Sunburst News - October 2024

Alex Stanton • October 9, 2024

October 2024 - Issue #86

IN THIS ISSUE:

Save the Date - Winter Recitals 🎼
Join a Group Class this Fall 🍂
Spooky Season Events 🎃
Sunburst Cabaret 🎭
Perform at Open Mic 🎤
Join our Piano Club! 🎹
Farewell to Mila Shadel ❤️

IMPORTANT DATES:

Piano Club - 10/18
Sunburst Cabaret - 10/19
Halloween Party - 10/25
Fall Group Programs Enrollment Deadline - 10/31
Trick or Treat - 10/31
Improv Workshop - 11/8

Save the date for our Winter Recitals!

Recital time is our favorite part of the year at Sunburst! It's always incredible to see all of our students' hard work and practice come together on stage. Performing for an audience is a valuable experience and an important part of learning any instrument, and we encourage everyone, regardless of how long they’ve been playing, to give it a shot.

We hold our recitals in a series of one hour sessions here at Sunburst over the course of the first few weekends in December. Sometime this month, we’ll announce the full schedule of which teachers will be at which session and begin sign ups. Keep an eye out for the next update and start talking to your instructor about how and what you might like to perform!

Join a Group Class this Fall!

Enrollment for Music Together and the Sunburst Band Program is open until October 31st! Whether you're looking to start your little one’s music journey, fulfill your dream of playing in a band, or perhaps both, we’ve got you covered!

Our Music Together program is designed for children ages 0–8 and focuses on building foundational music skills through play. Meanwhile, the Sunburst Band Program offers the exciting experience of playing in a band, with opportunities to perform live on stage!

Visit our website to explore the available classes, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions!

Spooky Season Events

Save the date for our annual Halloween party on Friday, October 25th, from 5–8:30 PM. This party is for all ages, including our littles. Check out this years spooky themes!

Little Monsters Mash

Ages 0–8 | 5:30–7:00 PM

The first bit of the evening will be dedicated to our youngest kiddos, ages infant–8 years old, featuring spooktacular games, crafts, and snacks. Older siblings are more than welcome to join in on the fun.

Night of the Living Bands

All Ages | 7:00–8:30 PM

The final act will feature live music from our talented students in the Sunburst Band Program, a costume contest, and plenty of snacks, crafts, and games to go around! Hope to see you there!

Sunburst Cabaret

Tickets are still available for the next Sunburst Cabaret: Sunburst on the Big Screen! Join us on Saturday, October 19th, at 7:30 pm for an evening of music from films that broke the box office, like James Bond, Harry Potter, Barbie, and more!

DETAILS

Date: Saturday, October 19th
Doors: 7:00 | Music: 7:30
Location: Sunburst School of Music

Please keep in mind that while admission is free, we will be requiring everyone to register for the event in order to prepare adequate seating in the lobby!

Join our Piano Club!

Join us for the very first meeting of the Sunburst Piano Club on Friday, October 18th from 6:30–7:30pm, led by our talented instructor Jaime Cohen! And its FREE! Held every third Friday of the month, this club is a great opportunity for piano students to dive deeper into music theory, enjoy interactive and educational games like Music Jeopardy, and gain performance experience!

Playing and even learning music in a group setting is a powerful way to accelerate progress with your instrument, and we’re excited to offer another opportunity to do just that. A huge thanks to Jaime for bringing this awesome idea to us. Hope to see you there!

Happy Hispanic & Latine Heritage Month!

Happy Hispanic and Latine Heritage Month! A huge thank you to everyone who has already contributed to this month’s playlist. If you haven’t yet, it’s not too late—stop by our song request table in the lobby to add your favorite tracks!

We also invite you to check out our latest blog post here, where instructors Laura Fidalgo and Ivan Orellana open up about how their cultural backgrounds have shaped their music journeys. We’re so grateful for their contributions and hope their stories resonate with you as much as they did with us!

Check out the playlist on Spotify

Farewell and Best Wishes to Mila Shadel

As we say goodbye to September, we also say a heartfelt farewell to our talented guitar instructor, Mila Shadel. After a successful tenure here at Sunburst, Mila has decided to take the next big step in her career, pursuing her dream of being a full-time musician.

As a female guitarist, Mila’s time with us has been nothing short of inspiring. She has shared her incredible skill, passion for music, and dedication to her students, leaving a lasting impact on everyone she has taught. Her approach to teaching was always thoughtful and personalized, helping students not only improve technically but also find joy and creativity in their playing.

While we will miss her presence, we are excited to see where this new chapter takes her. Mila’s commitment to her craft and her adventurous spirit are sure to lead her to great things in the music world.

Thank you, Mila, for your hard work, your music, and the way you’ve enriched our Sunburst community. We wish you all the best in your future endeavors and look forward to hearing your music as you continue to shine.

Best of luck, Mila – your Sunburst family will always be cheering you on!

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

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Sunburst News - September 2025

September 1, 2025

Catch up on Sunburst’s latest news: The Sunburst Band Program, Music Together classes, community drum circles, free music classes, new instructors, and upcoming concerts!

Sunburst News - August 2025

August 1, 2025

August- Issue #96

5 Reasons to Start Playing in a Band

July 30, 2025

As summer break comes to a close, we’re gearing up for the next term of the Sunburst Band Program and would love to see some new faces this fall. Playing in a band is one of the best ways to progress as a musician, so we put together a list of five reasons why we encourage our students to seek out opportunities to play in groups—whether it's starting a band or jamming with a couple of friends. Progress Your rhythm, timing, and listening skills improve quickly when you start playing in a band or group setting. While private lessons and solo practice are essential pieces of the puzzle, playing with others introduces new variables—like tempo changes, dynamics, and coordination—that challenge you to stay in sync with your bandmates and adapt to each other. We’ve seen so many students level up after just a couple months in the Sunburst Band Program–the progress happens fast! Friends and Connections We love watching our students and their families become friends and our band program has been a natural starting point for many of those relationships. Some of our current bands have stayed together for years, and it's awesome to see them hang out outside of lessons and support each other at shows. Plus, one of the best ways to get gigs is through connections with other musicians! Motivation Playing in a band is super motivating because you're part of a group working toward an exciting shared goal. Whether you're learning a new song, building a set list, or getting ready for a show, the process becomes more exciting and rewarding when you're making music you love with people you enjoy being around. That shared energy turns practice into something much more fun and meaningful. Performing Performing can be nerve-wracking, but it gets easier the more you do it, and being on stage with your friends makes it less scary. We love seeing how our students' stage presence and confidence grow with each performance—it’s one of our favorite parts of being teachers! As we mentioned, shows are a great place to make connections with musicians who you’d like to collaborate with in the future. Simply put, playing more shows leads to playing more shows. Creative Outlet Music is a powerful tool for expression, and it’s important to have outlets for that at any age! Life is very fast paced for many of us, and it can be tough to pause and do the things you enjoy. Band practice can be a consistent anchor in your week—something you can rely on for connection, processing, and creating with your bandmates. As corny as it sounds, playing music is good for your spirit! If you’d like to know more about the Sunburst Band Program, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us for more information. We also recommend talking with your private lessons instructor so that they’re aware and can help you prepare.