Meet Zaden Lawson | Music Teacher and Performer

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

Hi Zaden, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I grew up in a musical family a with my mom being a singer and my dad a pianist so music has been a massive part of my life since I was young.

When I was 15 years old I started helping a friend learn guitar and I really loved working with her. It opened my mind to idea of starting a business through music so I could do what I loved. Right after I turned 16 years old I got my first real student and I haven’t stopped teaching since.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am the owner and lead instructor of DFW Music Academy. We teach students the fundamentals of music and how to play multiple instruments including guitar, drums, piano, vocal, etc.

One thing that I believe sets us apart is the way that we teach our students. Every single student is different from the last and not a single one of the them learns the same way as another. Since we know this we do not like to teach out of a book but instead we work to find what motivates the students and follow that passion to help develop that into a love for their craft in music.

One other thing that we do that sets us apart is that we offer IN-HOME lessons so that parents don’t have to worry about hauling their kids to music lessons. We do have a studio in Keller, Tx as well that students do lessons at but the majority of our lessons are at our students houses.

One of my most proud moments has been seeing my students incorporate music into their personal lives and find joy in and express themselves through something I have taught them.

I am very excited for the future of DFWMA and would love to see the students performing on stages and doing events at some point in the future.

I have gotten where I am today by being consistent and working to create personal relationships with my students and their families which led to a lot of growth in the business by word of mouth.

Like every business there are challenges and setbacks but I have been fortunate enough to have people to help me through those rough patches and find was to bring in new students and make up for the losses along the way.

Something I have learned is the importance of being personable with the clients and having a hands on roll in the business. I have learned to push through hard times and be positive when things are bad because it can always turn around.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I had a friend coming to town that has never been to Dallas there are a few places that I would have to take them.

Starting each morning with some good coffee from my favorite coffee shop called 151 Coffee which is only in Texas.

Each day we could go to another major attraction starting with the museums like the Sixth Floor Museum in Dealey Plaza and the Perot Museum of Nature and Science.

I would also love to take them to the Dallas Arts District or go to Deep Ellum in Dallas to see all of the beautiful murals and art work as well as catch some live music while we are there because they always have a ton of musicians there.

I would also love to take them to the Dallas Zoo which is one of the zoos that I grew up going to.

We could go tour the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens.

Another important landmark would be the Stockyards in Fort Worth. After we finish at the Stockyards we could go to my favorite Taco spot “Velvet Taco” for their incredible tacos.

We would sprinkle in a few more great restaurants and destinations but that is what I would if I had a friend coming in town!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have definitely had a lot of help and encouragement along the way!

There are three people that come to mind…

The first of course being my Mom. Ever since I was young she has been pushing herself to grow her businesses as well as herself as a person and mother to her 9 children. She has always inspired me with how strong minded she is and her ability to push through our struggles to reach her goals. She was the first person that showed me that I can make a life for myself by working for myself.

The second person would be Dana Bailey who is the Owner of Dana’s Studio of Dance as well as the owner and Artistic Director of DFW Performing Arts Conservatory which is the high school that I attended. She has been one of the most influential people in my life especially when it comes to owning a business. She taught me and continues to teach me how a business should be run inside and out and has been a massive part in the growth of DFW Music Academy.

Finally I would like to mention my girlfriend of almost 4 years, Payton Bailey, (yes, Dana Bailey’s daughter). She has been a rock in my life and has always been there to support me and keep my head on straight even when things were tough to make sure I am always heading in the right direction!

Website: dfwmusicacademy.com

Instagram: Instagram.com/dfwmusic.academy

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dfwmusic.academy?mibextid=LQQJ4d