Mad About Music and Dance
It has been a voyage of discovery for one Reading mum who has gone from IT
manager to children’s musical maestro – in a leap of faith that has turned
her into a budding businesswoman.
But though Trish Nawacki’s business is dubbed MAD, she clearly has a long
way to go before the men in white coats arrive.
SHARON COOK found out more about this very dynamic City Woman.
When Trish became a mum for the first time it opened up a whole new yearning
– to become a teacher.
But she decided that, while waiting for her second daughter to arrive, there
was no point in doing the training. And now hosts of budding musicians and
dancers will no doubt be very grateful in the years to come that she made
that decision.
Trish said: “I have always been involved in the theatre world, and in music.
With my daughters Kerenza (aged four years) and Anna (almost one), I got
involved with a group called Musical Bunnies, which I ended up co-running. I
had to do the musical bits with the children and I got to really enjoy it.
“I almost had a calling to be a teacher. I just suddenly had a strong desire
to become a teacher.
“I realised the most important thing you can do, after being a mother, is to
teach and inspire children.”
Buoyed up by those beliefs Trish stumbled upon the couple who were behind
the Music and Dance Academy, known as MAD, while at the Reading Children’s
Festival. The rest, as they say, is history.
The classes are designed to encourage children up to around age four to have
fun with music and dance, help give them confidence, focus their energy, be
creative and help develop their social skills.
Said Trish: “It turned out they were looking for a pilot franchisee, to run
it for a term. Yes, I suppose I was their experiment. I was so taken with
the idea I just knew it was the right thing for me to do.
“I didn’t go out looking for my own business but it really appealed.”
For more than 20 years Trish, who is now 35, has been involved in amateur
dramatics. From her home town of Plymouth she used to sing in bands and as
part of a duo and, at one time while working for the Land Registry, set up a
theatre group that put on two highly successful productions as well as
teaching guitar at church.
Though Trish, who lives in Earley, had never really attempted to turn music
into a career, the idea of MAD seemed to pull the whole thing together.
“I thought there’s three of my passions here – children, wanting to teach,
and music,” she said.
But there was also a fourth element – running her own business. “I thought I
would never be brave enough to do it – now I’m working harder than I’ve ever
worked before. I did work hard before,” she added swiftly, “but it’s
different because I benefit from my own efforts.”
Her husband, she admits, was a bit bemused by the whole thing at first: “I
gave up quite a well paid job as an IT manager for a construction firm. But
he understood the teaching thing, that I had to get it out of my system, and
he has been very supportive.”
Trish is clearly dedicated to her work as she is doing it while looking
after two children – which, as she says and as every mother knows, is no
part-time job.
“You do beat yourself up a lot. You’ve got to believe that you are
superwoman – you want to believe it. When things don’t go right you’re very
hard on yourself.
“If you didn’t have that self belief you’d collapse into a heap. You have to
believe in yourself to run your own business.”
In fact Trish is already looking to expand the business and she has only
been going a few months.
“I’m looking for the right person to come along, who has perhaps got school
age children and wants a part-time job, to take some of the classes,” she
said.
Trish freely admits she has no plans to revive her own singing career
claiming she’s ‘a bit long in the tooth’. “I think Stars in Their Eyes is
about my limit now,” she said.
“MAD has done a lot for my own self confidence. I’ve had to do sales,
marketing, admin, cash flow, accounts. But you have to go for it. You only
get one chance.”
