What We’re All About
AWSOM was founded in 2014 by Andrew White (and that’s where we get our name - Andrew White School of Music or A.W.S.O.M.). When Andrew’s waiting list grew too long, he invited piano teacher John Hart to take some students on. From there, AWSOM continued gaining students and needed more teachers. Nathan Straub joined AWSOM as a teacher in 2016 and was then added to the staff as the Assistant Director. He was promoted to Managing Director in 2018. Nathan and his wife, Hanae, were inspired by the mission of teaching music to as many people as possible, and they acquired AWSOM from Andrew in 2018.
Their goal to spread music throughout as many homes as possible continues to fuel AWSOM today. We strive to make music lessons as accessible as possible by providing teachers that come to you - whether in your home or online. With the many educational and extracurricular opportunities kids are given, music lessons shouldn’t be an added stress. We work with your schedule and your needs, and you can take your pick of qualified teachers. The free trial process allows you to find the perfect fit!
Our Team
Nathan Straub - Owner
Nathan met Hanae at Lake Washington High School, and they both graduated from Washington State University with Bachelor and Masters degrees in Voice Performance and Music Education, respectively. They have two daughters, Isla, and Piper, and a cat, Missy.
Learning music had a profound impact on Nathan and Hanae’s lives, and they aim to make sure AWSOM teachers can have that same impact in the lives of each and every AWSOM student.
Emma Jackson - Managing Director
Emma joined AWSOM as an online teacher in the summer of 2020, and she became Managing Director in October of the same year. Emma lives in Salt Lake City, UT with her husband, Nick (another musician and teacher).
Emma graduated from BYU with a degree in Media Composition, and she enjoys spreading the love of composition to her students. When she isn’t teaching or composing, Emma enjoys exploring the local food scene.
Justin Hansen - Payment Manager
Justin began teaching piano and composition with AWSOM in the spring of 2017. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Piano Performance from Utah Tech University, and during his time at UTU he had the honor of touring internationally as a guest soloist in Japan, England, and Norway performing works such as Tchaikovsky’s 1st Piano Concerto and Rachmaninoff’s 2nd.
Justin was later accepted into the Master’s program at Seattle Film Institute and earned his degree in Composition for Film, TV, and Video Games under the direction of Emmy Award-winning composer, Hummie Mann.