Past Graduates 2024

Student of Francis De la Rosa

I have taken lessons at Reed Music Studios for 4 years, studying viola with Francis. I have enjoyed taking lessons and have loved the solos, duets, and small and large group pieces I have learned, along with the challenges that come with them. Studying at Reed has connected me to other young musicians, many of which I will stay connected with for years to come. 

After high school, I plan to attend Luther College with a major in pre-ministry and a minor in music. I also plan to be a member of the Luther orchestra and diving team. Taking lessons at Reed has been a very important part of my life for the past 4 years and the experiences and people will be missed.

Student of Amy Baklund, piano, and Denise Rivera, voice

I have been taking lessons at Reed Studio since 2018. I would like to thank my instructors Amy Baklund (piano) and Denise Rivera (voice) for always providing me a great space to learn. Not only did I grow instrumentally, but my passion for music grew while working with them. 

Amy and Denise taught me how to communicate and transfer my learning into the leaderships roles in the school music department. Additionally, they helped prepare me for various auditions which resulted in scholarship offers for voice and piano. In the fall, I will attend Luther College to major in Music Education and Composition. Thank you Reed Studio, Amy, and Denise. I will miss you.

Student of Francis De la Rosa

I started violin in 3rd grade, transitioning to Reed Studios in middle school as a student of Marianne Buchanan. When she retired, I became a student under Francis De La Rosa.  The talents of my teachers and those around me pushed me to be a better musician. I thank them for their patience and motivation making me a more confident player. 

My favorite piece has been Canzonetta, encouraged by Francis. While I do not know what my future holds, I plan to continue on with my violin. I'm very happy to be a part of Reed Studios and hope to continue with Francis for a little longer.

Student of Linda Lebakken

Over my two years at Reed Music Studio, I had a great time learning violin. My teacher was fabulous, and I never had any trouble finding times to reschedule. I also enjoyed seeing some of my past middle school teachers there as well. The location made it easy for me to practice with my accompanist when I needed to. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Reed.

Piano student of David Reedy Violin student of Francis De la Rosa

At age 11, I began lessons at Reed Music Studios with David Reedy and Francis de la Rosa. Through the years, my piano teacher David and violin teacher Francis have shared valuable musical skills in addition to lifelong wisdom I will carry a lifetime. Both teachers created an environment for focused practice and passion which instilled in me a musical talent I can continue to share beyond my youth. 

Thanks to my years of lessons with Reed, I have the musical skills to play both piano and violin for a lifetime and to share my passion with my community for years to come. Thank you David and Francis for sharing your musical skill as you train young musicians like me to excel in music as well as life. I am so grateful to have been part of such a passionate studio as Reed.

Violin student of Francis De la Rosa

When I was 5 years old I began taking violin lessons with Francis after my parents signed me up. I have since played in SOTA1 Elementary School, Lincoln Middle School, and Central High School orchestras, all while continuing to take private lessons with Francis. I have really enjoyed my lessons with Francis from learning shifting, double stops, and other techniques. 

Francis has always encouraged me to keep pushing through the struggles with learning a new piece. With music I have also been a part of the La Crosse Youth Symphony Orchestra and Solo and Ensemble. I am grateful for Reed Music Studios giving me the opportunity to take violin lessons with Francis.

Voice student of Dean Witz

Kai's plans are to pursue a degree in Engineering. He has not yet chosen which field of engineering and he will be attending UW Platteville at Baraboo Sauk County for one year. 

After a year, Kai will then transfer to either UW Platteville or UW Madison to complete his degree. He intends to continue singing in the college choir and pursuing opportunities in musicals.

Piano student of Carol Lombard Voice student of Doreen Athnos

My name is Nora Erickson. I began taking voice and piano lessons at Reed Music studio in July of 2020 after buying myself a piano and teaching myself how to play during the Spring of 2020. I then began taking guitar lessons in December 2020. I practice diligently throughout the week and look forward to my weekly visits at Reed music studio. 

While in high school, I played flute in band, participated in robed choir and show choir. I enjoy all things musical!  I am graduating from Central High School in May and plan to attend the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in the fall to pursue a dual degree in Mathematics and Engineering with minors in Spanish and Music. I know I am going to miss my time at Reed Studio after graduation.

Student of Dr. Thomas Hunt

I started playing trumpet when I was 10 years old. In the past couple years I have been taking lessons from the amazing Dr. Hunt. He has helped me develop as a musician and I have noticed a drastic difference in my ability since I started lessons with him. 

He encouraged me to play at the Reed Music Studio recitals. The recitals have helped me grow in my musicianship, as I had to play with an accompanist and learn to perform for others. Next year I will be attending University of Mary in Bismarck, ND to study music.

Student of Lisa Freedlund

My name is Danica Silcox and I have been playing piano at Reed Music Studios since I was in first grade. My time at Reed has been amazing and there have been so many fun opportunities. I have played in many recitals and have learned a lot through piano. 

Lisa has been my piano teacher for the last twelve years and she has been so kind and has really made my love for music and piano grow a lot. I would not be as successful as I am now without Reed Music Studios. Next year I will be going to the University of Minnesota Duluth to further my education and will also be playing tennis for their women’s tennis team.

Student of Doreen Athnos

I originally found my passion for music when I joined show choir in my 8th grade year, this lead to me joining the high school show choir and proceeding to join all the musicals and plays that the high school would put on. I only would get chorus roles since I wasn’t confident in my voice. I talked to my parents and they enrolled me in vocal lessons at Reed Music Studios, and I found so much confidence in my voice. 

This lead to me receiving a lead role in the high schools summer musical this year. I would have never been able to find the courage to audition for that lead role without the help of my vocal coach, thank you to Doreen Athnos and Reed Studio.

Student of Amy Baklund

In the fall, Allie plans to attend UW-Madison, pursuing a major in Biology and minoring in Spanish. Fun fact: Allie was Amy Baklund's first student at Reed Music Studios in 2017!

Voice student of Doreen Athnos and piano student of David Reedy

Evan has been playing piano since age six, and is proud to say he has improved since then! He is majoring in Medical diagnostic sonography, with cardiovascular emphasis, he plans on attending UW-La Crosse, for two years before transferring to Mayo Clinic college of health and science. He hopes to enjoy playing piano for the rest of his life and spreading that joy to others.

Piano student of Rita Schuman

Hi! I’m Chiagoziem Nduka, and I have been a student at Reed Music Studios for 10 years. Being a piano student at Reeds has taught me discipline, perseverance, and time management. Every time I struggled to finish a piece, I found different ways to gain motivation. 

This transferred to my academics, making it much easier for me to get my work done and stay on top of my schedule. I plan to attend UCLA this fall and study Neuroscience on the Pre-med track. Hopefully, I can continue my piano career in various ways and use it as a way to connect with others in the future!

Student of Doreen Athnos

Isabella has had a passion for singing from a very young age and has been involved in show choir since the seventh grade. She took part in the WSMA State Honors Choir last year. 

Doreen Athnos has been a significant influence on Isabella, greatly assisting her in show choir and in her solo and ensemble performances over the past year. Isabella intends to pursue a degree in Education at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire this coming fall.

Student of Francis De la Rosa

 I began playing the violin at the age of 5, and I began taking lessons at Reed Music Studios with Francis beginning in the spring of 2020 when I first moved to Onalaska. Working with Francis at Reed Music Studios, I’ve been able to further develop my passion for music and the violin. 

Francis helped me prepare for State Honors Orchestra auditions, solo and ensemble performances, and performances for Reed’s Honors Recitals. He also encouraged my participation in both my high school orchestra and the La Crosse Youth Symphony Orchestra. My violin teacher in middle school stressed that her job was to teach me how to practice. Through my studies with Francis, as we tackled a diverse repertoire, he instilled with me advice and tips to incorporate in my daily practice. Over the past 4 years, I have spent countless hours practicing these skills in my home, albeit at the expense of my sisters’ sanity. I plan to continue playing the violin in the UW-Madison orchestra, where I will double major in Math and Cell & Molecular Biology.

Student of Kylie Krahn

Reed has been a great studio to learn at! I have not been there for a full year, yet I’ve learned so much. Piano has always been very important to me. Being at Reed has strengthened my passion for piano and music! Both Kylie Krahn and Karla Wakeen have shown me how to be a better piano player here at Reed. My post highschool plans are to enlist in the United States Airforce. - Clara Baudek

Student of Dean Witz

Isaac will be performing with kids from Wisconsin this summer. This fall, he is majoring in musical theater at Nebraska Wesleyan University.

Piano student of Rita Schuman

I’ve been taking lessons at Reed for 12 years now, and I’ve yet to regret a single minute of it. Performances always made me very nervous, but working with Rita made me a much more confident performer and prepared me to compete throughout my career. 

 am glad to have taken lessons at Reed and I have enjoyed staying with piano as I learned other instruments as well. It has been one of my favorite parts of high school, and I think it has made me a much more well-rounded student to be involved in music both in and out of school.

 I plan to study software engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and I hope to be able to continue playing music throughout college. Thank you so much to Reed Music studios for all they’ve done throughout my career.

Voice student of Dean Witz

I will be attending Viterbo University on a Full-Tuition Scholarship to become a High School English Teacher who teaches not only English but also Theatre Arts. I plan to major in English Education and minor in Theatre Arts.

Cello student of Randy Mastin

My name is Porter Culp and I started taking lessons at Reed when I was 6 years old. The best part about my time at Reed has been my teacher, Mr. Mastin. I really appreciate all the encouragement he has given me to explore different types of music and the confidence he has given me to perform at a variety of musical events. 

I’d also like to thank Francis and Rita for all their support throughout the years, everyone at Reed is truly incredible. Next year, I will attend Brown University and continue playing in their university orchestra.

Voice student of Dean Witz

Carly is attending Macalester College in St Paul in the fall as a DeWitt Wallace Scholar for academic and extra-curricular achievements.

Voice student of Doreen Athnos

Carter Mandel has been with Reed Music Studios for a relatively short time, beginning his voice lessons almost two years ago. Carter has been working hard to evolve his voice in and outside of the classroom. 

Looking forward, Carter will be using his voice at George Washington University studying Political Science and pursuing music in his free time. Carter is grateful for his experience at Reed Music Studios.

Voice student of Dean Witz

Angelina plans to attend the University of Minnesota.

Voice student of Denise Rivera

Kallie plans to attend the University of Wisconsin, Madison.