December 2019
Student: Emma
Teacher: Gail
Location: Stevens Point
Emma is in 7th grade and has taken piano lessons since she was four. She also plays cello, oboe, guitar, and ukulele!
Learn more about Meredith in the December 2019 issue of the Student Pitch.
November 2019
Student: Meredith
Teacher: Chad
Location: Oshkosh
Meredith is coming back to piano lessons after taking some time off and is really enjoying it. Her goal is to play piano at a very proficient level and she is up to the challenge!
Learn more about Meredith in the November 2019 issue of the Student Pitch.
October 2019
Student: Max
Teacher: Jean
Location: Appleton
Inspired by his sister's recital, Max started playing piano about four years ago. What makes Max's piano playing extraordinary is that its an extension of his occupational therapy.
Learn more about Max in the October 2019 issue of the Student Pitch.
September 2019
Student: Blake
Teacher: Matt
Location: Appleton
Blake has been taking drum lessons for 5 years. It's the best decision he's ever made! Taking lessons right away helped him develop proper technique, gave him a mentor, and helped him learn what the instrument is all about. Blake strongly encourages every drummer to invest in lessons...
Read more in the September 2019 issue of the Student Pitch.
August 2019
Student: Cade
Teacher: David
Location: Appleton
Cade is 14 and has been taking lessons at Heid Music from David for the last five years. Cade has won numerous awards in the Lawrence studio of Drumming...
Learn more about Cade in the August 2019 issue of the Student Pitch.
July 2019
Student: Flynn
Teacher: Craig
Location: Madison
Flynn started playing violin when he was just five years old. He happily added the french horn to his repertoire in the fifth grade! He enjoys the complexity and interesting parts the horn choir has in an orchestra.
Read more in the July 2019 issue of the Student Pitch.
June 2019
Student: Paolo
Teacher: Jerad
Location: Appleton
Paolo has been playing violin for seven years. He is currently involved in his school concert orchestra, and in his spare time likes to play music from video games such as Street Fighter and Final Fantasy.
Read more in the June 2019 issue of the Student Pitch.
May 2019
Student: Billy
Teacher: Chad
Location: Oshkosh
Billy engaged in music at a very young age. He joined a band in school which he remained dedicated to through high school. Having pursued a degree and possible career in music, Billy's college studies eventually led him to a creative career in graphic design.
Read more in the May 2019 issue of the Student Pitch.
April 2019
Student: Kadin
Teacher: Noah
Locaton: Appleton
Kadin is a senior at Neenah High School. His life is focused largely around music and he participates in many extra-curricular activities such as big band, jazz combo, vintage show choirs and musicals.
Read more in the April 2019 issue of the Student Pitch.
March 2019
Student: Olivia
Teacher: Jerad
Location: Appleton
10-year-old Olivia started taking Suzuki Method violin lessons when she was just 4. Along with her mother, sister and accompanied by her grandmother, Olivia plays at many family gatherings, church services, and nursing homes.
Read more in the March 2019 issue of the Student Pitch.
February 2019
Student: Hayden
Teacher: Chad
Location: Oshkosh
Hayden has been taking guitar lessons since September 2018. In a few short months, he has a firm foundation in music basics. This is his first time playing a musical instrument and he has been excelling at it.
Read more in the February 2018 issue of The Student Pitch.
January 2019
Student: Erin
Teacher: Gail
Location: Stevens Point
11th grader, Erin, has been studying piano for eleven years and is an avid performer and athlete. She has competed in local competitions, winning many awards.
Read more in the January 2019 issue of the Student Pitch.
December
Student: Vincent
Teacher: Zakk Abitz
Location: Appleton
Vincent has always loved music, and his favorite bands are Led Zeppelin and The Flaming Lips. Vincent loves all kinds of learning and the guitar has given him the chance to play some of the songs he's heard and loved for years.
Read more in the December 2018 issue of The Student Pitch.
November
Student: Lincoln
Teacher: Adam Cain
Location: Green Bay
Lincoln is 13 years old and has been playing drums for 5 years. He practices everyday and knows that practice makes perfect!
Read more in the November 2018 issue of the Student Pitch.
October
Student: Matt
Teacher: Gail Heywood
Location: Stevens Point
Matt has been taking piano lessons for seven years. He is extremely talented and moticated to study music. He's performed locally for community outreach programs, participated in regional auditions and also the WMTA Badger Keyboard competition.
Read more in the October 2018 Issue of the Student Pitch.
September
Student: Emily
Teacher: David Lawrence
Location: Appleton
Emily has been playing drums for five years and comes from a family of drummers including two brothers who also took lessons at Heid Music.
Read more in the September 2018 issue of The Student Pitch.
August
Student: Will
Teacher: Brian
Location: Madison
Will Martin, 13, started playing the ukulele at age six. Will enjoys playing in a band called "FM" which volunteers monthly at American Family Children's Hospital providing music during family dinner hours...
Read more in the August 2018 Issue of the Student Pitch.
July
Student: Sydney
Teacher: Jerad
Location: Appleton
Now a junior at Appleton North High School, Sydney began playing violin seven years ago with an elementary school orchestra. Music quickly became a means to express herself and she started taking private lessons with Jerad Miller out of Appleton.
Read more in the July 2018 issue of The Student Pitch.
June
Student: Ann
Teacher: Samantha Sinai
Location: Madison
Ann's adventure with the cello began with a Mother's Day gift certificate from her children for her first lesson and first month's instrument rental. She has now been playing for almost three years!
Read more in the June 2018 issue of the Student Pitch.
May
Student: Killian
Teacher: Mark Budwit
Location: Oshkosh
Killian is eight years old and has been taking drum lessons for two years. Starting young, he has become a well-versed drum set player who can read music and play along to all his favorite songs.
Read more in the May 2018 issue of The Student Pitch.
April
Student: Nicholas
Teacher: Matt Gieseke
Location: Appleton
Nicholas has been playing drums and percussion for six years, having studied under Matt Gieseke since he was in the 6th grade. Before playing drums, this multitalented musician also studied piano for six years.
Nicholas is currently playing with the Lawrence Academy of Music Wind Ensemble and the Fox Valley Symphony's Youth Orchestra as well as the Honors Band at Appleton East High School. He has also played in multiple pit orchestras and Appleton East's marching band and jazz band. Nicholas is still working to improve his skills everyday and plans to pursue opportunities to perform music throughout the rest of his life.
Read more in the April 2018 issue of The Student Pitch.
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March
Student: Travis
Teacher: Rib Ribble
Location: Madison
Fourteen-year-old Travis has been playing violin for five years but initially didn't think he'd continue after his first year of fifth-grade strings class in school. Travis started taking lessons with Rin and realized he could play anything he wanted on the violin, not just classical and fiddle music. While he does study the classics, he enjoys playing popular music hits like "Hey Jude," "Under Pressure," "Bohemian Rhapsody" and, most recently, "Stairway to Heaven." He is still learning and improving every day and plans to continue lessons for the next few years.
Read more in the March 2018 issue of The Student Pitch.
February
Student: Yury
Teacher: Jon Tabers-Kwak
Location: Green Bay
Yury was born in Russia and moved to the U.S. when he was eight years old. Before starting guitar lessons, he studied trombone and flute.
He also studies voice and was selected to participate in the Wisconsin Middle School Honors Choir. Last summer, Yury participated in Heid Music’s Rock U as a bassist and back-up vocalist.
A student at West De Pere High School, Yury plays in the school's jazz band. He even performed Christmas Russian Mandolin pieces for the most recent Madrigal Dinner.
Outside of music Yury is an honor roll student and excels at mathematics. He is thinking of pursuing dentistry, geo-history, politics and/or professional music in the future.
Get the complete details in the February 2018 issue of The Student Pitch.
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January
Student: Brett
Teacher: David Lawrence
Location: Appleton
Brett has been playing drums for 13 years. He has always studied with David Lawrence and has won numerous awards including the coveted Lawrence Studio 2017 Drummer of the Year.
Brett has played with countless bands including Mr. May and Outbreak, with which he played at Milwaukee's Summerfest on five different occasions.
Brett currently plays throughout the Midwest with the Tallan Noble Latz Band.
Read more about Brett, in the January 2018 issue of The Student Pitch.
2017
December
Student: John
Teacher: Rebecca Proefrock
Location: Green Bay
John first picked up a violin when he was 12 and began playing in his middle school orchestra. Not only was he the top scholar in his junior class in De Pere last year, he played with the Civic Symphony of Green Bay, placed third in his first competition and was hired as the first violinist by the Sheboygan Symphony. As a senior he now attends Interlocken Arts Academy and is preparing for a career as a professional violinist.
See John in the December Student Pitch.
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November
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Name: Vihaan
Teacher: Joel Croyle
Location: Heid Music Madison
Vihaan attends first grade at West Middleton Elementary School. Since early childhood, he has had a keen interest in music; in fact, his love of rhythm and beats led to him learning how to play drums. Joel, who has been Vihaan's instructor for one year, said, "Seeing his level of hard work at such an early age instills pride in me as a teacher."
Besides music, Vihaan loves sports and is a huge LeBron James fan. Learn about Vihaan in the November Student Pitch.