California Conservatory of Music’s Robert Miller has come a long way since the day his father brought home a small guitar for him when he was in the fourth grade in upstate New York.
Miller went on to earn a performance degree from Ithaca College, a masters from the prestigious Eastman School of Music, a fellowship with the Belgian American Educational Foundation and a second Masters in performance from the Lemmensinstiuut Conservatory in Belgium.
From concertizing around the world, Miller landed in Santa Clara in 2009, invited by the pioneer of Suzuki method for guitar, Frank Longay, to teach at the Longay Conservatory of Guitar.
“Frank Longay had started that school and was really a true believer in the impact that music can have in kids’ lives,” Miller said.
When Longay died suddenly, Miller and another teacher, Christopher Mallett, took over the school. The pair knew much about music but little about running a business.
“I was just a musician and music teacher,” Miller said. “I didn’t know anything about things like finding a place for the school, how to incorporate. The community around us at the school wanted us to continue. With the help of the community, we kept those kids learning and a lot of the families supported us.”
Miller and Mallett learned so well, in fact, that the school has grown to two locations, Sunnyvale and Redwood City, an expanded mission expressed by its name change last year to California Conservatory of Music, a faculty of 55 and about 1,300 students. Since COVID, the Conservatory offers online lessons as well.
Running his own school gives Miller the flexibility of managing his own time — for example, having mornings free to practice. But the real payoff is watching his students thrive as musicians.
“It’s amazingly rewarding to watch kids that start with you at a young age, go away to college, [and return] as great musicians,” he said.
“This has shaped who they are. It feels great to have kids win awards and international competitions, but it’s really more about watching kids love music,” Miller continued. “Watching kids that started with us struggling through Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and [later] playing beautiful repertoire with control, confidence and creativity. I think that that’s what most teachers here would say is really rewarding.”
Today, the Conservatory has expanded far beyond its original mission of Suzuki method guitar lessons. In addition to guitar, the school teaches piano, violin, drums and offers students opportunities for ensemble playing and performance experience. The Conservatory has also begun offering classes in Taiwanese music.
“One of our teachers is a specialist in Taiwanese indigenous music,” Miller said. “So she offers some classes. We just do it for free for the families here. They really like it, and it really enriches the cultural side of school.”
Miller’s educational philosophy puts the emphasis on enjoyment and motivation rather than competition and testing
“First, we try to develop the love of music, and of course, they need healthy technique and understanding. But we try to really make the lessons fun for the kids to motivate them to practice,” he said.
Miller offers free introductory lessons to introduce students and families to the school and music study and invites active family participation in the school’s activities.
Community engagement is another cornerstone of Miller’s educational mission, and his students often perform outreach concerts at hospitals, schools and nursing homes. He also operates a separate nonprofit to offer music lessons to students.
“We started buying guitars for kids that wouldn’t be able to afford them,” he said. “We’ve worked with schools in San José, East Palo Alto and throughout the Bay Area to get music lessons for kids.
“We have advanced students from the school teach them,” he continued. “They’re learning to teach, manage their own schedule and help other kids learn. All while giving other kids an opportunity to study and perform that they wouldn’t otherwise have.”
For more about the California Conservatory of Music, visit thecaliforniaconservatory.com or call 408-844-8300.
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