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Practicing your instrument shouldn’t routinely feel miserable. If it does, something in the system is broken. Your brain repeats what feels successful... so when practice feels confusing or disconnected, your brain checks out. Save this for the next time practice starts to feel like punishment.

JOIN US! JOIN US! 🤩

If it feels like you’re practicing but not improving, it’s usually because you’re repeating instructions instead of building actual musical skill. Comment MUSIC and I’ll send you the pattern guide we give beginners.

Still obsessed with the simple joy of musical beats where they aren't expected ☺️

Take that, perfect take! Everyone makes mistakes 🤷‍♀️

Take that, perfect take! Everyone makes mistakes 🤷‍♀️

Most adults don’t quit piano because they want to. They quit because they think they need an hour for it to count. Comment TIME and I’ll send you the simple 5-minute blueprint I give beginners.

Did you know Toto played at Hoyt Sherman earlier this month and Gabi got to see them live?? They're legendary session musicians appearing in thousands of studio albums and it must have been such an honor to be in the same room 🤩 Throwback to when our teachers jammed Hold The Line!

If you have to drag yourself to practice, your brain isn’t lazy... it’s protecting you. Your brain repeats successful actions. So if practice is confusing, disconnected, or pointless… your brain checks out. Joy isn’t fluff in music education. Joy is fuel for progress. Save this for the next time practice starts to feel like punishment.

I still remember the day that I built Passion Studios in my mind. I was 19 years old sitting on my couch in my living room and I put together my business plan and the mission/vision statement for the studio, “to reawaken creativity, simplicity and joy as the core of learning; installing a lifetime passion for music that impacts the lives of others.“ This was in 2014 when I filed the LLC with the state, I remember the November day that I did it with my dad. I know he was so scared for me, so much that he sent me to Costa Rica to change my mind... Little did he know! I got my first student at my aunt’s house on the beach. I was building webpages in my spare time and when I got back to Iowa, we had three students and a small little space in a blue house. It was meant to be.✨ All of the wonderful families who have partnered with us to further this vision for their own students and for the lives of those around them is what keeps us going💜 It’s not just music lessons for us. This is a way to bless and impact of those around us and continue music as a relationship throughout our lives, inspiring the next generation. As I reflect on the last decade of Passion Studios, we have been through so many iterations. It hasn’t always been easy. From that small little room in the back to our expansion up to 270 students, to our current location. We’ve learned a lot about what we want to share with others and how to provide excellence in expectation from our students to further their growth as musicians. Students receive personalized growth through camaraderie and a shared lesson environment. Our number one priority is for students young and old to understand and apply music right away so that this vision can be continued for many years to come…music as a lifestyle.🎵 I am so honored and thankful to be a part of this community and I can’t even believe that it’s been 10 years. It’s flown by!!! 🤩 Come celebrate with us at the Ankeny AMP on Saturday, May 2nd at 2PM! We’re gonna have music, food, prizes giveaways, and it’s gonna be a great time! 🙌 -Gabi

A little rhythm goes a long way 😁

Most people think classical music is rigid. But composers like Chopin, Mozart, and Beethoven left space for interpretation inside their music. Music was never meant to be read like a script, it was meant to be spoken like a language.

Practice is still practice though - there's always time for a quick sesh on the practice pad!

Time isn’t your constraint... Understanding is. Save this for the next time you tell yourself “I’ll practice when I have more time.”

Teaching isn’t fixing mistakes. It’s building understanding in real time. Save this if you’ve ever felt stuck because you weren’t sure what to listen for.

The interest and excitement is natural, the respect for the instrument comes later 😉

Understanding comes before consistency. If you don’t know what you’re working on, no routine will stick.

In all seriousness though, we think it's very helpful for students to hear what the song should sound like BEFORE they start learning it 😀

If sitting down at the piano feels like punishment, your brain is not going to let that habit stick. Save this for the next time you catch yourself dreading the bench.