Mompreneur: Melissa Ayotte and Novato Piano School

Longtime Marin music teacher Melissa Ayotte has instilled the love of music in countless young people throughout the county. Recently, Melissa decided to rebrand and expanded her popular Novato music program—Magic Bus Music is now Novato Piano School!

We asked Melissa to tell us a little about her background and love for teaching music, and what Novato Piano School has to offer for kids, teens, and adults. Novato Piano School is located at 1530 Center Road #12. Learn more at www.novatopianoschool.com.

Please tell us a little about yourself. What’s your background?

I grew up in Mill Valley in the 1970’s where I began studying piano privately with Antonia Cippollina at the age of 5. I continued lessons all throughout elementary, middle, and high school and went on to College of Marin where I studied with Paul Smith for several more years.

I worked professionally as a pianist in several capacities: in restaurants, with theater groups, for schools and churches and also started teaching piano to young children. I quickly became a very busy piano teacher full with a wait list in southern Marin. I absolutely loved the little children and they loved me right back. I had found my dream job!

Then in the late 1990s I moved to Novato and started a family with my husband, Carlos. It was my son Charlie who inspired me to learn about music’s impact on early child development and he did that before he was even born. I will never forget how Charlie would dance in my belly as I worked playing and teaching piano and I was fascinated by that!

I learned about Kindermusik International on the internet, (one of the first things I ever used the internet for) completed my training in Sacramento and became a licensed Kindermusik educator in 1999.

What does your music program offer for kids and families?

The Novato Piano School is the new name of the Music with Melissa studio and offers joyful music learning experiences for people of all ages. I have joined forces with another wonderful piano teacher: Mr. Richard Elliott and we have expanded our class offerings to include a Chord Approach Piano Program for teens and adults.

The Novato Piano School is a very beautiful space located in central Novato, just next door to Round Table Pizza in the Triangle Plaza shopping center.

The Kindermusik program offers live, group music-making experiences for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. It makes a perfect feeder program into formal piano instruction, as the children develop rhythm skills, tonal awareness as well as learn to recognize staff notation. Kindermusik includes the whole family, with the intent that family music making sessions become a part of everyday life. (Eventually the family music sessions include piano practice!)

Kindermusik Schedule
Fall session begins October 2

• Ages 0 & 1 Wednesdays 11:30 am
• Ages 2 & 3 Tuesdays 10 am
• Ages 4 & 5 Wednesdays 9 am
• Newborn to 4 (mixed age) Thursdays 10 am

Piano for Kids is a small group program.  2 to 4 kids participate and progress together in a weekly, 9 month school year program, where beginners are grouped together by grade.  Using a staff-notation or “music reading” method, all the skills learned in Piano for Kids can be applied to any band or orchestra instrument later on.  Because the classes include ensemble play every week, students acquire fantastic rhythm, sight reading and counting skills.

Piano for Kids
New Beginners’ Schedule
School Year program begins September 10

• First Graders Monday 3:30 pm
• First Graders Wednesday 2:30 pm
• Second Graders Monday 4:30 pm
• Second Graders Tuesday 3:30 pm
• Third Graders Thursday 4:30 pm
• Fourth Graders Thursday 5 pm

Chord Approach Piano for Teens and Adults is a different class altogether.  Because teens and adults can more easily play “be ear” as beginning students, we use music theory and teach chord and rhythm patterns in order to get older beginners playing pop and children’s songs very quickly.  The Chord Approach classes are offered in 4 week sessions throughout the year.

Chord Approach Piano for Teens and Adults:

• Saturdays 9 am
• See website for start dates.

There are also free demo classes, open studio days and community events offered each month!

Of course, all the details can found online!