BOISE MUSIC LESSONS
Not missing a beat despite a pandemic By Dennis Lopez
I
“Hey, Dad. Let’s learn to play the violin together!”
t seemed like a logical father-daughter request from my oldest daughter, Amy. After all, she was only suggesting we learn an instrument renowned for its difficulty to play, the need for incredible finger dexterity, fluid bow skills and of course the ability to read music. Sort of the musical version of rubbing your head, patting your stomach and reciting the Gettysburg Address at the same time. Not to mention that I am “70 something.” How hard could it be? Turns out, not that hard at all, if you have the right teacher. And that’s how I met Angie Marianthi, her husband Marcus and their children. And their dog. And two cats. And learned about raising chickens in your backyard. You see theirs truly is a family small business…no, more of a family passion focused on teaching and helping everyone to learn to make music. Operating Boise Music Lessons out of their tidy home on Vaughn Street, Angie and Marcus provide a learning gateway for people who, like my daughter and me, want to attempt to learn to play an instrument. We learned in an atmosphere of warmth and friendship, fun and personal fulfillment. The learning pace was set as much by us as by Angie and her encouraging teaching methods. Just like the younger students who had finished their lessons ahead of us, we got clever little stickers on our music books as rewards for learning something new or finishing a song. I still value those little stickers.
Music lessons once taught indoors by Marcus Marianthi, front at right, are now conducted outside due to COVID-19. (Courtesy photo)
Angie and Marcus Marianthi own Boise Music Lessons. They continue to teach despite the pandemic and have done so through technology, masks, and so-called social distancing. The couple believes music is as relevant now as ever. (Courtesy photo) That was three years ago. Boise Music Lessons was in its infancy and Angie and Marcus were starting down the very uncertain pathway of owning and operating their own business. They gave up regular hours and regular paychecks to do what they always wanted to do: teach people to play an instrument like the violin, guitar, drums or the banjo. Over those years, their business model has grown with the success of their studio and the needs of their students, changing to reflect a broader scope for those seeking to learn to play an instrument. Within those changes is a change in the age of their students. Today, 60 percent of their students are adults and they have changed the minimum age of students to nine-years-old. Now, during this world-wide pandemic they are faced with teaching music that normally is a hands-on form of learning, in a time when health officials say to remain socially distant from one another. Like many small businesses during the COVID-19 health crisis, it has become necessary for Angie and Marcus to rethink the way they conduct business in a time of social distancing and face masks. With the days of playing in the Marianthi living room now impossible, teaching people to play requires some ingenuity. The switch means that lessons are given outside on a lawn or through a virtual get-together using the internet. Regardless of the medium, Angie and Marcus view music as an important way to help people weather this current storm. “I think right now people are identifying what is most important to them. We see our students using music to lift their spirits and connect with their families and friends, and we’re happy to be able to guide them through this process,” Angie said.
12 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 | Idaho Family Magazine
www.idahofamilymagazine.com
