April 2023 Newsletter
In This Month’s Newsletter
• Making Music Begins with Joy!
• Important Dates
• Upcoming Recitals and Forums
• Welcome Our New Students
• Student of the Month
• Teacher Spotlight
• Days and Deeds of Dr. Dennis
• Did You Read Your Newsletter Contest?
• Referral Program
Making Music Begins with Joy!
The root of learning music, of making music, including at the piano, should be joy. Once joy is firmly established, and music learning is, well, enjoyed by the student, then it’s time to layer on challenge and complexity and the rewards that come from struggle and hard work. If we begin with complexity, right and wrong, errors and mistakes, struggle and hard work, or place emphasis on these things too soon, we run the risk of removing the joy from music-making early on, and possibly for life.
In our society, many (most!) people enjoy listening to music and dancing to music, but too few enjoy making music. As a music teacher, I’ve decided to take responsibility for that, to the extent I can. Almost every day it seems I hear someone lament that they are “not musical.” Often they tell me it’s a teacher that told them so, a teacher that gave up on them, or that they gave up themselves because it was too hard or they felt untalented or unmusical.
How is it possible that anyone is not musical? It’s not! How is it possible that making music is too hard? It shouldn’t be! Our primary function as teachers should be to help our students experience joy in making music from the start. Everything else, including getting better at making music, seems secondary to and conditioned on the first priority -- enjoyment! If not, it’s putting the cart before the horse, and of course both the horse and the cart get hurt.
So how do we help all students find joy in making music from the very start?
We can meet students where they are, we can learn what our students’ goals are, we can help them achieve their goals, we can help them make music they love, and we can offer challenges when they are ready to accept challenges, but we should try to move at a pace that keeps the joy alive!
IMPORTANT DATES:
Online Recital - April 8
Easter Sunday - April 9
Memorial Day - May 29
In-Person Recital - May 30
Upcoming Recitals and Forums
Recitals:
Online Recital:
April 8, 2023, Saturday afternoon 2:00 pm
In-person Recital:
Laguna Hills Community Center
May 30, 2023, Tuesday evening 6:30 pm
Forums:
Saturday mornings at 9:00 am
March 4; March 25 and May 26
Please welcome our NEW Students who enrolled in March!
Downey, Nate
Downey, Rebecca
Fang, Freya
Jhangiani, Ritika
Lee, Elijah
Liu, Lydia
Mai, Derrick
Mcdonagh, Madelyn
Mcdonagh, Patrick
Perry, Spencer
Student of the Month
Greyson Avila
Greyson was five years old when he started taking piano lessons. He enjoys learning new songs and being able to play them for people. Right now Greyson is working on a variety of challenging pieces including Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, Scott Joplin's Solace, and Debussy's Clair de Lune. He is going to perform this beautiful piece at his school's Spring music concert. This is quite an honor and accomplishment!
Greyson also participates in the high school band and has learned to play drums, percussion, and other mallet instruments. Greyson appreciates forming bonds with people who have the same interests as he does. He has two cats named Olly and Ophelia, enjoys playing video games, collects model soldiers and legos, and enjoys traveling: his favorite places so far are England, France, and New York.
Teacher Spotlight
Suzanne Cleveland
I began my piano studies at the age of six, taking piano lessons through the age of 16. During my childhood in New York, I was a participant in the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA), which granted me the opportunity to play two carefully chosen piano pieces and to be scored on my overall performance.
After moving to California in 1992, I nurtured my love for piano by learning to play in a leisurely manner along with weekly piano lessons. During my college years, while studying at the University of California Santa Cruz, I took music theory courses to gain a more in-depth understanding of music.
As an adult, I utilized my piano background to teach piano to children ranging from 4 years old to 10 years old, successfully taught students how to read music, and organized recitals for their friends and family. I also received my Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education with an emphasis in mild/moderate Special
Education from San Diego State University.
I love working with children and making those personalized connections to help them achieve their goals. I believe that every individual learns in their own way and in their own time. I live in Mission Viejo with my husband, two teenaged children, my grandmother, my cat Harley, and my toy poodle Gemma.
Days & Deeds of Dr. Dennis
I was thinking about all of my education. Wow, I have had a lot of education. Here’s just some of what I remember. This doesn’t include all the training and education I had while working in certain jobs in my other careers, plus all the books and magazines I’ve read and movies and TV shows and videos and documentaries I’ve watched!
I went to Loma Vista Elementary School for kindergarten. Then I went to St. Cecilia Catholic School in Tustin (1-8), and then Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana. I have attended Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, and Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, where I received Associate of Arts degrees in Music and Theater Arts. Later I received my Bachelor of Music (BM) degree in Music Education, with a Choral, Vocal, and Piano emphasis, from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), as well as a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Theater Arts, and California teaching credentials in Music, Theater Arts, Arts and Entertainment, Business, and Information Technology. Then I received my Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) with an emphasis in Social Justice and Equity from California State University, Fresno (CSUF). And now I have completed my Doctorate in Educational Leadership (Ed. D.) at California State University, Fresno.
For music and piano, as a child, I learned from my mom, Marilyn Frayne, and then I studied piano with Mrs. Farr in North Tustin, and then Dr. Ruth Stevenson Alling, the founder of the LoKnoPla Music Institute and creator of the LoKnoPla Piano Method for Beginning Piano Students when she opened a music studio in Santa Ana. (I have been teaching piano ever since!)
Other piano and voice teachers I have studied with include Dr. Rebecca Rollins, Pamela Worcester, Dr. Norm Weston, Dr. Scott Farthing, Chizuko Asada, Timothy MacDougall, Craig Richey, Dr. Kirill Gliadkovsky, and Michael Bartel. I learned so much from them, and I am very grateful for all of my education.
Inspirations
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
- John 1:5
If April showers should come your way, they bring the flowers that bloom in May.
- Buddy de Sylva
Did You Read Your Newsletter Contest?
April 2023
To encourage everyone to read the Dennis Frayne Music Studio Newsletter, each month we’ll feature a new contest winner or a new contest. Be sure to read your newsletter each month to see if your name has been drawn or you might miss out!
This month’s winner is Elena Monarrez
Elena has won 10 tickets which can be redeemed for prizes at the
Dennis Frayne Music Studio, Laguna Niguel!
To collect your prize tickets just bring this to the office.
Congratulations, Elena!
Everyone, be sure to read your newsletter each month!
Referral Program
If you have a friend who might like to take lessons, refer them to
Dennis Frayne Music Studio, Laguna Niguel.
If they register for lessons, we’ll give you each twenty-five dollars plus make donations to Scholarship Squirrel and Children’s Hospital of Orange County!
You will receive your $25 as a credit on your account, they will receive $25 off their first registration/tuition payment, and Scholarship Squirrel and CHOC each will receive a $25 donation.
It’s very easy to refer someone. Just send an email to us both and share their name(s)!
There’s no maximum to the amount of credits and donations that you can receive and give!
Help us grow our music studio and let’s give a little back to our community and to children in need of special assistance and care.