Lawrenceville-Suwanee School of Music Directors, Valencia and Ozzie Giles are shining a bright light on the Gwinnett arts community. They are the winners of the 2020-2021 National Music School of the Year Award presented by the trade association: Music Academy Success®!
The Giles were nominated to compete for the award through a competitive pool of three hundred schools from the US, Canada, and Europe. At the annual National Music Academy Success (MASS) conference, Lawrenceville-Suwanee School of Music competed against seven other music schools to win their award. They were voted on by an audience of their peers. The Giles have demonstrated amazing results by growing their two schools to almost 1,000 students. They deliver high level music education and cutting edge teaching techniques to their students.
To celebrate this success, the awards ceremony will be on August 14, 2021 at 1 pm at the Suwanee location: 345 Peachtree Industrial Blvd. Suite 1101 (the Lawrenceville- Suwanee School of Music). Among our guests will be Dr. Dubose, Director of Fine Arts – Gwinnett County Public Schools; a special guest from the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, Beth Bacall from 104.7 the Fish, and Marty Fort, CEO and president of MASS. Marty Fort is traveling to Georgia to host the event and present the award. A reception will follow and the public is welcome to attend.
This is a high honor with previous winners hailing from Los Angeles, New York, and Houston, with many receiving citations and awards from local government officials. Lawrenceville-Suwanee School of Music (also known as LSSM) continues to bring music and joy to the community, serving over 850 students weekly from ages 4 to adults. All music experience levels are welcome. The school offers private lessons, in-person lessons, online lessons, recitals, incentive programs, and once-in-a-lifetime performance opportunities! With over 12 years of experience, LSSM is dedicated to providing quality music instruction from a model of love!
LSSM teaches life lessons to their students! LSSM shows kindness to the community by serving orphans overseas, donating to the Lawrenceville-Co-Op, providing scholarships to families, and more!
LSSM owner Mrs. Valencia Giles says, “Love is our model, and great musicianship is our goal. We want to inspire, motivate, and cultivate confidence within each student so that they can perform at their highest level.”
When asking Mrs. Giles, “what do you want your students to know most about themselves?”
She replied, “I want them to know they are truly special before they ever do anything. When students understand this, they can cease from trying to find significance through what they do. Instead, they can embrace the fact that they are enough. You are enough! Because of this truth, my students can focus on expressing music or talent as a way to give to others, instead of trying to obtain acceptance from others. I value my team for understanding how to encourage each student in this way and I appreciate our star instructors for modeling love (excellent musicianship)! The impact of a great teacher can be life changing. I am proud of each student that receives music scholarships and eventually majors in music. I am also proud of students who use music for many other purposes, because we all know that students who play instruments excel in math, science, and so much more! The school is looking forward to a great year. Students are encouraged to take music lessons with us.”