How a Teacher Builds a Musician: The Studio Meraki Story

From late-night score study to the quiet patience behind every recital, the faculty at Studio Meraki reflect on their honest truths of teaching music.

Studio Meraki teachers during our 2025 recital.

When the student performs a piece at the recital or wins a competition like Con Brio, we focus on the beautiful piece of music that got them there, but we rarely hear the hours of patience, the silent frustrations, or the encouragements that made that piece. To celebrate Teachers’ Day, we asked the teachers of Studio Meraki to step out from behind their instruments and share what really goes into building a musician.

Teaching music is rarely just about getting the notes right on the page or teaching the theory that goes behind a sheet of music. It requires constant emotional support, working through frustrations, and acting as a mentor, a guide, a friend. In these reflections, our faculty reveals the invisible work behind their craft, the role of parents at home, and the core philosophies they hope their students will carry with them, even if the music stops.

The Practice Room

For every hour spent in the studio, countless more are spent at home. Our teachers believe progress is a team effort, and how you practice matters far more than how long.

Ajey believes that practice requires a partnership. He said, “The biggest misconception is that practice is solely the student’s responsibility. A teacher only gets about 45 minutes a week with a student. All the real work, repetition, and growth happen at home. Parents need to step in and cultivate an environment where practice becomes a natural, friction-free part of their routine.”

Sean suggests that focus beats duration every time. “Ten minutes of focused, thoughtful practice can sometimes achieve more than an hour of simply playing through a piece. Consistency and awareness are what ultimately create progress.”

A student has to practice with a goal. Nishant believes that “Adequate practice time is crucial daily, but spending more time without the right practice habits has no benefit in quicker learning. Playing pieces endlessly without continuing would not help as compared to half the time spent practicing with a goal.”

Motivation follows discipline and Mohak says, “A lot of parents assume that once the child starts learning, they will automatically practice on their own. We fist need to build the habit of practicing even when we don’t particularly feel like it. Over time, that discipline creates confidence, and eventually students start experiencing the joy that comes from actually getting better.” Mohak believes"Good technique is ultimately not an end in itself. It is a tool that allows the student to express themselves better musically."

Behind the Music

Teaching demands far more than correcting posture. It is an exercise in empathy, multitasking, and deep emotional investment that often goes unseen.

Our teachers put in a lot when they come to the class every day with a smile, and never let us see the mental toll teaching could have. According to Callen, “Even after back-to-back classes, a heavy workload, or personal stresses, you still have to reset and bring genuine warmth and focus to every student. Taking all of those background challenges and setting them aside to be fully present hour after hour takes a tremendous amount of mental energy that often goes unnoticed.”

Riyana wanted us to know about the mental gymnastics of adapting. “You are not just teaching music; you’re constantly thinking about how this particular student understands things. One child needs a demonstration, another needs an explanation, and another simply needs encouragement. You can teach the same concept to five students in five completely different ways!”

The teachers at Meraki are always multitasking in real time, and Vishwesh talks about this, by saying, “The most exhausting part of teaching is real-time multitasking. You have to match your students’ energy, manage their frustration, and hide your own bad days to keep the room positive. Repeating the basics over and over again for 2-3 years until it gets fixed inside the student’s head is a big task.”

When Prafula was asked what she would want her students to know, she said, “I wish students would realize that playing the piano is so much more than just getting the notes right. It is an art that requires coordination and good observational skills that will only help the student in the long run.”

Mentorship is a dual relationship which is a heavy but a happy burden. Rohan said, “Music isn’t just academic; it’s emotional, and it’s character-building. Over the years, we become best friends to the little ones, confidants to the teenagers, and sometimes friends and counsellors to the adults. It’s a happy burden to bear, but it can also be mentally and emotionally exhausting.”

The Breakthroughs

Despite the exhaustion and repetition, the reward is worth it. These are the philosophies and quiet moments that turn every challenging lesson into a cherished moment at the end.

Michelle wants her students to know that the studio is a safe haven. “I hope they remember that they felt safe. Safe to make mistakes, safe to ask questions, to be themselves, and to explore. If, years from now, they remember the studio as a place where they felt comfortable being themselves and discovered a genuine love for music, I would consider that a success."

Age is never a barrier and Nidhi reminds us of that by saying, “The unexpected lesson one of my students has taught me is that age is no barrier. I have a real-life example of a mother who refuses to wait and do nothing when her daughter is learning the piano at the studio. She doesn’t mind giving things time, and has a lot of patience to start from scratch and trust the process! She motivates me a lot.”

Veda wants to her students to be capable of building healthy and beautiful relationship with music, where they are holding on to the feelings every note evokes in them. She said, “I hope every student remembers that it’s not just about how to play an instrument, but more importantly, a method of self-expression and building a lifelong relationship with music, and a lovely community.”

Along these lines, for Alina, she just wants to be a witness to her students to falling in love with music, “The most meaningful moment is watching a student fall in love with music. Watching my students enjoy music, challenge themselves, and the desire to keep growing as pianists is, for me, the most rewarding thing as a teacher.”

At Studio Meraki, the faculty goes beyond the correct note and the correct posture. They are building students who have confidence, are patient and full of creativity. This Teachers’ Day, we celebrate the unseen dedication that happens before the lesson begins, the emotional energy spent during it, and the lasting impact that remains long after the instrument is kept down.

Thank you to our incredible teachers for making the studio a place of true growth and love.

Happy Teachers’ Day from Studio Meraki.