Like most classical musicians, I got an early start in kindergarten with Mrs. Pamela Loper. at Knollwood Christian School, where I graduated as Salutatorian, an ode to the life-long endeavor to stop seeking perfectionism. Although I was eager to start immediately,

Mrs. Loper made me wait until K5, which is the norm and standard, safe, easy answer for most music teachers. I couldn't wait to learn my ABC's, to count to 5 on my fingers, and learn my left from right, so that I could finally participate. Since I remember not being able to start right away,

I always let my 3 year old's start early, if it's their own decision and choice.

I can tell when a student is ready, because I remember that creative spark

and absolute blissfulness and joy to be a beginner at something brand new and hard.

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I'm so thankful that my mom chose to wait it out for Mrs. Loper.

I was lucky to have the same piano teacher for twenty-something years. She carried me into college, then she carried me into real life, with all of the struggles of adulthood. 

The gift she shared with me - to express my emotions through music saved me during the darkest times of my life. The joy of music was always memorable at the highest of highs, with a soundtrack and playlist for every era. My acoustic guitar sat with me, and wrapped me in a big

comforting bear hug at the lowest of lows. My song-writing helped me pour out the past

onto paper, and turn something broken into something beautiful. 

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When I think of how a woman should carry herself with grace and class,

Mrs. Loper is the epitome and perfect example of it.  More importantly, I remember the genuiness. She was not showy, she was not flashy, she was not arrogant, and she did not show off.

She was incredibly humble. She quickly became a part of my family.

I also think of my mentor, and former music director of Musical Beginnings Baldwin County,

our sister studio across the bay, Mrs. Brittney Cowart, whenever I think of leading with grace.

I'm still getting there, but I think of these two women, constantly, along with my mother's strength, selfishness, and perseverance, the absolute fight and refusal to give up, for her family. 

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My teacher was the sweetest, most genuine, gentle soul I've ever met.

In fact, in my twenty years of study, I don't think she ever gave me any negative feedback.

Her little "oops!" is something that I'll never forget.. a gentle, quick acknowledgment, and a quick pick-me-up to tell me to refocus and get back to work.

She never allowed me enough time to sit there and dwell on it or to even get upset over it! 

Now, my kids gently correct their own mistakes with the same

overly-enthusiastic "oops!". You'd have to hear it to believe it!

Somehow, she guided me and corrected me, without ever bringing weaknesses to my attention. We'd trade places at the piano, and she'd show me a better, more musical way, without saying anything hurtful at all. She never broke my spirit or allowed me to feel like a failure.

Every moment and every second of the lesson, she built me into something better.

She never highlighted the weeks where it was obvious that I didn't practice -

she gave me a safe space to return back to my music on that piano bench, on that very same day without guilt or reprimanding me for wasting her time, not knowing what my week was like at home, or the intense external pressure that I felt to perform well at school, so I would get that scholarship, because my future was dependent on it, and the weight and anxiety that came with it was too much for little me to carry at times.

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Looking back, I know that took incredible mindfulness, and intentionality.

Every single second was so specific and intentional. 

This was the first thing I that I noticed and discovered in my teaching journey. I don't know how she achieved that for twenty years. I don't remember one bad moment or memory with Mrs. Loper.

I will never be the teacher to make a spotlight or spectacle out of a child's mistakes, which some music teachers love to do. That has always hurt my heart, and just doesn't sit well with me -

so you won't find that type of discouragement or high horse over here. 

The more time you spend with your students... you learn what lights their soul on fire, and you also learn the amount of stress, pressure, weight and correction that kids can handle in

a short, thirty minute pratice session. There's always next week.

If a child sticks with music for life, we have close to fifteen years with them... what's the rush? Nothing is worth breaking that bond or working relationship with a student to simply "prove a point". We all have different strengths and weaknesses. We all learn a completely different way. Musical Beginnings mission is commitment to doing music lessons a different way, and

breaking away from the competitive nature of music, alltogether. Literally, all together.

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My goal as a teacher is to teach my students not to aim for perfectionist tendencies,

not to strive to get to the top of the competitive ladder for the sake of getting to the top,

but to quickly realize that mistakes, hard work, and grit - getting back up again, and failure are actually the key components of musicianship, and kind of the whole point of the journey.

We quickly learn that our mistakes are our most valuable pieces of practice material.

It tells us exactly what we can refine, and make better. It points us to practice.

You can't be a pianist, guitarist, drummer or be a performer without the comfort level and self-awareness that it takes to sit with your mistakes.

My matching ukulele with my very first ukulele student Sailor says "try" on it in

beautiful calligraphy. If that isn't the most musical word I've ever heard... we try, we try, we try.

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Growing up, I had the opportunity to compete in scholarship programs,

taking piano as my talent. From a very early age, it was instilled in me that if you are given the

gift of a platform, and given a stage or a voice in your community, it's your responsibility to use it for good, and to lift others up. I'm learning to be more gentle in leadership, and in life.

I'm also so lucky to use my open availability to volunteer with non-profits and other organizations.

 

Despite an exhausting adventure of chasing after accolades and accomplishments to achieve that scholarship, my journey through college, specifically, and adventures in life, especially,

were a little bit off the well-beaten path.

One of my favorite memories of college was singing a Robert Frost poem, "The Road Not Taken". It talks about life's detours, and how beautiful they can be, although questionable at the time.

Sometimes you don't know why you ended up with so many plot twists & turns, per say,

but life comes back around full circle. With wisdom, we realize that our struggles are often a necessary season of preparation. Our struggles give us strength.

You can't grow stronger or pick yourself back up without falling first. 

If my journey was on that perfect straight and narrow like I so desperately wanted, I would not be prepared to do this job well. 

 

I'm proud that I've learned to do things differently with my students. If I'd had that

"perfect, linear path" of chasing after the doctorates, and more, more, more...

I don't think I'd take the same humble approach with my little ones. I'd make it about me, and living vicariously through them all over again, constantly chasing after more success stories.

Their music lessons are about their own story - I highlight their achievements, accomplishments, growth, and musical journey, not my own. Although I get to relive the fun memories and the same nostalgic music books that I grew up with, their music lessons are a gift for them,

although I am the luckiest to be able to do what I do everyday.

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I studied music at University of South Alabama for about 2-3 years, made it all the way to the student teaching aspects, and ultimately decided that a Music Education degree would limit what I could do in life, and where I would be allowed to teach.

I also wasn't a fan of the way the school systems were set up - focusing on testing and

collecting data over teachers being allowed to teach the best way that they knew how.

That also didn't sit well with me, and my rebellious side couldn't force myself to do something that didn't make sense. Our school teachers have a heart of gold, and I don't know how they do it.

It just wasn't a perfect fit for me or my family, at the time.

I was so upset, so sad, and quite honestly depressed that I would never be allowed inside the schools without that certificate, proving my value and worth.

Everything that I worked hard - the daily hours of practice for twenty years - suddenly felt like it went down the drain. 

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I wasn't entrepreneurial enough yet to pursue a degree in Piano Performance... and after the pandemic, I was grateful that I went into a safer industry, into the medical field. 

I worked for nearly a decade as a pediatric dental assistant and surgical assistant.

My steady hands and ability to perform calmly and comfortably under pressure helped me when working with scared little dental patients at their first visits, taking x-rays, passing surgical instruments, and holding patients and anxious animals still during intense surgical procedures in both oral surgery, and in the operating room in the veterinary world.

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After the pandemic, when our world returned somewhat back to normal, I met Brittney Cowart,

my director in Baldwin County. It's not everyday that you find legitimate music jobs on Indeed in Mobile, Alabama. But perfect timing is perfect timing. 

I knew immediately that we had to work together because the way she carried herself was

with the same grace that Mrs. Loper walked with. She has been my mentor, my best friend, confidant, and role model since then, almost five years ago.

Brittney gave me a chance to prove myself, without the piece of paper, trusting that my twenty years spent with practice wasn't in vain.

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Musical Beginnings gave me the gift of starting over, finding my own new beginning, and

finding my way back to making music. Musical Beginnings completely changed my life, and gave my life purpose, fufillment, a creative vessel and everything that I've ever dreamed of. 

Now, it is my passion to help other young music teachers gain their confidence, to mentor them and help them grow in an often solitary and inclusive competitive career field. I also feel called to help the older teachers by taking stress off of their shoulders, to cover the creative network marketing that's a must these days.

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Since then, Brittney introduced me to my sweetheart, Mr. Christopher Beaudette, the new acting director of Musical Beginnings Baldwin County. She's passed down the company to us, and

we each have our own passion projects on the opposite side of the bay.

We've broadened our horizons to include Mobile County, and to create excellent opportunities

for our students on both sides of the bay. To learn more about our sister studio, founded by

Mrs. Brittney Cowart, over a decade ago, check out her legacy that she left over there.

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Sincerely,

Ms. Savannah Rhodes​