Where music meets joy

Welcome to Miss Melanie's Music Studio

Hello! Whether you are exploring lesson options for yourself or your child, I'm glad you stopped by.

As a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music (NCTM) and a 20+ year member of the Minnesota Music Teachers Association (MMTA), I bring decades of experience to every lesson. My Bachelor of Science in Music Education from the University of Minnesota, with an emphasis in piano and clarinet, grounds my work with students at every stage, from first-time beginners to college-level musicians. Piano, woodwind and brasswind lessons are available in person at my southwest-suburban studio or online.

Students learn best when they can hear and see good musicianship up close, so demonstration is part of every lesson. Together we build a strong foundation through repertoire, etudes, studies, and exercises, with steady attention to tone, phrasing, rhythm, sight-reading, posture, and music theory. When time allows, we finish with a duet, teacher and student playing side by side.

Performance is woven throughout the year: two studio recitals in December and June, monthly MMTF recitals throughout the school year, MMTA Piano Contest and Festival in January and March, the MMTA Woodwind and Brasswind Festival and Contest in April, and any other chances to share music as they arise. Many students have advanced each year to win at finals in the MMTA piano contest and the MMTA Woodwind and Brasswind contest, a reflection of their dedication and hard work. We work hard and always reach for excellence, without ever losing sight of the joy in the process.

It would be a privilege to help your student discover just how fulfilling and enriching music can be, and I look forward to meeting you.

Melanie M. Hoffman, NCTM