Abilene - A Love Letter

Dear Abilene,

Our decision to open a business in Abilene was not a difficult one. Michelle and I sat on our couch in our living room with a piece of paper. On that paper were three cities and a list of pros and cons for moving to each one and trying to start a business. It was a landslide (thanks, Stevie Nicks) that brought us down to Abilene. Abilene has always had a reputation for being a great place to raise a family, and we wanted to put it to the test. In 2013, I was 32 with a 29-year-old wife and two young kiddos. I had taught guitar lessons through college at Hardin-Simmons from 2001 - 2004, so I knew it could be done again. We wanted a waiting room, CCTV in each teaching room, and a good location. A friend of mine had some real estate available and we moved in. Abilene has always been a warm, welcoming place for the arts, and you embraced us! I went back to HSU and got my Masters in Music Theory and Composition so that I could invest more of my time back into the community, teaching adjunct at HSU and ACU.

The first month we were open, I had seven weekly students and I was the only teacher. Eleven years later, there are now five of us teaching guitar, piano, voice, fiddle, and ukulele. We are involved in the Live Music scene at many local businesses and venues. Most of us serve in some capacity on worship teams at our churches. Above our involvement is the desire to pass on our love for music to our town, one student at a time. I say this to the parents of my students often: thank you for allowing me to teach your kiddos. So, Abilene, I’d say the same thing to you: Thank you for entrusting your students to us at Mellis Music Studio. We don’t take it lightly and we are forever grateful that we get to do what we love in a place we love, passing on a love for music one student at a time.

Sincerely,

Matt & Michelle Ellis

Mellis Music Studio