Welcome Music Corner STL, School of Music

Among the new businesses to open in the CWE recently is the Music Corner STL, which opened in November at 4405 West Pine, Suite 105 (the entrance is on Newstead). Proprietor Stephanie Chang, a multi-talented musician who came to St. Louis for a job interview (which didn’t pan out), fell in love with “the beauty of this town” and, after seeing an ad for the space on Newstead, decided to move here from Raleigh N.C.   She reveres the St. Louis Symphony–“one of the best,” and thought her business would be a good fit for the neighborhood.

When I stopped in to visit, I was greeted by a very friendly Hungarian Vizsla, Bela, named after the Hungarian composer Bela Bartok. It was stunning to learn all of the instruments Chang has mastered, including piano, violin, viola, and cello. She also offers voice lessons and trains boys treble choir.

Lessons at Music Corner STL are available for ages 5 and up. Classes are 30, 45, or 60 minutes long, meet 4 times a month and monthly costs are $140, $210, and $280. Chang offers a 10% discount for siblings and other family members, seniors (55+), college/grad students, and boys choir participants. All the group lessons such as string group classes,  string orchestra, chamber music seminar, music theory classes and the boy soprano choir are $110 per month. A trial lesson (30 mins., $25) is suggested to determine if this is a good fit before committing to monthly classes.

There are a few scenarios, Chang explained, such as a fresh start as a beginner, or those who want to return to the piano or violin after many years, or want to go as far as they can and become music majors/minors, for instance.  Whichever path you choose, she will guide you on your way. (She currently has an equal number of adult and youth students.)
Stephanie Chang, above, was born in South Korea and started music lessons on the piano at age 5. In 2nd grade she added violin class as an extracurricular activity. She attended middle/high school in Miami, FL after her family immigrated to the U. S.  She was a concert mistress of the Greater Miami Youth Symphony, and debuted with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Florida.

Chang earned a bachelor of music degree from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY. She then earned a masters of music from Yale University, School of Music. She knew of Ruggiero Ricci, the “Giant of the Violin,” and wanted to study under him. She was thrilled when he accepted her into the Bowden International Music Festival in Maine, where she played each summer while in school.  After she completed her masters at Yale, she left for Salzburg, Austria to apprentice under Ricci for 5 years. “It was hard,” she said, “practice was 10 t0 12 hours a day.”  While in Europe, Chang performed at festivals in Austria, England and Poland, while studying at the University of Mozarteum in Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart.

When she returned to the states, she moved to California where her teacher Ricci had retired.  and became a music teacher in parochial schools, and taught the choir how to read and write liturgical music. Chang started her Music Corner business in Danville, CA., in San Francisco’s East Bay in 2013.

She said that her parents frequently suggested different professions for her. She explained, “This is what a musician’s life is. I only want to do this. I live for my art, and that takes a lifetime of dedication. Life is short, you have to do what you love.”

Music Corner STL, 4405 West Pine, Suite 105,  (557) 215-0125. Open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. by appointment. For more information, and a complete list of what is offered (much more than I’ve mentioned), check the website.