Erin Bustin, who has been living and teaching music in Grinnell for 7 years, welcomed visitors into her new music school, Studio E, on Saturday November 6. The opening was a chance for people to drop in and check out the new studio. Friends and well-wishers celebrated the opening of the new business while students gave their first of hopefully many performances in the space. Beyond just offering music lessons, however, Bustin hopes Studio E will help fill a void that she believes exists in Grinnell’s music community.
“What I have seen over my years here is that a lot of families take their children, or adult students go, to Des Moines or Iowa City for lessons. At the same time, we have musicians who come to Grinnell multiple times a week, who are willing to teach, but don’t want to teach in home studios.” Bustin’s goal was to create a bridge between these groups of people so that music lessons-which are already a big financial and time commitment for many- become more accessible to members of Grinnell’s community.
The sad truth is that we are in a moment where music is something we consume, and not necessarily something most people actively participate in; there’s this move away from participatory music making. -Erin Bustin, owner of Studio E
Bustin, who has been actively involved in music since the age of six, previously lived in Toronto, Canada, where she sang professionally and worked in arts management. Since moving to Grinnell, she has worked in various music-related non-profits, and taught voice lessons at home. She currently teaches students between the ages of seven and 70. She conducts a group lesson at Studio E called Music Together, which is an international early childhood music and movement program for children from birth through age eight, so her youngest ‘student’ is a three-month old. One of Bustin’s key tenets in musical education is that music is important at all ages.
“Speaking from my own experience, I find teaching adult students incredibly rewarding,” said Bustin. “The sad truth is that we are in a moment where music is something we consume, and not necessarily something most people actively participate in; there’s this move away from participatory music making.” This means that when adults with no prior music experience seek out music lessons, Bustin actively helps them pursue this opportunity. “It really aligns with my own values and beliefs around music making,” she said. “Especially, as a singer, literally helping people find their voice is, I think, really amazing at all ages.”
Studio E currently offers private lessons in voice and various instruments, with students having both virtual and in-person options, as well as group lessons such as the Music Together class. “I hope that I can expand based on what the community wants,” said Bustin. If demand for lessons in a certain instrument is high enough, she hopes to be able to bring in regional music instructors to offer lessons at Studio E.
As to the future of Studio E, Bustin’s vision is for it to be a space that fosters musical community in Grinnell, especially after the isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I absolutely love the community-building that happens in musical communities,” said Bustin. “Post-pandemic, for music lovers, for those of who participate in music, giving up singing together and making music together has been horrible. And so as pandemic restrictions ease, people want to make music together.”
The sad truth is that we are in a moment where music is something we consume, and not necessarily something most people actively participate in; there’s this move away from participatory music making. -Erin Bustin, owner of Studio E
