Resident Spotlight: Miss Emily
This piano teacher, who is known for "stickerizing," remembers her Hermosa roots.
Originally posted on Hermosa Beach Patch by Colleen Viana , November 16, 2010
Sheets of music cover every corner of Hermosa resident and piano teacher Emily Baum's music studio on Aviation Boulevard in Redondo Beach.
A toy lion lazily nestles in the "Musical Storytime" corner, and a wooden sign that reads "I ♥ Kids" sits warmly on a grand piano.
Known to many Hermosans as "Miss Emily," Baum moved her colorful studio from Hermosa to Redondo in April when the economic downturn hit, pushing Baum "out of a high rent district" in Pier Plaza, she said.
Having taught music on the plaza for nearly a decade, Baum told Patch that she misses her old location, but the forced move to Redondo turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
"In hindsight, it ends up that six months later, it is the best decision for my business," she said. "It was a big change, a fork in the road, and it changed the dynamic of my business."
The timing of the spring move allowed Baum to join other arts education centers on Aviation Boulevard. This cluster of businesses, bordering Hermosa, has since become known as the Redondo Performing Arts Campus."The new location synergistically makes sense, because it's an art campus," Baum said.
She also told Patch that her curriculum and teaching methods have not changed since her move—including her sticker brigade.
From colorful smiley faces to eye-catching cartoons, the collection is extensive and has lifted the mood of many locals (not just her students) whom she has "stickerized."
When Baum slaps a bright and shiny sticker on someone's hand or even forehead, that's "stickerizing." (Note: During Patch's interview with Emily Baum, this reporter was "stickerized" with a green smiley face.)
"If someone was having a hard day, I'd 'stickerize' them, and it was amazing how I saw a positive change in their attitude almost immediately," she said.
Baum and her stickers caught the attention of fellow Hermosan Remy Haynes, who decided to feature the piano teacher in "The Currency Project," a photo and video chronicle of Americans who transformed their lives during the 2009 economic recession.
As shown in Haynes' video, Baum used her stickers to uplift others hit hard by the economy, unaware that she would eventually fall victim herself and have to relocate her business on a whim.
She recalls how last year, "Little Brandon," a student she had in her third grade class 10 years ago, knocked on the door of her old Pier Avenue piano studio. He had stopped by to tell her that he was going to college and majoring in music, she said.
"I remember him dressing up as Beethoven and he played the violin when he was 8," Baum reminisced. "Now he's in college and he's a man…I've watched them all grow up and it makes me feel like what I do makes a difference."
Originally posted on Hermosa Beach Patch by Colleen Viana , November 16, 2010
Sheets of music cover every corner of Hermosa resident and piano teacher Emily Baum's music studio on Aviation Boulevard in Redondo Beach.
A toy lion lazily nestles in the "Musical Storytime" corner, and a wooden sign that reads "I ♥ Kids" sits warmly on a grand piano.
Known to many Hermosans as "Miss Emily," Baum moved her colorful studio from Hermosa to Redondo in April when the economic downturn hit, pushing Baum "out of a high rent district" in Pier Plaza, she said.
Having taught music on the plaza for nearly a decade, Baum told Patch that she misses her old location, but the forced move to Redondo turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
"In hindsight, it ends up that six months later, it is the best decision for my business," she said. "It was a big change, a fork in the road, and it changed the dynamic of my business."
The timing of the spring move allowed Baum to join other arts education centers on Aviation Boulevard. This cluster of businesses, bordering Hermosa, has since become known as the Redondo Performing Arts Campus."The new location synergistically makes sense, because it's an art campus," Baum said.
She also told Patch that her curriculum and teaching methods have not changed since her move—including her sticker brigade.
From colorful smiley faces to eye-catching cartoons, the collection is extensive and has lifted the mood of many locals (not just her students) whom she has "stickerized."
When Baum slaps a bright and shiny sticker on someone's hand or even forehead, that's "stickerizing." (Note: During Patch's interview with Emily Baum, this reporter was "stickerized" with a green smiley face.)
"If someone was having a hard day, I'd 'stickerize' them, and it was amazing how I saw a positive change in their attitude almost immediately," she said.
Baum and her stickers caught the attention of fellow Hermosan Remy Haynes, who decided to feature the piano teacher in "The Currency Project," a photo and video chronicle of Americans who transformed their lives during the 2009 economic recession.
As shown in Haynes' video, Baum used her stickers to uplift others hit hard by the economy, unaware that she would eventually fall victim herself and have to relocate her business on a whim.
She recalls how last year, "Little Brandon," a student she had in her third grade class 10 years ago, knocked on the door of her old Pier Avenue piano studio. He had stopped by to tell her that he was going to college and majoring in music, she said.
"I remember him dressing up as Beethoven and he played the violin when he was 8," Baum reminisced. "Now he's in college and he's a man…I've watched them all grow up and it makes me feel like what I do makes a difference."
