Vote for Riny and Julie for Student Entrepreneur of the Year Zwolle!
Imagine this: you meet during your studies, hit it off instantly, and a few years later, you're running a business together. That’s precisely what happened to Riny Douma and Julie Verkooijen. Both are studying Jazz & Pop at the Academy of Music in Zwolle, juggling student life with running their own business: Muziekles Harderwijk. And people are taking notice. With nearly forty students and a second location on the way, these young entrepreneurs have rightfully earned a nomination for Zwolle's Student Entrepreneur of the Year award. “Every town should have its own music school,” they say.
The nomination for Student Entrepreneur of the Year Zwolle came as a surprise to Riny and Julie, but to them, it also feels like a powerful recognition of all their hard work. “We started out really small, with no real plan, and now here we are. It’s such an honor to be nominated,” Julie says with pride. Riny adds, “It shows we must be doing something right. It’s a great acknowledgment of everything we’ve built so far.”
Just a passion that grew
And they’ve built quite a bit, especially considering they’re still students. It all started in Riny’s second year of studies, with a small practice room, two drum kits, and just one student. That first step toward what would become their own music school quickly turned into something more. Julie, who had teaching experience before starting the Academy of Music, offered to start giving guitar lessons at the same location. “I’d taken a break from teaching, but was keen to pick it up again, and Riny had already found a practice space,” she explains. Soon enough, more students - and even other teachers - began to sign up, and the two realized it was time to take things to the next level.
Riny says, “As freelancers, we were both sending out a bunch of invoices each month, and things got pretty chaotic. That’s one of the reasons we decided to join forces and officially register as a partnership.”
Interestingly, neither of them had a grand vision of starting a music school. “It just kind of happened,” Riny laughs. “And it’s still growing, which is amazing—especially because music and teaching are what we love most. It sounds like a cliché, but it really doesn’t feel like work.”
Thriving without subsidies
So why is Muziekles Harderwijk thriving, while many other music schools are forced to shut their doors? Riny explains, “A lot of municipalities are cutting back on cultural funding, which means subsidies for music schools are disappearing. We’ve never relied on those, we’re completely self-sustaining.” Julie nods. “And that’s actually made us more driven. The demand for music education is shrinking, and that makes us even more motivated to keep teaching. Music is our passion, but it’s also a crucial part of child development. It gives kids an outlet, a way to process emotions. That’s why we believe every town should have a music school, but unfortunately, there just isn’t enough support or funding.”
Students first
Do they struggle to juggle studies with running a business? Not anymore. “Those early days were intense,” says Julie. “We were learning how to deal with bookkeeping, admin, emails; everything all at once. But now it’s more about maintaining things.” She laughs, “Though we are setting up a second location right now, so it’s still full-on.” “I don’t think I can sit still,” Riny admits. “That’s the double-edged sword of entrepreneurship: you’re always on. We close for four weeks in summer, but even then, I get messages from teachers. You can’t just lock the door and unplug. Still, the joy it brings and the impact we see in our students makes it all so worth it.”
Julie says she finds it incredibly rewarding to be building something even before graduation. “Once we finish our studies, we already have an income, that’s a really good feeling.”
Asked what makes their school unique, Riny says, “We try to keep everything as accessible and relaxed as possible. We still teach ourselves too, that connection with students is really important to us.”
The only arts students in the running
They’re proud to be the only arts students competing for the title this year. “I really feel like a Zwollenaar now,” Riny says. “I started living on my own here, built my network here. Zwolle feels more like a village where you always run into someone you know.” And being the only arts-based business in the competition? “That’s super cool,” Julie says. “These days, art education and entrepreneurship go more hand-in-hand than ever. Our studies actually encouraged that mindset.” Riny nods. “In the end, it’s what you make of it. Some students just want to play music, and that’s fine, but I think having a business mindset as an artist really helps. You have to be creative not just in your art, but in how you approach the business side of things, too.”
They’re not making huge plans for the future just yet. “Music schools in every city,” Julie jokes. “Okay, maybe a third location someday, but mostly we want to expand in other ways.” “Like offering band coaching or workshops,” Riny adds. “Right now we’re pretty focused on one-on-one lessons, but in the future, I see us growing into a real community space, maybe collaborating more with the neighborhood.”
Vote!
Student Entrepreneur of the Year Zwolle is organized by INN’regio Zwolle and is now in its fifth year. It’s a celebration of students who’ve launched businesses alongside their studies. In addition to a jury award, there’s also a public vote, so you can support Riny and Julie right now by casting your vote online. A small gesture, but it means the world. Thank you!
