Millie Frost is five years old and a piano student at PCM, where she studies with teacher Yi-Ju Lai. Millie’s favorite part of piano? Recitals, especially the chance to show off a song she worked hard to learn –– like “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters, which she picked out herself and practiced for months. We had the chance to sit down with Millie and her parents, Amanda and Ryan Frost, to get to know more about their experience at PCM and Millie’s journey with piano.

This interview was conducted on July 27, 2026, and has been edited for length and clarity.

What made Millie want to start playing the piano?

Ryan: She was at her friend Xavier’s house, playing his piano, and said, ‘I want to take lessons.’ So we signed her up.

Amanda: We had talked about it and asked her, “if you wanted to play an instrument, which one would you pick?” And she said piano.

What are some activities that you do in your piano lesson?

Millie: Songs, scales, method books. I’m just on this one book right now, and I’m almost done.

Ryan: What song are you going to learn next? (starts singing “Hedwig’s Theme” by John Williams)

Millie: Harry Potter!

How many recitals have you done? How was the first one different from the second one?

Millie: I’ve played in two recitals and played different songs at each one. The second recital was easier than the first.

Amanda: Yeah, you invited your friend this time, remember? And she came to listen to you.

Millie: That’s why it was better than the first one.

What else do you like to do besides piano?

Millie: I like art, riding my bike, and cooking. Those are my top favorite things.

Ryan and Amanda: She just learned to ride a bike and we rented bikes on our trip in Montreal, so she got to ride her bike there.

Do you have a favorite thing that you help cook at home?

Ryan: You’ve made a lot of fancy things.

Millie: My favorite thing we make at home is muffins.

Ryan: She’s a big baker — she even made a strawberry cake with cornmeal.

If you could pick anything, what would you want to be when you grow up?

Millie: I’d want to be a veterinarian, so I can see animals all the time – cute little animals.

Do you have pets at home?

Millie: No, but we’ve got two wildcats, Rumi and Jinu.

Besides your recital, is there any other favorite thing that you’ve done at PCM?

Ryan: You love Paulina and Dominique [two members of PCM’s Student Services team].

Millie: Oh, yes!

Amanda: Well, we see them when she comes to practice two or three times a week.

Ryan: Millie even has the same stuffed animal as Paulina.

Millie: Axolotl! Hers is named Cutie Pie, like mine.

Amanda: Millie named it. She absolutely loves the staff at PCM — they’re always so nice.

We then turned the questions over just to Ryan and Amanda to get their perspective and experience with PCM.

For the two of you, what has been your favorite thing to see at PCM?

Ryan: Her teacher, Yi-Ju, is just so good with her — really patient, making sure she’s progressing the right way and learning things, then rewarding her with new songs and recitals. It’s been a fun experience watching her grow.

Amanda: I think she always meets Millie at her level. She knows her limits and how much to push her, and keeps it fun by bringing in songs she really loves — that’s what keeps her interested. Sometimes we have to do a wiggle dance before we go into practice! We also went to see Yi-Ju play piano at The Huntington, which was really fun and nice to see her perform.

What would you want next for Millie, musically?

Ryan: I just want her to keep playing, keep learning the skill, keep growing, and get to do the recitals. It’s nice to have artistic skills like cooking and playing piano — real, classic skills — so I’d love for her to keep building those. Piano is such a great instrument you can play anywhere and carry into adulthood; it’d be a wonderful skill for her to have.

What would you tell someone who’s thinking about enrolling at PCM?

Ryan: It’s been a great experience for us. One nice thing is that we don’t have a piano at home yet, but PCM lets her come practice anytime for free. Since she goes to school right around here, we can just pop in for 15 minutes and get our practice in. It’s a good environment to grow in, and the recitals are great motivation to work toward something — I’ve seen other schools where a teacher comes to the house, and it’s harder to have something to work toward that way. Yi-Ju is just an incredible teacher; we couldn’t be happier to have her with Millie.

Amanda: It’s a nice community here. Like you said, if someone’s coming to your home, it’s just you and the teacher — but here you’re with so many other kids and staff. It’s nice, and so are all the events they have.