Concord Conservatory of MusicConcord Conservatory of MusicTo celebrate our 20th anniversary as Concord’s community music school, we’re sharing the stories of 20 members of our community whose lives were positively impacted by their experiences at CCM.
Finding the Universal Language
Anais, Luca, and Dante are a melting pot of musical influences. Luca’s family is steeped in classical music; his mother is a well-trained classical pianist, his youngest brother plays both the piano and violin, and his middle brother grew up playing the trumpet. For his part, Luca started playing the clarinet in 6th grade and played it through college. Anais’s father was self-taught in guitar, mandolin, and the cuatro (Latin American ukulele). While her father had “good musical ears,” Anais says, her mother, her two sisters, and her had “good dancing feet. So we were a great combination.” Later in life, Anais says, “My mom used music to tune my father’s mood during his advanced Alzheimer’s diagnosis.”
Finding an instructor who would go beyond rote lessons and tap into the music’s meaning was vital for Anais and Luca. “Given our international upbringing, our family is very big on the superpower of languages,” Anais says. “At home we speak English, Spanish, and some Italian. Luca also speaks French. We want Dante to learn the most universal language of all — music!”
Anais and Luca hope to convey music’s transformative power to Dante.
“We don’t expect him to become a professional musician,” Anais says. “But we do want him to appreciate music, receive a foundational music education, and to understand how to read and interpret music well. If he does that, inevitably he will be moved by it and communicate this to others.”
The Search for Community
Community is where you find it. Anais Espinal and Luca Bertuccelli, originally from Venezuela and Italy, respectively, and now living in Bedford, Massachusetts, found the ideal music community for their eight-year-old son, Dante, at CCM.
“For a few years we searched for a place to enroll Dante into music lessons,” Anais says. “There were private music teachers around Bedford for piano or violin, but our hope was to find a music school where he could interact beyond whatever instrument he was playing. We researched online and found CCM. It had the right combination of music education with a variety of instruments.”
Finding Fluency at CCM
After taking trial classes with piano and with cello, Dante decided to start with piano. He ultimately ended up under the direction of Chieko Loy, who has been at CCM since its founding. “We’ve been thrilled with her,” Luca says. “She teaches piano kindly, with patience and great knowledge. We love that she doesn’t rush though the lesson books — she stays until the piece feels completed.”
CCM has turned out to be everything the family hoped for — and more.
“Our expectations at CCM have completely been exceeded,” Luca says. “The most special part is the comprehensive approach they take on music. They create an environment where if what you want is just private classes, you can do that. But for families like ours that want more, CCM offers concerts, additional theory classes, recitals, challenges with incentives, and a sense of community.”
Dante is already heading in that direction. “We are really happy with his improvement and participation in recitals and concerts,” Anais says. “Dante loves wearing his tuxedo for recitals, and he practices his pieces a lot to make sure he is ready for the recitals. He says his legs shake a little before the concerts, but each time he feels less nervous. In the last recital, he saw a piano/saxophone duet and he wondered if that could be him in the future. And we think this is just the beginning.”
Growing up in Foxborough, Massachusetts, budding guitarist Kevin Scollins developed a severe case of Beatlemania. “When I was very young I became obsessed with the Beatles,” recalls Kevin, a guitar and ukulele instructor at CCM.
That obsession led him to start taking guitar lessons at age nine. But it also provided an important lesson about the magic of music. As great as the Beatles were as individual musicians and composers, they became truly transcendent when they performed together.
That understanding of the group dynamic informs Kevin’s philosophy both as a performer and an instructor. “Taking lessons is great,” says Kevin, a Berklee grad who received the prestigious Jimi Hendrix Scholarship, “but I’ve learned the most from playing with people who are better than me.”
Connecting with the Community — and with Students
Kevin’s approach is perfectly aligned with CCM’s. “I really like the community at CCM,” he says. “It’s an inviting place with a lot of opportunities for the students. From the Monthly Jazz Jam sessions, to the recitals, to the Music Achievement Program, to the private lessons, there are so many great opportunities for students to learn and have fun.”
The key to connecting with new students, Kevin says, is to find the music that inspires them the way the Beatles once inspired him. “I like to start students out by playing music that gets them excited,” Kevin says. “If a student tells me they really like a certain song or artist, we’ll work on things that will help them be able to play that kind of music. When students are working on things they are excited about, they tend to want to practice more.”
Practice Makes Perfect — but Jamming Makes It Fun
Sparking a student’s interest is one thing. Keeping it burning is a different challenge — and that’s where the group dynamic comes into play. “Finding a way to play with others — and doing that as close to the time you start playing as possible — is fundamental to making any real progress on any instrument,” Kevin says.
For one thing, playing in a group adds an important social element to the learning process. “A lot of students find it boring to practice by themselves,” Kevin says.
In addition, “Playing with a group provides motivation to improve. Keeping up with your peers and being responsible for your part in a band can give an added sense of purpose to practicing.”
All Together Now
In addition to his proficiency in rock, pop, and R&B, Kevin is an accomplished jazz guitarist who has performed at prestigious festivals in New York and Washington. With its emphasis on collaboration and improvisation, jazz is the ideal medium for him.
That’s one more reason he’s such a big fan of CCM’s Monthly Jazz Jam. “I think it’s an invaluable resource,” Kevin says. “It gives people of all ages and levels of musical ability an opportunity to play together. That’s a great way to learn — not just from your peers but also from people who are stronger players than you. Playing alongside stronger players is one of the best ways you can learn to play music.”
SAVE THE DATE! Celebrate 20 Years of Music and Impact with CCM!
As we kick off the new year, we are thrilled to announce our biggest celebration of the season: the Concord Conservatory of Music 20th Anniversary Benefit Bash!
For two decades, CCM’s mission—made possible by the generous support of our community—has been to nurture creativity and connection through music. This milestone celebration highlights why our work is important and ensures we can continue to offer transformative programs for every student, every family, every note.
You won’t want to miss this special evening. Keep an eye on your inbox later this month for the official launch! Your participation directly supports what our donors are making possible for us—a vibrant, accessible musical education for all.
Learn about sponsorship opportunities now: 20th Anniversary Sponsorship & Event
Welcome CJ Waldrop, Our New Trumpet Instructor!
Please welcome CCM’s newest faculty member, CJ Waldrop, our new Trumpet Instructor!
CJ is a fantastic addition to the CCM family, bringing enthusiasm, expertise, and a passion for teaching students of all levels. His experience ensures that every student finds their unique musical path. To learn more about trumpet lessons or to register, please visit our website or contact our office!
CCM in the Community: Ukulele Edition!
We had a great time at the Boys & Girls Club of Assabet Valley! 🎸✨
On Wednesday afternoons, CCM brings the joy of music to Maynard with weekly ukulele classes for kids ages 6–11. We love seeing these students develop their foundational skills and find their rhythm!
Bringing music into the heart of our community is exactly why we do what we do. A huge thank you to our donors for making outreach programs like this possible for the next generation of musicians. 🎶
2026 Concert and Speaker Series Continues
Join us for Matt Flinner and Joe K. Walsh on Saturday, January 24, 2026, at 7:00 pm, the next installment in our Concert & Speaker Series! Known for their mastery of tone and tasteful musical approach, this mandolin duo brings profound voices and diversity of texture to the acoustic and bluegrass worlds, with Matt Flinner on the banjo and mandolin and Joe Walsh switching between mandolin, mandola, octave mandolin, and mandocello.
Check out the rest of our lineup:
Thank you to our sponsors!
We invite all music enthusiasts and businesses to sponsor our Concert & Lecture Series. If you’re interested, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Elaine Lawrence at Elawrence@ConcordConservatory.org. We would love to discuss how you can be part of this exciting series.
We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events!
Be the Reason Someone Experiences Music
Imagine the joy of a child learning their first instrument, the spark in a senior’s eye as they reconnect with cherished memories through music, or the strength in the voice of someone with Parkinson’s finding their melody.
You can make these moments possible with a gift to CCM.
By making your very first gift to CCM, you have the opportunity to:
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