Meet Katrina & Charles Winters | Owners of Miami String Haus

We had the good fortune of connecting with Katrina & Charles Winters and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katrina & Charles, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
The most important factor behind the success of our brand is that we incorporate education with sales and service individualized to every musician. Starting inside the walls of our Haus showroom and traveling to schools and music programs, our team offers training on string instrument care like no other. These presentations take place at public and private schools, Miami Music Project chapter locations, University of Miami, and Florida International University, among others. Presentation highlights include the origin of violin-making, quality instrument construction, and how to care for string instruments. In our showroom, we share a brief version of this presentation to each of our clients so they are better prepared to make informed decisions. We value education and so do our clients. As we share our love for musical instruments, our clients develop a deeper appreciation for the musical world we live in. In addition, we enjoy building relationships with our community educators and their students by offering a special program in-Haus where resident junior apprentices are taught about the fascinating world of luthiery (building, repairing, and restoring fine string instruments). We appreciate the unique opportunity to incorporate education into every aspect of our brand. It is an honor to give back to schools and music programs, and we look forward to the future of music in our community.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Charles began as a private music teacher and orchestra director at a local private school for several years. Upon realizing that students deserved quality instruments in schools, he began his search of finding better instruments and easier setups for students to learn on. He offered students higher-end instruments for learning at competitive prices. Katrina studied business in college and played an instrument throughout middle and high school. After years of working at a local university and gaining extensive administrative skills, she decided to pursue her dream of going into business and joining her husband as his partner in the shop.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Other than Miami String Haus, which all musicians should visit when in town, we have discovered many hidden gems in South Florida. We have both been living in the city together for over a decade, but Charles was born and raised in Miami. We have a good working relationship with Walt Grace Vintage. It is a must-visit when in Miami. We also often recommend The Citadel which is a food hall and mixed-use space near our shop. They have live music on the rooftop as well as a stage for professional performances and an in-house orchestra. As busy entrepreneurs, we typically like places that have random daily specials or quick service. Where the locals eat – Flanigan’s feeds us often with their amazing daily specials.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Dale Cockrum- trusted luthier serving Miami String Haus Dr. Lee Stone, for encouraging a love for music
Belmont University – School of Music, for creating an exciting environment to study music and business
Grandfather Charles Winters, for introducing music at a young age
Current clients who have shared our business and trusted us to take care of their needs.

Website: www.miamistring.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/miamistring

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/miami-string-llc-/?viewAsMember=true

Twitter: https://twitter.com/miamistring?lang=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MiamiString/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/miami-string-el-portal-2

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsZhF4h0XYz6P9W1ZeZkdPg