Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Doan.
Hi Sara, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I grew up in South Fort Worth. My parents are immigrants from Vietnam, who fled from the war in the ’70s. (Their story is honestly more fascinating than mine.) Being a child of immigrants really dictated my upbringing. My parents literally had nothing when they escaped the war, so they wanted me and my two sisters to have everything. Education was everything, along with piano lessons, which I started at age three. This pretty much sums up my childhood: school, piano, tennis.
This led me to Denton, where I attended the University of North Texas for a Bachelors in Piano Performance. Even when I started, I didn’t know I wanted to be a pianist. My love for the piano didn’t happen until my junior year of my undergrad. I came across so many opportunities to perform and teach, and I said “YES” to everything. Living the life of a musician doesn’t look the same for anybody, but for any successful musician, the one thing in common is the hustle.
I eventually moved back to Fort Worth to begin my doctoral studies at Texas Christian University. This is where I met my husband, Thomas, who is a trumpet player and the Fort Worth Steinway guy. (If you’ve been there, he has most certainly left an impression on you.) Fast forward to today: we live in the heart of Fort Worth, where I have my own piano studio. I also teach at Tarrant County College and host music education programs with The Cliburn. I could endlessly go on and on about how cool my studio is, and how fun the work I do is, but you might have to read on to find out! Thomas and I live with our two rescue dogs, Fred and Charlie. I am obsessed with them.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Looking back at these last few decades, I think I have been very fortunate in my journey. Pertaining to my career, I have only had two jobs that were NOT music-related: a dorm desk receptionist and a math tutor. I have done such a variety of music-related jobs that I can feel confident in several different areas. However, I felt like my career had two big road bumps.
First: I have focal dystonia in my right hand. For those who don’t know what focal dystonia is, it is a neurological disorder involving involuntary spasms, and in my case, it developed in my index finger of my right hand. You can only imagine how devastating that feeling is as a pianist when you are not able to control your fine motor skills. I saw a lot of doctors tried a lot of treatments and therapies; some helped a little, but not really. I actually spent several years specializing in left-hand repertoire and playing with one hand!
Second: deciding not to complete my DMA at TCU. I completed my coursework and exams in what I felt was a very quick time, However, when it came to the step of writing my dissertation, I just had zero motivation. I tried a few times to gain some momentum, but my heart wasn’t in it. I felt guilty like I was letting my parents down, but in the end, I knew what I really wanted to do, and the dissertation wasn’t it. I wanted to spend my time building my studio, which is what I ended up doing!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
The biggest part of my work is my piano studio. I teach about 50 students a week, students of all ages, from 4 years old to 78 years old. Like I said before, I could speak endlessly on how cool my studio is! My goal as a piano teacher is to create a fun and nurturing environment for my students where they can learn to appreciate and love music. We have several events that occur throughout the year. Our latest event might actually be my new favorite thing we’ve done. It was our annual Holiday Piano Party, which featured “Family Open Mic Night.” The only two rules was that someone had to be playing the piano and you had to perform with at least one family member. All of my students AND families really got into it. Our performances lasted over two hours with music which covered a wide variety: “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” – Tyler the Creator’s version, “Pigstep” from Minecraft, the “Bluey” theme song, Taylor Swift songs, just to name a few. Aside from the performances, our party included TONS of food, a Hot Chocolate Bar, and roasting marshmallows in our fire pit, and it was a canned food drive! I strive to create a community within my studio with events like this.
This is what I’m most proud of as a teacher:
I have a student that begins piano lessons at an early age who comes to weekly lessons for years. Since you see these students regularly, you see them grow up and experience life. Maybe they had a hard time in school; maybe they experienced a death in the family, maybe they made it to nationals in cross country, maybe they drove to their piano lesson for the first time, maybe they came out to the world. I get asked to write college letters of recommendation because I’m told, “You watched me grow up.” I get texts over the holidays from former students saying, “Hey, Ms. Sara! I’m in town. Do you want to get lunch?” To me, this relationship is what I’m most proud of. My students are my family, and I strive to be a positive role model and a safe haven as needed.
I didn’t even talk about how my students can REALLY play the piano, which they can! Hahaha! I really do have a talented bunch of students who work hard.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I am very much an introvert, but people are always surprised when they hear this! Whenever I’m with students or presenting a program, I am always high energy. However, I need a LOT of alone time to rejuvenate! I also think that most people only see me as a pianist and piano teacher, but I actually have several hobbies and interests aside from music. I love to: play tennis, read rom-com books, watch a good Hallmark Christmas movie (I know this is questionable), pull weeds in the backyard, go bowling, and try out new and different restaurants. I’m a total homebody who is completely happy hanging out with her dogs.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.saradoan.com
- Instagram: @doanpianostudio
