Community Painting Day

We are so grateful to everyone who has offered to help us get the new space ready for our big move! If you are into interior painting, we’re having a community painting day on March 15 from 10am-4pm. No need to register, just bring your rollers and paintbrushes. Be sure to wear appropriate working shoes and clothes you don’t mind getting paint on!

Moving Announcement:

Big news to share — we’re moving into a new home!

Our school has grown so much since it began as a piano studio in my house fifteen years ago. This year, as we prepare to mark the 10th anniversary of opening in our current Central Avenue home, I'm excited to announce that we’re making the leap to a new space.

Beginning in April 2025, Sarah Jane’s Music School will be located at 2847 Johnson St NE in the vibrant Audubon Park neighborhood! The new space is a former medical clinic with tons of square footage to accommodate all kinds of growth — which includes a permanent home for Wee-Bop, with its amazing programming for families with kids from 0-5 years old. 

We’re going to have some fantastic neighbors, too, including Sarah Jane’s Bakery (I know), Hazel’s, The Coffee Shop NE, Parkway Pizza, and lots more. But maybe even more exciting for some of you: we’ve got a parking lot. 

The design process is happening now, and the buildout will begin soon. I’ll be sharing more details as the vision takes shape. It’s really exciting to imagine what our new home will look, feel, and sound like. 

With this big move on the horizon, and in the aftermath of an anxious election season, I can’t help but reflect a bit about how unique our SJMS community is, and why it matters so much to me. More than ever, I feel that community matters. It’s too easy to feel isolated and disconnected from our neighbors, friends, and family. That’s something I am very proud of when it comes to SJMS, and will do my best to continue to foster and grow as we expand into a new space that can hold more of everything… more music, more consideration for each other, more inclusivity. 

All are welcome here. This is a gathering place for everyone, regardless of age, experience, or background. We are an uplifting, diverse community that crackles with energy through our connection with music. We help students use the tools of creativity and expression so that they can weave them meaningfully into their lives. Engagement and connection is what it's all about. The goal here is not always technical perfection, or memorizing scales (ok, maybe sometimes it is). It’s about being present, listening, caring, and being ourselves. 

This connection and these relationships matter. We care for each other. We help each other. We celebrate each other. Music helps us make sense of the sometimes senseless world around us. It’s not possible to sing without being vulnerable, and a new piece of music can’t bloom inside of us unless our hearts are open. Music is a conversation — a channel we can all tap into to know each other better, and to see each other and our shared humanity more fully.

Once we’re settled into our new SJMS home, my goal is to keep working with all of you to build on this sense of community and connection that we can only create by doing it together. 

And what an awesome community we’ve become! Maybe you’re a parent of a new young student, maybe you’re an adult beginner, or maybe you’re a seasoned vet sharpening their skills. Maybe you popped into a Family Rock event and felt the vibes, or sang along with a glass of wine while students showed off their new chops on a Casual Friday. However you came to be here, you are an essential part in making SJMS special as we keep growing and learning together.

With that in mind, this is where I ask for your help. There will be a lot to do in the coming months, and anyone who wants to lend a hand with things like demolition, construction, design, acoustic treatments, or anything else, please let me know! I love that our community of learners come from such amazing creative backgrounds, and I welcome any and all help.

It’s an exciting time, and a busy time! 

More soon,

Sarah Jane