Sunburst News - December 2025


November 2025 - Issue #99
IN THIS ISSUE:
- Winter Party ❄️
- Meet the 2026 Sunburst House Band 🥁
- Holiday Gift Guide 🎁
- Gift Cards 💌
- Free Classes 🎹
- Instructor Updates 🎼
- 2026 School Calendar 🗓
- School Closure Reminder ⛄
IMPORTANT DATES
- Producers Meet Up - 12/12
- Winter Recitals - 12/13-12/14
- Piano Club - 12/19
- Songwriter Group Share - 12/21
- Holiday Break - 12/23-1/1

Meet the Sunburst House Band
After an impressive round of auditions in early October, we recently welcomed a new group of students into the Sunburst House Band! As always, these auditions were a joy to watch; it’s like having a front row seat to our students' progress and we see that as a huge privilege. It takes considerable practice to prepare for an audition, and even more courage to do it. So without further adieu, we want to give a very warm welcome to the Sunburst House Band for the 2025-2026 school year: congratulations to Sigrid, Gwendolyn, Nathan, Shira, and Peregrine!
We recently sat down with the group and asked them about their experience with music and what they’re looking forward to playing at their first show.

Holiday Gift Guide
Looking for a holiday gift for the musician in your family? Look no further! Updated for 2025, the SBHGG is back to help you filter the noise and get the most band for your buck! Shopping for instruments can be daunting; not only are they expensive, but finding the right fit can be quite personal. This is why it’s always best to shop local and try things out in person when you can. If you’re looking to maximize the element of surprise, there are some go-to items we recommend; things we use ourselves, things our students have had success with, and things we feel are the right combination of price and quality.
Sunburst Gift Cards
Give the gift of music this winter with Sunburst gift cards! New Students get a FREE 30 minute bonus lesson with gift card purchases of $150 or more until December 31st!
Choose your preferred amount or go with one of our standard options if you're not sure where to start!
- $165 – 30 minute lessons
- $220 – 45 minute lessons
- $290 – 60 minute lessons
- Custom – Choose your amount
We can email or mail a print copy to you or the recipient. Each gift card comes with a personal link to book your first lesson online. You can also give us a call or stop in to book. Please check out the link below for more details.

Free Classes This Month
Music Producers Meet Up - Friday, December 12th
The Sunburst Producers Meet-Up is a free monthly gathering hosted by our instructor Charlie Scott for teen producers ages 14 and up to share their works in progress and receive feedback from peers. This group meets on the second Friday of every month from 7–9pm.
Piano Club - Friday, December 19th
Piano Club will meet one week early this month due to the holiday break. Join Jaime Cohen for class on 12/19 for lots of piano fun and games. Piano Club is a great opportunity for students to build music theory skills, play interactive games like Music Jeopardy, and gain performance experience.
Age Groups
- Ages 5–7 from 5:30–6:15pm
- Ages 8+ from 6:15–7pm
Songwriter Group Share - Sunday, December 21st
Are you a seasoned or new songwriter looking to share music and get some peer feedback? Bring your instrument, voice, and what you’re working on to our monthly songwriting group, peer facilitated by Abbey Martin. This group is open to all adults ages 18+ including non Sunburst students.

Welcome Molly Neale!
Sunburst is excited to welcome our newest instructor, Molly Neale, a great addition to both Pittsburgh and our Sunburst family! Recently relocated to the city, Molly is eager to build connections and inspire students of all ages through the power of music.
A graduate of Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri, Molly holds a Bachelor’s degree in Jazz Performance (Vocals). Her rich background includes teaching both group and private lessons at School of Rock in Kirkwood, The Goddard School of Chesterfield, and through her own successful private studio in St. Louis. Her teaching style blends strong technical foundations with creativity, confidence-building, and fun. Molly brings a versatile skillset to Sunburst, offering instruction in contemporary, classic vocal styles, beginning piano, songwriting, and music theory.
Outside the classroom, Molly is actively involved in Pittsburgh’s music scene. She currently performs as a Soprano 2 with Belle Voci, Pittsburgh’s premier treble choir, and is excited to return to solo performing, something she loved during her years in St. Louis.
We are so excited for our students and families to meet Molly and experience her passion for music, education, and community. Please join us in welcoming her to Sunburst and to Pittsburgh!
2026 School Calendar
Our school calendar is set for 2026! You can view the calendar at sunburstmusic.com/calendar
School Closure Reminder
As the holiday season approaches, we want to remind everyone of our holiday break billing policy. Your flat monthly tuition includes lessons every week, except when we are closed for holidays (see our calendar). We do not issue makeup credits for these days. You can view a full list of our billing and scheduling policies in our Terms and Conditions here.
We will be closed 12/23-1/1 for Holiday Break. Thank you for your understanding and have a wonderful holiday season!
Thanks for reading!
Let us know if you have any questions, comments, etc. Thanks as always for being a part of the Sunburst Community!
Best Wishes,
–Sunburst Team


















































































































































































































