.

What advice would you offer to others considering a Monkey Music franchise opportunity?

If you are passionate about music and love working with children, Monkey Music is a wonderful way to create a career out of your passion. Don’t be put off if you don’t come from a business or teaching background as the training and support in place from the Monkey Music Head Office Support Team means the whole process is broken down into small steps.

If you’d like to find out more and enrol in their weekly classes, simply click here https://www.monkeymusic.co.uk/area/edinburgh