Today we’d like to introduce you to Lael Eccard.
Hi Lael, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I got started in the music business at a very young age. My first paying gig was likely around 16. Music was my “safety blanket”, or a place where I belonged growing up. I engaged in every musical group and activity I could from 4th grade through my studies at ENMU in Portales, NM from ’93-97. I then finished my degree at Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA in 2013. It was here, at this school, I learned I had a real passion for teaching the instruments I play: drums, percussion and voice. This is where DPV Music Lessons was born. Since moving to Nashville with my wife, Amanda, my family has grown to having a, now, 10 year old son we affectionately call K-man. My business has grown to having 9 or so instructors on a regular basis, traveling around to the surrounding Nashville areas and counties teaching all ages and skill levels, but focusing on KIDS ages 5-18.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
What’s a smooth road…LOL! Does anyone have a smooth road? We all have our crosses to bear and experience bumps along the way. That’s just life. You take the good with the bad…it’s yin and yang. Without one you cannot have the other.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
DPV specializes in the In-Home model of lessons (we also teach nationwide online). We have no brick and mortar. I think the main thing that sets DPV Music Lessons apart from the rest of the studios and private instructors out there is that we use a Montessori approach to music lessons and teach from a language perspective first! In other words, how did we learn our native tongue? We saw mom and dad form their words. We listened and watched and eventually said “momma”, or “dadda”! If we just sit next to our students and show them, “this is how you play this, and this is how you play that” then they pick up the instrument quicker and love it instantly! We also use songs that our students absolutely adore to teach them how to play their instruments, not songs the instructors like or what they want them to learn. Music reading, theory and all that other academia type stuff is important, yes, but it doesn’t have to be the focus starting out. The old methods of sitting down a kid in front of a piece of paper with black squiggly lines on them, and counting them off are just that…OLD!
We then combine this with a leveling up process where our core instruments: drums, percussion, voice, guitar, bass, keys and ukulele have 10 Achievement Levels. These come in the form of Workbooks that have a little of that academia I just spoke of, as well as a place to put notes on the songs they are learning, as well as their weekly lesson goals. The real joy that kids get from leveling up with DPV, though, are the Martial Art-Style VIP Passes. These are colored just like the belts of martial arts and look like official backstage passes!
These things are really just the tip of the iceberg with DPV. The following are brief descriptions of the Benefits to working with DPV:
We offer incentive based prize rewards, where our younger kids earn points from games they play in lessons. These games are made up on the spot by our instructors and are designed to gather focus both in the lesson and in their practice. Points are turned in for DPV Bucks that they can then spend on toys, instruments and gifts at our DPV Rewards Shop. Our older kids compete in a practice log competition each month by logging their practiced hours each week in their student portal. The one with the most hours wins $20 to spend at our DPV Rewards Shop.
We do In-Home Concerts. Intimate concerts put on from the comfort of your home to an audience of the student’s choosing. Very little pressure on mom/dad to do anything. These are low maintenance and incredibly rewarding!
We do full production Live Concerts with student bands, instructor backed bands, or students playing to tracks sans their instrument. These are a HUGE hit with parents and students alike!
We do regular evaluations with our students and parents…sitting down 4 times/year to point out where a student is doing really well and where they could use improvement.
We keep our parents really well informed through weekly updates that come directly from the instructor to their private parent portal and personal emails.
We have instrument rentals for all of our core instruments, and others. Giving you the option to ‘try before you buy’.
In closing, every student is different, so each lesson plan and method used to teach your kiddo is completely customized!
Call or text for more info: 615.283.0526 dpvmusiclessons@gmail.com
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
If you don’t jump, you’ll never know you can fly. Take risks and Do. What. You. Want! Follow your dreams. Also, getting help along the way is a must!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dpvmusiclessons.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dpvmusiclessons
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dpvmusiclessons
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/dpv-music-lessons-nolensville
