Congratulations to Lenna on being selected as our April Student Of The Month!

Lenna joined the SoundLife family in September of 2021. Having previously taken lessons with an outside instructor, and longtime SoundLife supporter, Lenna came in with a strong foundation, confidence, and eagerness to learn. At the time, she was just 8 years old. Her previous instructor taught her scales, hand positions, and together they had begun working on Fur Elise by Beethoven by using a YouTube tutorial. 

Once Lenna started with her new instructor, she moved over to learning songs, chords, rhythm, and form to help better connect with her interests and learning style. At first Lenna struggled with playing in time and feeling the space between beats. She started with “Roar” by Katie Perry, and after mastering the simple part, she worked along with the recording to really feel the part in time. This process was not fast or easy, but Lenna is tenacious. After a few weeks, her confidence and timing skyrocketed. In December of 2021 she performed this song in front of a live audience at El Cid for Showcase XVII. 

After this performance, Lenna’s overall confidence was through the roof and she spent the next six months learning song after song from her own playlists. She would learn each song in its entirety and work the parts to perform them at full speed with the recordings. In June of 2022, Lenna took the stage again, this time performing a song called “Lover” by Taylor Swift, which showcased multiple section changes, parts, and chord progressions. Again, she nailed it.

After a Summer break, Lenna returned with one goal in mind. She wanted to revisit Fur Elise and learn it for real. Though many are familiar with the first few sections of this piece, the entire piece has notable complicated passages. Lenna was undeterred. Week after week she learned the part, then worked with the metronome, then worked on expressing the part. Now, we are happy to report that the finish line is in sight. Lenna will perform Fur Elise, in its entirety, at our upcoming Showcase on June 3. 

Lenna’s work ethic, patience, and focus are without doubt her greatest strengths. Now, a little older and wiser, Lenna knows how to practice, how to play in time, and what to listen for so she can continuously improve. Spending months on one piece of music is something not everyone has the discipline to do, but Lenna has it, and as she waters that seed, her overall musicianship flourishes. 

What do you like most about taking lessons/playing in a band/etc.? 

I like it because I can learn to play the songs that people play at the piano, and because I've learned most of my favorite songs.

What is your ultimate goal with music?

To finished “Fur Elise” by Beethoven!

Who's your favorite artist/singer/player (and why)?

Taylor Swift because I like her music and just love pop music in general.