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Meet Your Teachers ☺
Mrs. Stafford and Ms. Stephanie

Mrs. Judy Stafford

Teaching Method:

Judy Stafford began her music career early in life, and now has over twenty years of teaching experience, and close to twice that amount of performing experience. She generously shares with her students all she has learned, focusing on using healthy techniques. Under her instruction, students build confidence in themselves while nurturing their natural love of learning.

Judy's method of teaching is based on respect for children, building a positive environment wherein students can freely express themselves through music. Her creativity shines the most in lessons with young children who benefit from a teacher who is sensitive enough to see and can quickly adapt to their different styles of learning. 

Judy teaches her students how to break down complicated music into manageable steps to scaffold learning and make lessons rewarding and fun. She teaches the "why" instead of just showing you how. This way, students not only sing and play while in lessons, but love and continue singing and playing way after the lessons are over. She sees the long-term goals for the students - not just to teach the immediate lessons, but to instill a love and life-long passion for music, so it can be a one constant thing that they can turn to anytime for years to come.

Mrs. Judy Stafford is a member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas, the Suzuki Association of Massachusetts, the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, and is affiliated with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Pops Orchestra. She also works as a music teacher for Cornerstone Campus Preschool, and afterschool programs at Cornerstone Campus as well as Blue Hill Montessori School. She has recently received the 2024 Distinguished Young Teacher Award from the Suzuki Association of the Americas.

"To all my students, I am Mrs. Stafford. If it is your first time here, hello! I am Judy, and it is a pleasure to meet you. When I was younger, I remember telling all my relatives and friends that I will give them a million dollars if they can catch a day wherein I didn't sing or make music. I didn't have a million dollars (I still don't!), but I was never worried. I sing every single day! 😉 I was never offered money to stop singing for a day though, but if someone did, I doubt I'd win it. An hour after the bet, I would've forgotten about it and sang, and lost, haha! Growing up, music has always been a big part of my life. 

Pursuing my love of music, I studied Bachelor of Music Majoring in Voice and Minor in Piano, at Conservatory of Music - University of Santo Tomas in Philippines, and continued with full scholarship from The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. I finished it all with a Masters in Music Majoring in Vocal Performance and Opera with honors at New England Conservatory of Music. There were a lot of sponsors and scholarships that paved the way for my success, and I am forever grateful to all of them.  

Performing has opened many doors for me, like being able to travel to different countries and experience different cultures and learn different techniques to master my craft. Winning competitions and receiving invitations back for concerts from Philippines, Hong Kong, Japan, India, and Italy validated that I was indeed on the right path in my life. If it wasn't for music, I wouldn't have traveled as much.

All of these experiences have helped me find that my passion has been educating students after all. I find so much joy in teaching music, especially younger learners. I love thinking creatively on the best ways to teach musical concepts to them so they can understand it, and have fun while learning music. My love for very young children is the reason that led me to be a trained Suzuki Voice teacher. I am trained to teach prenatal, infant, and toddler lessons from ages 2 and up. Don't get me wrong, I also love teaching adults, wherein I can be nerdy and talk about music in deeper concepts and meet them where they are in their learning journey.

I still perform, and being an active member of Tanglewood Festival Chorus fills my performance love-bucket. I perform around 25 concerts with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Pops Orchestra each year, plus about 3-4 concerts in the summer at Tanglewood. (Click here for Mrs. Stafford's Upcoming Performances.) All students are encouraged to watch as many concerts and performances (it doesn't have to be mine) so they could keep feeling inspired and motivated by the wonderful musicians we have in our community. Many concerts are free!

Aside from managing a music studio and being a performer, I am a wife, mother, and homeschooler. I educate my two girls using Montessori. I try my best to balance all of my roles (plus time for self-care!) and I hope you would understand that unfortunately I am only able to accept a limited number of students per year to make sure everyone enrolled are getting the best version of "Mrs. Stafford" in our lessons.


Some other things about me: I enjoy reading and learning new things. I prefer hot drinks to cold drinks, and I love spicy foods. My favorite season is winter! It seems like living in New England, MA was a good move. ❄️☃️"
 
"Music is a universal language that can be understood by everyone from all over the world. With it, you will be able to connect with anyone wherever you go." ~ Mrs. Stafford 


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Ms. Stephanie (Bramble) Chevalier 

 

Stephanie (Bramble) Chevalier is a  Suzuki Piano, Ukulele and Classical Voice Instructor, mezzo soprano and an Early Music specialist. She attended The American University and St Mary's College of Maryland (a public honors college) where she studied Piano and Vocal performance and Graduate studies at The Cincinnati Conservatory of Music where she studied Opera.  Ms. Chevalier has 39 years of teaching experience from preschool through College preparatory and undergraduate level. She is a registered Suzuki Piano Instructor having completed both short term and apprentice programs and a sought after vocal instructor and coach.

Former positions include: Charleston Academy of Music Voice, Piano and Theory Instructor. Levine School of Music Assistant Voice Faculty Chair, Suzuki Piano, Theory and Voice Instructor, as well as, Voice Class Grant recipient for Program Development; Prince Georges Community College Chair for Applied Suzuki Studies including Piano, Violin, Cello, Harp ,Guitar and Flute.  At The College of Southern Maryland, she was a Voice Instructor and Summer Musical Theatre Camp Coordinator, as well as choreographer. Ms. Bramble has taught Summer Workshops at The University of Miami (Florida), Beaver College, Shenandoah Conservatory, Westminster Choir College, The College of Southern Maryland and Catholic University. She  also served on the Executive Board for the MTACC as Vice President as well as, the Fall Festival/Monster Concert Chair. 
Ms. Chevalier has been a frequent soloist in the Washington, DC area and sang with the Washington Opera for 10 Seasons as well as Opera Vivente, The Washington Savoyards, The Little Theatre of Alexandria, The Lyceum and the Church of The Epiphany Concert series, The In Series as well as, The Des Moines Metro Opera to name a few. She made her European Opera debut in 1998 and spent 2 Seasons with The Opera Theatre of Lucca, Italy. She was a regional finalist in the Metropolitan Opera Council Auditions and the winner of the Colonial Dames Scholarship (piano) Competition.
She is the former Piano Division Chair or the Suzuki Association of The Greater Washington Area where she also served on the Board of Directors. Ms. Chevalier is also the former Director of The Suzuki Piano Institute of Washington DC, and the Suzuki Piano Workshop of Washington DC as well as the national Piano Guild Chair for Northern Virginia.
 
She is an active member of AGMA, NATS,MTNA,NGPT,SAGWA, SAA, and MSMTA.
 
Ms. Chevalier currently resides on the beautiful eastern shore of Chesapeake Bay in Maryland where she teaches Suzuki Piano, Ukulele and Classical Voice to online students globally.