Shyla Blume is a freshman at Helias Catholic High School. She started piano when she was 5 years old and has been playing piano for 10 years. Shyla has earned a superior rating for nine consecutive years and has received a gold medal at the state MMTA 3 years in a row. Shyla has a natural music talent and easily meets new challenges head on. Shyla has also played percussion for 4 years and is a member of the Marching Crusaders. Shyla earned the B honor roll her first semester of high school with a GPA of 3.67.  Shyla said piano and music is important to her because it allows her to express herself in ways that she often struggles to do with words. 

Aubrey Jones is 9 years old. She's in the 3rd grade at West Elementary School. 

Aubrey has been taking piano lessons at Jefferson City Music Academy for 6 months with Helen Haynes. She really enjoys taking piano lessons.

Akshay Chillarige, age 10, is a student of Helen Haynes at Jefferson City Music Academy and has been studying piano for three years and six months. Akshay enjoys playing the piano, though he occasionally faces challenges with complex chords, such as V7 chords. He feels confident performing at his spring and Christmas recitals and is thankful for the support and teachers at Jefferson City Music Academy.

Colin Shadrick is a 5th Grader at Belair. He has been playing piano for one and a half years. he likes that his selected piece sounds like actual bagpipes in sections of the song. 

Sadie is 9 years old, and a third grader at Trinity Lutheran School. She has been a student of Jefferson City's Music Academy since toddlerhood, and has taken piano lessons for the past year under the tutelage of Helen Haynes. Sadie loves learning to play the piano. "Playing the piano is fun. The music is so pretty and it's almost like dancing but with your fingers." She enjoys practicing at home and performing in various recitals. 

Hadley Dixon, age 10, is a student of Helen Haynes at Jefferson City Music Academy and has been studying piano for 4 years.  Her greatest accomplishment on the piano was learning to play the song “Für Elise.”

“It was a long song,” she said. “But after practicing I was able to play it! It felt amazing and I felt talented!”

In preparing for today, Hadley said, “I really enjoy practicing and the recitals!” 

Hadley is thankful for the support of her parents, Michael and Emma, her sister Paisley, her brother Oliver and her dog Charli. Also, her grandparents who come to all of her recitals. 

Ella Johnson is a recent High School graduate (Class of 2025) with a passion for music. As a child, her mom homeschooled her and her sister through Elementary and Middle School. For her High School years, Ella participated in a mix of classes from Capital City High School, Williamsburg Academy, Columbia College, as well as some private education groups. 

Ella has shown deep interest in music and the creative arts throughout her life. As of the current date, she has taken 10 years of piano lessons. “Piano”, Ella stated, “has opened doors to social connection for me by creating opportunities to talk about and create music with other people I otherwise wouldn’t have met. It has also become somewhat of a sacred space for me, somewhere I can find solace and express any emotion I may be feeling.”  Music has helped Ella in her personal life to deal with stress and anxiety and she would like to share those benefits with others by studying to become a music therapist in college.

Helen Haynes started teaching piano lessons in college (many years ago!).  She started Haynes Piano Studio, which evolved to Haynes Music Studio in 2005, and into Jefferson City Music Academy in 2012.  She enjoys teaching students of all ages, including adults.  She specializes in beginners to intermediate.  She also owns and manages Jefferson City Music Academy, where there are multiple teachers, who offer lessons in voice, drums, guitar, and ukulele, in addition to piano, and Early Childhood Music and Motion classes (also taught by Miss Helen).

Helen Haynes

Music Development Specialist

Owner, teacher

Jefferson City Music Academy 

http://www.JeffersonCityMusicAcademy.com

573-645-9757