Music con Brio

11/17/2023

These two siblings have been eyeing the Wall of Fame above the piano for months now, and this week they completed their first challenge!

They've been working hard in their shared lesson to memorize the first five landmark notes, and this week they conquered the Note Apprentice challenge: correctly identify middle C, treble G, bass F, and treble and bass C on the staff and on the piano in under 15 seconds

The reward? Designing a custom avatar to hang on the Wall of Fame, and a Note Apprentice sticker to put on their music book. Congrats Ms. E and Mr. J!

At Music con Brio we're all about celebrating small victories along the way and developing well-rounded musicians who can play piano and read music confidently and fluently

Want to join the fun? We have a few spots open for beginning group class or private lessons. Click the link in bio to learn more

10/19/2023

Are you coming to Washougal's downtown Trick or Treat? I'm so excited to help organize this event!

A spooktacular tradition is returning to Washougal’s Main Street for the first time in years.

10/11/2023

Join us downtown for the first annual Washougal Trick or Treat on Main St!

Come in costume and bring a bag to collect candy as you trick or treat 15 local businesses.

Grab a Trick or Treat Passport at any participating business during the event and then collect stamps from each business you visit. Turn in your completed passport in Reflection Plaza to get a prize!

Oct 31st, 3-5 pm

09/14/2023

See what parents are saying about our new Piano Launchpad group class for beginners!

“Highly recommend to all parents in Camas, Washougal, and beyond Valerie’s thorough, fun, and fast-paced approach to teaching piano to children.

Our daughter loves Valerie's music games and exercises. She learned actual piano and music skills and was able to demonstrate and explain what she learned to me.

That's valuable, and that's how you know your child grasps and benefits from a teacher's method"

Thanks Jules! We are so honored to be a part of your daughter's musical journey!

Want this experience of joyful music-making for your child too? We've got 3 spots remaining in our Monday class

Piano Launchpad meets Mondays, 4:00-4:50 in downtown Washougal, right off Rt 14, and just minutes from Camas. Open to all beginning students ages 6-9. Register at the link in our bio!

08/15/2023

Back to school is coming! We're kicking off the school year with a pirate themed practice quest for all private lesson students- watch your mailbox for details!

07/21/2023

Hanging out at Camas Days all day today and tomorrow- come say hi and enter to win a $300 gift card towards lessons and classes!

04/25/2023

132 individually placed vinyl note decals later.... Studio wall over the piano is done and ready to welcome students! I'm really pleased with how it turned out

04/21/2023

Making corrections in a piano lesson can sometimes turn into a string of "no"s - no, that's the wrong octave. No, stop wiggling and focus. No, that's the wrong note. No, you haven't practiced enough this week.

All those "no"s can be exhausting for our students and draining for us as teachers

Next time you find yourself stuck in the land of "no"s, see if you can reframe some of them as "yes"es instead- yes, let's explore what it sounds like to play this piece very high or very low on the piano! Yes, let's move our bodies and dance to the rhythm! Yes, let's try changing some notes to hear how it changes the mood! Yes, you made great progress this week, and yes, there's more work to make your playing even better!

Then take a minute to notice how it shifts the tone of the lesson and how your student engages with that new energy. I've found my students become much more attentive, willing to make mistakes, and excited to explore. How about you?

04/14/2023

Thanks for this great write-up about the studio! Camas-Washougal Post-Record

Some of Valerie Ross’ earliest childhood memories involve her mother teaching piano lessons to eager youngsters from their home in northern California. Gaz

04/05/2023

It's so easy to get caught up in dreaming about the future - imagining how great our students might sound in a few years, writing business plans for our studios, finding new repertoire to practice...

Taking time to set goals is really important, don't get me wrong, but I often find myself falling into the trap of thinking only of great things will be in the future

"That student is going to play so well after her technique gets a little better.""My studio is going to be so successful when I have ten more students.""I'm going to be so happy if I just learn that Beethoven sonata"

And sometimes I end up losing sight of all the great things that are going on around me right now - the student whose eyes lit up when he figured out a new line of music on his own; the new connections I'm making in Washougal; the ways I'm learning to put my work out there into the world.

Set goals, yes, but also take some time to celebrate who you are right now, and the great things you are doing today!

What's one thing you're proud of this week? Let me know in the comments