Arin Wilson of a.L.w. Productions LLC is a dynamic 24-year-old black violist who loves to perform music for others. As an entrepreneur, she also teaches viola and violin lessons to her private students. Arin believes music is the therapy that soothes the soul. When she is not performing, she teaches general music to elementary school students in the Christina School District. Arin enjoys sharing her entrepreneurial experiences with others to encourage them to follow their dreams and never give up.

Stephanie Dawkins (SD): Tell us about your talent/business.

Arin Wilson (AW): I began my business in May 2022 and honestly never looked back. I began learning how to play the viola when I was 10 years old. I remember coming home from school after the strings presentation in 5th grade so excited to share my exciting news. I told my parents about the introduction of the viola so we had a serious talk about the responsibility of learning how to play an instrument. Learning how to play the viola was tricky initially because it was almost like learning a foreign language. At the age of 10, I learned how to practice and master songs assigned by my orchestra director. The reason why I enjoyed practicing so much is because my orchestra director made orchestra really fun. She had this incentive called “Strings Karate.” In order to receive a belt/ribbon you had to “master” a few techniques/songs each week to earn a belt. I’ve always liked a friendly competition so I told myself I was going to be the first musician out of my elementary orchestra to receive all of my belts and I succeeded! Fast forward to today, I realize that the only person I am in competition with is myself. I am always trying to perfect my skills so I can be the best musician God has called me to be. Truth be told I didn’t know how to get started with running my own business, but with constant encouragement from others, it pushed me to take the next step. Once I obtained my LLC it was time to get to work. I began listening to my favorite R&B, Pop, and Gospel music and then practiced playing my favorite songs on my instrument which built up the courage to record and post on social media. Once I began posting my music content on social media I started receiving lots of requests. I started learning new content on my viola, posted the music covers and I finally began receiving bookings.

SD: Why did you decide to become a business owner?

AW: I decided to become a business owner to show the public what musical gifts I have to offer. I am not just a musician, but I am also an educator. I really enjoy educating others about the viola and I want to put the viola on the map, especially in my home state; Delaware.

SD: Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?

AW: My dad has always told me that I am special and set apart; so is my instrument. When I attended the strings introduction presentation in 5th grade, the orchestra director played 3 stringed instruments; the violin, viola, and cello. The violin was played first and I liked the tone it had. Next was the viola. When I heard the viola, I felt as though the viola spoke to me. Its rich and deep tone is what intrigued me and I knew I was meant to play the viola. As I began learning how to play my instrument, I was told that the viola is an orphaned instrument. An orphaned instrument is an instrument that not a lot of people play and learning that bit of information made me love my instrument even more. If you look at a traditional orchestra, you will see a lot of white and Asian people performing, but not too many black people that look like me. I am a black woman who plays the viola and spells her name in a unique way; A-R-I-N. I believe all of these things are what sets me apart from others.

SD: What inspires you to do the work you do?

AW: Instead of saying “What inspires me to do the work I do,” I can definitely share who inspires me to do the work that I do; my grandfather and my uncle. My grandfather never had the opportunity to witness my musical talents, but I know if he were here today he would tell everyone about my musical gift. Actually when my grandfather passed he left me with an inheritance and I used it to purchase my viola and bow. Still to this day, I feel as though he is with me every single time I perform. So a.L.w are my initials and the reason why the “L” is capitalized is because my grandfather would always call me by my middle name; Lindsey.

One of my first public performances was held at The Queen and my uncle came to see me perform and he was ecstatic. He was the loudest one in the room screaming, “That’s my niece! That’s my niece” the entire time. That’s the last memory I have of my uncle before he passed away. I know my grandfather and uncle are looking down on me and are extremely proud. I want to continue to perform for them and show them how far this musical gift God has blessed me with will take me.

SD: Why will your business succeed?

AW: My business will succeed because I will continue to network. I enjoy reaching out to other black musicians especially string musicians whenever I have questions about engagements, how to promote my business, and any suggestions they may have when it comes to running a business. I know in order to be the best that I can be it is very important to also pour into other young entrepreneurs and pass on what I went through starting my business. Pay it forward.

SD: Do you believe entrepreneurship is for everyone?

AW: I believe entrepreneurship is only for people who believe in their gift/s, trust in God to run their business, and have faith that their business is going to succeed. Without these things, I do not believe being an entrepreneur would work out long-term.

SD: Thank you so much again for sharing all of this with us. Before we go, can you share with our readers how they can connect with you, learn more about what you do, and show support?

AW: They can follow me on Instagram (@a.l.w.productions), Facebook (Arin Wilson), and  Tiktok (@arinw1).