New Song School of the Arts — Attraction in Argyle

As a mother of 4 grown kids, when I think of all of their teachers, coaches, instructors, etc. throughout their lives - who stood out or made a difference? I can honestly say that I cannot count them on one hand (yes I am extremely picky)! I will say however, that Heather Parks is number one!! Heather was my daughter's 4th piano teacher and taught her for 8 years. I have nothing but praise for Heather as a person and a teacher. Heather loves what she does and loves each and every student she works with. This is something that not only the parent can see but the student feels with her. She has a way of nurturing them and making them feel loved all while challenging them with high expectations and never letting them slack off. She pushed, inspired and motivated my daughter in a way that I have never seen before. Her teaching did not end at the studio - she would text or call my daughter randomly through the weeks asking "how she was doing on a piece"? A perfect balance of personal and professional - I truly considered Heather a gift from God. I attribute my daughter's creativity, dedication and success in the performing arts to Heather Parks. The one thing that sets Heather apart from everyone else is this: she puts the care and needs of her student first before her business. My daughter loved all Performing arts and Heather convinced her to audition for BTWHSPA in Dallas which as a result (due to proximity) meant losing her as a student. This is RARE and exemplifies so much more than her teaching abilities but who she is as a person. Never EVER under estimate the power of a great teacher!!! I have no doubt that someday when my girl makes it on Broadway - she will stand up and thank her...

While I realized quickly I was one of the (much!) older students at New Song, the instructors (Belle, then Daniela and now Rebekah) have quickly put me at ease and helped me feel at home. I started this journey about two years ago, when I came to the shocking realization that here I was in my (then) late 50s and didn't have a single hobby or passion that wasn't related to work...and that definitely, between work and home obligations, I needed to do something that was just for me.

I thought about what might bring me joy for the sake of joy, what wasn't going to require such a significant investment in terms of time or equipment that I'd find excuses to walk away. And eventually landed on voice lessons. I've always loved to sing but other than a semester at college (and a brief stint running a karaoke business in its heyday), I've really not had any training and wanted to be better at it. Just for me. And that's what led me to NSSOTA.

It was more than a little intimidating at first and a little stressful. Work takes up a lot of my time and energy, and my responsibilities at home as a caregiver do, too. But eventually I realized that because I am doing this just for me, I don't need to stress if I didn't get to practice on my own this week. Or if I'm still struggling with a piece or a note. And that's what's really made it work.

The team NSSOTA has built is a bright part of my experience there, and I consider my 30-minutes a treasured part of each week. I'm so very glad I made the leap, and that I landed at New Song School...

I have been attending private lesson sessions with Nick Cutelli in the acting studio at NSSOTA for over two months now, and I could not be more impressed and grateful for my experience. First off, the NSSOTA facilities are state of the art, clean, and comfortable. Secondly, and more importantly, the staff is truly excellent. Everyone is kind, passionate, and very catering to what I need as far as scheduling and communication goes. Furthermore, Nick Cutelli has been a dream to work with. He is professional, he has a clear vision on how to help young actors at whatever stage of their career they are in, and brings a passion to acting and development that is contagious and inspiring. Whether an actor is just starting their acting journey or have been acting for nearly a decade, Nick has the tools, the passion, the personality, and the wisdom to guide and help anyone toward their acting and career goals. His class consists of acting exercises to engage your creative mind, he provides a revolutionary and comprehensible technique/approach to character development and analysis, he helps with self-marketing and business networking strategies, and he provides his time to be there for his students, even outside of class. He has truly become a mentor for me, as well as each and everyone of his students. If you are an aspiring actor, run to sign up for one of Nick's acting classes. I cannot recommend working with...