October is when a student's hard work starts showing. The fall pieces are getting harder, the routines we talked about last month are taking hold, and the students who started in August are past the stretch where it felt impossible. You might even hear a little Monster Mash or Moonlight Sonata while walking the halls.
— Chad Ebert · School Director
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Connor Kolan
Animal Adventures in Music · Powell Location
How long have you been taking lessons?
2 years.
What's the coolest thing you've learned recently?
Music notes.
Favorite food?
Taco bowls.
Favorite artists?
Bruno Mars and Taylor Swift.
A Note from Sheri Stanley
Connor is a joy to work with. He is always prepared for his lessons; he is always happy and fun to teach. He makes me laugh when we start singing Bruno Mars together.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
26
OCT
Halloween Costume Contest Oct 26–31
Wear your costume to your lesson that week and take a photo with your instrument. Your teacher will help you snap it. One winner takes home a $100 Amazon gift card.
📍 All Locations
26
NOV
Thanksgiving Break 26th–27th
The school is closed from November 26th–27th. Have a great Thanksgiving break!
📍 All Locations
26
DEC
Winter Break Dec 26 – Jan 1st
The academy is closed for winter break. Merry Christmas everyone!
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2
JAN
Winter Recitals
Winter recitals happen throughout the month of January.
📍 All Locations
FROM THE DIRECTOR
A monthly tip & insight from Chad
“Early progress is almost invisible.”
Last month I wrote that progress in music compounds quietly. This month I want to tell you exactly what to listen for, because quiet is the easy part to miss. Two months in, your child is building real skill at a real pace. It just doesn't announce itself yet. A polished song is the last thing to arrive, not the first.
Here is what your teacher is watching, and what you can watch for too. Hand position that holds up without reminders. A steadier tempo, even on something simple. Catching a wrong note and fixing it without being told. Recovering from a mistake in the middle of a piece instead of going back to the top. Eyes that read a beat ahead instead of one note at a time. None of that sounds like a performance from the next room. All of it is what a performance is built on.
This is also why a finished song is a poor yardstick this early. A student who memorized one piece in week three and plays it on demand has a wonderful party trick. A student who is quietly building reading, timing, and self-correction is building the thing that makes every future piece possible. Six months from now, it won't be close. Fall is when that foundation gets laid, and January recitals are when you finally get to hear what it was for.
THIS MONTH'S PRACTICE TIP
Record thirty seconds of your child practicing this week on your phone. Don't make a thing of it and don't watch it back. Then record thirty seconds again over Thanksgiving break and play the two side by side. Day to day you can't hear improvement, which is exactly why it's so easy to believe there isn't any. Six weeks apart, you will not be able to miss it.
Chad Ebert — Founder & Director
MEET YOUR TEACHERS
Quinn C.
Quinn is a pianist and educator with a strong foundation in jazz, specializing in jazz theory, improvisation, and soloing. He studied at the Conservatory of Piano, where he built a versatile, performance-driven approach to playing, and he has spent several years performing at gigs around the Columbus area. That real-world experience shapes a practical, engaging teaching style. In lessons, Quinn blends structured classical learning with creativity and expression, encouraging students to explore improvisation and truly connect with the music they play. He tailors each lesson to the student's goals and learning style, building confidence and a strong musical foundation at the same time.
Join 5,000+ students who've discovered the joy of music at our four Columbus locations. Start with a $29 trial lesson — No Commitment, No Pressure.