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 Reid A. I love music for the different ways it makes me and others feel. Playing guitar helps me feel calm when I'm stressed and happy when i'm rocking a song like AC/DC or Metallica. I really enjoy playing music with my friends and how we can shred together, have fun and play all different types of music even though we all play different instruments. Music brings us all together. -Reid I'd like to nominate Reid for "Student of the Month". He has been taking two lessons a week for the last couple years, and has shown much enthusiasm and dedication to the guitar. He has mastered some tricky triad exercises and worked very hard to memorize the names of the notes on the fretboard. In the last few months he has made big strides in becoming a more independent musician and practicer, and he's already enjoying the results in his new pieces. Stay tuned, as Reid has an upcoming performance of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" AND Arietta by Kuffner! - Mr. Stephen Raina D. I have been learning piano for more than three years now and I have so many amazing memories. I love music because it makes me feel relaxed and calm. At Orpheus, I love playing music with others during concerts and recitals. Thank you Miss Valeria for always motivating me. I hope one day I can play as good as you do!
- Raina Raina has improved so much over the last months, we currently are continuing with the virtual lessons and it works very well. She is a very good listener, and carefully follows directions in order to practice her assignments in an effective way. Recently, we are focused on learning more complex rhythms and she is nailing them! - Ms. Valeria Olivia S. I love music because each note is rhythmic. I love to sing along to songs like "The Let Go" by Ellie King and "Roar" by Katy Perry. I love playing music because everyone is unique and so is every instrument. - Olivia I would like to nominate Olivia. Although Olivia has just started playing the violin, she has worked hard to develop great posture and a textbook bow hand shape! She is always curious in lessons, practices regularly, and is developing a keen musical ear. I’m proud to have her in my studio!! - Ms. Mackenzie  Angelina K. I like music because it is fun and entertaining. I told my mom I want to play violin in the future, and she told me to start small. She encouraged me to start with piano. After learning for months, I found it was pretty fun. I got to learn different types of music and dances. I could also play the piano while my sister dances or sings! Piano started my interests in music. I enjoy playing with my family and friends to share the joy. I can use the piano to create music and it is a very unique skill. - Angelina I nominate Angelina to be the student of May for my studio. For the past two years while all the lessons were held through Zoom, Angelina still stayed very passionate about music, very engaged in the lesson, practiced hard, and played well in every performance class. She also helped her little sister, Anna, who just started taking piano lessons a little more than a year ago, to practice at home. Angelina received the highest rating and was invited to play in the Honored Recital for ADMTA (Austin District Music Teacher Association) music festival this past March. The judge was particularly impressed with her cheerful personality and introduction for the pieces and said, "made me anxious to hear your performance." This is her first time playing for the festival and she received such great feedback. I'm really proud of her. - Ms. Joyce Serena Z. I love playing piano because, I like YOU my piano teacher, I also like piano because, I like every song I play on the piano. - Serena Serena is a very talented and hard-working pianist. She is always motivated to read new pieces every week. Moreover, she has participated in many performance opportunities this semester. Discipline is the key to be successful in playing piano! I’m so proud of you Serena. - Mr. William Audrey L. I like music because it is a form of art where you can freely express yourself, kind of like drawing which is my favorite hobby.
- Audrey I would like to nominate my student Audrey for student of the month. She has made unbelievable progress both during the pandemic and now that we are back in person. What amazes me about Audrey is how intensely focused and deeply expressive she is with her playing. One of the hardest things to do on guitar is to maintain your awareness of all the technical details required to modulate the tone or the dynamics while still being aware of where you are in the piece and hitting all the right notes. When Audrey can't get that right away I always ask her what would make it easier and she says "lots and lots of practice." - and she does it! - Mr. Klondike Nora U. I like playing music because I can play songs that I listen to. I like to play for my friends and family. I am looking forward to learning more songs with Mr. Vijay. - Nora I am happy to nominate Nora for student of the month. Nora started out strong in 2022 by completing the 30 days of practice challenge, where she practiced every day for the entire month of January! This is just one example of what Nora brings to the table as a musician: she is always improving and never backs down from a challenge. I look forward to her upcoming concert, where she'll showcase her versatile musicianship by playing selections ranging from Broadway music and movie soundtracks to rock and Spanish flamenco music. Keep up the great work Nora! - Mr. Vijay Sledge T. I love music because how it makes me feel. I like piano because my dad also plays. We sometimes play together. I love to play “Heart and Soul” with him. - Sledge I would like to congratulate Sledge as the student of the month! He has been a very diligent and amazing piano student. Sledge's improvements as a musician can be noticed since he is always ready for his piano lessons. Also, his parents are very supportive and interested in their son's musical journey. I'm sure that music will always be part of Sledge's life!! - Mr. Leonardo Jeremy T. Music is always so wonderful! Whenever I play a piece of music, it makes me feel happy and free. I want to thank Ms. Wendy for staying with me through 4 years. Music is the best!!!
- Jeremy Jeremy has been playing the piano for 4 years. He always brings a lot of enthusiasm, creativity and problem solving skills to every lesson. His regular daily practice shows in his rapid progress. In December, 2021, Jeremy presented a beautiful Musical Journey level 3 recital in front of friends and family. Now, he is working very hard towards level 4 this year! Jeremy is also an awesome ensemble player, he enjoys playing with other students in the musicianship class, working on friendship concerts with his friends and playing duet with his siblings. I am very proud of Jeremy's progress and am looking forward to continuing our musical journey together!! - Ms. Wendy Audrey W. I love music because I get to learn new songs to play to my family, and I have fun in my lessons! - Audrey Audrey has such great lessons and she is so eager to learn. She is a great joy to work with and brings such happiness to our lessons. Audrey is the last lesson of my day which means I always end on a high note! Each week she continues to progress and proves that music is in her DNA. - Mr. Jesse Gus E. I love music because it allows me to function during daily life and it inspires me. I listen to music constantly throughout the day and I don't know what I would do if I couldn't easily listen to music anywhere I am. I enjoy discovering new music as well as progressing through songs or discovering new things on the guitar. - Gus Gus has worked so diligently at the guitar this year. He made his high school’s most advanced ensemble as a freshman, and he earned highest marks at this year's UIL competition. The judge there said he had the best tone production of the day, and Gus will go on to compete at a state-wide level. His hard work has shown awesome results and Gus should be proud! - Mr. Trevor Ava D. I love music because it gives me an outlet to express my emotions. - Ava Ava is an inspiring young woman. In the past year and a half since we've been working together, she has met every challenge with grace and determination. I've given her challenge after challenge, and she comes back the next week having taken my comments to heart, and having worked hard on her given assignments, despite the demands of being in two separate theatre programs. Her growth is inspiring and I love the time we spend together each week. She deeply deserves being student of the month. reat job, Ava! - Ms. Jessica Ishan S. I spend a lot of my time solving Rubik’s Cubes, and composing songs on the piano reminds me of that. When you’re solving a Rubik’s Cube, you already know what pattern you’re trying to get to—it’s already there, you just need to figure out how to get to it. The way you do that is by stringing together a bunch of algorithms you’ve already learned—you have to figure out in what order, what time, and what place to use them. Writing a composition is the same way for me. I have some ideas in my head, little musical ideas that will be part of the song—those are like the algorithms. Once I figure that out, then I have a composition, which is like a Rubik’s Cube where all the sides are one color. That’s why I love composing and the piano and music—it’s like trying to solve a puzzle.
- Ishan I would like to nominate Ishan for student of the month. Ishan is one of my most hardworking students, and it shows in his rapid progress. He is very excited about piano and composition, enthusiastic about practicing, and extremely self-motivated to explore music on his own (in addition to his weekly assignment). I’m always extremely impressed when Ishan teaches himself a new piece in a matter of days from a YouTube video, then performs it for me at his next next lesson. He regularly composes very interesting and engaging pieces, using advanced harmonies and organizational structures, which he devises on his own. Ishan has recently completed Musical Journey Level 2 with a beautiful recording project. I’m also very proud of Ishan for beginning to show interest in performing in recitals, which is a big step for him. I’m looking very forward to continuing to guide Ishan’s musical studies! Bravo, Ishan!! - Ms. Ruth Vivaan V.
Barrett S. I love music because it's fun to learn new songs and play them for my mommy and daddy. -Barrett I would like to nominate Barrett for student of the month. Barrett is one of my most hardworking students, and it shows in the progress he's made in such a short period of time. Barrett is excited about guitar, excited about practicing, and excited to share his music with others. In fact, we learned a pretty challenging piece before Winter Break and not only did Barrett crush it in the lesson, he also said "I can't wait to play this for my mom when I get home". Because of all this hard work, Barrett just completed his Musical Journey Level 1 Test (in less than a year!), and we are preparing to give a home concert this Spring. I'm really looking forward to that, and for all the great music we'll make together in the future. Nice job Barrett! - Mr. Doug Jonah K.  Music brings out the joy in me.
- Jonah I would like to nominate Jonah for student of the month! I'm very proud of Jonah's hard work and his resilience in every new challenge he encounters. His listening skills have improved so much and it's so wonderful to see how his attention to detail develops with every new piece we work on. He is always open to performances or trying new approaches when difficulties arise, and he always leaves a smile on my face after every lesson! I can't wait to see how he keeps growing musically! - Ms. Gloria Harper N. Harper is 10 years old and attends Hill Elementary. She has been studying violin with Ernesto since the fall of 2019. Harper loves music because it’s fun and challenging at the same time. She enjoys being able to express herself musically and loves playing for family and friends. - Harper I wanted to nominate Harper for my student of the month. Harper's critical listening has improved so much especially over the past month, but what I wanted to celebrate the most is her perseverance in each lesson to work through to improve her playing. I will give Harper challenging solutions weekly to improve the things that she hears that she wants to fix and she takes them with stride and doesn’t give up on her first attempts to learn them. As we’ve started to finish up our CD project it’s been such a joy really seeing her transition from a beginner to an intermediate musician. She’s held her composure with the sometimes difficult self awareness of our playing that comes with recording a lot of music and I’ve really seen this especially in working with her on her composition. Very happy to nominate her for our Cedar Park Student of the month. - Mr. Ernesto Heeral A.
Ben W. Ben loves playing violin and making music because he thinks music is beautiful. He likes the way the sounds follow a specific order and pattern. - Ben Ben is 7 years old and is in his second year of playing violin. He is bright and silly and also very focused. Ben has been playing violin frequently and is currently playing songs in the middle of Adventure Through Sounds, Book 2! Now, he's memorizing his songs and really enjoys playing for an audience. Keep it up, Ben! - Mr. Xavier Martha N. Music is very interesting and I really like the way it makes me feel while making music.
- Martha I'm so proud of how hard Martha has been working in her lessons! She's exhibited great curiosity and creativeness in her piano studies. Keep up the great work! - Mr. Mike Aayan S. I love music because it brings me joy! I just love the keys. - Aayan I am happy to nominate Aayan as the Student of the month! His love for music motivates him to practice every day and enjoy every piece and song that he learns. He finished Piano Adventures I and II, and now he is an excellent sight-reader for his age. His mom mentions that he is so happy every time that he practices at home, and sometimes he practices twice a day. When we play a new music piece, the happiness on his face is priceless. He is always excited about his piano lesson and learning new songs and music pieces! - Ms. Rut Arthi D.I joined Orpheus just over a year ago for vocal lessons. I have become more confident in expressing myself through music. Ms. Chelsea is an awesome teacher and helps me grow constantly. Thank you Orpheus!
- Arthi I have had the pleasure of working with Arthi for a little over a year now, and although I haven't gotten to meet her in person yet, I've been so proud of the work that we have accomplished together online. Arthi has an infectious positive attitude, keen attention to detail, and strong work ethic which is a formula that makes our lessons both super productive and tons of fun at the same time! It's been such a pleasure to see her really grow in her confidence both vocally and as a performer in our time together. Looking forward to seeing what the next year brings! Thank you for sharing your voice with the Orpheus community. - Ms. Chelsea Rishabh K. I love music. Music is something that, if played well, is one of the most beautiful art to ever be heard. This is not the only reason though. When I hear a song like Fur Elise, the music will calm and soothe me. When someone plays a song like “In My Red Convertible'', or Maple Leaf Rag though, I feel more excited and have an urge to dance. Both types of music make me feel good. Music’s ability to create different ways to entertain me, whether by exciting, calming or doing something else to me is another reason I love music. One other great part of music is what it is inspired from and/or what it leads to in the future. Fur Elise, for example, was a song created for Beethoven’s first love. One other song, “This Is My Planet Earth” would go on to inspire the song “My Country Tis of Thee”. The history and impact of music is fascinating to me. I love history. The purpose of songs and their meanings are very fascinating, whether it’s out of love for a person, patriotism, to send a certain message, or something else. These are the main reasons that I love music. - Rishabh I’m so happy to nominate Rishabh as a student of the month. Rishabh is a very hardworking student. Moreover, he also actively participates in any performance opportunities at Orpheus Academy. I am impressed by his enthusiasm and attentiveness during the lesson. Keep up the good work! - Mr. William Gautham M. I like music because it is fun. Thank you everyone!
- Gautham I will be happy to nominate my student Gautham for November Student of the Month. Gautham is a very hard working young student. He is very musical! His dad is very supportive, attending every lesson and interested in his son's music development. - Ms. Anastasiia Kaiya J. I love learning with Ms Wendy because she is always very helpful when I am stuck on a piece and she teaches really fun, great songs. The reason I love playing the piano is because you can be creative and compose your own music. And music makes me feel happy and relaxes me! - Kaiya Kaiya has accomplished so much during her 3 years of piano studies. She completed Musical Journey level 1 and 2 and often participated in performance classes and recitals. This summer she learned the Indian National Anthem and performed it as a duet with her older brother, Ishaan!! Kaiya always brings a never-give-up attitude to every piano lesson and because of this she has learned many fun and challenging pieces. I know that music will be a big part of Kaiya's life for a very long time! - Ms. Wendy Carly S. Four years ago I started doing piano, and as my love for piano grew so did my love of music. Then a friend came over and showed me her violin and I loved it. A few months later I asked my parents if I could take violin lessons. Then after weeks of waiting we got my violin and started lessons and here I am about a year later getting student of the month! Thank you Orpheus!
-Carly I am pleased to nominate Carly as October’s student of the month. Carly has a tenacious attitude and comes to lesson ready to tackle any challenge I throw at her. She has a great musical ear and is becoming quite the talented young musician. Keep up the good work Carly! - Ms. Mackenzie |
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