Mrs. Leslie founded her own music studio, while living in Louisiana in 2016. Shortly after, she moved to Florida, very near to the Everglades. Mrs. Leslie wanted a fun, child-friendly name for her music studio, and came up with "Lily Pad Music Academy", since lily pads are often found in wet areas, like the nearby Everglades of Florida, and reminded her of happy little frogs bouncing around in ponds. There were frogs everywhere in Florida, and as they jumped around, it reminded Leslie of notes jumping on the staff, and kids jumping and playing in her studio! She even has a family of frog puppets who aid her in teaching her classes, and green "lily pad" rugs that mark the spots on the floor for kids to sit! The name stuck, and as Mrs. Leslie and her family moved to Washington, a few years later, Mrs. Leslie wanted to keep this cute name going. Lucky for her, there are still frogs, lily pads, and lots of kids, ready to be part of Lily Pad Music Academy in Washington!