Vance Music strives to develop skilled, creative, well-rounded, critical, and confident individuals through music education.
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. He loved to teach by using humor, and always had a twinkle in his eye.
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. She was a constant support to Chet in his work: she helped him organize his 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 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. Rex met his wife Jan while they were both studying at Wichita State. 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 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. The studio 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, 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 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 100 years of accumulated teaching experience.
