It was never about the music...

-Stathia Orwig​

I’ve just finished reading The ONE Thing by Gary Keller (for the 2nd time), and one chapter has stayed with me long after I finished it.

It wasn’t about productivity, or goal setting, or time management.

It was about purpose.

The book asks a simple question:

What’s your “why”? Not what you do - not how you do it.

But why.

At first, I thought the answer was obvious.

I opened a music school because I love teaching children.

But the more I sat with that thought, the more I realized it wasn’t completely true.

If loving teaching were my only reason, I probably would have just stayed a solo piano teacher in my home.

Instead, I started Music SO Simple.

So I found myself asking another question.

Why this?


When I think back to ten years ago, I don’t remember dreaming about owning a business.

I don’t remember thinking about payroll, marketing, or enrollment.

I remember thinking about children.

I remember the teachers who changed my life.

I remember believing that every child deserved a place where they felt encouraged, challenged, known, and genuinely loved.

Music just happened to be the language I chose.

A little boy in one of my Music Together® classes reminded me of that this past month.

His mom has told me that at home he’s very quiet. He’s naturally introverted and usually hangs back before joining in.

But every Saturday morning, something changes.

The moment he walks into our classroom, he steps right into the middle of our circle.

He dances. He sings. He smiles from ear to ear.

He doesn’t look around to see who’s watching. He doesn’t worry about whether he’s doing it perfectly.

For forty-five minutes, he’s completely himself.

Every week I watch him shine.

And every week I think…

This is why Music SO Simple exists.

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Of course, he’s learning music. He’s learning rhythm. He’s learning to listen. He’s learning steady beat and movement.

But I don’t think those are the most important things he’s takes home each week.

He’s discovering confidence. He’s finding his voice. He’s learning that there’s a place where he belongs.

Those lessons will stay with him long after he forgets the songs we sang together (except he probably won't forget them!! Ha!)

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People often ask me what makes Music SO Simple different.

They expect me to talk about our teachers. Or our curriculum. Or our recitals.

And while I’m incredibly proud of all of those things…none of them are our purpose.

They’re simply how we live out our purpose.

Because if I’m being completely honest…

It was never really about teaching piano. Or guitar. Or violin. Or voice.

Our goal has never been to produce concert musicians.

It’s always been about helping people discover what they’re capable of becoming.

Music is simply one of the most beautiful ways I’ve ever found to do that.

Over the years, I’ve watched shy children become confident performers.

I’ve watched students who wanted to quit discover resilience they didn’t know they had.

I’ve watched friendships begin in waiting rooms.

I’ve watched teachers become mentors.

I’ve watched parents tear up at recitals because they suddenly saw something in their child that had been there all along.

Those moments have very little to do with scales or chord progressions.

They have everything to do with growth.

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As Music SO Simple celebrates ten years of music education, I find that my dreams have actually become simpler.

Yes, I want our school to grow. Yes, I want to reach more families. Yes, I want to continue building an incredible team of teachers.

But if I had to reduce everything down to one thing…

I want every student who walks through our doors to leave believing they are more capable than they thought they were.

I want them to discover confidence. Joy. Perseverance. Creativity. And maybe, somewhere along the way, a little bit more of themselves.

Because music has a funny way of doing that. It doesn’t just teach us to play an instrument.

Sometimes…it teaches us who we are.

So this is definitely my “why.”- not to create musicians. But to create a place where children (and even adults) discover who they are—and who they can become- and find happiness.

Music just happens to be the language we speak.

And after ten years, I can’t imagine a better conversation to be having.


What if the greatest gift music has to offer isn’t an instrument…but the person your child becomes because they learned to play one?