Hudson’s on Mercer is more than the local joint where people gather to hear good music, eat, and spend time with friends and family—the venue also features some of the best music teachers in the area, with huge hearts for our youth and an eye on their success as the next generation of leaders.
We sat down with a couple of them; here are their stories.
MARY MARGARET DEMENT
Mary Margaret Dement, a voice teacher at Hudson’s, has been married for 49 years with three children and seven grandchildren. She’s been singing and playing guitar since she was 10 years old, growing up in Austin before her family moved to Driftwood. She has performed with notable singers such as Charlie Rich, Willie Nelson, and Ray Benson and has performed at Austin City Limits and in Nashville.
“My dream was to sing, record, and play my music on the road, which I did for several years,” Dement shares. “After marriage and kids, the Lord touched my heart to leave the music industry. I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom and focus on my family, out of the spotlight.”
Family comes first in Dement’s life, and she eventually reentered the music scene with her siblings as the Kyle family and continues to perform to this day. You can still catch the Kyle sisters performing at Hudson’s periodically. Dement recalls when her nephew Chad Hudson, owner of Hudson’s on Mercer, would sing with her when he was just a toddler. Little did she know, years later she would teach at Chad’s very own music school at Hudson’s back home in Dripping Springs.
“Teaching was a whole new thing for me,” Dement says. “I did not know what kind of joy this would bring me.” She’s now going on nine years of teaching. “What music does to us when we sing and how it impacts others—to make others smile or bring a tear to their eye—whatever the message is, it’s about delivering it with emotion so we impact the recipient.”
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Music inspires confidence to speak: Time after time, Dement has witnessed the transformation as timid, quiet students find their voice and confidence through music. “I’m so attached to seeing these students grow in self-confidence,” she says. “It bleeds into every aspect of their life—writing and singing through the ups and downs from childhood to adolescence.” When a child can learn to deliver a message confidently and communicate effectively, this impacts their life beyond music.
Dement adds, “Not only do we teach singing here, I teach voice placement, how to speak with a forward voice.” These skills help students land jobs and positively influence their peers. -
Advice for parents: “Have instruments in your house. Play music in your house and car. Let it be a family affair that you enjoy together, not isolated.” Dement continues, “Appreciate the music your kids want to listen to; have music in their lives. It’s straight from God. He has given music to us for a reason, for our souls and hearts. My motto is ‘find the song in your heart.’”
JOSH PAYER
Hudson’s guitar teacher Payer began playing music and guitar at a young age. In fifth grade, he started a band with his brother, later landing a record deal in New York. He taught at a home studio before picking up music again in Dripping Springs with a large student base. He plays bass, electric, and acoustic guitar in addition to piano and drums.
“The small-town vibe is here at Hudson’s,” Payer shares. “Teachers and students alike are all close and like family. This school is a huge staple to Dripping Springs. We are the heart of live music in Drip, so many incredible emerging artists are coming out of here. They grow up here and take their skills and talents to bless the world.”
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Each student is taught differently through an individual approach: Dement and Payer treat each student differently according to their learning style. Using the same fundamentals and techniques, they teach with a student-led approach so each pupil’s curriculum is completely customized according to what they would like to learn.
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Be intentional: Payer wants every student to experience the wonder and excitement of picking up a new instrument for the first time. He says, “It’s about intentionality and choosing to do it—spending a half hour in a lesson conquering a new technique with guidance and instruction. It’s about creation over consumption in such a digital, distracted world.”
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Kids learn to dream more and go bigger through music: Payer’s purpose is “inspiring kids to prove that you can do anything you want,” he says. “Be a rock star. Kids need this mentality to be the most incredible versions of themselves. This is not portrayed enough in today’s world, and music is an avenue for this.”
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Your child can be a good musician even if they don’t naturally have an ear for it: “Playing a new instrument is like learning to speak another language. You’re adding a whole other element to your personality, the ability to do something other people can’t,” Payer says. “You don’t have to have an ear—the fact that these young kids put in the work and become good musicians helps them in every other aspect of life.” Dement and Josh Payer teach students from four years old to grandparents. Go try a class!
HudsonsOnMercer.com | @hudsonsonmercer
“Be a rock star. Kids need this mentality to be the most incredible versions of themselves.” -Josh Payer