Meet Deanna Lariz

We had the good fortune of connecting with Deanna Lariz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Deanna, what do you attribute your success to?
The most important factor in my success is my Faith and Resilience. I’ve overcome poverty, domestic abuse, numerous sexual assaults’ and health scares. In 2015 my 18-year marriage ended. The marriage had become toxic and abusive because my spouse struggled with mental illness. I felt discarded and abandoned with 2 children. I now had to support and feed them. I had no income and hadn’t had any substantial work history. But I knew music. I’d played piano since I was 4 years old and started singing at age 13. I was given the opportunity to teach group piano at the Salvation Army Homeschool Fine Arts Academy. It was a huge success. It quickly grew to me teaching over 60 students. During those years I grew professionally and established a program that would ensure student success. Upon leaving emerged my now Studio, NotJustPiano Music Studio in Midlothian Tx. The business studio has run out of my home and grew at times to up to 100 students! I was beginning to put the pieces of my life back together. Going through divorce and being a single mom played a great tole on my physical, mental and emotional health. I needed to get my health in order. I realized I couldn’t be who I needed to be to my children and clients at my best capacity if I was not balanced in every part of my life. I realized in order to offer the best to my family and clients I needed to be healthy. I changed my lifestyle and did what I needed to do to become fit and healthy. This only propelled my business forward, until I hit another major obstacle in 2022 when I almost died. I was born with a rare defect. In fact, it was so rare it was reported as 1 in a million cases. I was born with a kidney defect which caused me to suffer from repeated UTI bladder infections. I would have an infection every 3 months. I would take enough antibiotics to recover just to end up with another one. The doctors could not figure out what was going on. The infections were growing in severity. One infection was so severe it turned septic. That is when infection moves into your bloodstream. I was hospitalized for a week and a half. During this time of continued illness and hospital stays I adjusted my business to accommodate me still being able to stay open. I have such amazing understanding clients; they were willing to adapt to the schedule and teacher changes until I recovered. I never had to close my business. The doctors discovered that I needed to have surgery to try to investigate what was causing the repeated infections. October 2023, I had an 8-hour surgery. I woke up and could not walk because of surgical nerve damage. I had to learn to walk again. I invited my clients into my journey by going live on Facebook and playing the piano from whichever hospital I was attending. Unfortunately, the surgery was not a full success, the infections continued every 3 months and now I endured abdominal pain from the botched surgery. Throughout the next year I continued to teach. At times I would need to do virtual lessons but my business structure was so organized my business did not really suffer. I just kept going. I rested when I needed to rest and worked when I had the strength. I continued to have so many infections I was now resistant to almost all antibiotics. Which meant with the next infection there would be no antibiotics that could heal me. Every infection was increasing in severity. Thank God the urology team at UT Southwestern did further tests, scans and investigating to possibly pinpoint the problem. They found that because of the kidney defect it had caused the top portion of my left kidney to see to function and no longer drain. Because the kidney was not draining properly it kept starting infections. In March of 2024, I had my last surgery where they removed part of my left kidney. During my recovery my daughter and another teacher taught all my students and classes. To my surprise every student still moved forward, progressed in their skills and excelled. I am happy to say that the surgery was a success and I have not had any infections! I have been able to rebuild my strength. Every day I get more strength and stamina. I never stopped or closed my business. I found a way to restructure my business around all my health hurdles. My faith in Jesus Christ kept me mentally and emotionally strong; and able to keep moving forward. Faith and Resilience are the key factors to my success. In the midst of all that I went through there was still a lot of great things that came out of it. My business continued to grow and thrive, I was named the most influential 40 under 40 individuals in Ellis county; and I fell in love and married the love of my life, John.

What should our readers know about your business?
NotJustPiano Music Studio is a training program that develops individuals ages 5 and up in the area of voice and piano. NotJustPiano aspires to Train, Equip and Develop musicians for the call; and purpose that has been placed on their lives . NotJustPiano name is derived from the premise that music is not only taught through learning great technique and music theory; but music is meant to connect us to our emotions and God. I teach the individual how to connect to their faith and emotions through the process of learning piano or voice.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The perfect day visit to Downtown Dallas would first start at Bonton Farms. Bonton is a farm to table restaurant with a walk-through garden. Bonton Farms offers a delightful breakfast and coffee menu. Dallas has one of the largest farmers markets in the state. The food finds there are enough for a picnic at the downtown Dallas Riverfront. If you want to see a stunning view of the Dallas Skyline, take a trip up Reunion Tower. End the night on the lawn at the AT&T Arts District to enjoy a concert under the stars.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My father, who passed away in 2023. He always believed and knew that I would be a success at teaching music. He taught me strength, resilience and a stubbornness to never give up that made me the woman I that I am. My husband John, who was there when I almost died and never left my side. From the moment I met him, he has fought for me and been a pillar in my life. He showed me a love, tenderness, care, and servanthood that I have never experienced from another man. And my daughter Gabriella. She loved me, cared for me and kept NotJustPiano afloat while I was ill. She is one of the reasons I couldn’t give up. I knew she needed me and I needed to leave her a legacy of faith; and a story of victory.

Website: www.notjustpiano.com

Instagram: notjustpiano

Linkedin: Deanna Lariz

Soundcloud: Deanna Lariz

Facebook: notjustpiano

Youtube: notjustpianostudio

Image Credits
Andrea Henderson with Khapturephotography