Orpheus Blog

December Students of the Month

12/1/2023

Ethan K.

"Ethan began piano lessons at Orpheus this semester and he has been a joy to teach. He always comes prepared to his lessons and is super eager to show off the music he figures out on his own during his practice each week. He is self motivated and incredibly musical; I'm very excited to continue watching him grow in his musical skills."
- Ms. Gloria

“I am very happy to be nominated and super excited to be Mrs Gloria’s student. I love music and playing piano! I also like to learn guitar!”
- Ethan K.

Deesha T

“I would like to nominate Deesha for student of the month. In under a year of piano lessons, Deesha has made tremendous progress because of her serious attitude toward music making. I look forward to working with her every week not only because of her thorough preparation, but most importantly, she listens thoughtfully and thinks actively every single second during the lessons. I am impressed that we can cover more than expected materials all the time, making every lesson super productive. Passion and diligence are truly essential in pursuing a musician's life, and I see both in Deesha. Can't wait for what her future holds and the incredible accomplishments that lie ahead in her musical journey!”
- Ms. Tingting

“Ms. Tingting - Thanks again for being an awesome piano teacher. I will always be grateful to you for your support and kindness !!”
- Deesha T.

Mallory S.

"It is my pleasure to nominate Mallory S. for student of the month. Throughout her years of studying the guitar, Mallory has shown a true passion for music. She has been able to balance consistent improvement on classical guitar with choosing repertoire and projects that truly reflect her own unique musical style. Some of her latest successes include co-creating a fantastic custom arrangement of Malagueña for guitar duo, and preparing a special program of music from many different styles and historical periods for her graduation recital on guitar. She will be one of Orpheus' graduating seniors this coming Spring 2024: I look forward to working with Mallory on creating an amazing recital, and congratulating her as she moves on to an exciting future in college and beyond!"
- Mr. Vijay

“I am honored to be nominated as student of the month by my guitar teacher, Vijay. I have been studying classical guitar for almost four years now. I enjoy being able to express my passion for music through the pieces I choose to learn at Orpheus. I am looking forward to my senior recital this spring!”
- Mallory S.

Anna C.

"I am happy to nominate Anna for student of the month. She is an extremely hard-working and talented piano student, who is making amazing progress. Anna has a positive, cheerful attitude and is always well-prepared for her piano lessons. She is making rapid progress in all aspects of piano playing—note reading, technique, and musical expression. Also, Anna is an eager participant in all opportunities offered at Orpheus, including Musicianship classes, the Halloween Spooktacular Recital, the upcoming Friendship Concert, Theo’s Practice-a-Thon, and the Musical Journey program. Anna recently did a beautiful job making 10 audio recordings for her Kinder Level album project. I’m very excited to celebrate the progress that Anna is making at Orpheus! Bravo, Anna!”
- Ms. Ruth

“Hi, my name is Anna and I have been learning piano for one year now. I love playing piano because Ms. Ruth is so nice to me and teaches me very well. She always helps me and guides me getting better at playing the songs that I like. Every time I play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, I think of the stars that are in the sky above me. I always look forward to going to piano classes with my favorite teacher - Ms. Ruth. She is the best!”
- Anna C.

Gabriel P.'s "Panda Plays Kuchler" — Level 3 Musical Journey Project

11/28/2023

Gabriel has done an awesome job playing his first multi-movement work and recording it! We spent weeks recording and making sure every note was correct and in time. Gabriel showed a lot of patience and artistry throughout the process!

Anvi S.'s "Dream" — Level 1 Musical Journey Project

11/11/2023

Anvi did an awesome job completing her first album! She worked hard to record and perfect some of her favorite songs from her practice book.

November Students of the Month

11/2/2023

Ezhil A.

"I nominate Ezhil A. as student of the month. Ezhil started studying piano last summer and it is impressive to see her dedication, discipline, and passion for practicing piano. Recently, Ezhil played at a piano recital and performance class and she was very excited about it. Her love for music can be observed since she enjoys playing her favorites songs at the keyboard. It is really rewarding to have students like Ezhil, who loves to practice piano and have fun!"
- Mr. Leonardo

"We are proud to receive the message on Ezhil getting selected as Student of the month."
- Ezhil's Parents

Meryem T.

"Meryem is an energetic, imaginative, and motivated student. She is always having fun on playing the violin and always have a lot of ideas about music. She only studied with me for about 7 months, and I am so proud of the progress she is making. She also did a great job playing with the piano in the Summer Showcase recital. I also want to thank Mr. Alphan who always come to the lesson with Meryem, being a tremendous support and also a fun learning partner for her. I hope you enjoy music to be a big part of your life and I can't wait to keep supporting you on this musical journey."
- Mr. Michael

"I love music! Playing my violin makes me so, so happy. It's like magic! I get super excited about my music classes too. They're like the best thing ever!"
- Meryem T.

Myrah K.

"It's difficult for me to choose a student of the month because many of my students have been doing an amazing job! I choose Myrah K. as my student of the month. With the help of her uncle, Myrah has been developing beautifully in her piano playing and musicianship. I always enjoy our musical interaction during our lessons through singing, playing the piano and playing at the stepbells. Keep up the good work Myrah!"
- Mr. Mauricio

"I am super happy to be the student of the month! My teacher, Mr. Mauricio, is very nice. I really love playing the piano! My uncle showed me how before I even started taking classes. One of the tunes I like to play is 'Pirates of the Caribbean,' and I performed it at the halloween spooktacular concert this year. I didn't start formal piano lessons until I was 7. I also have fun playing different instruments like step bells and the grand piano. I want to keep playing piano because making music is fun, interesting and very satisfying. One day, I hope I can play pieces like 'The Flight of the Bumblebee,' the 'Harry Potter' theme music, big symphonies, and a fun song called 'El Grillo.' I can't wait to learn more!"
- Myrah K.

Marc Olivier M.

"In the last several months, Marc Olivier has doubled down on his commitment to the guitar, and it shows. He worked really hard to prepare a new, challenging piece (Labyrinth by Chad Ibison) for his Musical Journey Level 4 concert, and blew me away with high quality practice. He auditioned for the Austin Classical Guitar Youth Camerata, a city-wide guitar orchestra, and has become a strong leader in that group. He has some exciting performances coming up, including a collaboration with Grammy-Nominated composer Reena Esmail, a concert at the AISD Performing Arts Center and a recording at KMFA in February! Way to go, Marc Olivier!"
- Mr. Stephen

"It feels great to be nominated for student of the month. All of the practicing finally paid off."
- Marc Olivier M.

Paul S.'s "Key Player" — Level 2 Musical Journey Project

10/24/2023

"I hope you enjoy my first album. Many thanks to my first piano teacher, Benjamin Wong, for guiding me up to this point!"

Gabriel S.'s "The Legend of Violin" — Level 2 Musical Journey Project

10/11/2023

Gabriel did an awesome job covering and arranging some of his favorite songs from The Legend of Zelda. He
really challenged himself because these are not easy pieces to play! Good work Gabriel!

Mary Margaret M.'s "Road to the Kennedy Center" — Level 1 Musical Journey Project

10/9/2023

Mary Margaret recently recorded several of the songs she learned while preparing for her biggest performance at the Kennedy Center! She has grown tremendously as a musician over the past year, and in July gave an amazing performance of "Minuet in G" at the Kennedy Center.

October Students of the Month

10/6/2023

Dean H.

"I'd like to nominate Dean H. for this month's student of the month. Dean has been making excellent progress in my studio. I am consistently wow'ed by his eagerness to learn and his patience for such a difficult instrument. Every lesson he tries his best and has developed consistent and careful practice routine at home. Way to go Dean!"
- Ms. Mackenzie

"Thank you Ms. Mackenzie for teaching me music, because I enjoy playing the violin. I feel happy when you teach me. I feel so happy to enjoy the violin and having stickers."
- Dean H.

Rishaan S.

"Rishaan is a funny, super hard working and exciting little man with a love for music, lizards and guitar! He really impresses me consistently. Each week he comes back in with much more done than what is expected. Bravo to Rishaan and his awesome family for making this such a joyful experience. Cheers to many more years of great music making!"
- Mr. Brendon

"I am so lucky to have Mr. Brendon as my teacher. He is kind, funny and patient. He comes up with cool games to make me learn in different ways and I love going to class each week. Thank you Mr. Brendon, you're the best! I can't wait to make more amazing music with you."
- Rishaan S.

Eloise M.

"Eloise has been a joy to teach each week. She has reliably positive attitude towards music and towards learning in general, despite being highly engaged in sports, school and other activities. She has this wonderful habit of laughing at mistakes, allowing them to be useful little learning experiences. I look forward to her lesson each week, and I'm glad they are my first of the day because her great attitude always sets a nice tone for my whole day!"
- Mr. Mike

“I am so excited to be student of the month. I look forward to my lessons every week and I hope to be an awesome piano player some day!”
- Eloise M.

Esteban W.

"Esteban is an incredibly hard-working and enthusiastic student! He has a notorious knack for learning pieces at a fast rate, while keeping excellent technique on the guitar. As both a competitive and optimistic musician, Esteban has inspired other students to push themselves to greater heights. Keep up the great work!"
- Mr. Andrew

Ishaan J. — Level 6 Musical Journey Project

10/5/2023

Ishaan recently put together an amazing book of original solo and duo compositions!

Ishaan's Composition Book >>

Olivia Y. — Level 1 Musical Journey Project

9/25/2023

Olivia did an awesome job completing her very first album! She challenged herself to arrange two of her favorite songs from movies she liked and then picked four of her favorite Adventures Through Sound book one songs. Way to go Olivia!

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