Music Lessons Tulsa | Natural Light and Carpet in the Studio
This content was created for Curtis Music Academy
Welcome back to another episode of the Curtis Music Academy podcast. I hope you’re all well. Today I wanted to discuss the role natural lighting plays in the music lessons Tulsa studio and in music instruction. Due to recent events, we have of course been teaching a lot of online lessons here at Curtis Music Academy, and natural lighting has still continued to prove highly advantageous, despite the different lesson experience. One of the most basic advantages of natural light is that it reduces the need for artificial lighting and lighting fixtures. This helps reduce electric bill costs, which allows those funds to be reallocated elsewhere, such as in new musical equipment like books, new instruments, etc., or in organizing student concerts.
Natural lighting has also been shown to have positive health benefits. It increases exposure to Vitamin D, which is important for mind and bodily health. And some studies show natural light reducing mental disorders such as anxiety and depression with music lessons Tulsa, and even in those who don’t have a psychological disorder or disease, increasing natural light also increases overall mental health, happiness, and wellbeing. Natural lighting also creates a more inviting, enjoyable atmosphere in the studio spaces. This is good for first time new students for music lessons Tulsa, who are immediately put at ease and can get more enjoyment and learning out of their first lesson, and form a more thorough opinion of their thoughts on continuing lessons and what specific goals they have and how they would like to go about reaching them.
And for those students who are regular attendees at Curtis Music Academy, some warm, inviting natural light can help the studio feel more welcoming and homier to them (even when the student is only viewing the studio space through a computer or smartphone screen). We want our students to feel as comfortable as possible at Curtis Music Academy just as a personal goal and hope for the kind of relationships with our students we hope to foster. Our goal is to make our studio a place the students genuinely enjoy coming to and feel as relaxed and welcome as possible. This environment is also conducive to the most effective lessons and instruction. If students are relaxed and comfortable in our studio space, they are going to be able to better focus on the material and what their instructors are telling them about music lessons Tulsa.
Additionally, shy students need to feel more at home to feel comfortable enough to ask questions and clarify topics they are confused on, which is absolutely essential for the best possible musical advancement. Natural lighting can also help improve creativity in students. When students feel more creative, they are more willing and excited to learn their instrument and pursue that particular creative outlet, and of course it is always one of our foremost goals that our students want to be learning their instrument and are truly and genuinely enjoying their lessons. It is also advantageous for Curtis Music Academy to provide natural light to increase the happiness and creativity of our instructors for their music lessons Tulsa.
Just like with our students, we want our instructors to be completely comfortable and feel at home in the studio space, and natural light helps us do that. Just as natural light improves creativity in our students, it does the same for our instructors. And when instructors are in a better headspace, are being more creative, and are just generally more energized and excited about teaching their lessons, their instruction is going to be much improved, and they are going to be better able to convey the material to their pupils.
Another important aspect of physical studio space is the flooring. Most of the Curtis Music Academy music lessons Tulsa space is covered with either rugs or carpeting, except for a few areas like the kitchen and the bathroom that are tile out of necessity. This is also important for creating that warm, home-like environment I mentioned earlier. There are also sound quality and containment aspects to using carpet, rather than hardwood, especially while on the upper floor. You want to mitigate the possibility of the sounds from one lesson overflowing into another studio space and interrupting someone else’s learning experience. That is an issue that we absolutely had to prevent, as we have enough students that at peak lesson hours, generally late afternoon to early evening, there are often two or more lessons occurring simultaneously. There is also less of a fear of issues with damages with softer, carpeted flooring, as well. Unlike with hardwood or older tile floors, there doesn’t need to be concerned if a younger, or even an older student accidentally scrapes an instrument or other piece of equipment across the floor. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there is also a reduced chance of damage to instruments or equipment if they are dropped on carpet or rugs rather than a harder surface.
On the other hand, one downside to mostly carpeted or rug-covered flooring means cleaning becomes more time- and effort-intensive. Spills and stains especially are problematic, especially because it is our practice to offer all students, friends, family, whoever comes through our front door coffee or tea of their choice before their music lessons Tulsa. Another motivator in including all of the carpeted flooring was to create a more pleasing visual palette. Most of the walls in Curtis Music Academy are painted calming colors such as blue-greens and tans, and the carpets are often similar or coordinating colors. This helps increase the visual appeal of the studio which has many similar benefits to the atmosphere the studio has and the effects it has on the performance and emotions of both clients and instructors.
To complete this calming, inviting, and generally creativity-encouraging atmosphere, there are several collections of healthy, thriving plants around our studio. We are lucky enough to be housed in an old historic home, so there is a large fireplace and mantle in the lobby when students first walk in. This, as well as many ledges and tables around the studio, are home to either succulents, potted leafy green plants, or a combination thereof. This also helps improve the air quality in the studio, so once again we are not only improving the mental and psychological well-being, we are ensuring the all-around wellness of our music lessons Tulsa students is taken care of.