Students of the Month: December 2025 Edition
Two upbeat drummers are coming your way for December’s Students of the Month! See if you can keep up…
James Ledwith
“HAPPINESS!”
This is the answer James gives me when I ask what music means to him. The statement is enthusiastic, automatic, and his face lights up with the idea. James is here to learn and to experience music. James is a multi-instrumentalist, taking both guitar and drum lessons. He has played violin in the past and dreams about learning the sitar. When it comes down to it, James just enjoys music all around!
He enjoys both guitar and drums. He loves learning different rhythms on the drums, and his favorite part of the kit is the cymbals. His absolute favorite artist is Tom Petty. He is psyched to be learning Free Fallin’. Adam and Brandon both adore James as a student. Says Brandon: “My favorite part about James is his positive attitude and his taste in music. He loves everything from the Beatles to Metallica, and even Abba! He can listen to songs and play them by ear. All I have to do is add a little sprinkle on the spice!”
When James is not having musical adventures, you will find him being active in a variety of ways. He loves playing football and baseball with friends. He is also on a soccer team, and one of his favorite activities is bowling. He is a boy on the move, and we are here for it!
Nicthe Tapia
While fellow girls her age watched Trolls and were drawn to the cheery Poppy, Nicthe became obsessed with Queen Barb, the Princess of Rock. Therein lies Nicthe’s drumming origin story. Though she is a kind and compassionate individual, Nicthe is here to show the world what empowered females can accomplish. She is a 9-year-old in 6th grade who skipped a few grades. She loves math but also enjoys spending time with her friends. She has practiced jiu-jitsu for about three years, and her favorite pastimes are either drawing or throwing ninja stars in the backyard.
Nicthe has played the drums for about 8 months. She loves learning how to keep the rhythm in songs. She finds this role as a musician both nerve-wracking and empowering. Her favorite artist right now is Imagine Dragons, and she is excited to be working on the song “Believer.” Sharon is a big fan of Nicthe’s. Sharon says, “Nicthe is always prepared for her lesson. She takes all the information I give her and applies it to whatever material we are working on. She is very enthusiastic, which makes my job a breeze.”
Nicthe finds music to be so much FUN. It is an activity that you get to do, not something that you have to do. For her, this makes all the difference. We couldn’t agree more. Keep it up, Princess of Rock!
- Danielle Parker