FAQs
- How did you get started doing this type of work?
Hi, my name is Ana Leigh Jantz and I am the founder of Heart Academy of Music. I'd like to explain myself just a little bit. If you would have asked me 10 years ago what I was going to do with my life, I would have never said I wanted to open a music school/ministry. In fact, 10 years ago, I thought I was going to be leaving the country to go to school in South America. You see, I had felt a pulling on my heart to do missions and of course the first thought in my mind was to leave the country. I had been studying Spanish and I just knew that South America was the place for me. But God had other plans for me. Instead of leaving the country, I stayed right in my home town and went to Missouri State University to study Vocal Performance. As a singer, I had to do a lot of performing and even won some competitions. I slowly forgot my desire to learn Spanish and began to fall in love with performing. I wanted to be a big opera singer and perform in New York City at the Metropolitan Opera. But God had other plans for me. My last semester of my undergrad, I took a Vocal Pedagogy class and really enjoyed teaching. After completing my Senior recital, I was offered the position of Graduate Assistant for the Vocal Department at Missouri State University. Because I had enjoyed teaching so much, (and I was getting married) I thought moving forward and getting a Masters in Vocal Pedagogy was a good idea. As Graduate Assistant, I was given the opportunity to teach Private Voice to incoming college students. I couldn't help but love seeing my students grow and succeed. I started teaching outside the University at Hoover Music and working with students of a much younger age. I became very interested in the development of the voice and how it changes as we grow up. I wrote my thesis on this subject and learned so much. I decided that teaching was a bigger passion of mine than performing. God Agreed! That is when my first ideas for a music school started to blossom. I had a lot of ideas, but nothing concrete. Upon finishing my Master's degree, I met Heather Leverich at the Conservatory of the Ozarks. She was such an inspiration! She had started her business on her own without anyone's help and it had grown so quickly in a very little amount of time. I was so impressed with her dedication and a lot of her plans matched what I had been thinking of doing myself. I decided to leave Hoover Music and become a teacher at the Conservatory of the Ozarks. Quickly, my dreams of opening my own school disappeared as I immersed myself in the Conservatory. I directed ensembles, led private lessons, and worked behind the scenes. I loved my job! I loved the people I worked with! But God had other plans for me. I had a baby and was forced to step back from a lot of my responsibilities at the Conservatory. I had time to think and God reminded me of my call to do missions. He reminded me of my desire to open my own school. However, for the first time, He put them together. Slowly, He revealed to me bits and pieces of His plan and it grew in my heart until it was all I was thinking about. Still to this day, I am addicted to fulfilling God's plan and following His will for my life. This fire in my heart is ablaze and I pray that it spreads and more people catch on fire. I can't wait to see what God has in store for Heart Academy and I hope that you are excited about what is to come as well!