Summer, 2026

Turning the Page: A New Chapter for Musical Mind Music Studios

When I look around our home these days, I see more than furniture and pianos waiting to be moved.

I see memories.

I see the corner where a shy young student played their first recital piece. I see the room where friendships formed through music. I see parents waiting while their children discovered confidence, creativity, and perseverance one lesson at a time.

For nearly two decades, this house has been more than a home. It has been the heart of Musical Mind Music Studios.

As many of you know, we are preparing to move to a new location on Mercer Island this summer. While I am excited about what lies ahead, I will admit that leaving this home is emotional. Thousands of lessons, countless recitals, music camps, laughter, challenges, and celebrations have happened within these walls.

Change is a curious thing.

When we are young, we often welcome it. As we grow older, we sometimes cling to what is familiar. Yet music teaches us something important: every piece moves forward. A beautiful melody cannot stay on the same note forever.

When I opened my piano teaching practice on Mercer Island in 1988, I was a newly divorced single mother raising four young children who are third-generation Mercer Islanders. Music became both my livelihood and my calling. What began as a way to support my family grew into a lifelong mission of helping students discover confidence, creativity, and joy through music.

Nearly four decades later, I remain deeply grateful to the Mercer Island community that has supported our studio's growth and evolution.

Over the years, our studio has grown from one teacher and a handful of students into a vibrant musical community serving students of all ages and abilities. We have welcomed neurodivergent learners, adult beginners, aspiring performers, composers, and lifelong music lovers. We expanded our teaching team, developed new programs, embraced technology, and continually adapted to meet the needs of our students.

Along the way, there have been many adventures. For fifteen years, I had the privilege of directing the Mercer Island Music Technology Camp alongside my dear friend and co-director, Susan Hamp. Together, we introduced hundreds of students to the creative possibilities of music and technology, helping them move from simply consuming technology to creating with it. I was also fortunate to partner in that endeavor with my talented daughter, Katrina Kope, while continuing to build and operate the studio. Working with Katrina over the years has been one of the great joys of my professional life.

As I walk through the house preparing for our move, memories seem to appear in every room. There were countless recitals, celebrations, and musical milestones. Many of those recitals had a special guest in attendance: our beloved Shih Tzu, Roxy, affectionately known as "the piano dog." More often than not, Roxy could be found curled up beneath the leg of the grand piano, peacefully listening as students performed their pieces. For many children, she was as much a part of the recital tradition as the piano itself.

The truth is that Musical Mind Music Studios has never really been about a building.

It has always been about people.

It is about the young child discovering that they can do something difficult.

It is about the neurodivergent student who finds a pathway to self-expression through music.

It is about the adult who finally decides it is time to pursue a lifelong dream.

It is about the families who make music part of their lives and the teachers who dedicate themselves to nurturing growth, creativity, and confidence.

Those values will move with us.

Our new home will provide fresh opportunities for lessons, workshops, house concerts, guest artist performances, music gatherings, and new programs that continue to bring people together through music. We are excited to create a space where students can learn, perform, connect, and share their gifts with others.

As we pack boxes and move pianos this summer, I find myself feeling both gratitude and anticipation. Gratitude for everything that has happened here, and anticipation for the music that has yet to be made.

To the families, students, teachers, and friends who have been part of this journey: thank you. Your support, encouragement, and trust have made this studio what it is today.

The next chapter is waiting.

And I hope you'll come along with us.

Warmly,

Connie Wible

Founder & Director

Musical Mind Music Studios