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 Gabriela M.  I love music because it’s exciting; it turns the simple act of sitting and listening into an adventure.
- Gabriela Every lesson begins and ends with a smile. She is willing and happy to learn at any moment. Gabriela has a variety of interests that keep her motivated and our conversations exciting. Not only is Gabriela a wonderful violinist, but has chosen to learn about sports medicine in school this semester just for fun. Gabriela's lessons are always productive and motivating. If there was ever a student who could brighten an entire ensemble, it's her. - Ms. Kenzie Akshaj I. I just love music. Every piece is so cool and amazing—it's beautiful and has different notes. Each type of music and note creates something new and interesting. All the techniques are wonderful and they can make one same note have many sounds. Every music/instrument is very unique and different but so good at the same time. I find music through guitar beautiful and amazing. I like singing along to my songs while playing on my guitar. Sometimes I just like to play some notes on my own. I love the different sounds and things that make a violin sound so graceful like a ritardando, it makes the end of a piece so beautiful and vibratos just make largely unique sounds. -Akshaj The joy he brings to his lessons is so uplifting and always brings a smile to my face. There is not a challenge he will shy away from. It is clear that music means so much to him and is a big part of his life. I am honored to teach him at this point in his musical journey. -Mr. Jesse Eleanor M. I love music because I can sing and dance to it. Violin classes with Ms. Mackenzie are great because she is kind and makes me smile.
-Eleanor I am excited to announce Eleanor as July’s student of the month. I am nominating Eleanor because she shows up everyday enthusiastic to learn and brings so much laughter and light to our lessons. She is always asking questions, focused on finessing her technique, and is reflective and perseveres when she struggles. I look forward to Wednesdays to see what stories she has to share and what revelations she has had over the past week of practice. Keep up the great work Eleanor, you’re becoming a fabulous violinist! -Ms. Mackenzie Akshar V. I really enjoy playing Guitar. It sounds great, and the new songs that I am learning are awesome! It is really fun learning with Mr.Doug, because he teaches well and makes everything I learn easily understandable. -Akshar I am nominating Akshar for Student of the Month because he is consistently prepared, works super hard, and is always excited about guitar. Akshar and I recorded his Level 2 project earlier in the semester, and he also just took his Level 3 Musical Journey Test and did extremely well! Each and every week, Akshar shows up to lessons ready to go, and we have been able to make steady progress for years because of this. He also thoroughly enjoys music, and is often playing pieces that he teaches himself. I am so excited to see where his musical journey takes him. Congrats Akshar! -Mr. Doug Micah G. I love music because it helps me express my feelings. I like to make my own compositions and I enjoy performing music for others, especially my family. -Micah Micah Gervey has been a very disciplined and talented student. His piano playing is improving day by day, specially musicianship. His piano lessons are always very productive and exciting! -Mr. Leonardo Micah L. I like music because it sounds Amazing! Singing and humming let me make music even without a piano! I love to play my piano and sing along! My favorite song I ever learned was Whirling Leaves! It sounds so beautiful! -Micah Micah is an incredibly enthusiastic and dedicated student. She has shown great patience in her learning, taking into account that she started lessons at Orpheus during the middle of the pandemic. I look forward to meeting Micah when we go back in person! -Ms. Leanna Avaneesh R. Music is a very versatile thing, as there are so many things you can do with it. I love music for this reason. This versatility gives me so much potential to learn in both the electric and classical guitar fields. In other words, there are so many different "genres" of music in the genres of electric and classical music. In electric, there are many, many bands, and certain bands have certain playing styles which can be hard to master. In classical, factors like time period, nationality of the composer, and the composer themself all play an immense role in the resulting piece. This versatility also makes it fun. Every new song will be different, and it is much more fun to learn different material. If you learn one song over and over again, it will get boring, but if you learn new material, it will always be really fun. When I came to Orpheus over a year ago, I disliked classical music. I found it boring and way too hard to master the fingering. I like the fact that I was pushed to go out of my comfort zone and learn classical guitar. Learning classical guitar also helped me refine finger technique on electric guitar, as well. My teacher, Mr. Wyatt has played such a huge role in helping me learn new songs and refine my technique. He is an awesome teacher who can really encourage as well as make lessons really fun. Thank you. -Avaneesh Avaneesh has been a constant hard working student since he started taking lessons here about a year and a half ago. Over this time, he has developed fingerstyle skills that he never had while also furthering his electric guitar picking techniques to new heights. Any lesson with Avaneesh is exciting due to how much material he comes prepared with between the 2 main genres that we cover. I am also extremely proud of how he has handled his approach to playing and lessons during the pandemic by seeing the idea of being home more as an opportunity to practice and listen to music even more than he did while things were normal. As he hits the ground running with high school in the Fall, I am very excited to see how the guitar will continue to be such a defining and ever improving part of his life. -Mr. Wyatt Ayaan G. I like playing on the piano so that I can learn new songs. -Ayaan Ayaan has made so much progress with me and has only been taking lessons for one month! I'm so proud of how hard he has been working and love his curiosity and excitement for music! -Mr. Mike Jena C.  I love music and singing because it relaxes me. Music makes me feel free, calm, and happy. Since I was a baby, I loved to sing! Also, music has become a very important part of my life. Best of all was joining Orpheus Academy of music and having the best singing teachers in the world! ( Ms. Chelsea and Ms. Jessica)! Thank you Orpheus Academy for helping me to achieve my goals! -Jena I chose Jena for Student of the Month because of her infectiously positive attitude and eagerness to learn and make music. She brings so much energy and enthusiasm to all her lessons and performances! Jena is incredibly open to feedback, always excited to try new challenges, and never shies away from putting in hard work! It is such a delight to work with Jena - thank you for sharing your voice! -Ms. Chelsea Krishna V. I love music—it makes me happy and I enjoy stretching my voice and learning new songs! -Krishna
I am thrilled to nominate Krishna for Student of the Month! Krishna comes to every lesson very well prepared and eager to jump right in. She brings a tremendous amount of energy and focus, and she takes great initiative in spotting areas where she'd like to make improvements and practices those areas thoughtfully. As a result, she has already grown so much in our short time together! You should be very proud of the work you are doing, Krishna! Thank you for sharing your voice with the Orpheus community. -Ms. Chelsea Ayame C.Why I love Music (Short fun poem) Music is water Roars and sings Through guitar strings While piano keys ring Music has connection Illuminating reflections Creating projections Of beautiful collections Music is sound Never to be drowned As if it were a wound It will always be found I am very honored to be chosen as Student of the Month. Music has helped me grow into the person I am today with the many awesome concerts, lessons, relationships, and musical connections. It has brought me so much joy and appreciation for those who supported me along this journey. Thank you so much for eleven years of great musical experiences! -Ayame C. I am so impressed by how Ayame is able to do great quality practice despite a busy schedule. She is a state champ swimmer and honors student at school, and still manages to get better at guitar every week. She is part of a prestigious youth ensemble, the ACG Youth Orchestra, which recently went on tour in San Francisco. Bravo Ayame! -Mr. Stephen Anya G. I'd like to give a big shout out to Ms. Beth because she encourages me to work hard, practice and helps me find challenging songs. I wouldn't have learned to play the piano without her. I love playing the piano and once I get better I want to learn other instruments. -Anya Throughout the pandemic, Anya remained dedicated to piano lessons whether she was at her grandmother’s house, or out of state! When we began making plans for the Valentine’s Recital, Anya asked if she could learn “All You Need is Love”. Once she mastered that piece, she inquired about another song about friendship, “You’ve Got a Friend in Me”. She practiced diligently to play and sing both songs. I was impressed with how motivated she was, and also that she wanted to play two special songs that celebrate love and friendship. Anya is preparing for her Musical Journey test in May. She is a wonderful student with a happy outlook...and most of all, loves music! -Ms. Beth Amelia R. “Amelia found music classes during a world wide pandemic and instantly became a fan. She thinks that the sound of guitar and songs can make people feel happy and peaceful and she’s all for it. She also thinks playing guitar is just the coolest thing ever. She can’t wait for her classes with Mr. Wyatt and Ms. Jessica because she can learn more cool stuff, for an example she didn’t even know that people can actually read music! Being able to play guitar also makes Amelia feel very confident. She believes that everyone should learn how to play guitar.” -Amelia "Amelia comes to class ready to make and share music every week. She has a smile ready for everyone in class. If one of her fellow classmates is struggling with a concept, she is their best cheerleader. Amelia works hard on the concepts and the songs we are playing in class. She is always ready to take the lead and play whatever song we’re working on. Her enthusiasm at each activity radiates even through Zoom. She is a delight to work with each week." -Ms. Jessica Ethan Z. “I feel happy when I play piano!” -Ethan "Ethan is a joy to have in class! I perceive that he is an attentive listener and an avid learner. He often volunteers to perform excerpts of our ensemble songs, and I can hear improvement and musicality from week to week. He contributes to class activities with respect and accuracy that show me that he is learning and thriving. I look forward to seeing him grow as a musician!" -Ms. Megan Lyla O. I really love my musicianship class - every time the class ends, I realize how much fun I had. I love the games we play and how you learn music with them. Ms Ruth always gives us second chances on our homework and teaches us again if we don’t understand.
-Lyla Lyla is always attentive, well-behaved and well-prepared for class. She participates in class activities with enthusiasm and musical skill. Also, Lyla always goes the extra mile for video recording projects, with great attention to detail. Lyla is a pleasure to have in class! -Ms. Ruth Aylin T. Using music to redeem a social condition and leave the world a bit better is profoundly meaningful to me. I especially love composing music and expressing my heart’s feelings to bring social connections to my audience. Giving classical guitar concerts for nursing homes, I saw how music boosted the moods of elders by linking our souls and communicating profound feelings we couldn’t verbalize. I am very thankful to be part of the Orpheus community to do social good through music. My teacher, Dr. Klondike Steadman, has been particularly influential on my growth not only as a musician but also as a human being, as he has emphasized many times that “music is a form of social bonding, a gift we give not only ourselves, but also the world.” Over the past 12 years, he has inspired me to develop as a complete guitarist—excelling in technique, music theory, composition, heartfelt expression—and to share music with global communities. I will remain forever grateful to him and the Orpheus community for enabling me to experience life more deeply and spreading the gift of music to society.
-Aylin Aylin has been a guitar student at Orpheus for twelve years, and during that time she has participated in private lessons, group musicianship, honors guitar quartet and trio, guitar ensemble, dozens of summer camps and so much more. But it was the arrival of our greatest challenge as a music school this past March that brought out the best in Aylin. Completely on her own, she came up with several powerful ideas that have become central to our mission at Orpheus during this pandemic. Aylin wrote to me and said, “I know that Orpheus values giving the gift of music to the community. Especially during this stressful time, I think retirement homes, for example, might need us most." And, since my entire staff was consumed with moving nearly 700 students from in-person to online instruction, Aylin took the lead in crafting what was to eventually become the Musical Postcards for Seniors initiative. This program has motivated our students to invest themselves deeply in practicing music because they know that they can submit a video that will make a difference in the lives of residents of over 750 retirement homes across the US, Canada and Australia. In addition to starting and running the Postcards program, Aylin also started our "Practice Buddies" system -- all this while applying to college (she already has early acceptance to the UT Neuroscience Department!), keeping straight A's, and helping out with the Orpheus Guitar Ensemble. Aylin truly exemplifies what it means to be a member of this community through her own learning and service to others! -Mr. Klondike Kaleb R.
Alex G.
Paul Sirbu "I want to thank Mr. Benjamin for nominating me for Orpheus Academy's student of the month. I like Mr. Benjamin because he is always encouraging me. My favorite part of the piano lesson is practicing rhythms. My goal is to be able to play any song that I like. "
-Paul "He started learning piano this year and he has demonstrated incredible discipline and curiosity towards music. He always comes prepared and sometimes even does the extra things I did not ask him to do. He is attentive and very observant in the lesson, it is always a joy to work with him." -Mr. Benjamin |
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