The Sound of Gold with guest Zayas Music Studio

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0:52 Hi, welcome to the Sound of Gold. I'm so glad to have you listening or watching me today, if you've been here for me, if you've heard me before, or even if you haven't. My name is Lisa Evagold. I'm a music composer. They call me the instant composer because I create my own music, and I'm also a music teacher. I teach piano, and I do a lot of other things, but to keep it focused, that's what I do mainly. And my reason for having this show is there is so much talent. Out there in our communities that I really think that a lot of people don't give me attention they need. And I also believe that a lot of us musicians or family parents or seniors all ages who are inspired to be musicians want to learn and the best way to learn is to have a music coach, a music teacher, or go to a music school that's local. And I think the more support we can get when we're wanting to learn how to play an instrument, the better of a student, not a student, but a better musician we've become because we get to learn from people that are that have come before us. And even myself, even though I'm a music teacher, I still enjoy taking lessons because being a musician, there's never any like Okay, I've reached that platform and I'm done. So it's always constantly growing,

2:22 constantly learning and learning. Music, especially from a music coach, music teacher, music school. It's a gift you give yourself. And if you are a parent who's considering having your children take lessons, believe me, it is a gift you give your children. And I have my own story. I would not be here today playing without the influence of my parents investing in the lessons that I took for many years. Well, today I have a very. Special guest on with me. I have Renee Zias and Renee and her husband Danny own Zia's music studios in Florida, so let's welcome Renee to our show today.

3:15 Hi, Renee, thank you so much for having me. How are you great? Thanks so much for having me on your show today. You're welcome. Thank you so much, Renee. I'm I'm first of all, I'm. Honored to be a teacher at your school. I think I've been there five years now. Yeah, And and I know you have a busy family life, and the fact that you took time out to do this today means so much for me. And you know everything I think, but I believe comes full circle when it comes to karma and and and what we believe in and who we believe in. And I'm very grateful for you and so many ways, and especially today, especially the schools recently started and whether kids are homeschooled or going to school, we're all, I guess readjusting to a new schedule.

4:10 So thank you for fitting me. Oh absolutely, It's an honor. Thanks Lisa. So again, I'm I've been a teacher at at your school for five years and I personally never knew about like the background of the school. I just love you and Danny, and I love the energy that Zia's has and and I love the students I have and I will be there for forever if the studio exists forever, and but other than that, please share with me and share with the listeners and the viewers how it all began, Like what inspired you and Danny to start this? What? What's the story behind it all?

4:51 Yeah, it's kind of an interesting story. It's it's kind of the kind of story a lot of people love and probably grab Tate too, and I would think would relate to. It was something that never we didn't pursue it, it pursued us. Is kind of the moral of the story to go way back. This is another interesting piece of like our music background. My husband, I call him Daniel, but probably the community knows him best as Danny or mister Danny. He was in a traveling, well known band at the time called Tenth Avenue North. This is pre our music school. So he and I actually toured, we did the whole road life thing for a little under two years together. He was in the band for five years and you know, the married couples shared a one row on a passenger van, so we had you know the classic you know, startup band life, which they ended up becoming very popular and well known, so we're so thrilled for them.

6:03 And then we came. Off the road just because that life is very taxing, especially when we're married, and we just began kind of re establishing our life through music. And one of those was he began teaching just privately out of his home on the side and while he was. Doing the rest of his degree in music. And before you know, we had this little apartment kind of in a not so great part of town, and we had ended up having like thirty students over time, just kind of coming in and out of our dinky, little apartment. And one day we just kind of looked at each other like, is this something?

6:44 Is this something we didn't even know we needed or we knew could be. And one day we just kind of made the decision to take the risk and to just go for it. And our little tiny living room was getting very crowded. As you can imagine. I would be cooking dinner on the stove and there'd be parents in my living room, and so one day we just decided to go for it, and what do we have to lose? So we got a commercial space down the street, and initially we were looking at like a one or two room, super small space, and the landlord we were working with at the time was like, oh, I'm sorry, I can't let you have that space.

7:25 It's not the right zoning. But I have this other space. And it was to us at the time, this massive commercial space. You're like, we're never going to fill this, like it's just us and one maybe one other teacher. But it ended up working out, and you know, within gosh, a few years, we ended up not just filling the whole space, but over the span of eight years having to build out within the space that we had, and we had to keep adding rooms. So it really was something that pursued us at the end of the day, and we had no idea it would be what it is now now. You know, we have eleven teachers, we have we just you know, relocated, expanded our and we're adding more programs, group group lessons, workshops, performance space, the whole thing. So it really has been a family business and the heart of it it will always be and our passion is very much.

8:22 Too twofold to continue. Passing on music of course, and the development of music, but also using as a means to build integrity in the next generation, to it's it's kind of an avenue of mentorship and having partnering with parents. You know, my gosh, I think every parent could raise their hand and say we need we need some help. So we're kind of like you know how it is that you're the third the third influence in their life a lot of times, and that's a really special thing to have. Yes it is, Yes it is. Now how many students do do you have? Now? A total in the school?

9:03 Yeah? Right now we're right around the three hundred students arena and we are definitely growing, so that's exciting. Now I only know what I know, and I know I'm only there once a week, so I only hear bits and pieces. Now there are different there. I teach piano, and then you have drums, you have guitar, you have is there violin lessons? Not violin? We do guitar, drums, voice, bass, ukulele. I'm missing anything else in piano of course, Okay. And then we're in the fall. We're in a new school year, so everyone's schedule has changed. But I know over the summer there were different camps and different programs that were offered. Now are they going to continue over the school? Year or because of the news schedule, it's not that's not going to work.

10:03 Yeah, So we have a few different things that we're super excited about. We're actually launching soon. We have a group band Ensembles, which are so fun. It's you know, taking kids out of the classroom and plugging them into a full band setting, which is such a great experience. So it's like the liaison between their private lesson time and doing like annual showcases and recitals, which you know we have and are so fun. So that's a really exciting addition to our programs. And then we also have we're gonna be offering group guitar lessons, group piano lessons eventually, and group drum lessons. And then one really fun thing happening soon is our Junior Music class, which is going to be for targeting, like we call it, grown ups and their littles is kind of who it's for. So it's you know, for those students who are under the age of five, who aren't quite ready for private one on one lessons.

10:57 It's an opportunity for the parent and their. Young one to just have a fun time together. And explore music and have exposure to it in a really fun, playful setting. So that's something we're also going to be launching this fall. Is that something similar to because I have a daughter that's well she's twenty eight now, but back when she was a baby, I remember like programs like Jimboree or Mommy and Me kind of programmed. Yes, exactly, it's right along those lines. Okay, moving on, I know, like, well not really, but kind of. The students range from like five years old to whatever, like a hundred yes.

11:37 Yes, yes, one hundred. Yes, I mean I think I would give someone an award for taking lessons that one hundred. That's amazing. One of my private students, in fact, I had her this morning, she's ninety four. Wow, Danny to help me pick music. There was a song I needed to find and he helped me find it, which was I was very thankful because it has nothing to do with but anyway, I always appreciate your feedback and your husband's feedback. So the school ranges from ages five to one hundred, which I mentioned, And I love the different programs that I didn't even know that went on there. And I love the fact that the ensemble that idea I think is so important because I'll focus on myself. When I took thirteen years old lessons, I started at the age of five, and when I became a teenager, I kind of rebelled.

12:35 But then when I grew up, I went back to playing and learning. But I think the hardest thing to break through is that that one of those one on one lessons and then they go home, practice by yourself, and then come back and play what you've learned. The hardest thing, what I'm getting at, is like if I go out and play with a group of friends, like I wasn't trained to do that. If you sit me down a piano and say, okay, play in front of like a stadium of ten thousand people, I can do that. But if you put like a band with me, I'm like, okay, I'll just sit here and watch. Because it's not different skill. It's a different skill, but different skills.

13:16 So I love the idea that you're bringing that to the table because it's so needed because at the end of like the day, you know, I know what I know, or my students know what they know, but to be able to bring it in as a group, and especially looking at the next generation and where is music going, What is going to become of it? What is you know, what is it going to be in ten twenty years from now? Is it going to be as original? And as as as how did I say it? Not vulnerable? But as musicians, when we compose music, we're vulnerable. We're sharing those feelings and that's and when we listen to music, certain songs will be like, oh my gosh, it takes me back to that place or it makes me feel this way, and you can't recreate that on a computer.

14:03 You can't recreate that like with AI. So it's so wonderful to continue to have this. Let's keep music alive. Let's you know, bring the kids in, bring the adults in, let's do one the one lessons, let's do group lessons. I love that, Yeah, love that well. And it's kind of like a we have students of all ranges, ages, stages of life, different goals in mind. Of course, as you can imagine, and most parents would agree. Now you know, their students may not plan on or have aspirations to pursue music full time in their future. However, it's such an incredible like developmental piece for adults and young students.

14:45 It builds confidence, It connects your brain, you. Know, psychologically developmentally in a completely different way. Than academics or logic. Would It just kind of taps into a completely different part of you. I even I remember hearing from a kind of a testimony from one of our parents her this is like a very interesting thing to me. Her daughter had some sort of speech impediment and she was going to all of this medical physical therapy for it. Like they had tried several different things, and she had enrolled her student with us for voice lessons, and after a period of time of her taking voice lessons, her speech impediment completely went away. It was like it was like I couldn't believe it. I was like, are you joking.

15:29 She's like, we tried everything. But it was her well singing. And something about it like just made her everything kind of aligne. And I think that's true of music in a lot of different areas, you know, just in our psyche and our soul and our bodies. Physically, it does have like a lot of power and wait and influence both for you know, adults and younger students. And we do work, you know, some with students. Who have some special needs, and that also we've watched so much improvement and growth. In those students through music. It's been pretty mind blowing over the years to watch the change that we see over time. And some of our students do go on to we've had we have I know at least two or three of our graduated students are Nashville and they're full time actively pursuing music production.

16:24 Touring, recording, the whole thing. We have students like locally who are doing music full time. So it's it's been such an honor to watch the journey over the past seventeen years and kind of stepping in literally quite literally from generation to generation through music. That's amazing and it's so beautiful to see too. And I know I've had again, speaking for myself, I've had some students through Zaias that have been with me for a few years, and I've first of all the dedication and the commitment that goes into the instrument and learning how to play it. It's it's what I said earlier in the beginning of my show. I don't know if you if you heard before you came on, but music is a gift you give yourself, or music is a gift you invest in your kids. For because it's something that you grow upon, it's something that if you work at it, you never forget it. Or those who you know later on in life don't really didn't make it a career, but you could still remember, like Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star, like there's still there's little pieces of it that you just take with you forever.

17:30 Yeah. I mean, I not not to get off the subject, but the whole idea of what you were sharing with at one student to me and I share this in a very little way, but it comes from a big place in my heart. Like everything is energy, and sound is like our frequency, like the way people go about, like the behaviors. It's all frequency, and it's almost like the mut The instrument itself doesn't do any thing unless. You play it. I tell my students, they go, you're the magician. You're not only the musician. You're a magician because you get to create and you get to play. You know what we're learning the sheet music or what have you. But then I also encourage students to work on like I focus a little bit on ear training, I focus a little bit on improvisation, because you don't want to always play somebody else's music. Without feeling in it. So I just think, I just think it's a beautiful thing. And yeah, I want to continue to be that that inspiration as a teacher and as a musician to listeners and to my students. Another question I had for you is, I know personally that we've had every Christmas, we have our recitals for our piano students now again to just do pianos.

18:53 So there's so much more that you and your husband put together throughout the year and the other teachers that it's just I'm always blown away, Like I'll come in the next day and here like some of the teachers talking about you know, the voice performances or the guitar performances, and it's just I mean, you guys are just so amazing and so I mean you bring our community to life, and I'm so thankful for you and for the school. But can you tell me a little bit more about the recitals and not only piano, but share with me some stuff I don't know. Yeah, yeah, So we keep kind of adding new things, and I'm sure you know, as we expand in the future there'll be more. But you know, historically we do the traditional piano recitals, which you're part of, which are so beautiful, and we always do it at Christmas time because it's just.

19:43 A magical time of year. So we do our solo you know, students have individual solo pieces that they perform on the piano, which to me is for rightening. So the fact that like a five year old can get up on stage or and we have adults students as well that do the same, and it's it's really incredible to watch them kind of initially be nervous as you can imagine, but then after they get past that first experience, you again, like you see them shift. It's like there is a sense of confidence and poise, and it really does. It teaches students from a young age how to handle themselves in public right, how to perform, how to conquer fear, how to you know, stay focused when you're nervous, and there's just so many developmental things that are benefits from having a performance like that.

20:40 So that's kind of like our piano recital is centered around individual students. And then in a second show that we do is what we call a full band showcase, so we take all of our other instruments, so guitar, bassed, drums, voice and like keyboard, not so much classical piano, but more the contemporary pop recording like coorting for piano. And we put them, the students in bands, which is like the coolest thing ever, and we give them a song. We work all semester on them learning their part for that song. We rehearse them as a band together. So it's more than just having hey, let me just showcase, you know, a little guitar student one at a time.

21:27 It's a it's a full show, like a real experience getting to play with a live band. It's a really cool opportunity. So we do that and that's a massive show. I mean, we have probably between four to five hundred people attending that show. So that's really fun. And then we do vocal vocal showcases, usually in house, which are really intimate time where our vocal students get to select a song of their choice with their teacher and they get to showcase again in front of a smaller group of people, kind of more coffee house style. And again I think the piano recitals to me would be so nerve wracking. So I'm always so proud of our students, but voices you and I don't I mean you're piano teacher. But we always talk about how voice is probably the most vulnerable instrument of all of them.

22:18 You think about it, it's very vulnerable. You don't have an instrument to hide behind. It is just you and your vocal cords and your audience. So voices is definitely. There's a lot of courage. And vulnerability that goes into being able to perform vocally. So we do try to create more of an intimate setting for our vocal students, just a little bit more conducive. Sure. Sure, And then look you said earlier, which I know too, having the students, having these recitals. For the students, it builds their confidence, especially in front of like an audience and in not really knowing where like the next generations are going to be going, knowing where we are now.

23:08 I noticed there's a lot of like and I think you your boys are also homeschooled? Is that correct? Yes, So a. Lot of families today I'm finding are homeschooling their kids. In fact, I have family members that are homeschool My niece is being homeschooled. And so to have these extracurricular activities like going to a music school and working with a teacher one on one and then having a recital at a certain part of the year. I think it's huge for especially homeschooled kids, because it's giving them the opportunity to be in front of other social like a social setting, and then how how do you show up for that social setting? Because if we're home and I look at my niece and but she she is so so smart, she's got so much energy. Yet when she's in front of like so many people and she does play piano, she loves the attention and it's almost like.

24:05 She wants to do her best. So it's almost like I'm finding the homeschooled children are almost performing even better because because they want to show up better, right, Yeah, I mean do you feel that? Yeah? Yeah, I mean. And there's also not as much insecurity there too, I think sometimes. I mean, I mean, I'm just speaking from my own experience. You know how peer pressure is. I mean, everything gets scrutinized, your overthinking every little move and action. So I think in my case, I've watched my kids really really pro like in their self esteem, and they're like they're just so not bothered by public speaking or performing or and I'm just like when I was your age, I think I probably would have been and most students would be, you know. So, yeah, think that is a little bit of a different element. But I wanted to kind of speak into something that's that is very pertinent to this generation, especially the one that's coming up underneath us.

25:11 Is it we are even though kids that may or may not homeschooled or not homeschooled across the board, it's a very digital world, right AI, You're talking about everything's online, everything's not in person, right, We're making they're making connections that are really. Not face to face. Something like music. Is, especially when you're looking at it from a performance perspective or actually implementing music in a live way, is fostering and kind of keeping those skills alive in a very digital world. And I think a lot of younger students may be lacking in that area because everything is so online these days.

26:00 Yeah, I'm yeah, I don't know, you know, I don't want to know what's going to be in the future, but I know that you and your husband, myself. The other teachers I work with, and then I know, you know, we want to keep it alive as much as we can, and yeah, I mean, I just believe we just keep doing what we're doing and give it the best that, you know, the best attention that we can and inspire. And yeah, just to me, music is everything I've I've been playing since I was five, and so I just couldn't see a life without it. And so to think of like a life just on a computer and just digitally synthesizing stuff like that, I don't know.

26:46 My heart's you know, my heart is expressed when I'm playing. In fact, I tell my students that too. When you're playing music, Like we read the lyrics and I'm like, the lyrics is the story. Like in the music world, the lyrics is story, So like, what do you think about the story? Like, can you relate to the story? How does the story make you feel? The more you can relate to the story, the more I want you to feel that when you're playing the music, because when you're when you're playing the words, you're not speaking them, you're playing them for me. So how does that feel? So the more you feel the music, the more I can hear it. Mm. Yeah, well it reminds me that saying, like, you know, music is the universal language.

27:30 Who does who doesn't connect with music. Who doesn't. It's something that you know, cultures and ages, it's like everything kind of dissipates when music is there, Like we're all the same. When music is there, when music is present. So it really is a universal language that does need to be intentionally. Fostered and passed on to next generations. And it is. It's it's something that's. Always been in existence and in some ways. I had a guest on my show last week, David Goodman, and who's also a friend of mine, but he mentioned something about I think it was handless it with somebody else Africa and the drumming of it, like of the African tribes like that will never change. Like yes, some of them have are able to get to a computer to use, but for the most part, that's like one generation after the other. They have that drumming, they have that beat that they're like music is their life and and it's almost like, gosh, I don't know if bringing that that into our culture more into our culture because it's it's the heartbeat of the rhythm that really keeps it all going. And I'm not just saying drumming, it's just rhythm, melody, music, and you know the sound. Like you said, we're all it's a universal language. We can all no matter where we are in the world, if we hear a song, we're either gonna dance, or we're gonna cry, or we're gonna laugh, or we're gonna smile,

29:02 or it's just it does something to the human being that it draws out, just it touches our deepest feelings. I just think music is amazing. And I know we kind of want to watch the time, and I know you have other obligations. Do you have any last minute words you want to share with us about Zia's studios. I know you were in Jupiter and Jupiter, Florida. Yep. Any inspiring words you'd like to share with our listeners and viewers. I'm also thinking about the people who may be listening. Obviously there's parents out there, and we're obviously adults. But to us adults, it's never too late to pick up music, to get back into music. And I can't tell you how many adults have walked through our doors, and they're probably the most fearful of them all too sign up or to try it or to get back into it.

30:03 And I would just encourage those group of people like you'll never regret doing it. We've watched i think our adult students once they finally cross the threshold of just building enough courage to do it. There's some of our most long lasting clients because they just get hooked. They're just and you don't realize, I think is as you get older and you start adulting and parenting and doing all the life things you don't you know, passion in music and art and creativity tend to take a back burner, right Like we lose that in the in the midst of the demand and chaos that is adulting. But it is very much what we need. To stay grounded and to stay focused and to feel you know, centered in life. So to that demographic of people like I would just encourage them to, you know, pursue their passions in any art form if it's if music happens to be that it's just always such a beautiful way to express yourself and to find relief and kind of have an outlet.

31:09 So that that would probably be my last closing thoughts. Well, thank you, Renee, thank you so much for your time today. And yeah, I just I mean not only because I'm a teacher at Zia's Music Studios. It's just such a warm, welcoming place. And I recently had other adult piano student. I'm not going to say names because I know she's looking another adult piano student. It took a break, but she came back, and then I have a piano student that's been with me for three years. And even though sometimes we kind of go over a lot of the same things for a while, there's no like there's no like goal date. That we're going to get like a song done, and that's for all of us.

31:51 So yes, I agree, if you're an adult and you want to take lessons, don't limit like, don't limit yourself like you know you're too old or you're you know you're not gonna trust me. I think the older we get, like once we get past the young parenting, like the parenting of young children. Once our kids get older, we kind of as adults at least I'll speak for myself kind of have to find my place again and then almost have a rebirth of my own life and like what am I going to do now? And so if even if you're like an empty nest or type of parent, like think about taking lessons because it's just so much fun. It's you're giving back to yourself and you're doing something fun. And we've had we've had parents like that come in too recently or that, Yeah, absolutely lots of them. And so one last thing, how would what is the best way for students to get in touch with you if we have listeners that and not viewers on today? Is there a phone number they can call? Is there an email address or a website? Yeah?

32:50 Our website honestly has so much information, it's very visual, it's very interactive. So our website is basically our music school's name, so it's Zius Studios Z A Y A S and then S T U, D I O S dot com. That is the best way you can find texting, phone, call, email, all of it on there, So Zius Studios dot com is the best route. Otherwise, we do have our local phone number which is five six one eight four two one five one five. We are on Instagram and Facebook as well. It's probably been a while since I've posted though, I will be honest.

33:32 But yeah, website is perfect. Well, well, we'll have to post our show on on our website, yes, absolutely, your web yes, so well, thank you so much for Renee. I know you're, like I said, you have other commitments. I appreciate your time today and this has been so much fun. Yes, thank you so much for having me, Lisa. It's been a pleasure. Absolutely. I look forward to seeing you maybe next week. Yes, one hundred percent. OK, I have a great day. Well, thank you very much. I was so excited to have Renee on the show today and we got done. We got our interview finished a little bit earlier. And that's okay, because today I thought I could share some music with you, and if you're driving, just kind of use this as your time to just relax and listen in if you are home or in a place a space where you can sit back and close your eyes, go ahead into.

34:31 So because I believe that music can be very healing and relaxing. It's fun to play. Music we've heard in the past. It's also I think it's fun. I also find it fun to just kind of sit back and relax and listen. To music that helps me kind of stop. Because I'm a. I'm not gonna say I'm a type A because I don't. I don't think I am. But I do like to always keep busy even something, and I will purposely turn on some.

35:14 Relaxing music every now and again just to. Be more present. H m h. M hm hm.

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42:06 And thinking from then.

46:05 Thanks for tuning in today, everyone. I appreciate every one of you, and whether you are a musician or not, or even if you're just starting to learn to play an instrument, you are a musician. And wherever we go, whatever we do, there's always sounds and music around us, and may may be blessed with great energy, and may the love of sound surround you all the time, and may you be in good health and. Be happy. I think that's what we're ultimately here for, is to live our existence and happiness and in peace. So thank you for tuning in wherever you are in the world.

46:46 I am certain that there are musicians out there that you can connect with, music schools that you can connect with as well. And I like to thank my guest again today's Zaia Renees Hyahs Zia's studios. And on a different note, I wish you all the best and let's keep music alive. Everyone. Many lessens to you,