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Richardson Music Studios

About Us:

Though we have both been active teachers and performers in the Northern Virginia Area for over 10 years, we first began combining our studios in the Spring of 2011.  Since then, our violin, viola and piano students have had great success in their public school music programs, as well as in local youth orchestras, regional orchestras, and competitions.  We have also been very happy to guide many students successfully through the college audition process, who are now pursuing careers in music, and have earned music degrees from institutions including the Peabody Conservatory, Shenandoah Conservatory, Berklee College of Music, George Mason University, University of Virginia, and the George Washington University.

Testimonials:

"Michelle is an amazing teacher and person.  She taught me things about playing piano that I didn’t know existed before I met her.  She kept me accountable for practicing and drove me to do my best.  In fact, I believe she is one of the biggest factors that contributed to my acceptance to Berklee College of Music.  I also looked forward to seeing her every week, and always left my lessons feeling confident and motivated.  I would definitely recommend her as a piano teacher, whether you are pursuing music as a hobby or career, and I’m grateful I know her." 

-- Darion, Former Piano Student

"I highly recommend Michelle Richardson as a piano teacher! My 16-year-old son has taken lessons with Michelle for over 4 years and though his high school schedule is very busy now, he still prioritizes piano because Michelle inspires him. He says the lessons are fun and fast paced. My 11-year-old daughter also loves piano and happily practices to prepare for lessons and recitals. She says Michelle is nice and teaches well. Both kids have improved in technique and they play with feeling. Michelle sets the bar high and my kids want to meet her expectations. I couldn’t ask for a better piano teacher."

-- Gillian, Parent

"My 9-year-old son, Andrew, has been taking private piano lessons with Ms. Michelle Richardson since 2015.
Michelle is a wonderful piano teacher, with instructive, thorough, and assertive teaching style, with patience, which helps Andrew build a solid music foundation for Andrew to develop his interests and skills in playing piano.  With her instructions, Andrew has been making progresses steadily and gaining confidence from her encouragement.  
In addition to the regular piano lessons, Michelle has been encouraging Andrew to participate various music competitions and performances, which provide positive challenges for Andrew to improve his piano performance experiences and skills.  Michelle also took extra time and effort with professional consultation with advices to us, as parents, about Andrew’s piano playing planning and development.
We would highly recommend Michelle’s piano teaching!"

-- Vivian, Parent

"I have always been interested in music, and when I was seven years old, I convinced my parents into letting me take piano lessons. I always saw playing the piano as a hobby and a stress relief. I never lost my interest and passion for piano but when high school rolled around and I became incredibly busy with college entrance exams and college applications, I stopped taking piano lessons due to other priorities. After being accepted into my top school, the George Washington University, I began to look for scholarships to apply to. I came across the presidential scholarships in the arts at GWU, which is highly competitive and offers only several $15,000 scholarships in dance, fine arts, music, and theater to prospective GW students. I knew that music was my passion but wasn’t sure if I had a chance at it because auditions would be highly competitive. I knew I needed a very knowledgeable and experienced teacher and after searching for countless hours, I came across Michelle. I only had 2 months to not only learn and memorize three impressive pieces but also improve my knowledge in music theory and sight reading. Michelle not only helped me prepare for my scholarship audition but further ignited my passion for piano. I would look forward to my piano lessons with her because her positive attitude always made me want to strive to better myself as a musician. She is one of the most knowledgeable, positive, and caring mentors I have ever had. Thanks to her, I received the scholarship and ended up receiving another scholarship for piano! My younger self would have never believed that I would end up becoming a music minor and expand even more as a musician. I still keep in touch with Michelle because she was not only a piano teacher and mentor to me but also a friend. I’ve had many teachers throughout the years evoke fear and intimidation into their students to ensure they practice but that was not the case for Michelle. She used positive reinforcement which gave me confidence in my abilities and made me want to learn more. If it weren’t for Michelle, I would not have received my two piano scholarships or still been continuing my education in music. I’m truly so thankful to have had her as a piano teacher and have her as a friend now!"

- Kamola, Former Piano student

"Our family has had the privilege of working with Michelle Richardson for several years and we have only the best things to say about her!  She has taught two of our children, both of which have different learning styles.  She perfectly balances a professional disposition with that of a friend who makes learning piano a joy!  We know that our children have benefited tremendously because of the time spent with her and we would recommend her to anyone who might be looking to explore the world of piano further.  On another note (pun intended) we have interacted some with Matt Richardson as well and are equally awed by the talent they both share and by the enthusiasm with which they engage their students." 

- Hannah, Parent



 

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