Two working musicians who have built a studio around real growth, genuine community, and the joy of making music together.
Flute · Piano · Director, Flock of Flutes
Monica Williams is an award-winning flutist, pianist, recording artist, and music educator whose passion for music flows through everything she does — from the recording studio and the teaching studio to the communities she builds around music. A graduate of the prestigious Eastman School of Music who went on to pursue her master's at the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, Monica has spent over 25 years teaching flute and piano in the East Bay — helping children and adults discover music as a source of lifelong happiness.
Monica's approach to teaching is anything but conventional. She believes the secret to a lifelong love of music is teaching the whole person first — and if that means tossing a stuffed animal across the room to shake loose a distraction, so be it. Her students don't just learn to play; they learn to feel music, own it, and love it. That philosophy has taken them all the way to Carnegie Hall and earned top honors in regional and national competitions. She is the founder and director of Flock of Flutes, and co-owns Vibrant Music Studio with her business partner Stephen Evans.
As a recording artist, Monica has earned the Silver Medal from the Global Music Awards, Best World Album from One World Music, and her album Within Us All debuted at #3 on the Billboard New Age Albums Chart, reaching listeners on SiriusXM and international airline playlists. A podcaster, mentor, and creative at heart, Monica believes music has the power to transform lives — and she's dedicated hers to proving it.
When she's not teaching or performing, Monica can be found at home with her two cats, Ollie and Zoe, or out in the community advocating for social justice causes she believes in deeply.
Cello · Piano · Orchestral Performer
Stephen Evans is a cellist, pianist, and orchestral performer who brings deep ensemble experience to everything he teaches. He holds a BA in Cello Performance from the University of Texas, Austin, and an MA in Orchestral Performance from the University of London, Goldsmith's College.
Stephen has performed with orchestras in Europe and the United States, and served as accompanist for the Diablo Women's Chorale. He is a frequent collaborative accompanist for his students, and a member of the American String Teachers Association, where he also serves as an adjudicator. As co-director of Vibrant Music Studio, he brings deep expertise in ensemble programming, performance workshops, and cello pedagogy.
Stephen's approach to teaching is all about harnessing each student's natural creativity — keeping lessons playful, hands-on, and genuinely fun, while staying interesting and challenging for every level. His students have gone on to study music performance in cello, piano, or composition, and he takes particular joy in inspiring them to write their own music.