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Renee Bordner is the Founder and an Instructor at Note-worthy Experiences, and she serves as clerk and a volunteer at Instrumental Angels.
What inspired you to start Note-worthy Experiences, and what is your overall mission?
I created Note-worthy Experiences Music Studio in 2007 after searching for a fun, engaging, and high-quality piano instructor for our son. There was a small window of opportunity to engage my son in music lessons before filling his schedule with other meaningful extracurricular activities. I could not find an instructor who balanced the music foundation-building skills and fun that was right for our family, so with some encouragement from a few mom friends and support from my husband, I decided to put my master’s degree in education to use in a new way. The mission of putting students and their goals first was where we started and we maintain the same mission today for over 600 students each week.
You offer lessons for a broad variety of instruments, and you also provide lessons for vocals and songwriting, as well as theory. As a small business, how have you been able to scale your services to meet such a diverse range of student needs?
Note-worthy Experiences Music Studio offers in-home lessons for nearly every instrument, theory, composing, songwriting, audition preparations, competitions, and music history because we have taken the time to get to know our families and have listened to their needs and wishes. I often create workshops that address our students’ and their families’ questions and curiosities. For example, this winter, I am offering a free workshop for our families on highlighting music lessons in students’ college application packets. As a passionate music educator, I love teaching and helping others learn. This passion has organically allowed Note-worthy Experiences to blossom into our current program.
What are some of the challenges you have had to overcome to grow your business?
Small business owners face challenges of all shapes and sizes. The 2008 Recession and our move from Pennsylvania to Massachusetts were two challenges that prepared us for what the pandemic brought us. When we moved to Sudbury in 2012, I taught students in Pennsylvania via Skype; little did I know that I would later teach our instructors how to teach online during a pandemic. Listening carefully to our students, families, and instructors helped us create online and socially-distanced community events during the darkest times of the pandemic. I created our Note-worthypalooza outdoor music festival so our students could have a spring music recital while socially distancing during the pandemic. Our studio family loved this event so much that it became an annual tradition.
Do you provide opportunities for students to perform, such as recitals or community events?
All students who study with Note-worthy Experiences Music Studio are welcome and encouraged to participate in our Note-worthypalooza at Camp Sewataro, our Winter Holiday Recitals, and monthly informal recitals at local assisted living facilities. If a student is anxious about performing, we encourage them to start with performing informal recitals in their own homes for their teddy bears. Some students perform at Franco’s Trattoria and local non-profit fundraisers for HOPEsudbury, The Goodnow Library, and Emerson Hospital. Our students can participate in adjudications such as the Royal Conservatory School of Music, Associated Board of Royal Schools of Music, Piano Guild through the American College of Musicians, and many other incredible opportunities to hone their performance skills. We encourage our students to participate in their school talent shows, bands, chorus, orchestras, theater productions, and opportunities to play music at their place of worship. These performance skills are valuable life lessons that our students can apply to many different aspects of their lives, from job interviews to work or school presentations in front of large audiences.
What advice do you have for beginners who are nervous about learning an instrument?
It is natural to be anxious about trying something new. I encourage our teachers to find out why the student is nervous. Then, the teacher can curate each lesson plan to meet the students where they are. Setting realistic short-term goals with a manageable practice plan can make students feel confident and ready for grander long-term goals.
What is your studio’s role in the local music scene and community events?
In addition to our community involvement above, Note-worthy Experiences is committed to supporting our local community through our non-profit, Instrumental Angels. I also volunteer as a board member of HOPEsudbury and the Sudbury Cultural Council. Sudbury and the MetroWest community have supported Note-worthy Experiences; giving back to this incredible community is very important to me.
You also started Instrumental Angels. Can you tell us what it is and what motivated you to start it and how can readers get involved?
Instrumental Angels is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded by our children when they attended Curtis Middle School and Lincoln Sudbury Regional High School. This non-profit collects used musical instruments, sanitizes them, repairs them, and places them in programs that serve children in need. Instrumental Angels has placed nearly 9,000 musical instruments with programs as far away as West Africa. If you know of a child in need or have an instrument to donate, please contact us at www.instrumentalangels.org or info@instrumentalangels.org
Based on your experience with your business and local nonprofits, what advice would you give to someone seeking a career in music?
I love supporting small businesses, nonprofits, and musicians. If anyone is interested in starting a career in these areas, I encourage them to be open-minded, flexible, and to build a strong support network. We offer support in the lessons for our students who may be considering a music career. We also offer a music career night for our students to ask our panel of musicians who work in a variety of music-related roles their questions. If any reader is considering starting a small business, a non-profit organization, or pursuing music as a career, I would be happy to connect further with you. Feel free to contact me at www.note-worthyexperience.com or rbordner@note-worthyexperiences.com