Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Haley.
Lauren, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I founded Lauren Haley Studios in 2013, after graduating from the Eastman School of Music with a degree in violin performance. Within two months, LHS enrolled 40 young musicians studying violin and viola. Today, LHS maintains a considerable waitlist.
One of my students, whom we’ll call Maria, inspired my book, Kids Aren’t Lazy: Developing Motivation & Talent Through Music. Maria’s father would repeat in lessons, “I know Maria is smart, I know she’s talented. The problem is that Maria is lazy!”
Maria, just six years old at the time, had all the potential in the world! And so, I wrote Kids Aren’t Lazy to empower even the busiest parents, like Maria’s, with breakthrough strategies for furthering their child’s motivation, soft skills, and musical talent.
This year, I’ve partnered with preeminent musicians across Texas to speak about topics from the book. In Dallas and Houston, I’m collaborating with violinist Gary Levinson (Artistic Director, Chamber Music Society of Fort Worth and Senior Principal Associate Concertmaster, Dallas Symphony), and Kawai Pianos to bring concepts from Kids Aren’t Lazy to local families on all instruments. Our next event will be in Houston on Saturday, August 3rd, so stay tuned!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I always wanted to set high-performance standards for my playing and truly admired my teachers over the years. This means it was difficult for me to know which feedback from mentors to accept and which to disregard.
For example, I’m eternally grateful to teachers who let me know when I underperformed and therefore kept me on the path to excellence. Their willingness to push me through struggles was a sign they believed in me. I can’t imagine where I would be without them.
On the other hand, one of my mentors told me not to bother writing something like Kids Aren’t Lazy because “parents aren’t interested in reading.” In hindsight, I’m quite glad I ignored that advice! The lesson here is that even the most well-intentioned advice can lead you astray, so it’s important to have confidence in your own goals.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
My music school, Lauren Haley Studios, aims to inspire a lifelong affection for music in students and families, to demonstrate advanced repertoire and technique, to encourage students to persevere through academic and musical challenges, and to support the achievement of students’ highest musical goals. LHS features violin, viola, and ensemble lessons with an emphasis on conservatory technique, the development of motivation and talent, music theory, and history.
As a teacher, I’m absolutely thrilled when I see a parent’s face light up in recognition of their child’s stellar progress and effort. I wrote Kids Aren’t Lazy: Developing Motivation & Talent Through Music as a heartfelt message to parents who believe in their young musicians just as passionately as I do!
As a speaker, I love connecting with teachers, parents, and young musicians on all instruments. It’s inspiring to hear how Kids Aren’t Lazy has helped so many musical families!
What were you like growing up?
Just before my fifth birthday, my parents took me to see a high school orchestra perform Prokofiev’s Peter & The Wolf. Looking up at the big stage, I fell completely in love with the violin. My well-meaning parents tried to talk me into the cello, but I just knew I had to play the violin!
I was 10 or 11 when I started teaching, and my first lessons cost just 25 cents. Teaching motivated me — there’s something magical about discovering how much a student can learn in just one lesson!
When I was in high school, my family moved from Texas to the UK. I performed and recorded professionally in London while earning the International Baccalaureate at ACS Egham International School. I loved academics at ACS (especially English, French, and psychology) and my musical dreams came true when I was accepted to the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY.
Pricing:
- Kids Aren’t Lazy: Developing Motivation & Talent Through Music is available online for $18.95 from Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Contact Info:
- Website: www.laurenhaleystudios.com
- Phone: 832-600-5338
- Email: laurenhaleystudios@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenhaleystudios/
Image Credit:
All author photos by Albertine Wang Website: http://albertine.squarespace.com/#traces; Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alb.ert.ine/; Early 1990s photo: The Haley Family, by Elvira Packer
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
