About Noteworthy Piano Studio
Our Musical Story
Noteworthy Piano studio started with me, CJ Bloyer, the owner and (currently) sole instructor.
I started playing piano at the age of 7 and while I enjoyed making music immensely, I had no desire to become a professional either as a performing musician or as an instructor. Of course, life doesn't always turn out the way we plan and after landing a great office job at a non-profit after college, I was approached by a colleague who knew I played piano.
He asked me if I taught piano as well, and I responded, "No, why?" It turned out his nephews needed a new teacher, and he'd thought of me. I declined the offer at first (see the justification above). However, after thinking about it for a couple of days, I decided teaching a couple of kids how to play piano couldn't be that hard, and I could use a little bit of extra money.
So, I went back to my co-worker and told him that while I'd never taught before, if his nephews weren't picky, I could probably figure out the teaching part. He agreed and I started teaching my first two students ever. They were both delightful and so very different from each other. To my surprise, I found I LOVED teaching!
Over the next ten years, I took a few more students here and there, never thinking of it as more than a paid hobby. All my lessons were in-home and I found the most important part of teaching was the relationships I built with both my students and their families.
At some point (I can't remember exactly when), the idea of opening up my own piano studio started to emerge in my head as an alternative to office jobs. While working for myself seemed, on the surface, a great idea, I knew there would be TONS of work involved throughout the process. Starting my own piano studio would never be "just a job". So, I started researching, mostly out of curiosity, the various aspects of both starting my own business and how to run a piano studio as well.
In 2015, I made a decision. I would start working to open my own studio. It took two years of saving, planning, and more research to get ready to make the big leap from "traditional" employment to self-employment, but in July 2017, I said goodbye to my co-workers, moved into a house that had room for a home studio, and officially opened the doors of Noteworthy Piano Studio.
Noteworthy Piano Studio started with four students who had already been on my roster for several years and the support and encouragement I received from them and their families cannot be overstated!
By January 2018, the studio boasted 11 students. Within three years of its birth, Noteworthy Piano Studios had a roster of 23 students! I was so excited!
Students range in age from six to forty-six years old and study all kinds of musical styles including classical, jazz, blues, ragtime, pop, rock, and folk. Each student comes to music in their own way and we work together to get the most out of the time we have together each week.
Students can choose each year from several different courses of study: Traditional Instruction, Repertoire Building, or Chords & Improvisation. We also offer three different modes of lessons, In-Home, In-Studio, and (recently added!) Virtual.
Each year, the students of Noteworthy Piano Studio participate in an annual recital where they can share their chosen piano pieces with their families, friends, and fellow students.
While not every student stays with us for years and years, every student who has come to the studio and spent time with us has learned something they can take with them for the rest of their lives.
Each student learns to appreciate music of all kinds and gains skills that will help them continue their music-learning even when they leave our studio to pursue other interests.
Every new student adds a little something different to our mix and broadens our understanding of how music touches different people.
As we go forward, Noteworthy Piano Studio looks at a bright future full of learning and laughter. We'd love to have you join us!
Our Philosophy of Music
We believe music is an essential part of everyone's life.
We believe music is an emotional catalyst that raises our spirits and engages our brains in unique ways.
We believe anyone can learn to play an instrument.
We believe learning to read and play music is a privilege that should be spread as widely as possible.
We believe learning can be both work and fun.
We believe every student comes to the study of music differently and those differences should be celebrated.
We believe teaching is both an art and a science, and instructors commit to improving their teaching skills, understanding of theory, and personal musical practice continuously.