Today we’d like to introduce you to September Salazar.
Hi September, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hi! I’m September. I run a private piano studio, September’s School of Music, in Lebanon, TN.
I began piano lessons when I was 5 years old. I had the best teacher ever- Deb Fields! She gave me the opportunity to start teaching when I was about 13 years old and I loved it. After graduating from college, I came back to the middle TN area, got married, had kids and decided that teaching private piano lessons was a perfect thing while raising my family. I maintained a small studio during their growing years and then four years ago, I took a hiatus from teaching. I missed it so much that I decided to start the studio back up again for just a few students one day a week. Coming back after a break was so beneficial to me because I had a new perspective, almost like a breath of fresh air and the studio is now growing by leaps and bounds!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road has not always been smooth. I don’t think it ever is, right? Life happens, and things get tough- for everyone. For me, I have sometimes struggled with trying to grow the studio and making enough money to help support my family. It sometimes felt that growth was really slow, especially at the beginning, but I have learned a lot over the years about what worked and what didn’t. I believe that although I sometimes felt frustrated over how things were going, God walked me through it and prepared me, through the lessons I learned, to be ready for bigger things when I was truly ready for it! Among many of the lessons I experienced, I learned to be a lot more open and loving. My natural tendency is to be more reserved and private so I have had to work on that because I definitely want my studio families to feel loved and welcomed. Because they ARE!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I truly believe that music is for everyone so, no “stuffy” music school here. I take students as they are with parents who sometimes have no previous knowledge about music at all. Most of my students have no intention of becoming concert pianists but their parents understand that through studying the piano, their child will gain invaluable work ethic, confidence, and countless other skills that will see them through adulthood. I also find that music has a way of benefiting very small children as well, so I accept students as young as three years old through high school age. To help students gain a very good musical education, I believe that love is the key ingredient! I want each of my students to have no doubt that I love them! Along with the Iove, I have developed a system over the years that I feel is highly helpful to kids and parents: the Total Piano Instruction Package. In this package, everyone has their own private, customized lesson each week, along with a weekly virtual group lesson as well. This group class helps students to grow together as a community of learners. We also have group master classes, recitals, and summer camps for students to utilize. Community is a big part of what we do. Kids, and adults alike, need friends!
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I always offer a free trial lesson before signing up with our studio. You want to make sure that you feel comfortable before making such a decision like that. If a parent wonders if their child will enjoy piano lessons or if our studio is a good fit for their family, they can schedule that first free lesson right from our website.
I love music but what I love most is what learning music can do for children!
Pricing:
- Total Piano Instruction Package monthly subscription: $155
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.septembersschoolofmusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/septembersschoolofmusic
- Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/@septembersschoolofmusic23
Image Credits
Aria Bethards
Arturo Salazar
