It's amazing what the littlest idea spark can grow in to. Music Performance Alumni, Hayley Brace, used a little name idea from her assignment which has now grown into her youth-focused music school, Lucid Music.

Tell us a little bit about Lucid Music?

Lucid Music was established in its current form in 2015, however, the little seed of the idea all started at JMC funnily enough! It was a name I had rolling around in my head and actually used it as part of some joint assessments with a friend. Little did we know at the time it would end up becoming my actual business name!

Lucid Music specialises in private tuition however we offer group lessons as well. We do have in-studio lessons, however, our primary focus is 'drive-to-you' music lessons in the comfort of your own home. We have a big emphasis on making sure our lessons are fun and educational; teaching students the skills they need with songs and music they actually want to learn.

What made you want to start up a school like Lucid?

I felt that with the fast-paced world we live in today and everyone being time-poor that there was a bit of an untapped area I could focus on. I figured 'why come to the music lesson when the music lesson can come to you?' The feedback from parents has been really positive with this movement, not only do they not have to leave the house for yet another activity, but they can also listen to the awesome music and progress their child is making each week. I also really wanted to put the emphasis on the lesson being engaging and something that inspired the student.

What were some of the other things you got up to in between graduation and starting Lucid?

Fresh out of JMC I worked for FairlightAU (the company that basically pioneered the synth in the ’70s). They now focus on audio post-production and make some pretty awesome software and hardware that I got to play around with! I also spent a few years honing my teaching skills with an independent company that teaches within the primary school sector.

How did your time at JMC help you with building and establishing Lucid?

It gave me a good foundation and understanding of the building blocks I was going to take to get here. My time at JMC basically planted the seed of Lucid Music for me and I have nurtured it into what it is today.

Did you always know you wanted to start a music school?

To be completely honest when I was a kid this is the last thing I saw myself doing. It wasn’t until I was at JMC that I had some exposure to teaching and learning more about it through the course subjects (particularly the pedagogy unit) that I realised it was a really rewarding job. To be able to impart musical knowledge and inspire kids (big kids too!) to want to play is something that’s indescribable. When you’re teaching a lesson and you can see a student’s face light up and see they are completely in the moment learning their instrument and loving it, it’s an amazing thing. To literally be able to witness a moment of inspiration in someone else is not only 100% job satisfaction but something really cool as well. I don’t even refer to what I do as work!

What has been the highlight of working at Lucid so far?

Other than doing something I don’t even feel like is work each day, we recently ran a songwriting competition for our students. The enthusiasm, creativity and overwhelmingly positive feedback we received was amazing. The students get so into writing their own songs and it was incredible to hear the compositions they came up with, there are some seriously good young musicians on the rise out there! To be inspired by these young musicians was a pretty big highlight.

What were your favourite things about JMC?

I met so many different people and got to learn about something I love every day. I made some lifelong friends along the way as well which is priceless. 

What advice would you have for anyone that is currently studying music?

It sounds so cliché but be true to yourself and what you’re doing; work out what it is you want and what makes you feel centred and do that. Listen to advice, not criticism. Celebrate the wins and learn from the falls because nothing is ever a failure, just a learning experience. Involve yourself with as many like-minded people as you can and be open to a range of ideas as this is where some of the best discoveries are made. Last but not least – be humble.