Today we’d like to introduce you to Agnes Chu.
Hi Agnes, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started my music journey when I was six years old in Taiwan taking piano lessons with Yamaha school, and at the age of ten, I auditioned for the prestigious BBC radio broadcast choir (中廣兒童合唱團) it was a dream come true, because I got to experience being on tour, sing with opera singers, orchestra and conductor, performing at the National Chiang Kai-Shek Cultural Center (National Concert Hall/國家音樂廳). This inspired me to pursue music. I continued my education at California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). At CalArts, I had an opportunity to work with Tim Burton and Danny Elfman on Warner Brothers Motion Picture “Mars Attacks.” I also got invited to premier song cycles in London with the International Women Alliance in Music. After graduating, I went back to Taiwan to meet a pop record company to become a performer. But they rejected me because I looked too dark and too fat, even though I was only 113 pounds and 5’-6” tall. This experience was sad and discouraging, they didn’t even listen to my songs, they only judged me by my appearance. After that rejection, I came back to the states to find myself as a singer and find my voice. Eventually, I realized that I was trying to fit into something that was not me, like fitting a square peg in a round hole. I am trained classically, and I was not a pop singer. After working with a few music producers, I finally met a music producer that was able to bring my essence out and let me shine.
It was hard being a singer/performing artist, hiring musicians was important as well as costly, and finding a venue, working with sound people although fun, was not easy. I had to find another way to make money, I started teaching. Teaching provided me more stability and I eventually found my niche in teaching; it opened the door for a new career direction.
To become a better teacher, it was important to learn how to connect with the kids, so I sought certification as a Harmony Road Music teacher. This program provided a research-based approach that draws from early childhood development. This method’s ability to bring musicianship, even to toddlers, was special to me because I became a mom and was looking for a group class where I could bring my daughter and have her learn music foundations. Being a mom helps me become a better teacher, prior to have being a mom I would not have had the patience to understand young kids the way I do now. I opened Happy Kids Music School in Woodland Hills, CA because I wanted to have a place where I can work and be a mom.
After closing Happy Kids Music School, I was invited to work as a music advisor for Walt Disney Company in Glendale, California. Disney built a school in China and made series of books for kids to learn English through Disney songs. I was really honored to have been a part of this project and make a difference in children’s lives, we also received “The Most Innovative” award on this project.
I opened another music teaching business (Sing Your Heart Out), but this time is not at a brick and mortar. This time I decided to teach privately to clientele, driving to their home to provide music lessons. Through this, I produced an album “Front Row” featuring my students’ songwriting & vocals. This album premiered at Genghis Cohen in Hollywood, CA and still available on various online formats including Amazon, Google Play, Spotify, Apple Music. This effort received recognition: I was awarded “The Most Passionate Spirit” award from Pacific Asian Consortium in Employment (pacela.org) which was aired on KSCI Channel 18.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
When I opened Happy Kids Music in Woodland Hills, CA in 2005 I had no idea how to manage a business. I was good at creating programs, curriculum but I knew nothing of the business side. Marketing and financial part was totally new and scary to me as I never went to school for business and had no prior experience. There were many difficulties I was not expecting like students forgetting to pay (in extreme cases, I had to gather courage to drive to parents’ businesses just to get paid), or cold calling schools to see if I can bring my music programs to their school. Cold calling was especially exhausting and took a lot out of me. It was not comfortable and did not come naturally to me, it was very scary. Marketing was also a challenge: I did not know the right advertisements to do, I constantly went over budget to find effective advertisements. The business side was very draining for me and took away my joy of doing the creative side like creating curriculum for my students. Although it was a tough road and I made many mistakes and went into heavy debt, I am glad I experienced it, I eventually learned how to better manage the business side. I now could focus on what is more rewarding, teaching music to children.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am known for teaching voice and piano. My specialty is to help young kids master the art of music. I focus on techniques, performance skills, phrasing, sight-reading, ear training and music theory. I provide a structure for them to have a daily practice that helps them to achieve higher quality of work and gives them tools to be able to structure not just their music but also their schoolwork. Similar with our recitals, I prepare students to learn to speak in front of audiences through their performance and verbal introduction of themselves and the composer of the piece they are performing. This helps students to build confidence in doing school presentations. Each one of my students is like a flower in my garden; some of my students have become like a second family to me.
Right now, I am teaching online lessons, I have students from all over: Japan, Seattle, North Carolina, and Southern California.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
The smell of rain dropping on my tongue, singing in the rain makes me so happy. The raindrops are music to my ears! I love the rain, and “Singing in the Rain” is one of my favorite musical.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.musiclessonswithagnes.com/, https://agneschu.hearnow.com/love-letter
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nA9dLghoP7J-QNx-c2KHjx50fUuclX6Z0, https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nB9nNKa2KFdE6UidHTfms8G1dHv1n8Xwg
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/album/0L7xf5z7fNBlHu4I5q2Rl3?si=GZ9vJ8SFTrS_Yk7Fa4G7DA&dl_branch=1,
https://www.amazon.com/Love-Letter-Agnes-Chu/dp/B08LMNCYX8/ref=nodl_ https://m.soundcloud.com/agnes-chu-438368080 https://open.spotify.com/user/1245856963/playlist/7frNQlVENoQ8iqtFjNrU2D?si=35ZQAsFmSqO8bjh09mxcxQ&dl_branch=1
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3LnqmjxN1ejwDrm2BplZXt?si=RT7UlBBFQFScAzTkSLAqaw&dl_branch=1
