Lacey McNamara: A Legendary Lyrical Lady
“Music is my passion because it just feels like a second language,” says Lacey McNamara, one of the co-owners of Lyrics and Melodies studio, a music school located in Los Osos, California. McNamara’s love for music is both inspiring and evident, and her expansive knowledge of the subject and her positive attitude make her a wonderful teacher. McNamara is a beacon of knowledge for her students. Her musical background is incredibly intriguing and a fundamental piece of her character. I’m truly honored to have had the opportunity to interview her.
McNamara’s passion for music is charming. This passion dates all the way back to her grandmother, as she explains in the following quote, “my dad, my grandmother, and my mom owned a music store where they sold instruments and music, and had studios like this for teachers to teach in, and so I grew up around that.” It’s no wonder music is so important to McNamara - it’s always been beside her. This vivid description of her family’s music store is incredibly similar to McNamara’s own career as a music teacher. When asked what drove her to be a music teacher, McNamara says, “I started taking piano lessons when I was four. I just kinda never stopped, and, when I was in high school, I needed some extra money, so I decided to teach my friends, and that’s how I kinda started teaching.” The relatability of McNamara’s story truly makes her an inspiring teacher, and while I may be biased as one of her students, I find the circumstances of her learning to teach uplifting. Many of McNamara’s students are young, just as she was when she began to find her passion. Seeing the success she has obtained is inspiring.
McNamara’s studio is a safe space for her students, where they can truly grow and prosper as musicians. The studio is very successful, and when asked about future goals for the studio, McNamara gave a heart-warming statement. “I hope that it becomes a place of safety and familiarity for members of the community. That it can be a place where anyone can come to express themselves, whether that be musically, artistically, whatever. We’re hoping to add more classes, not just music. So we’ll have some theater, dance, or, pilates, yoga, movement, things like that are not just music based. So I do hope that it becomes more of an artistic hub for the community.” Something McNamara may not realize is that many of these aspirations have already been fulfilled. Lyrics and Melodies Studio is a place where I, and undoubtedly many others, have discovered a burning desire to learn, a place that’s free of judgment, and filled with positivity and possibilities. Thanks to this studio and McNamara’s teachings, the community has been filled with harmonic bliss that will live on through generations to come.
