OCTOBER NEWSLETTER 2026

Fall Into Music This October at Irvine Academy of Music

October is here, bringing cooler weather, colorful leaves, and another exciting month of music at Irvine Academy of Music!

This month, we’re celebrating our wonderful teachers and students, sharing a fun music trivia question, and offering a simple practice tip to help everyone keep making progress.

🌟 TEACHER AND STUDENT OF THE MONTH SPOTLIGHT🌟

👩‍🏫 Teacher of the Month – Ryann M

This month, we’re excited to recognize Ryann, one of our talented Clarinet and Piano teachers at Irvine Academy of Music! 🎹🎵

Ryann has been on her musical journey for as long as she can remember. Growing up surrounded by music helped shape her passion and inspired her to continue pursuing it throughout her life.

While she teaches both piano and clarinet, clarinet is her specialty. She especially enjoys seeing her students’ hard work pay off and watching their confidence grow from week to week.

Outside of teaching, Ryann hopes to become an entertainment attorney while continuing to perform music as much as possible.

We’re so happy to have Ryann as part of the Irvine Academy of Music team and appreciate the dedication, encouragement, and musical experience she brings to her students. 💙

Please join us in congratulating Ryann, our October Teacher of the Month! 👏🎶

🎉 October Student of the Month: Jun Park! 🎶

We’re excited to celebrate Jun Park, our October Student of the Month at Irvine Academy of Music! 🌟

Jun has been playing the clarinet for about two years. He was first inspired to try it after hearing the sound of the clarinet and immediately feeling drawn to the instrument. 🎵

His dedication really shows in his practice routine. Jun usually practices every day for about 30 minutes to an hour and a half, depending on the day.

His teacher says, “He’s an incredibly hard worker and a joy to teach!” 💙

Outside of music, Jun enjoys jumping rope, drawing, and creating videos in his spare time.

We’re so proud of Jun’s hard work, creativity, and commitment to learning. Please help us congratulate Jun Park, our October Student of the Month! 👏🎶

Slow Practice = Faster Progress

When a difficult section of music feels frustrating, the best solution usually isn’t to play it faster.

Slow it down.

Try playing the challenging section at a speed where you can perform it comfortably and accurately. Once it feels easy, gradually increase the tempo.

A few minutes of focused, slow practice can often accomplish more than repeatedly playing an entire song from beginning to end.

True or False: Minor keys are often used to make music sound spooky, mysterious, or dramatic.

Answer: True! 🎶

Minor keys can create darker, more emotional sounds, which is why they are often heard in Halloween music, suspenseful movie scenes, and spooky songs.

Next time you hear Halloween music, listen closely. Can you hear the mysterious minor sound? 👻🎵

Fall Into Music This October