Vintage Sunburst

Writing & Publications

This page gathers selected essays, frameworks, and published work exploring arts education, creative leadership, and community‑centered practice. These pieces reflect the ideas and values that shape Vintage Sunburst’s work across performing arts, education, live experiences, and creative consulting.

Featured Essays

A Call for a Renewal of Faith in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

By Jonathan Shue
January 28, 2025

Now more than ever, our nation’s social, political, and economic unrest necessitates a renewal of faith in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Cutting DEI off at the federal level has not only halted policies and practices that have helped level the playing field for historically marginalized citizens, but it also goes against our nation’s foundational ideals. DEI is not a recent phenomenon. It’s in our DNA. In fact, it has been a core American value all along. Whether conservative or progressive, continuing to develop our understanding of and values for diversity, equity, and inclusion is imperative for our growth and prosperity.

The concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion, taken in part or whole, are not new. In fact, they are the basis for our nation’s Constitution and Declaration of Independence. As a people, we denounced monarchy to “establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.” We have accomplished this through persistence and resilience and, yes, massacre and ethnic cleansing—conversations even progressives work hard to avoid. But how can America as we know it be possible without drawing on the strengths of all Americans—women, people of color, immigrants, First Nations, LGBTQ+ citizens, the differently abled, the young, and the elderly all included? To do so does not inherently exclude white males like me, who may feel increasingly sidelined. Instead, it is a call to action to keep working on our causes. Although historical practices and abstract theories may hinder it, to cease developing equity, diversity, and inclusion is to tragically give up on our nation’s unprecedented ideals.

Progress and growth do not come without challenge, and DEI coming under threat is inevitable. Conservatives and progressives alike must be willing to look in the mirror. However challenging it may be, we must confront uncomfortable truths about ourselves. What are today’s real struggles? What sides of democracy have we not yet examined? How will we live through a dictatorship when we have little to no experience with it? The economic elite may have the baton, but the intellectual elite is far from perfect. Middle- and working-class Americans, who contribute the most to our economy and global superpower status, are routinely overlooked by progressives and spoken for by conservatives. Yet that is where the most diversity exists. People become angry and bitter when they no longer feel included, susceptible to visions of disruption and chaos, or worse, surrender to apathy. If equity exists, it’s in our disapproval of one another. Efforts to malign and dismiss DEI from our federal government on down are like self-sabotage. For our nation’s ideals to survive, we need to keep cultivating them more than ever.

How can we restore our faith in DEI to help us persist and be resilient again? The survival of the fittest mentality is no longer relevant. It should be the survival of the friendliest. That’s something everyone knows how to do. Being friendly means listening, reflecting, and being willing to try something different. Sharing resources is not new; it’s equally part of human nature. We know we are stronger and more capable when we’ve gotten to know each other. We know we’re safer and have more abundance. We know we need diversity, equity, and inclusion and that we can’t give up on it.

Published Articles

Taking Care of Your Physical and Mental Health in the Age of Online Teaching

By Jonathan Shue
National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Idea Center Blog
April 2020

In the new age of online teaching, and in particular online music lessons, taking care of our physical and mental health is vital. As music educators, it’s easy to give too much of ourselves to students, especially now that we’re simultaneously learning and teaching innovative technology. Physical and emotional tolls add up fast, especially when coupled with the emotional support we often end up providing to students. To sustain our practice, we need to be aware of the cost that online teaching can take on our health and be proactive about our own self-care. Here are tips that have worked for me, along with ideas suggested by teachers in our music school.

  • Schedule extra time for yourself between lessons. Teaching online can be as demanding as teaching in person, if not more so. Grant yourself time to take a walk between lessons or at the very least take a tea break, especially if you teach back-to-back lessons. Schedule fewer students per day than you would when teaching in person, so the lessons get spread throughout the week.
  • Open your computer’s settings to adjust the brightness. Add a tint to your screen, or invert the colors. Reduced brightness, a yellow or amber tint to your screen, and white or green text on a black background can help with eye strain and general fatigue. Computer programs and web browsers usually have the ability to invert colors and magnify text, as well.
  • If you use a laptop, consider hooking it up to a larger monitor or flatscreen TV. You’ll need either a VGA or HDMI cable for this, both of which can be inexpensive and easily found online. A bigger, wider screen can improve your posture and let you play your instrument with more freedom and ease throughout each lesson.
  • Teach tech to students. In the recent NAMM Foundation webinar, Bridging the Gap: Teaching and Learning Music Online, educators spoke of the value of devoting lesson time to teaching webcams, screen sharing and other features of such online software as Zoom. Students of all ages can benefit from and appreciate taking the time to do this. Doing so can ease the experience for both of you, help develop rapport and offer wonderful teaching moments.
  • Remember that it’s a marathon, not a sprint. It’s easy to feel constantly behind in the ever-expanding world of online music education. We can’t do our best as teachers if we’re constantly frayed from too much sitting and screen time—and too much searching for that new, perfect gadget.

Online music education is here to stay, and there will be plenty of time to grow, promote, learn and fine-tune your online studio or lesson program. In the meantime, let’s set a good example for our students by recognizing the value of good physical and mental health for musicians.

The Key to a Successful Lesson Program: Great Teachers

By Jonathan Shue
National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Idea Center Blog
September 3, 2019

We’ve all heard that people are your greatest resource, and when it comes to building a successful lesson program, that goes double. The teachers you hire greatly affect sales and your business’ reputation. So, what makes a great music teacher? What should you look for when hiring or recruiting new teachers? Where and how do you find them?

First and foremost, great teachers are enthusiastic about what they do. They live for “light bulb moments” that occur when a student, young or old, masters a concept or piece of music. The teachers you hire must have considerable experience, whether it’s from teaching in public schools or years of private lessons. A great teacher listens and guides students toward their goals, catering content to the individual. They’re skilled at making the experience fun yet able to challenge and push students to succeed.

Great teachers are also enthusiastic about your business and products. They’re collaborators who can offer ideas and suggestions, coordinate events (e.g., student showcases) and perform community outreach. They’re versatile and often teach more than one instrument. They might also teach singing and harmony, songwriting or performance skills. As a result, students will feel confident that your business is their resource for all things music, from instrument rentals and sales to accessories, books, lessons and community.

If your city or town has music festivals, you can likely meet top-notch musicians and artists who teach. Many touring musicians look to fill up their tour schedules with workshops and one-time classes in local music stores. If you’re approached by prospective teachers, have them give you a lesson. Does this person have a clear teaching philosophy? Are they adaptable to different learning styles? Great teachers are professional, prompt and project the appropriate image. They want to be sure that you’re a good fit for them, too. What else can you offer them besides a space to teach? If you treat them well, they’ll deliver for you.

Above all, the best thing you can do is to get to know your teachers and treat them as collaborators. You might be surprised to find out how much a teacher is willing to do to promote and add value to your business. Not only will they attract more students but they’ll recommend colleagues to teach in your program, as well. If you want to have a successful and sustainable lesson program in your store, recruiting great teachers is the key.

How to Get More Adult Students for Music Lessons

By Jonathan Shue
National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Idea Center Blog
December 18, 2018

Every day, you see young students arrive enthusiastically for private lessons in your music school. During recitals and showcases, they perform with confidence and poise. Adult students, on the other hand, approach you with caution, if not trepidation, inquiring “for a friend” about music lessons. Why is this, and what can be done to help?

One common reason adults fear learning a musical instrument is because of a long-ago negative experience. An adult student of mine recounted that in fourth grade, in front of everyone, her choir teacher told her she was tone-deaf. She was not only embarrassed and discouraged but for the next 40 years also believed she couldn’t sing!

Perhaps your student never got the chance to play saxophone because he or she was outshined by an older sibling, or fear of failure prevented that person from even touching an instrument. Maybe music was so underappreciated at home that it wasn’t a choice at all.

A fearful adult music student needs to feel invited, supported and encouraged. Once adult students have had a positive experience, they’ll feel the emotional and psychological benefit of learning and playing music, and their fears will quickly fade.

Your teachers and retail staff can create a positive experience the following ways:

  • Ask prospective adult students, “What’s your musical story?” Have them share their experiences with music, whether positive or negative, and get them to recall the details of those events. Show that you’re listening, and let them talk without interrupting them.
  • Get an instrument in their hands. Rather than talk about lessons at the outset, hand them a ukulele or invite them to pick up a guitar. This helps bypass their initial fears that instruments hold some sort of mystical power and lets them feel that it’s not as intimidating as they think.
  • Be matter of fact. When I told my voice student that tone-deafness was a clinical condition requiring a diagnosis, she was immediately relieved and able to sing a simple tune in key. Speaking factually earns their trust, gives them a chance to be open so you can pair them with the right teacher, and can be the beginning of a long and fruitful customer relationship.
  • Make ’em laugh! If you can get your potential adult music students to laugh while teaching them a chord or two on the salesfloor, they’ll know they’ve made a valuable connection in your store and school.

As we grow older, so does our aversion to risk. No matter how accomplished we may be at one thing, each of us secretly has something we’d love to be able to do, but fear of failure stands in our way. Remember the adult who was inquiring about lessons “for a friend”? Creating a positive interaction with music in your store will get them to sign up for lessons, too!

Talks & Conference Notes

How to Hire Rock Star Teachers for Your Lesson Program

National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Idea Center Talk
January 16, 2020

What makes great music teachers, and how do you find them for your lesson business? In this session, Jonathan Shue, education director for Dusty Strings Music Store & School, will share his best practices, insights and advice to help you build a top-notch teaching team. He’ll show you how to identify the qualities of successful teachers, where to recruit them and how to keep them invested for the long haul. Shue will also look at onboarding guidelines to position them—and your business—for success. A must-see presentation for anyone starting a lesson program or looking to reinvigorate an existing lesson business.

Group Classes Done Right

National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Idea Center Talk
January 2018

At The 2018 NAMM Show, Jonathan Shue, education director for Dusty Strings Music Store & School, revealed how offering private lessons and group classes can become a key revenue generator for a business. He also shared his expertise on how to do them right. Here are highlights from the NAMM U session. (And watch the video to see the full presentation.)

According to Shue, there are several reasons to offer group classes. They generate more private lessons, which can create more long-term students. These students become long-term customers, who promote your store and lessons studio. Also, events connected with the classes, such as concerts, student recitals and special weekends, help foster community.

Shue then shared three elements that can help you grow group classes and private lessons. He labeled these: people, purpose and place.

People

  • Students. Get to know who they are. What’s their background? Also, remember that anyone who inquires about group lessons is ready. Don’t let them equivocate. Sign them up.
  • Teachers. According to Shue, his company’s teachers are all professional working musicians. Shue recommended that you ask potential teachers why they want to teach. If they don’t have a passion for sharing their knowledge and the skills to do so, they won’t work out at his lesson operation. Teachers are the people who will connect students with your store. Talk with your teachers regularly, and involve them as much as possible in the store experience. Teachers also provide local access to the music scene to help students reach their goals.
  • Staff. Shue was adamant that retail staff know everything about the lesson program. According to Shue, his team knows all 40 teachers personally, to the point that staff can pair up students with the right teachers. He mentioned that he treats group classes as products, and staff need the “product knowledge” to direct new students to the right classes. Given that, staff should know about and understand the classes, be knowledgeable about each teacher’s approach and use classes to upsell customers. He added that staff should be able to recognize students when they walk in and also recognize teachers when they arrive.

Purpose

Don’t make it difficult for students to decide what classes to take. Have a clear mission about group classes and private lessons. (Shue shared the vision at Dusty Strings: to bring music into people’s lives. The company’s tagline is “Come play music!”)

  • Programming. Shue recommended these guidelines for programs:
    • Classes for popular instruments sold in the store
    • Simple, consistent titles and descriptions (active voice, avoid jargon)
    • Same cost, duration, and start and end times
    • Although classes are different, have all group classes teach similar skills
    • Teachers share ideas and resources
    • Sequential, scaffolded learning
  • Scheduling. Start planning months ahead of time, so you have a rough sketch of what you’re going to offer and when. Stagger your classes, so you always have something for everyone to ensure healthy enrollment. Scheduling is critical. Shue recommended planning at least six months in advance. Meet with groups of teachers to do a rough plan for the year. Use quarterly and academic calendars and observe holidays. Offer group classes in a variety of instruments, including voice, and host lots of classes during the back-to-school season and around the new year.
  • Promotion. You want people to identify your store through your group classes. Branding is important for getting people to think of your business as the place for education. Shue recommended to start promoting at least three months in advance. Have a list of upcoming classes at checkout, and mention upcoming classes in e-newsletters. Use free listings in publications and on websites and social media. Always talk about upcoming classes, teachers and guest teachers.
  • The Feedback Loop. Get regular feedback from teachers. What’s working? What’s not? Have each student fill out an evaluation form at the end of the class. Review and discuss these evaluations with teachers, then follow up with students. Ask customers what kind of classes they would like to take.

Place

Your school and store environment have a lot to do with the customer and student experience. You want them to feel relaxed and enjoy being there. Shue shared that his company recently remodeled and put in a lobby and waiting area to create a mood. Here are a few more tips:

  • Environment. Make sure it’s warm, welcoming and non-judgmental, and people can easily find out about upcoming classes and events. Books and magazines related to music are a nice touch. Post photos of teachers and students. When you invest, customers invest.
  • Classrooms. Uncluttered and spacious classrooms go a long way to creating the right experience. Make sure teachers and students are visible for the student’s safety and to advertise your school as you give tours to customers.
  • Atmosphere. Keep it community-minded and supportive. And always remember that everyone can play music and sing. It’s innate to us as humans.