When Travis LaBerge and his wife Christine founded Parlando School of Musical Arts in 2002, they started with little more than a kitchen table, a handful of volunteers, and a dream: to bring music to places where it was underrepresented. What began with just two programs—tuition assistance for students and intergenerational concerts in retirement communities—has grown into one of Boulder County’s leading arts organizations.
Today, Parlando serves more than 550 weekly students of all ages and abilities. From preschoolers to retirees, budding musicians to seasoned performers, Parlando provides instruction in piano, voice, guitar, strings, band and orchestra instruments, musical theater, and acting. Their mission remains consistent: provide access to people of all ages and abilities, inspiring them to share in the love of music and the arts through education, community collaboration, and performance opportunity.
“We’ve certainly gone through different phases where the learning curve was very steep. Now we’re in more of an established situation but still with big aspirations,” shared Travis LaBerge, Founder and Executive Director, Parlando School of Musical Arts.
LaBerge’s journey began in 1999, when he moved to Boulder and began teaching music at Jarrow Montessori. With demand for piano lessons quickly outpacing his schedule, he expanded by hiring college music students to teach. Soon, what started as a side piano studio grew into a robust nonprofit.
Parlando’s impact is far-reaching. One in five students receives tuition assistance, ensuring finances are never a barrier to learning. Their school outreach program sends faculty into public schools each week, bolstering choir, band, and orchestra classes for thousands of students who might not otherwise have access. In 2024 alone, Parlando faculty supported over 3,000 classes and reached an estimated 120,000 students.
“We work every week of the school year with the same students in the same classes so that the students can form a relationship with the teachers and get the benefit of weekly music instruction when they can’t afford private lessons,” said LaBerge.
Another hallmark program is Julie’s Program, named for LaBerge’s sister, which offers music and theater opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. With dedicated donor support, it has become a beloved and sustained part of Parlando’s offerings.
“The program that’s probably closest to my heart is called Julie’s Program. I have three younger sisters, the older of whom is Julie. She is intellectually disabled but growing up and to this day, she’s always said that music is her favorite thing in the world.” LaBerge continued, “While in a conversation with a donor, I said that I would love to create a program at Parlando that provided music and programming for people like her who loved music but were neurodiverse. The donor had a sister with Down Syndrome and said when you’re ready to start that program, you let us know and we will fund it.”
Future plans are underway to launch a Piano Technician Training School to address the national shortage of qualified piano tuners and technicians. This innovative program would create a pipeline of skilled professionals, provide affordable services to the community, and open new career paths for participants.
LaBerge shares, “There’d be different tiers of service, different tiers of pricing, and it would become an additional revenue stream for Parlando, as well as helping to further our mission of bringing more music into the community. And at the same time, providing real-world training for people who could then go out and make a decent living with this trade school type of education.”
Physical teaching space, however, is becoming a pressing challenge. With 26 teaching studios at the Dairy Arts Center nearly at capacity, Parlando is considering a second location as part of its upcoming 25th anniversary and a potential capital campaign.
Community members can support Parlando in many ways—from volunteering at performances and joining committees, to helping spread the word, or making a gift to support programs like tuition assistance and school outreach.
This fall, Parlando will host a special fundraising event, Side by Side by Sondheim, on October 5 at the Ranch Country Club in Westminster. The evening will feature dinner, drinks, and performances by Parlando’s faculty and guest artists, with proceeds supporting their Guest Artist Series.
“Once in a while, I do get the opportunity to just take a breath and take a look at what we’ve done and realize, holy cow, this has really become something,” LaBerge reflects.
For more information about Parlando School of Musical Arts visit: parlando.org
