Welcome to...
TS MUSIC: STUDIO of SARA DOAN
TS MUSIC | 2023-2024
WHAT'S HAPPENING.....
This year seemed to fly by. Here’s an update on what's been happening throughout the school year and to brag a little bit about what awesome students I have!
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In October 2023, Fort Worth Music Teachers Association (FWMTA) held their FALL FESTIVAL. The students who participated did a fantastic job--SUPERIOR PLUS across the board! Congratulations for all the hard work!
Aidan Johnson Addison Johnson Abigail Johnson Amelia Smits Ethan Ta
Andrew Smits Elizabeth Smits Sophie Ho Olivia Jacobsson
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On November 12, 2023, we held our FALL JAZZ GALA at Steinway Piano Gallery in downtown Fort Worth. MANY thanks to our musicians: Brady Mosher (guitar), James Driscoll (bass), Richard Shafer (drums). Also, thanks to Thomas who allowed us to be at Steinway! These awesome students performed:
Olivia Jacobsson Abigail Johnson Addison Johnson Aidan Johnson Wyatt Ulrich
Vivian Cranz Ellerbe Cranz Daniel Williamson Victoria Nigh Ethan Ta
Alexandra Ulrich Ken Nguyen Gwyn Acevedo Meg Pope Sophie Ho
Joanna Pope Charlotte Brown Miles Montanez Georgia Allen Alice Sell
Lilly Allen Shamus Foster Margot Spoon Evelyn Nemeskal Martha Sell
Truman Massey Amelia Smits Andrew Smits Elizabeth Smits George Sell
Clarisa Coscia
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On December 16, 2023, we had our HOLIDAY STUDIO PARTY featuring FAMILY OPEN MIC NIGHT! This might have been my FAVORITE thing we’ve done this year. Students got together with their families to performer whatever they wanted, and it was amazing! We had a packed house with over two hours’ worth of music. We had tons of food, a hot chocolate bar AND it was a canned food drive. (Thank you for giving back to the community!) These students performed with their families:
Amelia Smits Andrew Smits Elizabeth Smits Miles Montanez Lilah Ball
Regan Meador Clarisa Coscia Abigail Johnson Olivia Jacobsson Sabrina Ball
Evelyn Nemeskal Jenna Sigman London Houchin Aidan Johnson Meg Pope
Truman Massey Victoria Nigh Sutton Houchin Ellerbe Cranz Lilly Allen
Kayden McCracken Margot Spoon Charlotte Brown Addison Johnson Vivian Cranz
Kaitlynn Clifford Janie Crosmer Shamus Foster Isobel Straatveit Joanna Pope
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In January, URVI MOHAN represented Flower Mound High School at UIL SOLO AND ENSEMBLE, performing a piano solo. She received the highest rating and advanced to STATE, which will be later held in Austin at the end of May 2024. Congratulations to Urvi for your hard work!
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In February 2024, a few students took the WHITLOCK THEORY TEST, administered by the Texas Music Teachers Association. Everyone passed with flying colors!
Truman Massey Amelia Smits Andrew Smits Elizabeth Smits Ethan Ta
Olivia Jacobsson Aidan Johnson Addison Johnson Abigail Johnson Victoria Nigh
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On March 17, 2024, VICTORIA NIGH had her Senior Recital at Steinway Piano Gallery. It was a recital full of her favorite piano works, songs, and some of her originals. I’m so proud of her and am just so impressed by how far she has grown since I’ve met her in the 2nd grade!
The 2024 FWMTA SOLO COMPETITION was in April 2024. These students put in so much time preparing their pieces and I’m so proud of them for all their efforts.
Amelia Smits Andrew Smits Elizabeth Smits Addison Johnson Urvi Mohan
Abigail Johnson Aidan Johnson
These students won special prizes and performed in the Honors Recitals.
Amelia Smits – Outstanding Performance
Abigail Johnson – 3rd Place in Grade 7 Division
Elizabeth Smits – 2nd Place in Grade 11 Division
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On May 5, we are having our SPRING RECITALS at Steinway Piano Gallery! Here are our recital participants:
Alexandra Ulrich Ellerbe Cranz Charlotte Brown Aidan Johnson Sophie Ho
Sutton Houchin Wyatt Ulrich London Houchin Miles Montanez Ethan Ta
Sofia Perkins Amelia Smits Evelyn Nemeskal Daniel Williamson Alice Sell
Jenna Sigman Vivian Cranz Olivia Jacobsson Addison Johnson Martha Sell
Abigail Johnson Andrew Smits Elizabeth Smits Victoria Nigh Meg Pope
Georgia Allen Ella Buckner Joanna Pope Clarisa Coscia
Margot Spoon Kaitlynn Clifford Janie Crosmer
Ken Nguyen (student of Ethan Ta)
Gwyn Acevedo, Liam Bryant, Olivia Bryant (students of Jordan Acevedo)
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You know how much I love practice challenges! Our students are participating in the 100 DAY PRACTICE CHALLENGE all Spring 2024. This is a tough challenge, and you have practice at least 5-6 days out of the week to complete it! Practice really makes a HUGE difference! We still have two weeks left of the challenge, but here are our finishers SO FAR:
London Houchin Sutton Houchin Georgia Allen Abigail Johnson Sophie Ho
Vivian Cranz Isobel Straatveit Shamus Foster Amelia Smits Ella Buckner
Andrew Smits Elizabeth Smits Addison Johnson Aidan Johnson
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Our END-OF-YEAR PIANO PARTY is happening on Sunday, May 19 at DYNO-ROCK in Arlington. We had so much fun last year, I couldn’t resist doing it again! I’m excited because it’s just so fun to climb up a wall. And I love to see my students get to know each other and make new friends. The time is from 4:00-7:00pm.
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We have three graduating seniors this year!
Victoria Nigh – Southwest Christian School. She will attend Lipscomb University and major in Music Industry Studies.
Joanna Pope – All Saints Episcopal School. She will attend the University of North Texas to major in Photography.
Urvi Mohan – Flower Mound HS. She will attend Ohio State University to major in Computer Science and Engineering.
It’s been my pleasure to know you and watch you grow up to become such amazing people with so much potential ahead!
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I don’t like to talk about myself much, but I was given an award I was very proud of! In October 2023, I was inducted into the STEINWAY TEACHER HALL-OF-FAME. Thomas and I took a trip to NY where you can find my name on the wall at the Steinway Factory! It was pretty cool to see my name next to teachers I admire!
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I’m so proud of all my students! This newsletter only covers some of the piano things they have participated in, but if I could write about everything else everyone has done (sports, art, band, orchestra, theater, robotics, etc. etc.), this newsletter would be SO LONG! How awesome are they?! If you haven’t already, “Like” and Follow our studio page: TS MUSIC: Studio of Sara Doan. You can also follow our Instagram Page by finding me @doanpianostudio where I will attempt to post videos of our students.