Vivace School of Music and Arts

“Our Mission is to provide an environment where people of all ages and abilities can learn.
Our Teachers are committed to giving their students excellent arts instruction.”
John Van Patten & Myriam Goodwin

After incorporating on September 17 th, 2003, Vivace School of Music and Arts Inc., began giving music lessons out of the second level of the Parr Memorial Baptist Church in Petoskey, Michigan. Their first instructors, Myriam Goodwin and John Van Patten (also the owners), could barely keep up with the explosive growth as word spread about the instruction they were offering.

By early spring of 2004 it became apparent that Vivace would need its own space as students continued to flood the school in search of professional music lessons. “The growth was explosive!” stated instructor and co-owner John Van Patten “We knew we were going to need our own place.” Following a few failed attempts to acquire property in the Petoskey area Vivace was able to locate a suitable purchase between Harbor Springs and Conway. The location, now known as the Harbor Springs Vivace, had its Ground breaking ceremony in early May and Construction was completed by August of 2004 with special thanks to their persistent builders who worked tirelessly to have them in before September.

With over 15 current instructors, a far cry from the original 5 that helped open the Harbor Springs location only 2 years ago, Vivace is not only growing its clientele, but it is expanding where it does business. There is little doubt as to their success, commented Mr. Van Patten, “It’s our instructors that make the difference.” As summer began in 2006 so did the expansion of Vivace School of Music and Arts, by opening another institution, this one located in the East Jordan area. With the vast array of performing arts programs being offered in the East Jordan School district there was little doubt as to how Vivace could compliment the current curriculum, only how quickly they could open their new location, in the old Dura building on M66.

Their immediate plans for the future are simple, offer more classes at both locations and acquire more instructors, as needed, to maintain Vivace’s current high standards of professionalism.