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Orpheus Blog

February 2023 Students of the Month

2/1/2023

 

Cassius W.

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I love playing guitar. My teacher, Mr. Stephen, is amazing. He inspires me to learn more challenging music.
- Cassius W.

Cassius has made the commitment to becoming a high level guitar player by upping his practice time and frequency BIG TIME. He makes improvements every week and comes to the lessons with passion and curiosity. He recently gave a great performance at the Friendship concert and is about to start work on his Musical Journey Level 4 project, an album! Keep up the great work, Cassius.
 - Mr. Stephen

Noah G.

I have been playing piano for five years now. I like learning how to play songs that I love listening to. I enjoy my lessons with Ms. Joyce. She is a nice and fun/funny teacher and makes me a better piano player. I'm thankful that Ms. Joyce nominated me.
- Noah G.

Noah enjoys music and loves to play the piano.  Music to him are colorful stories.  Often he'd come to his lesson with different versions to the same piece.  One as printed in the music, others with his own twists to make the piece more colorful and realize his imagination of the piece better.  It doesn't turn out perfectly every time, but it was fun for both Noah and I to explore different possibilities in music and sound.
- Ms. Joyce

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Kuri K.

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Thanks, Ms. Gloria chose me! I love when Ms. Gloria says we do something new and try dancing for the song. I feel awesome when I walk into the Ms. Gloria’s room.
- Kuri K.

Kuri has been a delight to teach and get to know since day 1! She always comes more than prepared to her lessons and is eager to learn and master new concepts and pieces. Her sweet character and determination are always inspiring and touching, and I’m so proud of how much she has and continues to grow as a musician!
- Ms. Gloria

Sofia M.

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I love piano because I enjoy to  learn new songs and figure out the notes. Piano and music make me feel happy and they cheer me up. My teacher, Ms. Humay, is a very good teacher and when I’m with her I learn new things all the time.
- Sofia M.

I am happy to nominate Sofia Mirzashvili for the student of the month. She is a hard-working student and at the same time is an excellent musician. Her technique and musicianship is growing a lot. She achieved great results in the MJ test. I feel proud of you, keep up the good work, Sofia!
​- Ms. Humay

January 2023 Students of the Month

1/1/2023

 

Britten W.

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I have been playing piano with Ms. Ruth for 4 years now. I love figuring out how to play my music and I’m very proud of my Musical Journey accomplishments. I am thankful to have been nominated for student of the month.
- Britten W.

I am happy to nominate Britten for student of the month. He has made amazing progress both during the pandemic and now that we are back in person. Britten is a very talented and hard-working pianist. He has a great attitude and is always well-prepared for his piano lessons. He is making terrific progress in all aspects of piano playing--note reading, technique, and musical expression. Britten did a beautiful job making recordings for his Musical Journey Level 2 video recital and he often participates in Orpheus performance events. I’m very excited to celebrate the progress that Britten has been making! Bravo, Britten!
- Ms. Ruth




Clark G.

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I love music because I am able to memorize cool songs and see Mr. Vijay every week.
​- Clark G.

Clark is a talented student who just finished his very first guitar recital after months of practice and preparation.  The concert's unique program included folk songs, jazz, holiday music, and themes from Clark's favorite movies and games.  Now that Clark has won his first trophy at Orpheus, he is looking forward to learning how to play the electric guitar!  Way to go Clark - keep up the awesome work playing guitar and making music!!!
- Mr. Vijay




Amanda P.

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I want to say thank you to this amazing music school and to my teacher Ms. Megan. Ms. Megan has been a motivational role model for me and an inspirational person with a beautiful voice. Thank you for this honor.
- Amanda P.

I would like to nominate Amanda Praba as student of the month for January 2023. She has been my student for about two years now, and it has been wonderful to watch her grow in confidence singing and performing in front of others. She shows steady progress from lesson to lesson. Her first long-term goal with me was to develop her high voice, and now she sings comfortably in her high voice both in classical and pop repertoire. She is really inspired by pop artists like Aurora, Lady Gaga, Regina Spectre, and Taylor Swift. We've chosen songs from their repertoire in the lesson, and she sings the style with passion and good technique. She is now about to complete her second Musical Journey project, which will include a pop song, a few folk songs, and a composition that she wrote over the summer!
- Ms. Megan


Emmalyn M.

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I love music and playing piano; it is one of my most enjoyable activities.
Emmalyn M.

I would like to nominate Emmalyn Meng for "the student of the month". She has been studying the piano with such passion and discipline! Emmalyn has shown much enthusiasm and energy on her piano studies. She is a very good listener and currently, we are working on her final Musical Journey project. I am so proud of Emmalyn's progress, and I am looking forward to continuing our musical path.
- Mr. Leonardo






Saagar D. — Musical Journey Level 1 Video Project

12/20/2022

 
Saagar started his piano lessons recently and did a great job in his Musical Journey test. He is now very excited to share this video project with you all as his final creative project for Musical Journey Level 1!

Watch on YouTube

"Polovtsian Dance," by Alexander Borodin
"Musette," by J. S. Bach
"Hard-Drivin' Blues," by Faber
"Two-Note Flight," by Faber
"I've Got Music," by Faber
"Go Down Moses," Spiritual
"No Moon Tonight," by Faber
"Trumpet Tune," by Jeremiah Clarke and Daniel Purcell
"The Kings of Hearts," by Faber

Alex G.'s "Level 3 Piano 2022" — Musical Journey Level 3 Project

12/15/2022

 
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Alex worked very hard to record 10 of his favorite pieces for his album project. He did a terrific job! Bravo, Alex!

Orpheus Academy's 20th-Anniversary Poetry Contest Winners

12/12/2022

 
To celebrate the upcoming 20th Anniversary of Orpheus Academy(!), we invited students to submit poems about either making music with friends or making music to change the world.

We received so many great entries, and are excited to now share the winning poems with you!

Grand Prize Winner:
Amelia C.

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Amelia's poem will be featured in Orpheus Academy's 20th-Anniversary Anthem, to be composed by Dr. Ruth Meyer Sacks and performed live at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.!

Amelia has also won $500 and 1 free month of music lessons!
"Love of Music"

I hear music, it’s everywhere
In the leaves and in the air
In the bushes and in the ground
Music is just all around

I hear it as I swing in trees
I hear it in the buzzing bees
I love the sound, it makes me glad
I love it even when I’m mad

Thundering drums, soft violins
Strumming guitars, and whistling woodwinds
All these instruments so bright, so proud
A single note could lure a great crowd!

Music is best when played from the heart
But even better when friends play a part
Music has a purpose, one other
It is greatest when shared with another!

Additional Prize Winners:

The following students have won 1 free month of music lessons, as well as their choice of a free ukulele or 3 months free rental of a guitar, piano, violin, or cello!
"Above the Skies" by Aarush T.

​
Above the skies 
before my eyes, 
Angels singing 
a lovely tune. 

I float up 
all seems well, 
but when I look 
down to the ground, 
I see the world, 
Sadly, going by, 
with no hope 
to guide them.  

But when Angels come 
to bring a song 
down to the world  
beneath the clouds 
there is hope 
That they go by, 
so peacefully. 

But when devils come, 
they take the song  
And we all 
sadly, go by. 

But we have a gift, 
of making music 
to make the world 
smile again. 
And if we do, 
we all will float, 
to listen to, 
The Angels’ song.  

"Music" by Anna-Caterina T.

​
Music is yellow happy,
Music is blue sad,
Music is all around, 
on every ground we step.

Music is in nature, 
Music is in plants,
Music is part of our environment.

Music makes sounds,
Sounds make happiness,
We all sing together,
The melody will last forever.

"Music Is Fun" by Anya T.

​
It can be played under stars or sun.
Music is for love,
Like peace is for dove.

Music is harmony,
As sweet as honey.
Let us all sing a wonderful song,
It doesn’t have to be long.

Music is the light,
That shines so bright.
Music is as colorful as a flower,
As soothing as summer’s first rain shower.

Let us all come together,
And think of music forever.
Let us join hands,
And let music be the only language of our land.

"Untitled" by Eliana T.

​School shootings, sadness, unkindness, and fears
I hear it. I feel it. I shed many tears
When I make beats and songs, I spread pleasure and cheer
People who hear my music forget that worry is near

Joyful, happy, peaceful, and free
That’s what my music does for me
Pop, hip-hop, classic and more
I create music that’s fun for sure

I now play violin, and it’s another way for me to express
Calmness, gladness, and forget about my stress

The birds are going to sing
The sun will come out from hiding
My music will help people all over the world to stop crying

"When I Go to School" by Elise A.

When I go to school
​I go to my class
And when we're done with PE
We go to music class
And I play music with my friends
And we make silly songs
And when we're done with singing class
We go to eat our snack
And the next day after PE
We go to music again
And when we're at music
We make peaceful and beautiful songs.

"Every Time You Play a Piece" by Ethan L.

​
Every time you play a piece,
Every time you press a note, 
Every time you sing a line,
Of a song you just wrote,

Every time you sing with friends,
Gathered in a grassy field,
Every time you play guitar on stage,
The music swirls out to the world.

The music you just played,
The notes that you just sang,
The perfect melody that you performed,
It spreads out to the world.

Your music flies around the world,
Each and every day and night,
In many people your music swirls,
And imagination starts to take flight.
From songs and poems, to the invention of the century,
Anything is possible, anything could happen,
And just because you pressed one single note.

"Music" by Grace L.

Music spreads around the world,
Every day and every night.
Music swirls around the world,
Around and around in many circles.

When you think about marvelous music,
Think about the guitar, the great guitar,
Think about the piano, the perfect piano,
Think about the flute, the fantastic flute.

All the amazing instruments ,
All the amazing powers people have to play them.
All the amazing composers we have met,
Pianists, guitarists, everyone.

I am a pianist, she is a guitarist,
He is a composer, we are all…
MUSICIANS! We are all musicians!
"My Saturday" by Louisa B.

​
Today I am exited. Why, you ask?
Well, today I get to play my instruments.
You see I am the leader of a garage band.
They come every Saturday.
When they come,
We start by playing the blues,
Then we rock out,
Play Pop.
Then we have a disco party.
We drum and we hum,
We use the flute and the kazoo.
We play the electric guitar that can be heard from afar.
We play some country and the violin,
We play the cello.
And who would and could forget the piano?
We play the tuba ,
We play the trumpet.
We play and we play,
Until we stop.
Then we sing.
High pitched and low pitched,
We sing sad songs and happy songs.
Then whats next you ask?
It’s time to leave.
We say goodbye and say,
See you next Saturday!

"Duet" by Lynn H.

​
When my fingers dancing on black and white keys
When brother's fingers brushing across silver and clear strings
Sweet melody fills up the house
Melting mom’s heart
Brightening dad’s face

When my fingers dancing on black and white keys
When brother's fingers brushing across silver and clear strings
Gleaming melody flows into the backyard
Rising high to the blue sky
Dropping low to the green lawn

When my fingers dancing on black and white keys
When brother's fingers brushing across silver and clear strings
Soft melody drifting through the ocean
Sending the holiday greetings to grandparents
Afar on the other side of the world

"Music Can Be Loud" by Priscilla C.

​
Music can be loud,
Music can be quiet.
But always there’s a sound,
And you have to just try it,
To see if it fits with the rest.

To play a duet,
Or a quartet,
Or maybe even more!
Have fun with the music,
And the tones you get to pick.

No matter how silly the song,
You’ll remember for very long,
The fun experience you had,
And the bonding time,
The beautiful music,
Like a wind chime.

"The Beat Meet" by Taos P.

​
Everywhere I go, 
(if there is a surface)
I will go… 

 knock 
  knock 
   knock 
    knock’ n 
     knock 

It sounds boring, 
but it’s actually not 
(it’s fun to me)

My mom likes it.
But I bet if you hear it, 
you will like it, too. 

You can try it at home. 

 Just 
  like 
   me
    - e -
     - e -

You can do it anywhere. 

I am not afraid to show 
my beating to everyone. 

 You can do it. 
  You can do it. 

(Even if you don’t think you can)

You can count on me.

"At the Sound of Music" by Vihaan V.

​
At the sound of music, there is peace,
At the sound of music, there is joy,
At the sound of music, there is love,
At the sound of music, there is nostalgia

To the sound of music, nature blooms,
To the sound of music, babies smile,
To the sound of music, puppies prance,
To the sound of music, peacocks dance,
To the sound of music, nightingales sing

At the sound of music, the world is renewed,
At the sound of music, the world speaks one language,
At the sound of music, the world comes together,
At the sound of music, the world heals

Thank you to everyone who participated for expressing and sharing your wonderful words about music with us.
​
​Congratulations to all of our winners!

December 2022 Students of the Month

12/1/2022

 

Kuri K. 

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I love music because I get to play with my feelings and dance with the beats. I have amazing teachers named Ms. Gloria and Ms. Sara. I like to play music for everybody to listen and feel like a star on show. I am happy when I play music.
- Kuri

I appreciate so much all the bright, focused, and sweet energy Kuri brings into her violin lessons. She also always practices and comes ready to do her best. Kuri's violin playing continues to grow, and her sound and intonation become more beautiful every week. I am so proud of all her hard work for her Musical Journey test preparation, and I look forward to her upcoming project!  Keep up the great work, Kuri!
-
Ms. Sara



Sophia P. 

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I love singing! Ms. Chelsea is so nice.  It’s my favorite thing to do every week. 
- Sophia


Although we've only been working together for a short time, Sophia has already accomplished so much. From flying through ATS Book 1 and taking the stage at performance classes and her first Orpheus recital, Sophia's hard work and positive attitude have helped her to already hit many milestones on her musical journey. I so appreciate your openness to trying new things, diligent home practice, and attentiveness in the lessons. Thank you for sharing your voice with the Orpheus community!
-
Ms. Chelsea


Sofia S. 

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I love music because it is so relaxing and after a very tiring day the best thing to do is sit down and play different types of songs and scales. It just blows all of your worries away. I learned all different types of songs because my teacher helped me on achieving my goals, and now I get to play a variety of songs.
- Sofia


I would like to nominate Sofia for the student of the month. Sofia started her lessons about 11 months ago. She is a hard-working and motivated student who practices all of the goals that we set. During our lessons, she consistently evaluates and analyzes what went well and what could improve in her playing.


One highlight this semester is that she had the opportunity to perform a piece for the world-renowned guitarist Berta Rojas in September. She aced her performance for Ms. Rojas! The next goal that Sofia is excited about is her upcoming musical journey exam this November.


Congratulations on Sofia's excellent work this year!
- Mr. Johnny

John H. — Musical Journey Level 3 Video Project

11/28/2022

 
Enjoy John's beautiful performances and original drawings! Of all these great songs, John says, "My favorite was 'California Stars' - I have wanted to play this piece since I was three years old!"

Watch on YouTube

​
"Minuet in G"
"Habanara"
"Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho"
"Go Tell Aunt Rhody"
"California Stars"
"Eleanor Rigby"
​"Lovely Day"

Eleanor M.'s "Violintastic" — Musical Journey Level 1 Project

11/7/2022

 

​Eleanor chose her favorite songs that she has learned 
over the past year and a half for this awesome album project! In addition to solo violin, she has incorporated duos, electronic instruments, and real piano.

November 2022 Students of the Month

11/1/2022

 

Beckham D. 

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Music is fun! It’s like learning a new language. I can’t believe that I can read dots on a page and it makes beautiful music.
- Beckham


I would like to nominate my student Beckham for the student of the month. It has been a couple of months since we worked together. Beckham comes to each lesson with a positive attitude and is always curious in lessons. He is genuinely enthusiastic about music and enjoys playing duets. He is a hard-working student, and it’s my joy to witness his musical growth!
- Ms. Jeyeon



Anya T. 

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I like music because when I play or hear music, it fills my heart with joy and happiness!
- Anya


I chose Anya Tiwary as my student of the month. She always comes prepared for the lessons and is always excited about playing and singing. 
- Mr. Mauricio

Sofia M. 

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I love the songs Dr. Eleonora and I play together. I love the way pianos make their beautiful sounds and how fun my piano classes are.
- Sofia

Sofia has been learning the piano since September and she has made a tremendous amount of progress in a short amount of time. Music comes very natural to her and she really enjoys playing the piano and singing. She spends a lot of time practicing and she always comes very prepared for her lessons. It has been a true pleasure working with Sofia and I am very much looking forward to seeing her grow musically.
- Ms. Eleonora

Mira D. 

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I love guitar because it is a way to express myself.  I love learning and improving pieces.  Music always makes me and other people happy, so I enjoy making others smile.  Mr. Jeremy has made learning music super-fun and he is there to help me every step of the way.
-
Mira

Mira consistently impresses me with her hard-work and enthusiasm. One can see her love for the guitar even when she is playing arpeggios on open strings! Mira’s practice and determination has allowed her to play increasingly difficult repertoire with great maturity. Her audiences become engulfed by her musical personality and her enjoyment is contagious. Keep up the awesome work!
- Mr. Jeremy 

October 2022 Students of the Month

10/1/2022

 

Maya S. 

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Maya loves playing piano and to sing along with the music with her sister. Ms. Tingting has been great in keeping her enthusiasm up and helping her focus on the techniques. She is always looking forward to her piano class with Ms. Tingting. She practices new song every week to play to her teacher and loves playing piano duets.  Thank you very much to Orpheus Academy for connecting her with Ms. Tingting & your excellent curriculum.
- Maya 

I would like to nominate Maya for student of the month. Maya started her first piano lesson several months ago. She loves music and she has shown great enthusiasm since the first time I met her. Not only does she come to every lesson fully prepared, she always exceeds my expectations by exploring new songs on her own. She is very attentive during the lesson, and she enjoys every little thing we do. Recently, Maya earned her first bracelet by demonstrating professional posture and great technique. I am very proud of all her hard work, and I can't wait to see how much more Maya can accomplish in her musical journey!
- Ms. Tingting

Desmond M. 

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Desmond loves how music can make you feel better whether you’re happy or sad. He also enjoys the challenge of learning new songs to play. 
- Desmond

Desmond just really loves playing music, especially on the violin. He plays songs like they're stuffed up his sleeves, from memory too! He has completed all his milestones for the Musical Journey-level 1 and aced his MJ test. He's a student that is truly enthusiastic about music and the violin and has a drive from learning new songs.  He is currently planning a home recital, a Friendship Concert duet with his brother, and he is my pick for October's Student of The Month. 
- Mr. Xavier

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