A Celebration of Firsts

Holiday Harmonies

A Celebration of Firsts at Con Brio Piano Studio

This December, we celebrated the season in the most heartwarming way possible—with our 2024 Christmas Piano Party! Held on December 8th in beautiful Gig Harbor, Washington, this event marked a milestone for many of our students as they took the stage for their very first recital. The festive atmosphere, coupled with inspiring performances, made this celebration a resounding success.

A Showcase of Dedication and Joy

The program was filled with delightful holiday classics, lovingly prepared by our first-time recitalists. From Malee’s lively rendition of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" to Amelia’s cheerful "Jingle Bells", each performance brought smiles to the audience. Paxton’s “Up on the Housetop” and Claire’s “I Love My Candy Cane” reminded us of the joy and whimsy of the season, while Nolan’s “Rudolph’s Little Brother” and Dominik’s “Twelve Days of Christmas” kept the festive energy alive.

Paxton’s “Up on the Housetop” and Claire’s “I Love My Candy Cane” reminded us of the joy and whimsy of the season, while Nolan’s “Rudolph’s Little Brother” and Dominik’s “Twelve Days of Christmas” kept the festive energy alive.

The program also featured beautiful moments of reflection, such as Emelia’s touching “Silent Night” and Ryan’s graceful “Winter Wonderland.” The crowd enjoyed a laugh during Liam’s playful “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,” and Maddox gave a joyful performance of “Deck the Halls.”

Inspiring Performances from Advanced Students

To complement the first-time recitalists, our advanced guest performers—Wambui and Yifan—added an extra layer of inspiration. Wambui’s stunning rendition of “O Holy Night” showcased her artistry and poise, while Yifan’s elegant “Snowman” brought a modern touch to the program, leaving the audience in awe

A Community Celebration

The event concluded with a music theme ornament gift exchange and refreshments, offering students and families an opportunity to connect, reflect, and celebrate the season together. The Piano Party was more than just a recital—it was a testament to the hard work, growth, and community spirit that make Con Brio Piano Studio so special.

As we prepare for the upcoming Annual Christmas Concert at Wurlitzer Manor, this Piano Party served as a perfect kick-off and a celebration of our students' progress.

A huge congratulations to all of our performers for their dedication and passion—you made this holiday season truly magical!

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2024 Music Olympics

Celebrating Excellence at the 2024 Music Olympics!

On November 16th, Con Brio Piano Studio shone brightly at the 2024 Music Olympics, hosted by the Gig Harbor Music Teachers Association. It was a weekend filled with music, learning, and celebration, and I couldn’t be more proud of our students’ achievements!

Congratulations to all twenty-three Con Brio Piano students for their outstanding passion and excellence in piano!

〰️ 🎶 〰️

Congratulations to all twenty-three Con Brio Piano students for their outstanding passion and excellence in piano! 〰️ 🎶 〰️

About Music Olympics

The Music Olympics is an annual event designed to nurture well-rounded musicianship. Participants are challenged in nine essential disciplines from performance, theory, and rhythm, to scales, chords, arpeggios, sight-reading, and much more! This year’s event brought together numerous young pianists from the community, and Con Brio students truly stood out, showcasing their hard work, dedication, and passion for music.

FOR THE STUDENT

The Music Olympics provides students with a valuable framework for growth and celebrates their dedication to their craft.

Comprehensive Musicianship

Students develop skills across multiple musical disciplines creating well-rounded pianists.

Goal Setting and Achievement

Preparing for the event sharpens student’s ability to set specific goals and see tangible results, boosting their confidence and self-discipline.

Personalized Feedback

Adjudicators provide detailed feedback, helping budding pianists identify strengths and areas for improvement to guide their proficiency and growth.

Friendly, Supportive Competition

Students are motivated to strive for personal excellence in a positive, encouraging environment, fostering a healthy sense of accomplishment.

Increased Confidence

The experience of performing and being evaluated helps students build self-assurance in their abilities.

Sense of Community

Participants interact with peers who share their passion for music and the piano, building friendships and a sense of camaraderie.

Resilience Under Pressure

Performing in front of judges and peers helps students manage nerves and develop poise under pressure, a skill that extends beyond music.

Recognition of Effort

Earning rankings, certificates, or trophies reinforces the value of hard work and consistent practice.

Encouragement to Explore Music Further

Participation often ignites greater enthusiasm for music, inspiring students to tackle new challenges in their studies.

Long-Term Inspiration

Students carry the lessons and experiences from the event into future musical and non-musical endeavors.

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Excellence Across

the Board

Beyond the trophies, it is worth celebrating that all our students—regardless of placement—achieved first- or second-place rankings across the nine evaluated disciplines. This is a phenomenal achievement and a testament to our student’s consistent effort, passion, and commitment.

“One of my favorite things about Music Olympics was getting the opportunity to exercise my talents in all different areas like theory and performance. I enjoyed mastering the different disciplines and having the opportunity to receive constructive feedback from adjudicators. It helped me grow because it required me to be disciplined and focused on specific aspects of good musicianship. Also, winning a trophy truly made me feel accomplished and made me see all my hard work pay off!”

— Award Winning Music Olympian, Aspen Greene

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Acknowledging All Our Competitors

A huge round of applause goes to:

Ryan Nguyen, Dominik O'Block, Nolan Parisot, Haakon Kvinsland, Shane Grogan, Elliott Bush, Ayla O'Block, Harper Ryan, Paysen Hwang, Anirudh Rengarajan, McKinzie Grogan, Christianne Delacruz, and Hope Griffin.

Each of you embodied the values of Con Brio Piano Studio: integrity, enthusiasm, and excellence. You’ve set the bar high for what it means to pursue piano proficiency!

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“Music Olympics benefits the student by giving them a goal and then showing them how much they actually have learned and retained. It reenforces that studying piano can be abstract and there can be a healthy competition even against themselves.”

~ Music Olympian Parent

“It was great to see the process of the Music Olympic tournament. My son learned to be more focused and driven. The confidence in him is palpable! It’s everything I wanted him to experience in learning piano. ”

— First Time Music Olympian Parent

“It is so fun and I enjoy competing against myself as well as other musicians.”

~ Award Winning Music Olympian

Until next time

Thank you to the Gig Harbor Music Teachers Association for hosting such an inspiring event!

Celebrating Our Students' Musical Journey at the 2023 Spring Recital

As the spring season comes to a close, Con Brio Piano Studio celebrates the musical achievements of our students at our annual spring recital. Held in Gig Harbor on Saturday, May 6, this year's recital was a showcase of talent and dedication from our students of all levels.

The spring recital was not only a celebration of our student’s musical accomplishments, but also a reflection of their hard work and passion.

With solo works that captivated the senses, duets that created a beautiful harmony, and trios that brought a unique blend of sounds, the recital was a testament to the multifariousness of our student’s interests and passions.

The 2023 Spring Concert Program

It's exciting to see how much each pianist has developed, not just in their technical skills, but also in their confidence, stage presence, and overall musicianship.

To all current and future students, I am grateful to be a part of your musical journey!

We have exciting plans for future events and performances, and we can't wait to see what our students will achieve next.

We would like to thank our parents, family members, and friends for supporting fine arts and music education in our community, and for their loving encouragement. Without their help, our students would not be able to achieve their full potential.

In conclusion, I am thrilled to share with you the voices of our parent community! Their heartfelt testimonials capture the essence and impact of our recent studio recital. These shared impressions not only reflect the pride and joy experienced by our parents but also offer a glimpse into the fulfilling power of music in their children's lives.

2021 Music Olympics Congratulations

The annual Music Olympics is a focused and inspiring event designed to encourage piano students to develop well-rounded musicianship. On November 13th, young musicians from around the community came together to be evaluated on their capabilities in essential music skills at the 2021 Hybrid Music Olympics.

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Congratulations to our Studio’s

2021 Hybrid Music Olympic Trophy Winners:

Olivia, 1st Place

Level - Novice

Ryan,3rd Place

Level - Primary A

McKinzie, 2nd Place

Level - Primary B

Hailey, 3rd Place

Level - Elementary A

Ilyannie - 1st Place

Level - Elementary A

Brenden, 3rd Place

Level - Elementary B

Yifan, 1st Place

Level - Lower Intermediate A

Thomas, 2nd Place

Level - Lower Intermediate B

Aspen, 1st Place

Level - Lower Intermediate B

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Congratulations to our Studio’s

2021 Hybrid Music Olympics Hall of Fame Students

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the students who underwent this year’s Olympics, completed the chapter’s first Hybrid Music Olympics. It is a modified version of this event, with five in place of the usual nine, music skills (performance, theory, rhythm, scales, chords, and arpeggios evaluations).

These are our 2021 Hybrid Music Olympics Hall of Fame Students. Not only did these students submit their theory tests and videos, but they also went above and beyond in making sure to know all the Music Olympics requirements they would have had to learn for standard Music Olympics.

Olive Synco

Camila Juarez

Ryan Brooke

Hailey Brown

Ilyannie Robelle Gonzalez

Aspen Green

McKinzie Grogan

Olivia Marino

Yifan Monroe

Brendan Wagner

Thomas Tools

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Congratulations to all the other student participants who worked hard to do this event. Your efforts and determination in being an outstanding student by completing the 2021 Hybrid Music Olympics is recognized and applauded.

A huge thank you to the Gig Harbor Music Teacher’s Association for putting out another great event for our local pianists.