Today we’d like to introduce you to Gina Figliuolo.
Gina, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I relocated to Denver in 2016 from Los Angeles in search of well, …a more affordable life. I could buy a house here where I’d always be stuck in apartments if I’d stayed in exorbitantly-priced L.A. I didn’t have work lined up when we made the move, so I pored over job sites in search of employment. Nothing rang my bell until I saw a post for a music studio manager. As a singer and lover of music myself, this caught my eye and I made the call. I was thrilled to find out that the music studio was actually a music school where I’d be surrounded by students of all ages pursuing their musical paths. I’ve also always wanted to work with kids, so this sounded like a perfect opportunity. I was hired after my first interview and I haven’t looked back. I’ve never enjoyed this kind of job satisfaction, and I don’t see my passion for this job abating any time soon. I count my blessings every day when I walk through that door. I just celebrated my two year anniversary with SML and am looking forward to many more as we are growing like wildfire!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It’s been a blast watching SML grow. We’re a small, locally-owned and operated business and it’s been a slow and steady build to where we are now. We’re very fortunate that it’s been a relatively smooth path. I think it helps that we’re located in this young, vibrant community that’s just exploded in recent years. We recently had to convert our back room into another studio, we’re growing so quickly!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Stapleton Music Lab – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Stapleton Music Lab is a one-stop-studio for music lessons in piano, guitar, ukulele, drums, voice, violin, saxophone & more! Our mission is to build the foundation of a musical life, starting at any age. I love that our students’ ages range from 3 – 60+, proving that it’s never too early or too late to start on one’s musical journey. Our approach is to listen to our students and collaborate with them to build an instruction plan that maximizes enjoyment with their instrument, and then showcasing the fruits of their efforts in our annual recital. I’m also excited that we offer a really unique option called the “LabKit” which allows a student to book either 2 or 4 lessons, each in a different instrument of the students choice. This allows the student to explore their options and really focus in on what they’d like to pursue.
And I’m so proud that we employ local musicians as instructors. They’re the heartbeat of the Denver music scene. Who better than they to instill their love of music and pass along their knowledge to our students as we enrich the musical life of our Denver community?
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
We’re growing every day, for which I’m incredibly grateful. Right now we offer group lessons for ages 3-5 and private instruction for ages five and up in a wide variety of instruments. In the very near future we will be introducing more group-based offerings for all ages; including rock band, chamber ensemble, group instrument classes in piano and guitar. We’re also throwing around the idea of offering studio rentals …and who knows what else we’ll come up with! Most importantly, we will also be doing more community outreach, connecting with school programs as well so that we may start engaging and serving students from our local schools in a wider variety of instruments.
Pricing:
- 30 minute introductory lesson: $25
- Monthly plan – once a week, 30 minute lessons: $130/month
- Group Piano class (ages 3-5): $88/month
- 2-Lesson LabKit: $59
- 4-Lesson LabKit: $109
Contact Info:
- Address: 3700 Havana Street, Ste. 214
Denver, CO 80239 - Website: www.stapletonmusiclab.com
- Phone: 720.583.4060
- Email: info@stapletonmusiclab.com
- Instagram: stapleton_music_lab
- Facebook: facebook.com/stapletonmusic
- Yelp: www.yelp.com/biz/stapleton-music-lab-denver
Image Credit:
Gina Figliuolo
Getting in touch: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
