Aaron H.![]() I started playing piano because Orpheus came to my school, but also because my older brother plays piano at Orpheus. Mr. Gordon has been my piano teacher for all 4 years of my time here. I give him 5/5 stars. While I'm learning my pieces, my favorite hobby is to play them as fast as possible. My favorite composer so far is Schumann, but recently I've also been enjoying Chopin. I'm looking forward to playing more of his Mazurkas and Waltzes over the summer. - Aaron H. I nominate Aaron Howard. Aaron is an amazing student: quick, thorough and persistent. It’s clear that he loves music (like the rest of his family). He is becoming quite the pianist! - Mr. Gordon Abby D.![]() My name is Abby Daubert and I have been playing the flute for around 4 years now. The flute is such an amazing instrument, and with the help of Ms. Debra, I have not only been able to play songs, but play songs with feeling. I am very thankful to have Ms. Debra as a flute teacher and really appreciated the freedom she gives me with song choices. - Abby D. It is a delight to present Abby Daubert as Student of the Month. Abby’s Monday flute lesson always starts my week off on a happy note. She continues to impress me with the dedication she has to all of her artistic endeavors - dance, musical theatre and her flute studies. In just the past six months, Abby premiered a flute and piano duet with her fellow Orpheus friend, Tessa, starred as the Genie in an amazing production of Aladdin and completed her Level 4 Musical Journey project. Congratulations, Abby!! - Ms. Debra You can check out her Album “Flute Loops” here: https://www.bandlab.com/orpheusacademy/albums/59b9b601-edd7-ed11-9f73-0022484437ba Isha P.![]() Thank you so much for nominating Isha as the Student of the Month. This undoubtedly has increased her confidence, motivating her to embrace new experiences with enthusiasm. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Mrs. Meghan for her exceptional teaching, dedication, expertise, and unwavering commitment towards her students. - Smitha S. Isha came to my studio eager to sing beautiful and fun songs. She was shy at first, but through her perseverance and risk taking, she is really beginning to grow into her lovely voice. She commits to learning her songs quickly and thoroughly, and she shows so much joy in the process. Thank you for your hard work, Isha! - Ms. Megan Anyabella T.![]() Thank you Ms. Jeyeon for the nomination! Anya loves music and is always excited to learn and play the piano. We appreciate your commitment in teaching her. She looks forward to your class every week! She's excited to continue on to the next part of her musical journey. - Venus T. I would like to nominate my student Anyabella for the student of the month. It has been about 10 months since we worked together. Anyabella comes to each lesson with a positive attitude and is always curious in lessons. She is genuinely enthusiastic about music and enjoys playing duets. She is a hard-working student, and it’s my joy to witness her musical growth! - Ms. Jeyeon Catherine H.![]() Thank you, Ms. Sky, for the nomination. I, Catherine Haynes, am very honored to be selected to be the Student of the Month at Orpheus. I would like to thank my teachers and parents for their support and coaching. I love singing and hope that it will always be a part of my life. - Catherine H. I nominate Catherine (Cathy/Catt) Haynes as student of the month. She always has a positive attitude at our lessons! She practices with intention, as well as focuses during our lessons. She communicates what goals she met during the week and any questions. She recently had a beautiful collaboration where she sang "Santa Lucia" with pianist Vanessa Kim for the spring Friendship Concert. She has also done several performance classes and Musical Journey levels 1 and 2 concerts. She has recently started to study piano as well. Congratulations Catt! - Ms. Skye Moukthika N.![]() I’m so happy to have been nominated! Orpheus has an amazing environment to learn and laugh and I am so grateful that I get to be a part of it! Ms. Chelsea is an amazing teacher and it’s been great working with her! - Moukthika N. It is my great pleasure to nominate Moukthika for Student of the Month! She has such a great attitude and radiates excitement in all her lessons. She's always the first to sign up for any event, often even volunteering to help out with the setup and execution, beyond just performing, and she is so open and quick to implement feedback. It's been such a joy to see how much she's grown over the years, no doubt due to her hard work and motivation. Keep up the great work! Thank you for making music with me! - Ms. Chelsea Matt X.![]() It's an incredible honor on being nominated for Students of the Month. Music is my true passion and I am happy to take on new challenges and push myself to new heights, constantly seeking excellence. Being recognized for my dedication feels absolutely amazing. - Matt X. Matt is developing a great musical ear and efficient guitar technique. His reading, writing and performance skills express his intellect and hard work and his energy showcases his desire to learn. Matt was able to adapt to an impromptu change in a recital and still gave a great performance. Keep up the awesome work! - Mr. Jeremy Sofia M.![]() Thank you, Ms. Joanna, for nominating me! Music is my happy place, and I have fun in our Friday lessons singing and playing piano duets with you. I am so lucky to get to learn from you. - Sofia M. Sofia is a hard working, determined, and intelligent student. She shows me her love of music by eagerly over-preparing the songs we’ve learned together in her lesson, adding cool ostinatos and modulations to pieces like Los Pollitos and Alouette. She also loves to sing while she plays, and as a voice and piano teacher that brings me lots of joy! Thanks for being such a joy to work with, Sofia. Sending positive vibes to you and your family! - Ms. Joanna Amukta G![]() Hi everyone! I'm so excited to be student of the month and would like to thank everyone who has supported me (my parents, Mr. Xavier, the front desk staff). If you are reading this, thank you so much for taking time to learn more about me! :) -Amukta G. I am nominating Amukta Gummalla to be the student of the month. Her patience, persistence, and attention to detail is absolutely exemplary and not something I often see in someone so young. Every Saturday morning she comes to her lesson with an enthusiasm that is catching and enlivening. In the last four months Amukta has been tackling increasingly advanced music and playing violin with much more expressivity. This past Monday, Amukta, her mother Gayathri, and I met at the violin shop to select for her a new full size violin and it is going to be thrilling to see her develop her musicianship skills on her new and fine instrument. Way to go, Amukta! -Mr. Xavier Michael V.![]() I am excited to be the May student of the month at Orpheus. I enjoy working with all of the incredible teachers and staff at Orpheus and am grateful for all of the great opportunities that Orpheus has provided him over the years. Orpheus has allowed me to fulfill my dream of studying classical guitar at the collegiate level. -Michael V. For my student of the month I would like to select Michael V. In truth, I could pick Michael to be "student of the decade" because he has been so incredibly dedicated since the day he first started over ten years ago. Michael's passion for music is evident in every lesson through his beautiful playing and this same passion leads him to practice many hours a day. When he was younger he participated in every musicianship level and every camp, then performed at Carnegie Hall for our 15th Anniversary. In the past two years he has performed all over the country with the Orpheus Honors Guitar Quartet and the Austin Classical Guitar Youth Orchestra. In addition, Michael was selected to perform as the opening artist for SoloDuo on the Austin Classical Guitar Concert Artists Series. I am so proud to say that Michael has been accepted to every University Music School to which he applied, which included some of the best guitar programs in the country. He plans to attend Columbus State University to study guitar in the Fall. I hope everyone will attend Michael's Musical Journey Level 7 Public Concert which he is preparing to perform in early June (date and time to be announced!) before he heads to Washington D.C. to perform at the Kennedy Center with us to celebrate our 20th Anniversary. In short, Michael has taken everything Orpheus has to offer and turned it into a budding career as an exceptionally talented guitarist. Mr. Klondike Ilana C.![]() I enjoy playing the piano, because my teacher, Ms. Tingting, challenges me to get better. When I accomplish playing challenging pieces, it makes me feel proud of myself. Ms. Tingting helps me improve by encouraging me to keep persisting. -Ilana C. I would like to nominate Ilana as my student of the month. Ilana works hard, thinks actively, and she undoubtedly is a multitasker who can manage and balance so many challenges at a time. Ilana is always well-prepared for her lessons. I never need to worry about getting her to practice at home, and I am so happy to see how she has become a more and more effective practicer. Not only has she improved a lot in her piano playing since our first lesson, more importantly, Ilana has also started to develop a growth mindset. I am very proud of all her hard work and progress, can't wait to see how much more she can accomplish in her musical journey! -Ms. Tingting Elena D.![]() Elena has loved to sing even before she could even talk. She is always excited to have a lesson with Ms Zoe and shows us all what she learns soon after. Thank you for guiding her through this journey! -Sara D. (Elena’s mom) I'd like to nominate Elena Dyson for the student of the month. Elena is always passionate and active to learn. She also has a good sense of humor and makes me laugh at every lesson! Elena sings with an energetic voice all the time and is willing to study musicianship and piano as well. So she is following the Musical Journey very well. -Ms. Zoe Maria S.![]() I want to thank Ms. Margarita for nominating me. I really enjoy playing the piano, and I hope to continue for a long time. I also really enjoy being at Orpheus, I have learned so much! - Maria S. Maria is a respectful, well-educated, intelligent, and hardworking student. She is always prepared for the lesson and takes into account all my recommendations. Recently she prepared for the audition in a short time and successfully passed it. One of the works that she prepared was Bach, Two-note Invention in B flat major. Maria had never played polyphonic works before and achieved impressive results in a short period. All these are thanks to her diligence, persistence, and interest in the result. I am very proud of Maria and it is a pleasure to share my experience with her. - Ms. Margarita Vihaan V.![]() Music makes me feel calm and happy. It gives me a lot of joy to see my family smile and clap to my tune, when I play guitar at home. I love playing the guitar and look forward to my lessons with Mr. Brendon every week. I feel lucky to be nominated as student of the month. - Vihaan V. Vihaan is a bright, hard working and joyful young musician. He comes prepared for every single lesson and is always eager to learn the next song or concept. One of my favorite things about our lessons is that he has a wonderful sense of humor, so we laugh and play our way through the books each week, and always have a great time making progress! Congrats, Vihaan - you’re doing terrific work! - Mr. Brendon Olivia Y.![]() I’m really happy and excited about this nomination. I can’t wait to see my picture on the bulletin board. This nomination means that if I keep working hard on my violin skills, I could reach my goal of getting a scholarship for college one day. I’m so proud. I would also like to thank Ms. Makenzie for being such an encouraging teacher to me. She’s the best! - Olivia Y. I really enjoy lessons with Olivia! She works hard, is incredibly curious, and I’m so proud of the progress she is making. She has recently performed in her first recital and I am so proud of her and having the courage to do so. I can’t wait to see what beautiful music we play next! - Ms. Mackenzie Akshar V.![]() I'm very happy that I have been selected as the Student of the month. Mr. Andrew always gives me good feedback and great songs to learn. He encourages me to try new things which makes learning more interesting. - Akshar V. Akshar is an outstanding student! He has a reputation of inspiring other students to practice (solely based off of how apparent it is that he practices when he plays). He is always over-prepared for every lesson, having worked on more than was asked, and he loves to perform. He has written and recorded songs and arranged music for guitar. He is very eager to push his own abilities and never gets burned out. He also loves playing with other musicians and has a streak of playing the friendship concert each semester. As a teacher, it motivates me to work to get other students to his level! - Mr. Andrew Britten W.![]() 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.![]() 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.![]() 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.![]() 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 Kuri K.![]() 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.![]() 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.![]() 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 Maya S.![]() 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.![]() 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 Dean G.![]() I love music so much because I have always loved listening to music. I can’t wait to be able to play and sing music at the same time. - Dean Dean has been a joy since his very first lesson and his enthusiasm for piano and music in general has continued to grow since then! Dean recently completed his Musical Journey project for level 1 and is now moving through even more complicated repertoire after less than a year of lessons! He always comes prepared for his lessons, listens attentively and is so eager to share his music with others; I'm very proud of all his hard work and can't wait to continue seeing his musical growth! - Ms. Gloria Vanessa K.![]() I love playing the acoustic piano because it is easier to play legato. It sounds really beautiful. I always play at the guitar center to share my music so people can listen to me play what I have learned. - Vanessa Vanessa has been studying piano since Fall of 2019. I enjoy working with her every week! Not only does she accomplish her practice goals every week, but she also learns additional songs on her own. Vanessa completed the Musical Journey levels 1 and 2 and is preparing for her level 3 final project this semester. She also loves to play duets with her Mom and they performed in one of the friendship concerts. I know that music will continue to be a big part of Vanessa's life! - Ms. Wendy Levi G.![]() I love making music, especially playing duets with Dr. Jae-Eun or my older brother, or making up my own songs. - Levi Levi started his first piano lesson a year ago. The entire first semester his lessons were virtual only. Although virtual learning can be a lot more challenging for younger students, Levi managed everything very well. He has shown huge passion about his piano lessons, he performed in Theo’s practice a thon and participated in fundraising with his brother Micah, who is also studying piano with me. Also Levi did his first duet performance with Micah in the Spring 2022 Friendship Concert. He passed Musical Journey Level 1 Test and finished his first in person Home concert June 25 and achieved his first Trophy. He performed 7 songs with one original composition, Moon day groove. Levi loves music and he is always eager to learn more and try new things. Can’t wait to see his next Musical Journey. - Ms. Jae-Eun Zoey C.![]() Playing piano is one of my favorite things because it is fun! Playing music makes me happy, excited and relaxed. I love learning different songs, creating my own beats, and playing together with my favorite teacher Ms. Yujung. - Zoey C. I am happy to nominate Zoey for the Student of the Month. We’ve been working together for about a year and she’s exceeded my expectations since day one. Zoey is such a passionate student who is not only following my instructions and ideas but putting her own ideas to her music. She does not hesitate to use her imagination when we are interpreting the pieces. It’s my joy to see her bright eyes when we are discussing what this music is trying to say and how we can make it interesting. I also appreciate her courage to perform in the performance classes even though she has a little bit of stage fright. She never gives up and works harder. She is going to give a home concert this summer and I believe she will overcome her weakness and perform beautifully. I am so proud of Zoey! -Ms. Yujung Mahathi S.![]() I’m so grateful that Ms. Megan chose me as the student of the month. I always enjoyed all my classes and I want to learn more about music and singing. - Mahathi S. I would like to nominate Mahathi for student of the month. Mahathi comes to each lesson with a positive attitude! She really enjoys working on long-form songs and songs with dancing and games. What I have found most compelling about Mahathi, though, is her curiosity. She asks many questions and really wants to understand music at a deep level. Thank you Mahathi for your curiosity and enthusiasm for music. - Ms. Megan Aarush A.![]() I love music because it is fun and it makes me feel calm. Also, big pieces are very fun to achieve and conquer. Last but not least, Mr. Gordon is very nice and gives me awesome pieces to play. - Aarush Aarush is industrious and serious about his musical skills. He has picked out his own big musical challenges, set to them, and conquered them. He has attained a very good grasp of the workings of music and, after just a few short years, is playing impressive literature. - Mr. Gordon Bodhi M.![]() I love music because music is fun and I like to try new songs. - Bodhi M. I can’t keep up with Bodhi these days with how fast he has been learning songs. He’s been having so much fun in our lessons and wants to learn every song he can’t get his hands on. I’m really proud of him for the energy he brings to learning violin and I’m impressed with the length of songs he can learn for his age. Bodhi is young but he’s not afraid of a challenge, he’ll ask me weekly for songs above his level and we’ll try them out not getting discouraged along the way. Even though he’s always hungry for new music he really cares that he learns his songs well and goes back and plays his old favorites. I’m very excited to nominate Bodhi for student of the month and to celebrate the progress he’s been making lately in our lessons. - Mr. Ernesto Krishna H.![]() Music has been such an important part of my life. It helps me let go of any worries I have, and it makes me feel at peace with myself. I hope that I will always be able to say that for the rest of my life! - Krishna H. Krishna has a passion and enthusiasm for music that is infectious! He puts the same focused energy into his singing that he does into everything else he pursues (from his honors courses, to swim team, to Latin competitions), and as a result, he has cultivated a really disciplined approach to practicing. In our lessons, he is thoughtful and nuanced in his self-evaluations, and he takes great initiative to research and pick out new repertoire that he is excited about. As a performer, Krishna puts himself fully out there and isn't afraid to try new things or show vulnerability in his acting & singing. His openness to feedback and sense of humor make lessons fruitful and so fun! Thank you for sharing your voice with the Orpheus community! - Ms. Chelsea |