1,500 Performances and 15 Years Later: A Milestone at LeGrand Music Studios

Tomorrow marks something quietly extraordinary.

At LeGrand Music Studios, we’ll be hosting another student recital—a tradition we’ve honored for years. But tucked into tomorrow’s program is something that caught me by surprise when I realized it: performance number 1,500.

Fifteen hundred.

I didn’t think to mark number 1,000 when it passed, but this one feels different. Maybe it’s the way milestones hit when you’ve been walking the path long enough to look back and see how far you've come.

It’s been over 15 years since I started this music education studio—right here in Fountain City, in my home. I was working at Lowe’s at the time, polishing cooktops in the appliance section. One day, I caught my reflection and thought, “What am I doing?” Not long after that, I opened the doors to this studio, and slowly, one lesson at a time, it began.

After my son was born, we moved the studio to the Fountain City Art Center. In time, the studio itself followed. From there, things grew—not just in size, but in depth.

The number of performances isn't just a tally. It’s a symbol of time spent, friendships formed, and a community built around creativity and care. Students have come and gone, but many remain part of our musical family—whether they’re still taking lessons, teaching now themselves, or simply cheering us on from afar.

Our instructors are more than teachers—they're incredible musicians and dear friends. The families we’ve met are woven into the story of this place. And the Fountain City Art Center has become something more than a venue; it’s a hub of expression where music and visual art meet. As I write this, stunning photography by Phil Savage hangs on the walls—images that genuinely stopped me in my tracks.

Tomorrow’s recital will bring together students as young as four and as seasoned as their mid-70s, performing side by side among some of the most breathtaking photography I’ve ever seen. It’s a reflection of what we value here—art, community, growth, and the beauty of showing up to share something you love.

And sometime during the program, performance number 1,500 will ring out.

Fifteen years. Fifteen hundred performances. I’m proud of what we’ve built.

At the center of it all, there’s one chair—the solo chair. It’s where I began my own studies, and where students now take their place to offer not just music, but a piece of their heart. To sit on stage and share a song is an act of bravery, of expression, of becoming. That single chair holds countless stories, and tomorrow it will hold a many more.

Tomorrow will be a good day.