About Vance Music: Looking At Our History
Vance Music History: 1952
Chester S. Vance Jr. founded Vance Music in 1952 in Kansas City, Kansas.
Chester, known to his friends & students as Chet, studied piano & the music of J.S. Bach with Jan Chiapusso, organ & music theory with Laurel Everette Anderson, violin with Raymond Cerf, and viola with T. Burns Westman. He studied choral conducting with Clayton Krehbiel & Robert Shaw.
Chet was a WWII veteran & toured as a pianist with the United Service Organization Shows. He was the pianist for the Oklahoma String Quartet & served as concertmaster in school & civic orchestras.
Prior to the foundation of Vance Music, Chet was the former Chairman of the Keyboard & String Departments at Quigley Music Studios, at that time the largest private music studio in the Midwest.
As a teacher, Chet always encouraged his students to take pride in their accomplishments and to enjoy sharing their music with others. Chet believed music students need regular performances to serve as short-term goals, give them hands-on experience, and build their confidence as musicians.
He loved to teach by using humor, and always had a twinkle about his eye. As he trained other Vance Music teachers, he encouraged them to see the potential in each student, and help each student to believe in their own potential.
Though Virginia, Chet’s wife, was not a musician, she was a key part of Vance Music. She made sure her children, Rex and Wynona, were diligent in their practice and school work as they grew.
She was a constant support to Chet in his work: she helped him organize his extensive music catalog, music research, and student files, and helped him prepare for lessons, recitals, publications, and much more.
Virginia knew and cared about each Vance Music student and their family. Her favorite way to share her love was through the kitchen. Whether it was a homemade gingerbread house filled with cookies, her secret punch recipe, or a gingerbread sleigh near Christmas, she made sure to shower students with goodies.
Here, she’s pictured with parents as they prepare punch for a Vance Music Christmas recital.
Vance Music History: 1972
The studio moved to Wichita, Kansas in 1972 to serve South Central Kansas. Rex, now the current Vance Music President, had received a scholarship to study violin at Wichita State University. Chet, Virginia, and Wynona all moved to Wichita to support Rex. For the first five years after the move, Chet drove back and forth between Wichita and Kansas City, providing music instruction in both areas.
Rex met his wife Jan while they were both pursuing degrees in music at Wichita State University. The Vance family grew with their two girls, Meghan and Marissa.
Wynona Vance, Rex’s younger sister, also studied at Wichita State University. She graduated with a Master of Music Education from Wichita State University with a specialization in learning disabled education.
Wynona taught as a Vance Music instructor for several decades, investing in students on wind instruments, brass instruments, accordion, guitar, piano, organ, and more. Her ability to bring joy to every student inspired all those who worked with her.
Vance Music History: 2007
In 2007, Vance Music expanded its reach beyond Wichita, Kansas by offering online lessons, primarily to offer private lessons to students in western Kansas, where many students did not have access to a local teacher.
Rex and one of his adult students experimented with various platforms, internet options, webcams, and more to find viable solutions to delay, video quality, and sound quality.
The studio has attracted students from multiple states in the United States of America, and from other countries around the world. Vance Music students have taken lessons in South Africa, Malaysia, Germany, Japan, and China.
About Vance Music: Who We Are Today
Vance Music: Present Day
Today, Rex, Jan, Meghan, & Marissa Vance continue teaching as a family at Vance Music. They work together to provide students quality music education through weekly one-on-one lessons, and monthly recitals. In addition, they support students through workshops with guest clinicians, various community auditions, music festivals, and competitions.
Locally, the studio draws onsite students from a 100-mile radius, & 10 school districts. The studio regularly serves about 100 students per week between online and onsite lessons. Our teaching staff, who all received some musical instruction from our founder Chester, is comprised of talented musicians with over 125 years of accumulated teaching experience.
Our instructors are dedicated to serving their communities with their musical knowledge and skills. Currently, Rex and Jan serve in their church’s praise team. Meghan and Marissa both serve as board members of the Wichita Metropolitan Music Teachers Association, Inc.
About Vance Music: Our Educational Values
Vance Music strives to develop skilled, creative, well-rounded, critical, and confident individuals through music education.
It’s About Developing The Individual Student
When a student begins learning, their first steps are critical. Good position, ear training, music literacy, and more, play a part in their development. Our staff are constantly learning; being a great teacher comes from not only building relationships and breaking down learning barriers, but also from having a wealth of knowledge about the subject matter.
Constant Learning About Our Subject
To learn hands-on from other professionals, Vance Music staff attend conferences held by associations such as: the Music Teacher National Association, American String Teacher Association, and National Association of Music Educators. Vance Music also takes students to competitions regularly, so students and teachers can receive feedback from adjudicators. With a love for reading and listening, our staff peruse old and new books, journals, and music. Whether from blogs, or resources in the studio, local library, or university libraries here in Wichita, our teachers dive deeper into the wealth of knowledge from musicians, educators, and other specialists throughout history. Current information is often studied via music journals such as: Teaching Music, Strings, Piano, Downbeat, and more.
Good Position For The Individual
Musicians are constantly moving. The Alexander Technique, one of the many techniques utilized regularly by musicians to prevent injury, says “Musicians do some of the most complex and demanding physical movements of any profession.” Good position, especially, requires music instructors who have a good understanding of physiology and how to adapt to the individual. According to Musician’s Union, “…observing and understanding posture in relation to their instrument will pay off in terms of comfort and the prevention of fatigue and injury, as well as improving sound, technique and musical expression.”
Position continues to develop as a student grows or ages. Changes in hand size, height, weight, and eyesight are all reasons a teacher will need to continue to adjust a student’s position to help them achieve ergonomic success with their instrument. We feel this can best be accomplished with one-on-one attention, rather than group lessons.
Good Foundations & Specific Goals
Once students have achieve a good music foundation, our staff works to help them achieve their individual goals. Some students may simply be playing music for daily joy. Others may want to study specific genres, such as jazz or classical music. Or, a student may wish to contribute to their community through civic or church functions. By tailoring to the individual, teachers can help students achieve their personal music goals.