After six years of learning and creating with the most brilliant students, our studio is undergoing several new and very exciting transformations!

1). Brillante Music Studio's new name is Lionheart Music Studio.
2). We will move into a new lesson studio space this summer.
3). We are changing from 1:1 lessons to group lessons.

Our studio has always been defined by a passion for discovering the language of music, having fun and stepping out of our comfort zones to share music within our communities. This metamorphosis now supports those objectives in a brand new way!

While "Brillante" means bright, brilliant and sparkling, "Lionheart" is the definition of exceptional bravery and courage. Lions are bold and fierce, but also warm and gentle. They are strong leaders and as a pride are loyal and skillful. I deeply believe that music education is a transformative vehicle to unearth all of these qualities in every person.

I grew up taking piano and voice lessons. I loved music, but always felt fairly isolated practicing alone in my family's basement every day. I looked forward to group lessons, held twice a year, which provided insight into how I compared to my peers. It was also incredible to play music together-even at an amateur level. Now throughout my teaching career of 20+ years, I have heard students and parents express these same sentiments. Without the natural competition and encouragement that comes from peers (found in sports teams, choir, band, theatre classes, etc.) it is easy to feel isolated and feel a lack of motivation to practice or work toward your highest levels.
As a learner first, then a teacher, I am on a constant journey toward the joy of discovery. Based on a lot of research, and knowing the quality of my students, I am very excited to see how group lessons will manifest into accelerated learning and substantial enjoyment. It is a natural and organic fit to our current studio dynamic.
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Group music lessons, while still a relatively new concept in the United States, was popular in Europe in the early 1900's. (Franz Liszt, the famous pianist/composer was one of the early group lesson teachers!) The idea of these "master classes" was to combine small groupings of students and engage them with collaborative-learning strategies in an active and creative environment. The students learned how play and perform in ensembles early in their music education, going on to perform at high levels in the prestigious arenas of Europe. Now in the 20th century, we have the added benefit of interacting with digital resources from a global library.

Registration for our fall group lessons is now open! If you suspect that someone you know (or maybe it's you!) is lionhearted enough to start or continue a journey into music, send me a message or visit the Classes page at LionheartMusicStudio.com for the registration form.

Happy Spring Concert Day!
The students received their awards during our mini Award Ceremonies this week at our group lessons. ​

VIRTUAL LESSON AWARDS
The Ipad Hunter Award | Ariana S.; Zeke S.

Active Pet Award | Becky J.; Elle E.; Macy B.; Neela J.; Nicklas H.; Rachael B.; Riley L.

The Low Juice Award | Audrey S.; Ethan I.; Liam S.

The Musical Magician Award | Zach I.

The Illumination Award | Barrett B.; Lindsey L.

Git 'er Done Award | Riley L.; Robert P.

Best Ceiling Award | Jack H.

The Verizon "Can You Hear Me Now?" Award | Jasmine G.; Rayne P.; Riley P.; Robert P.; Simrik T.; Steven P. 

Best Lesson Snacks Award | Keira L.


NOTABLE RECOGNITIONS

Starting New. Starting Strong | Ayannah I.; Bryce K.; Ellis T.; Lindsey L.; Willa T.

Audio Treasure Hunter Award | Adalyn W.; Priyanka I.; Lillyana P.

Daily Dozen 21-Song Challenge | Ethan I.; Steven P.; Zoe I.

South Suburban Music Teacher Association Recital Medal Winners | Audrey S.; Lucy A.

Minnesota Music Teachers Vocal Festival Participants | Audrey S.; Evelyn B.; Lucy A.

Hanon 20-Techniques Challenge | Adalyn W.; Jack H.; Zach I.

Stop! Collaborate & Listen Award | Barrett B.; Jasmine G.; Keira L.; Neela J.; Thomas R.

The Musical Motion Award | Evelyn B.; Thomas R.

The Musical Artist Award | Elle E.

The Lionheart Courage Award | Evelyn B.; Macy B.

Ariana S. | Acceptance into her high school's prestigious choir
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Elle E. | Minnesota All-State Choir member

Practice Challenge Update | Week 20 of 20

In January of this year, I issued a Practice Challenge to my students. "It's a new year. We're stuck in quarantine. Let's make this our year of best growth ever." As anticipated, the students were ready to go, but I wasn't sure who might have the wherewithal to maintain such dedication to a goal. After all, this Challenge was no joke. The goal was to practice for 20 minutes 5 days a week...for 20 weeks. Every week this was accomplished, they received a letter clue to a phrase. In order to succeed, they would not only have to collect all 20 letters, but embrace the objective of any practice challenge I give my students: to see marked improvement and to create the powerful discipline of  daily habits.

I made it my personal challenge to document our weekly progress by sharing it in this blog format every week. This was a decision I regretted pretty much every week. I found it laborious to set aside other tasks, sit down and try to fill an empty page with meaning. On particularly lethargic days, my thoughts would whisper to me, "Julie, you know nobody reads these anyway. It doesn't matter if you write one or not." Or "You don't really have anything to say this week. Skip it. Hey, look! Your Pinterest window is still open!" Unfortunately, I had already advertised to my students that I'd be taking on a Challenge alongside them, so not doing it wasn't an option. Checking in with them each week, I knew they were putting in the time. Listening to their progress was so deeply inspiring, so I made myself sit down every week and write about something important to me and this studio.

When the Challenge officially ended and all of the final clue letters dispersed, 78% of the studio had crushed it. 
The finishers will be recognized at our mini Award Ceremonies this week, but their rewards for this accomplishment are incredibly long-lasting and transferrable. Their boldness this year has inspired new changes in this studio that I will be unveiling over the next couple of weeks.
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The Unlocking My Potential Challenge Winners are: Adalyn, Audrey, Ayannah, Barrett, Becky, Ellis, Ethan, Evelyn, Jack, Jasmine, Liam, Lillyana, Nick, Priyanka, Rachael, Rayne, Riley P., Simrik, Willa, Zach, Zeke and Zoe. Congratulations!!

Practice Challenge Update | Week 19 of 20

Resilience. This is the word that comes to mind when I think of my students this year. At the beginning of 2021,  I challenged them to practice for 100 minutes every week for 20 weeks. (Award winners will be recognized in next week's blog!)  They look like perfectly normal people in this photo, but roaring lions definitely live within each one of them. Here is a snapshot of their year: 

Ariana | Dedicated her semester to improving her voice and overall confidence. It paid off when she auditioned and landed a spot in her high school's top choral program.

Derrick | Undeterred by technology problems and reading from printed music, he committed to learning his new piece completely by ear and successfully did so.

Jasmine | Always looking for a challenge, Jasmine composed multiple songs this year and performed a soaring rendition of Mozart's "Queen of the Night" for our studio's Halloween concert.

Lindsey | Although a busy wife to her husband and mom to two little boys, Lindsey decided to rekindle her passion for the piano and has progressed mightily in note reading, sight-reading and ear training. 

Priyanka | Competitive and committed, Priyanka completed a piano lesson level as well as mastering 14+ new scales and composing her own music.

Steven | Amidst technology issues and new challenges in piano, Steven never gave up and is reaping the benefits of his commitment as he plays some of the world's most recognizable pieces.

Audrey | Moving her piano from the basement to the common area of her home created a new environment of community and accountability. She began singing and playing together in earnest and has had her strongest year of growth yet.

Elle | Tackling high school classes, a musical, new jobs and new pets, Elle was determined to elevate her music expression skills this year. Her daily commitments to this end have significantly brought her to a new level of ability on the keyboard and connection with the music.

Keira | Never one to shy away from challenges, Keira embraced her quarantine and not only advanced through a piano level book, but brought marked improvement to her sight-reading and performing skills.

Adalyn | This young woman's passion for music could not be quelled by quarantine. Adalyn's daily practice deposits have made her a musician specifically rich in technique and expression.

Rachael | Starting with an end goal in mind, Rachael entered the arena of the brave to start something new and unexplored. Her persistent drive to improve each week have found her going toe to toe with demanding music and accompanying for herself.

Thomas | With no lack of creativity and talent, Thomas' follow through skills saw an album release to Spotify and a continued commitment to his art.

Ayannah | This fun-loving spirit started new this year and started strong. She developed a rhythm for her daily practice and has seen tremendous progress in pitch matching and diction.

Ellis | Another new musician off the blocks, Ellis began her piano journey with eagerness and curiosity.  Despite the learning curve every new musician encounters and despite the challenges of virtual lessons, Ellis is sight-reading independently and playing music that she loves.

La'Naya | Though naturally musical, La'Naya worked through difficult new concepts vocally and on the piano, excitedly sharing them with her family. She also loved learning many new songs by ear this year.

Lucy | Navigating a new high school and virtual lessons only strengthened this young woman's confidence in her voice and story-telling abilities. Her vocal tone, flexibility and breathing skills  have also gained momentum. 

Riley L. | A skilled athlete, Riley is no stranger to hard work and proved through his attentiveness to practice time that he came to play this year. Riley's sight-reading skills and technique on the keyboard have seen a dramatic improvement.

Willa | Willa's focus and love of music are evident  as she has developed her voice and music knowledge. Virtual concerts have seen her expressing her investment in the story of the songs in fun and engaging ways.

Barrett | This young man never allowed the pandemic to rock his established daily practice goals. His tenacity and resolution to his art has been unwavering and deeply inspiring.

Evelyn | Although the musical in which she had the lead role only got to perform twice before shutting down, Evelyn managed to not only stay positive, but kept connected to the music in meaningful ways by experimenting with new repertoire and fine-tuning her skills through auditions. 

Liam | A true explorer, Liam discovered YouTube piano tutorials during quarantine. Using his skills from lessons, he began teaching himself to play music that he loves and hasn't slowed down since. 

Macy | This young musician found her sight-reading skills and musical ear strengthened due to virtual lessons. Macy's level of preparedness for performances decreased her nerves, giving her confidence before and during recitals and has even translated to her other activity areas.

​Robert | Delving into the Hanon Finger Technique exercises with fervor this year, Robert has enjoyed the benefits of increased hand and finger coordination.  His obvious note reading growth has him always on the hunt for more musical challenges.

Zach | A competitive spirit has served Zach well as his practice habits sky rocketed bringing his overall skill to a new level this year. His imaginative approach to music has allowed him to pursue many new endeavors.

Becky | A college flutist, Becky jumped into piano lessons this year determined to dust off her musical chops. Her daily dedication on the ivories have polished her note identification, technique and expression. Already completing a book level, Becky's time in quarantine has been anything but dull. 

Lillyana | A naturally hard worker, Lillyana's skills as a musician have continued climbing. Having formerly eschewed performing, this courageous spirit took a leap and played with brilliance in not just one, but multiple recitals this year. 

Neela | Discovery of the range of skills that can benefit a faithful musician buoyed Neela's belief in her own musical capabilities. Neela's ability to work with and lead others musically have been expressed in fun and creative new ways.

Simrik | A bold musician, Simrik adapted quickly to virtual lessons and never stopped pushing herself and actively seeking motivation and accountability. Her pursuit toward these endeavors has delivered an overall musical competency consistent during each week's lesson time.

Zeke | Zeke's perpetual positivity has influenced his approach to music which continues to be fueled by curiosity and creativity. His independence at the piano strengthened his technique and Zeke mastered the challenging skill of playing full octave scales with both right and left hands.

Zoe | A strong ear for melodies and a new chording prowess emerged for Zoe this school year. She has continued to define music in her own creative ways and bring her expressive abilities to each new challenge.

Ethan | Ethan's ability to game-ify every new task defined his success in music this year. An impressive new level of sight-reading gave him successful completion of the technique exercises known as A Dozen a Day.

Jack | An active comprehension of the musical language was evident for this devoted musician as he not only recognized, but can define the qualities of the music composed for video games and multi-media.

Nicklas | While still a budding musician, daily practice and exposure to overcoming hard things have seen Nick growing in a confident, creative pioneer at the keyboard.

Rayne | With quiet resilience, Rayne pressed through his lessons and his daily practices with an unflappable determination. His note-reading skills markedly improved as he also showed off some new expressive playing.

Riley P. | A significant boost in note-reading abilities allowed Riley to advance his recognition of the notes above and below the staff this year. His weekly time at the piano brought him new levels of musicianship. 

Bryce | This talented guitarist and established musician took the step to continuing shaping his music by discovering his unique vocal sound. Courageously exploring his range, tone and breathing, Bryce's only direction is forward.

Practice Challenge Update | Week 18 of 20

In three weeks, we will wrap up a tumultuous and historic 2020/2021 school year! While many future blogs will seek to capture the essence of the year, these next few weeks I am distilling my reflections down to three "R's": Reason, Resilience and Rewards. 

After my daughter was born, I was looking for some help getting into shape. I was drawn to Noom, a fairly new weight loss app on the market. One of their advertising videos showed a close up shot of a small bowl containing a perfectly rounded scoop of vanilla ice cream. A container off screen pours a thick, melted chocolate over the top of the scoop that temptingly slides down the ice cream hill. Unhurriedly, the text appears.  "We say...have the ice cream." Despite recognizing the exploitative use of sugar to future dieters, I still paid for a subscription. I was happy to discover that while their advertising is a bit misleading, Noom's nuts and bolts philosophy focuses completely on intrinsic motivation. The daily articles encourage exploring your relationship with food as well as food "myths" you have likely ascribed to for years. Above all, the program writers continually ask "Why? What is your motivation for being healthy?" How I answered that question was then reflected in every daily habit and choice. 

I have talked and written about finding your "why" frequently as I believe it is the strongest way to begin-or continue-any endeavor. At the beginning of this year, I challenged my students to make this year their strongest year of growth. Working under challenging learning circumstances meant that students would need to discover an inner "why" to bring this to fruition. I can't wait to give you our final Practice Challenge reports and some stories of these students.

Outside of a pure passion for music, the why's and reasons I've dedicated my career to music education are plentiful. The Tedx Talk from educator, Anita Collins particularly resonated with me as she surmises about the long term and community implications of young people engaging in music education. Teaching as many students as I can how to "speak the language of music" certainly directs the daily choices I make as a teacher and a studio owner.

Defining your Big Reason is imperative for success in big AND small endeavors. Communicating those reasons to others and bringing them along will always make the journey a lot more enjoyable.

Practice Challenge Update | Weeks 16 & 17 of 20

'Cause when I was low you was there for me/and never left me alone, because you cared for me/and I could see you comin' home after work late/you're in the kitchen, tryin' to fix us a hot plate.

Lyrics from the 1995 song "Dear Mama",  reflect Tupac's gratitude for his imperfect, but caring mother and are relatable to most of us.  Our Mother's Day compositions this week did not share the strength of poetry of Tupac's raps, but the sentiment of appreciation was intact.  It was interesting to discover that many students struggled with filling in the next sentence from the prompt, "My mom is great because..." Even now as I ask myself that question, it is difficult to distill the depths of a woman into one measure of music. After much thought, 90% of the musicians had a variation of "because she cares about me."

Care. Without pressure or influence, these young people have identified that what makes someone really great is caring. I have seen this watchful, serious attention in my student's mothers as well as students who are mothers themselves. Caring about something is recognizable through a variety of ways, like being reminded to brush one's teeth, make one's bed and practice one's musical instrument or sending the household outside so they can practice the instrument. 

In her book, "Dare to Lead", author and researcher, Brene Brown says that "trust is earned not through heroic deeds, or even highly visible actions, but through paying attention, listening and gestures of genuine care and connection." If the young people in my studio are recognizing these hallmarks of greatness in their moms and care-givers continue instilling this powerful value into the people around them, then there is much hope for our future generations. 

​Happy Mother's Day!

Practice Challenge Update | Week 15 of 20

The 1994 Disney movie, "Iron Will", follows Will Stoneman, a young man who is thrust into the role of saving his family's farm following his father's untimely death. He enters a cross country dog sled race, promising to win first place and the monetary prize. Through weeks of harsh, unpredictable weather conditions, deadly terrain and treacherous competitors, a sick and exhausted Will finally sees the finish line and the crowd waiting for him. With only a short distance to travel, he is overcome with fatigue and falls to the ground. 

Will's journey is relatable to anyone who has undertaken any kind of life challenge. Our visualization of the end of the journey motivates us to push through the pain. But the closer we get to our goal, our minds and bodies begin to recognize the effort. We see relief and begin to prepare for it. 

In our studio, this has been a tough week. With the energy of a recital behind us and with five weeks to go in our practice challenge, my students are eagerly anticipating the finish line. The finish line for us not only means accomplishment of a big goal, but it also means the end of the school year. Warm weather. The end of a tumultuous school year. Space to process the events in our communities. The beginning of something new. The bright approaching glow of the future seems to illuminate the challenging path we are still running.

As Will is collapsed on the ground, from the crowd, his friend whistles the four note tune Will uses to connect with and motivate his dog sled team. The dogs respond by leaping into action. The scene is brought to a dramatic crescendo as the entire crowd chimes in, whistling the melody, spurring on the dedicated dogs and summoning life back into a fallen Will. In a final act of love between animal and owner, they support Will's weary body to the finish line.

We all have our personal go-to whistle, song, phrase or image that provides that final push we need to reenergize, focus the intensity and finish strong. But we also need the crowd. We need that group of supporters to shout us to the end. Over the next few weeks, I encourage you to send a shout-out or a text or a card to a teacher or a student you know.  Your word of cheer will remind them of their strength and encourage them to dig just a little deeper for just a little longer to cross that finish line.

Practice Challenge Update | Week 13

Brillante Music Studio is very proud of all of our student athletes, many of whom have began practices and training for their spring sports. A stereotype conflict between the music nerd and the football jock has long been perpetuated in media, literature and pop music. However, I've discovered that the two actually share a beautiful relationship.


Music and Sports: Why Do Both?
​By Liz Hinley 
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Beethoven’s Hammerklavier Sonata--a powerful piano solo that is respected as one of Beethoven’s most challenging pieces. Imagine for a moment being a skilled pianist announcing an impromptu performance of such a piece. Is this perhaps a little ambitious? Do you feel like you can perform it comfortably, soon? How about right after winning an Olympic gold medal?
French Olympic champion and concert pianist Micheline Ostermeyer did just that. Right after winning gold in shot put at the 1948 London Games, she performed this recital in celebration of her win. Ostermeyer was unique in that she was a professional in music and sport. [1] For what experts in these fields may say are too distinct from each other and therefore impossible to master both, Ostermeyer acknowledges how “the qualities that make a true artist are nearly the same qualities that make a true athlete.” [2] She shared how sports helped relax her and playing piano gave her “a sense of motion and rhythm.” [3] For what seems like two different areas of skill, Ostermeyer has proven that they are more alike than at first glance.
Music and sport both offer great skills and benefits that not only improve one’s lifestyle, but they complement each other so that a musician can find benefits from being athletic and an athlete can discover benefits for being musical. Research supports having musical training can increase physical coordination and motor skill ability, and vice versa, that being an athlete can improve a musician’s skills and performances. [4] Although there is currently no research on outcome measures of individuals who study both music and sport simultaneously, there are intriguing findings that offer both musicians and athletes information that can help take their performances to the next level.
Below are a few key findings research offers for musicians who are looking to improve their physical abilities to play an instrument, or wanting to strengthen the control of emotion and mental fatigue:

• Physically active individuals may cope with stress such as performance anxiety, especially post-performance.
• Exercise has the potential to improve the quality of long-duration performances.
• Intention-structured practices, such as yoga, can enhance and support posture and reduce musculoskeletal imbalances.
• Stretching and fine motor exercises can improve range of motion, blood flow, and fine muscle strength to aid in holding and controlling an instrument.
• Interventions using strength training, specifically endurance strength, are proven beneficial for not only improving muscular strength but also having a positive effect on perceived exertion while playing an instrument.

Here are example findings on how music benefits athletic performance for athletes seeking an edge in training and competition:

• Motivational-rated music can improve ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), motivation, and arousal.
• Music can encourage athletes to work harder during exercise and for extended periods of time towards failure (to failure studies).
• Since there is a strong response to rhythmical qualities of music, one can improve technique and coordination of their kinetic chain.
• Stimulative music can influence positive self-talk and “in the zone” (flow state) effects.
• Music can affect the heart rate by either slightly increasing its rates with stimulative music or slowing its rates with sedative music.

A child growing up with both music education and athletic participation can learn many valuable skills, both cognitive and physical, that lead to a more significant development and success in learning and potentially his or her future career. Therefore, children should be encouraged to stay active in both music and sport as long as the desire and motivation are prevalent. As an adult, a combination of music and sport can provide many positive pathways to improving one’s ability and enjoyment in his or her chosen field of work.  For what seems like two very different worlds of entertainment, music and sport are in fact more related and provide the perfect balance to improve and optimize one’s life.
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Practice Challenge Update | Week 11 & 12 of 20

High schoolers in the Midwest return to school following spring break in one of two ways. The first way includes: 
Bronzed, sun-kissed skin; shiny hair in braids interwoven with cool, brightly-colored beads or thread; bright eyes and stories that involve either parasailing or swimming with dolphins.

The second way includes: pasty, sandpaper skin; the same dull, frizzy head of hair that left school 10 days earlier; dry, clouded eyes from artificial light and stories about driving your car into a snowy ditch on the way to Sam's Club with your mom.

I write with too much specificity and personal experience to not be in the latter group.  I couldn't help feeling that small body Pinch! during geometry class as Heidi, a blonde-haired beauty, sat sideways in her desk, extended her pedicured toes into the aisle and played with a new coconut shell bracelet from her all-inclusive resort in Cancun. Even now as a 38-year old who has had incredible experiences in exotic  locations, I still feel the Pinch! when I see the tell-tale pink forehead and nose on a Minnesotan in March. The energy from new spaces, sun and rest are just what they need to get them through the last 2.5 months of school-and winter-with a new vitality. 

Our studio is in the final eight weeks of our practice challenge. I was pleasantly surprised and proud to discover that in our first week back from spring break, both freshly vacationed students AND pasty dull-eyed students had significantly improved in their goals. It was reminder to me that achieving success doesn't come from having an ideal setting-it comes from our motivation. Author, speaker and blogger Rachel Hollis says that when you really want something, you find a way. If you don't really want it, you'll find an excuse. The Spring Breakers swimming with dolphins in a secret cove utilized the beauty of that experience to shape and motivate their practice time when they got home. The StayCayer's put down their iPad's and utilized the continuity of their routines to stay the course. Both made important use of their time and settings.  

I don't mind riding out the winter with grit and a smile, but I also daydream about leading a spring break studio field trip to hear the bird songs and soundscapes of Hawaii.  :)