Sonata

Bring parents into the music.

Record your lesson, or recap it after — Sonata writes the summary: what their child learned,
and why it matters.

How do I explain that the lesson mattered?Parents don't quit lessons because teachers are bad. They quit because they can't see the work — and what they can't see, they can't value.
Retention isn't a marketing problem, it's a visibility problem. Sonata closes that gap — what was practiced, what's next, and why it matters. You press send.
The Sunday-night "I should have emailed the Garcias" is over.

FromCJ Stout · Shoreline Music Lessons

Today's lesson — "That's So True," bass-clef thirds, and three perfect times

Hi Mark,

Today we reviewed a Gracie Abrams tune, "That's So True," and chose two phrases. We focused on challenging starred sections: play them three times accurately (restart the count after a "clam"), and keep feet flat on the floor. We also did an interval/reading check (thirds in bass clef, plus measure 28 troubleshooting) and reviewed her Power Pages composition for clearer noteheads and clean treble-melody reading.

Why this matters

Restarting the "three perfect times" loop after a mistake helps Mirabel practice honest self-checking and persistence.

Practice this week
  • "That's So True" starred section — three times accurately, restart the count after a clam
  • Bass-clef thirds, plus a troubleshooting pass on measure 28
  • Power Pages composition — clearer noteheads, clean treble-melody reading

Best,
CJ

Keep your studio manager.
Replace your lesson notes.

How it works

1. Record.
Tap record. Teach normally. Or skip recording and narrate what you covered afterward — same result.2. Summarize
In 30 seconds: a parent-facing email, refined progress notes, and the week's practice goals. Every summary shows not just what your student practiced — but why it matters for how they're growing.3. Send.
One tap emails the parent, saves to the student's timeline and a copy lands in your Google Drive — an archive that follows the student forever.

30 minutes of lesson · raw transcript

Transcript · 4,800 words · audio deleted

Yeah, oh, spider not pancake, that's for sure. And if we have a clam or a clinker with your fingers unmatched, if they don't get matched all the time, then if you get two clams, we get the markers on, know what I mean? Hey, dude, what's a win for you today? What's going right about your day? What's the best part of your day to get your first token on the board? What's one win for you? Just like chilling, that's a win for sure, all right. Great, you can be like chilling and have that feel good. Let's take a look over here.

Okay, that was the game for sure. It was beat the timer. Okay, do you feel like you could beat the timer today? With every tune, with two hands, every song? Yeah. Okay, find the first song. When I did this, yes, last time. This song is kind of tricky. Because you do it two times. Yeah, you get to do it two times, that's for sure. Maybe that was a mistake. Oh, you know, it's okay. I make mistakes all the time. That's okay if there's a mistake.

In fact, you know what? It's not just okay if you make a mistake. Listen up. You're gonna make a mistake. But here's another part of that story, is making a mistake a big deal? Is making a mistake a little deal? Is making a mistake not a deal? It's just gonna happen, okay? Find song number one. Let's give it a spin. I'm gonna turn on your eight-minute timer because you're eight years old. On your mark, get set, go. Two hands. There you go.

You did so great. You totally beat it. Awesome. Okay. Well, that is only part of the protocol. Let's review the rest of the recipe. Now, you're such a sharp dude that I don't think this will be hard for you to understand or get your head around at all. Not only are we going to play just this top little slice, but we're gonna try and play it three different ways all at once. And this is really gonna be most of your whole song. The protocol here is simple. You actually already know how it goes.

This says one hand. This says other hand. This says both hands. Okay, so what we get to do for this first slice of cake here is we're gonna play the whole top slice. One hand, other hand, both hands. Just that slice. So, for instance, if it were piano, you would play, and then switch. And then you would go two hands. Show me that you can do that, that you understand this recipe. One hand, other hand, both hands.

Dude, that's how you do it. Okay, slice number two. Boom. Let's hear it. Follow the protocol. What's the plan? Got it. Dude, yes. That's exactly how to do it. Way to go. And now with the last piece of the puzzle here. One hand, other hand, both hands for that tiny little slice on the bottom. You just did the whole thing. That's the assignment right there. Bingo, bongo, boom. I put a red circle that says new. That's your new song.

Here's the last thing that you get to do at home. Check this out. Dice. Roll the dice one time. I'd like you to play whatever song you get with two hands, but here's the most important thing. Tell me what this guy is. Spider. Spider, not pancake. Deal? Roll the dice, whatever song we get, we'll play that song, but how are we gonna play it? Two hands, not a pancake. You got it, man. I'm gonna give it up to Sidhart right now. He had a remarkable lesson today.

Sonata
distills to
What parents read · ~30 seconds
From · CJ Stout · Shoreline Music Lessons

Today's lesson — Bingo Bongo Boom and the slices protocol

Hi Shravya,

Today Sidhart learned a new song "Bingo Bongo Boom." We practiced a step-by-step "slices" protocol: each small section got right hand, left hand, then hands together. We also reinforced "spider, not pancake," keeping tall fingers and curved knuckles while playing.

Why this matters

Using the slices protocol, Sidhart demonstrates clear, systematic steps for learning something new, building independence and steady problem-solving.

Practice this week

  • Bingo Bongo Boom in "slices": each slice RH, LH, then hands together
  • Dice assignment: roll once, then play that song hands together
  • "Spider, not pancake" the whole time

Built by a teacher,
for teachers

I'm CJ.I teach guitar and piano near Seattle, and run Shoreline Music Lessons. After six years of staying up late to write notes I'd half-forget by morning, I built Sonata. Because I needed it.
But saving time was never really the point. Every family that starts music lessons takes a leap of faith — they feel it matters, even if they can't quite see why. Sonata is how I show them they were right: every week, in plain language, the value they took on faith.
I'm building it in the open, with teachers like you — because that's who it's for. You do the work that matters. Sonata shines a light on it.

Every lesson surfaces a moment that turns practice into development.

From the "Counting Out Loud" lesson

Counting out loud while playing tricky dotted rhythms helps Howie maintain accuracy and self-correct when making a mistake.

From the "Straight Time to Swing" lesson

Working from straight time into swing builds Angel's rhythmic flexibility and precision.

From the "Hammer-Ons & Pull-Offs" lesson

Practicing hammer-ons and pull-offs slowly builds Sebastien's left-hand articulation and timing.

Every lesson, every summary. The part of your work that can't be replaced — made visible to parents.

© CJ Stout. All rights reserved.

Sonata

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The part of your work AI can't replace — made visible to parents.

Sonata

What happens when you record a lesson with SonataAudio is uploaded, transcribed by OpenAI, and deleted from Sonata's server immediately. The transcript and summary live in your account, visible only to you. We don't sell, share, or train on your data.— CJ, music teacher building this for music teachers-The path of a recording1. You tap record. Audio is captured in your browser.
2. Sonata uploads it, sends it to OpenAI for transcription.
3. The transcript comes back. The audio is deleted from Sonata's server immediately.
4. The transcript and summary land in your Sonata account. Only you can see them.
5. If you've connected Google Drive, a copy of the summary saves to your Drive folder. Your account, your files.You decide what goes to the parent. Sonata never sends on your behalf.-Two ways to use SonataRecord the full lesson. Sonata captures the lesson, the AI builds the summary from what was said.Or use it as a dictation tool. Skip recording the lesson itself. After the lesson, narrate everything you covered. Sonata builds the summary from that.The dictation option is there for teachers and families who'd rather not record a full lesson — including any time a parent declines recording.-What we don't do- We don't sell your data. There's nothing to sell.
- We don't share lesson content with anyone outside the parent emails you choose to send.
- We don't train AI on your lessons. Not OpenAI's, not anyone's.
- We don't email parents on your behalf. You press send. Always.-About OpenAITranscription runs through OpenAI under terms we picked deliberately: they don't train models on lesson audio, and audio is deleted within 30 days after abuse monitoring. Their full policy is at platform.openai.com.-

Sonata — a product of North Seattle Music Lessons LLC
Last updated: May 30, 2026---Sonata helps independent music teachers turn their lessons into clear summary emails for parents. This policy explains, in plain English, what data Sonata handles, where it goes, how long it stays, and the choices you have. We lead with this because privacy is the product, not a footnote to it.If you have any question this page doesn't answer, email [email protected] and a human (the founder) will respond.---Who we areSonata is operated by North Seattle Music Lessons LLC, based in Washington State, United States. Throughout this policy, "Sonata," "we," "us," and "our" refer to North Seattle Music Lessons LLC. "You" refers to the teacher using Sonata.---The short version- Lesson audio is uploaded, transcribed by OpenAI, and deleted from Sonata's server immediately after the transcript comes back — within seconds.
- The transcript and summary live in your account, visible only to you.
- If you connect Google Drive, a copy of each summary is saved to a folder in your own Drive, under your control. Sonata uses a narrow permission that can only see files it creates.
- We do not sell, share, or use your data to train AI.
- You can delete your data at any time by emailing us.---What data we collectAccount information. When you sign in with Google, we receive your name, email address, and basic profile information (via the openid, email, and profile permissions). We use this to create and identify your account.Studio and student information you enter. Student names, lesson days, instruments, parent email addresses, and any notes you choose to add. You enter this; we store it so you can run your studio.Lesson audio and transcripts. When you record a lesson (or dictate a summary), the audio is processed as described below. Transcripts and the summaries generated from them are stored in your account.Email addresses you send to. When you send a summary to a parent, we process the recipient address you provide so the email can be delivered.We do not collect payment card numbers, government IDs, or any special-category data beyond what you voluntarily enter in lesson notes.---How lesson audio is handledWhen you record a lesson or dictate a summary, here is the exact path:1. The audio is captured in your browser and uploaded to Sonata's server.
2. Sonata sends the audio to OpenAI's API for transcription.
3. Once the transcript returns, the audio is deleted from Sonata's server immediately. It is not stored in a database or saved anywhere on our end.
4. The transcript and summary land in your account, visible only to you.
5. If a recording fails to transcribe, Sonata gives you a one-time download link to save the audio to your own device. After you close that screen, nothing is held on our end.About OpenAI: Under OpenAI's standard API terms, API audio and text are not used to train OpenAI's models. OpenAI may retain API inputs and outputs for up to 30 days for abuse monitoring, then deletes them. This is OpenAI's standard policy across all API customers. Their full policy is published at platform.openai.com.---How we use Google services and your Google dataSonata's use of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.Sign-in (openid, email, profile). Used solely to authenticate you and create your account. We do not use this for advertising or share it with third parties.Google Drive (drive.file). If you choose to connect Google Drive, Sonata requests the drive.file permission. This is a narrow, per-file scope: Sonata can only see and manage the files and folders it creates — a "Lesson Archives" folder and the lesson summary documents it saves there. Sonata cannot see, read, or access any other file in your Google Drive. Connecting Drive is entirely optional.What we do with Google data: We use it only to provide Sonata's features to you (signing you in, and saving lesson summaries to your Drive folder if you connect it). We do not use Google user data for advertising, we do not sell it, we do not transfer it to third parties except as needed to provide the service or as required by law, and we do not use it to train AI or machine-learning models.Disconnecting and revoking. You can disconnect Google Drive from Sonata's Settings at any time. When you disconnect, Sonata revokes its access on Google's side and clears the stored authorization from our database. You can also review and revoke Sonata's access directly at myaccount.google.com/permissions.---How your data is stored and protectedGoogle authorization tokens are encrypted at rest using industry-standard AES-256-GCM encryption. Your data is stored on managed cloud infrastructure (database and hosting providers) under their security controls. Lesson audio is never stored — it is deleted immediately after transcription as described above.---Who can see your data| Role | Can see |
|---|---|
| You (the teacher) | Every lesson you've recorded — transcript, summary, notes. You can edit, delete, or re-send anything. |
| The parent | Only the summary email you choose to send. Optionally, if you grant it per family, a Google Drive folder of summaries. |
| The student | Whatever you choose to share. Students do not have logins by default. |
| The founder (CJ) | Technical access to the database to operate the product (bug fixes, support). We do not read your summaries as routine practice. |
| Anyone else | Nothing. No advertisers, no data brokers, no partners. |---What we don't do- We don't sell your data. Sonata is a tool, not a data business.
- We don't share lesson content with anyone outside the parent emails you choose to send.
- We don't train AI on your lessons — not OpenAI's models, not anyone's.
- We don't email parents on your behalf. You press send, always.---How long we keep things| Data | Retention |
|---|---|
| Audio on Sonata's server | Deleted immediately after transcription |
| Audio at OpenAI | Up to 30 days for abuse monitoring, then deleted (OpenAI's policy) |
| Transcripts and summaries | Kept while your account is active |
| Google Drive copy | Lives in your Drive folder, under your control |
| If you delete your account | All Sonata-side data removed within 30 days |To delete your data at any time, email [email protected]. It comes to the founder, who will confirm and delete it personally.---A note about minor studentsMany music students are under 18, which makes lesson audio sensitive. Sonata is a tool used by the teacher; the teacher is responsible for obtaining consent from families before recording. Sonata provides language teachers can use to ask families for permission, and recording is always optional — a dictation mode produces the same summaries without capturing a full lesson. Teachers are responsible for complying with the recording-consent and student-privacy laws that apply in their location.If you are a parent with questions about how your child's teacher uses Sonata, start with the teacher, or email [email protected].---Your rights and choices- Access and correction: You can view and edit your studio and lesson data in the app at any time.
- Deletion: Email [email protected] to delete your account and associated data.
- Disconnect Google: Disconnect Drive in Settings, or revoke access at myaccount.google.com/permissions.
- Email: You control which parent emails are sent; Sonata never sends without your action.---Changes to this policyIf we make material changes to this policy, we will update the "Last updated" date above and, where appropriate, notify you. Continued use of Sonata after changes means you accept the updated policy.---ContactNorth Seattle Music Lessons LLC
Email: [email protected]
Web: usesonata.com---Sonata is built by a music teacher, for music teachers. If something here isn't clear, ask. We'd rather over-explain than leave you guessing.

Terms of ServiceSonata — a product of North Seattle Music Lessons LLC
Last updated: May 30, 2026---These Terms of Service ("Terms") are an agreement between you and North Seattle Music Lessons LLC ("Sonata," "we," "us," or "our") governing your use of the Sonata application and website at usesonata.com (the "Service"). By creating an account or using the Service, you agree to these Terms. If you don't agree, please don't use the Service.We've written these in plain English. If anything is unclear, email [email protected].---1. What Sonata doesSonata helps independent music teachers record or dictate lessons, generate summaries, and send those summaries to parents. The Service is provided to you as a tool to run your teaching studio.2. Your accountYou need a Google account to sign in. You're responsible for keeping your account secure and for the activity that happens under it. You must be at least 18 years old to create an account and use the Service as a teacher.3. Your responsibilitiesYou agree to use Sonata lawfully and responsibly. In particular:- Consent to record. You are responsible for obtaining consent from your students and their families (especially for minors) before recording lessons, and for complying with the recording-consent and privacy laws that apply where you live and teach. Sonata provides optional language to help you ask for consent, and a dictation mode that does not record the lesson, but the responsibility for consent is yours.
- Accurate information. You're responsible for the student, parent, and lesson information you enter, and for what you choose to send to parents.
- No misuse. You won't use the Service to break the law, infringe others' rights, send spam, or attempt to disrupt or reverse-engineer the Service.4. Your contentYou keep all rights to the content you create and store in Sonata — your lesson notes, transcripts, summaries, and student information ("Your Content"). You grant us only the limited permission needed to operate the Service for you: to store, process, transcribe (via OpenAI), and display Your Content so the Service works. We don't sell Your Content, share it outside the emails you send, or use it to train AI models. See our Privacy Policy for the full data story.5. Third-party servicesSonata relies on third-party providers, including Google (sign-in and optional Drive storage) and OpenAI (transcription and summary generation). Your use of those features is also subject to those providers' terms. We are not responsible for the acts or omissions of third-party providers.6. Service availability and changesSonata is offered as-is and is actively being developed. We may add, change, or remove features, and we may experience downtime. We'll make reasonable efforts to keep the Service running and to protect your data, but we don't guarantee uninterrupted or error-free service.7. FeesThe Service may be offered free of charge or under a paid plan. If paid plans apply to you, the pricing and billing terms will be presented to you before you're charged, and you can cancel in accordance with those terms. Current beta access may be free; we'll give reasonable notice before introducing charges to your account.8. TerminationYou can stop using Sonata and delete your account at any time by emailing [email protected]. We may suspend or terminate your access if you violate these Terms or use the Service in a way that creates risk or harm. On termination, we'll handle your data in accordance with the Privacy Policy.9. DisclaimersTHE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE," WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. We don't warrant that summaries or transcripts will be accurate or complete — you review and decide what to send.10. Limitation of liabilityTo the fullest extent permitted by law, North Seattle Music Lessons LLC will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for any loss of data, profits, or goodwill, arising from your use of the Service. Our total liability for any claim relating to the Service will not exceed the greater of (a) the amount you paid us in the twelve months before the claim, or (b) one hundred U.S. dollars ($100).11. IndemnificationYou agree to indemnify and hold harmless North Seattle Music Lessons LLC from claims arising out of your use of the Service, your content, or your violation of these Terms or of any law — including any claim relating to consent to record lessons.12. Governing lawThese Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Washington, United States, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. Any dispute will be resolved in the state or federal courts located in Washington, and you consent to their jurisdiction.13. Changes to these TermsWe may update these Terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we'll update the "Last updated" date above and, where appropriate, notify you. Continued use of the Service after changes means you accept the updated Terms.14. ContactNorth Seattle Music Lessons LLC
Email: [email protected]
Web: usesonata.com

Sonata

You're in.
Here's everything you need to get started.

The core flow is three steps:
Record → Summarize → Send
That's it. Set up takes about 10 minutes
from sign-in to summary.
You'll receive an email from me within 24 hours
with your personal access link once your
submission is reviewed.

Before your first lesson, read the Quick-Start Guide below.
It takes 5 minutes and answers everything.

Step 1 — Sign in

Tap Continue with Google and sign in with your Gmail account.
You'll see a screen that says "Google hasn't verified this app." This is a standard Google notice for apps in beta testing — it's not a warning about your data. Tap Continue. You're safe.

Step 2 — Add your first student

Tap Log Lesson on the dashboard. You'll be prompted to select a student. Since you're new, tap Add Student and enter:
Student first name
Instrument (optional)
That's all you need to get started. Parent email and lesson schedule can be added later from the Students page

Step 3 — Record or dictate your first lesson

Tap Log Lesson on the dashboard
Select your student from the dropdown
Tap Start Recording — your browser will ask for microphone access, tap Allow and keep your screen on during recording —
don't press the lock button.
Teach your lesson normally..
When you're done, tap Stop Recording
Wait while Sonata transcribes and generates a summary
Review and — edit anything you want.
Tap Save & Email Parent, or Copy Summary to send another way.

Sending summaries

After your summary generates, tap Open in mail or Copy Summary and paste it into any email or text to the family.
To send directly within Sonata — See the full guide below for Gmail setup.

Consent

Before recording a lesson with a student under 18, get parent permission. Sonata provides a consent email template you can paste and send — most parents say yes, many appreciate the transparency.If a family declines recording, you can still use Sonata for dictation: narrate your lesson however comes naturally and the parent gets the same weekly summary email. Their comfort and your time both stay intact.Get the parent consent email template: