Sound House News, January 2026

Why I’d like you to read the Sound House newsletter each month:
If you’re receiving this newsletter directly to your inbox, it’s because you’re a student or client of Sound House. Please note that I include essential information about our studio schedule and procedures in these emails. If you’re struggling with limited bandwidth, it’s okay to skip over information that isn’t pertinent to you. But please do at least skim these monthly newsletters for important updates. I want to make sure that you’re informed and – more importantly – included. 

Helpful link: The most recent newsletter is always available at SoundHouseVA.com/Newsletter.

Sound House will be closed February 9-13: 
To make sure that you get a chance to make-up for any missed lesson time, I’m opening the studio on Friday, February 20 and Saturday, February 21. I’ve asked that my Friday the 13th students take their usual lesson times on the 20th. For all other students, please email me to reserve lesson time 4:30-7:30 PM on the 20th or 12:00-6:00 PM on the 21st.

Biweekly students impacted by this closure include Bec, Ashe, Olivia J., Travis, Gavin, Oliver, and Caroline. I mention them specifically because when a biweekly student misses a week of lessons, they end up going a whole month without instruction. Therefore, biweekly students will get priority as I book up these extra hours. Weekly students are not expected to book make-ups, but they’re welcome to do so if they’d like the additional weekend time.

Helpful link: The studio calendar is always available at SoundHouseVA.com/Calendar. 

2025 attendance and a new goal:
I calculate our attendance rate by dividing the total number of lessons I teach by the total number of lessons I book. Lessons that students miss without rescheduling lower our score. For instance, if I book ten lessons and one student doesn’t show up, the attendance rate will be 90%. If that student reschedules their lesson ahead of time, the rate stays at 100%. Missing lessons occasionally is inevitable, but progress requires as much consistency as possible – especially when one is developing music skills. 

For the past couple of years, I’ve asked my students to maintain an attendance rate of at least 90%. We accomplished an attendance rate of 91% in 2025, so congratulations to our community for successfully achieving the objective. Your dedication contributes to your impressive growth as individuals and as a student body. 

Now I think that we can do better this year, so I’m raising the goal to 94%. That leaves room for three missed lessons out of every fifty scheduled. More than three lessons out of fifty will likely need to be missed, but hopefully, we can practice good planning and communication skills, rescheduling those lessons in advance.

Room for one more student:
If you know someone who is seriously interested in learning to sing, play an instrument, and/or write songs, please let them know that I currently have room for one more student. The available opening is for weekly half-hour lessons on Wednesdays at 6:00 PM beginning this month. 

Helpful link: Potential students should fill out the signup form at SoundHouseVA.com/Signup. 

Sound House is officially 5 years old:
I’ve been a gigging music artist, songwriter, and teacher since I was 19 years old, which means I’m about 14 years into this career. It’s been both extremely challenging and extremely rewarding. One of the career accomplishments I’m most proud of is opening up my own brick-and-mortar studio five years ago. 

Thank you, my students and friends, for supporting Sound House. Offering a safe space for people to grow through music is a dream come true for me. Together, I want us to keep building a loving community around our shared passion for music. I want us to keep studying independently and then coming together to make songs, form bands, put on shows, and spread the word about the good work we’re doing here in Remington.