Sound House News, May 2026

WELCOME

Please take a moment to read the May newsletter. I send these emails to make sure that we’re on the same page and that you never miss out on fun (often free) extracurricular opportunities. 

For your reference, the most recent newsletter is always available at SoundHouseVA.com/Newsletter.

SCHEDULING

I would like to reschedule our Friday lessons from May 22 to May 15. May 22nd is Damian’s and my fourth wedding anniversary. We have a tradition of going back to the river every year to re-enact our ceremony. It’d also be nice to have the day before the Showcase free for preparation and rest. 

I plan to teach on Memorial Day, May 25. I have a songwriting/recording session booked for that day, so I will already be at the studio and available to teach as usual. If you’re scheduled for this date and have other plans, please let me know now so that we can plan ahead. 

I’m taking June 2 off for my 34th birthday. Tuesday students, I think we’ll be okay just skipping those lessons. There are five weeks in June, so you’ll just pay for four weeks.

For your reference, the full studio calendar is always available at SoundHouseVA.com/Calendar. On mobile, click the top right corner of the calendar to select the “Schedule” or “Week” views; the default “month” view is impossible to read on a phone. 

SOUND HOUSE SHOWCASE

You’re invited to the 5th Annual Sound House Showcase on Saturday, May 23, 6:00-8:30 pm at the Warrenton Community Center! Our version of a studio recital, this FREE event will feature performances by artists and bands who work on their music here at Sound House. This year, the event is in a large indoor space with chairs provided, but parking will be limited, so please carpool. If possible, families and friends should all ride together.

The 2026 lineup: Scoundrels (adults, bluesy indie rock), Blush (adults/teens, shoegaze), StriVe (adults/teens, indie pop rock), Opal Duvall (teens, pop rock), Melody Larue (teen, acoustic indie pop), Jamie Christian (teen, old school country), Anna Snyder (teen, rock), Fiona Ayers (kid, punk), Madelyn Reed (kid, old school country), and the All-Girls Guitar Group (kids, acoustic pop rock).

It’s our tradition to dress however we want (chaotic outfits encouraged), show up with good vibes, and really enjoy our time together, basking in the warm glow of music-making. We relax during the hour of younger student performances (lots of cute stuff happening) and then there’s generally dancing, hooting, and hollering during the hour and a half of full-band performances. 

If you’d like to donate $5+ toward the venue rental, you can do so on this page or by sending a Venmo payment to @Maddi-Mae. I’m still looking for volunteers to help with setting up chairs, directing parking, welcoming guests, and taking pictures; email if you’re interested in helping out. If you’d like to look through the webpages from our four previous Sound House Showcases, here are the links: 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025.

STUDENT ANNIVERSARIES

Some of you may have already gotten private messages from me this year about your Sound House Anniversaries. It’s something I’m trying to be more aware of because the longer I teach, the faster the years seem to pass. The time you all spend with me is so special, and I want to make special note of these big annual milestones. 

In May, there are SO MANY student anniversaries:
The 12th is Fiona’s 1st!
The 15th is Emma’s 2nd!
The 22nd is Travis’s 1st!
The 28th is Josh’s 2nd!
The 29th is Alden’s 3rd!

Then in June, we have two big ones: 
The 3rd is Jamie’s 5th!
The 6th is Wes’s 4th! 

Thank you all so much for sharing these precious hours of your life with me. It’s an honor to support you as musicians and friends. You make my “human-on-earth” experience better, and it’s my focus as a music coach to do the same for you. 

BOOKKEEPING

April attendance: Our goal this year is to achieve a 94% attendance rate. Rates so far this year: January = 93.46%, February = 92.50%, March = 93.28%. In April, our attendance rate was 95.65% or 110 lessons attended out of 115 scheduled. 

Payment reminder: Please pay for all scheduled lessons at the beginning of the month. May has an even four weeks. If you think that you may have a payment carrying over from a previous month, please check your Studio Notes document or send me an email requesting clarification. 

Payment policy information is always available at SoundHouseVA.com/Policies and all payment methods are available at SoundHouseVA.com/Pay.