A Good Connection is Music to Your Ears

Singer/Songwriter Giana Nguyen didn’t exactly set out to own a nontraditional music studio with primarily children as students, but that is exactly what happened when she opened Dancing Keys Music Studio in Irvine.

In 2012, Nguyen was focusing on her music career when her former business partner found her online after hearing one of her songs playing on a local radio station. He sought her out for her contemporary style. A longtime pianist, at the time she was teaching piano to a few students from home and seeking new business opportunities. He approached to collaborate, and she jumped at the opportunity.

Together with a third partner, they opened Dancing Keys Music Studio in March 2013 as the only commercial studio in Orange County to specialize in the Australian-developed piano method from Simply Music, the world leader in playing-based music education. In the years since opening, Nguyen has transitioned to be the sole owner of the studio but she and her team have continued to bring this multi-sensory piano approach to families throughout the region. In early 2020 this approach was amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic when the studio that only offered in-person lessons had to quickly close and pivot to online instruction.

“We had our own spring break in a sense where we didn’t teach lessons and figured out how to keep serving our students,” explains Nguyen. A mic stand with a smart phone clipped onto it could serve as an overhead camera and Zoom would become the new classroom. She went to a local music store to buy all the equipment and pulled together her instructors for technical training and implementation. In one week, the business shifted completely online with all instructions taking place remotely.

“Our community of students and parents are very resilient, adaptive, and everyone jumped on board.”

She adds, “Cox Business internet has been the ticket to making this all happen. There is no way we would be able to do this without a fast and reliable broadband connection.”

Dancing Keys Music Studio was able to provide virtual lessons throughout the 2020 shut downs and her client base grew as more parents wanted to find a way to keep their children engaged safely in STEAM activities. “Music really served as an outlet during this hard time for students and instructors alike,” said Nguyen.

This sentiment was on full display for the community in December of 2020 when the studio hosted a Zoom holiday showcase. Parents decorated or created backdrops in their own homes for when their child was spotlighted on screen. They were able to connect and cheer each other on via the platform. This past June as California re-opened, Dancing Keys Music Studio hosted an outdoor concert in the courtyard of Woodbridge Village Center for students’ families and the community at large. These “Piano Parties” have always served as catalyst for students to publicly showcase the joy of music.

Earlier this year, following the state lifting mandates on operations and masks, Nguyen started operating as a hybrid studio where students can take both virtual lessons at home or in-person lessons at the Woodbridge Village Center location. She even has group lessons where one student participates from home and the rest in her studio. As of August 2021, sixty percent of her students are doing virtual lessons and the team still utilizes technology, physical distancing, air filters in each room, and a robust cleaning schedule for in-studio lessons.