"Will you teach my child how to play the piano?" 

It was a simple question that sparked a dream that has become a livelihood.

In the summer of 1999, while I was teaching elementary school full-time and pregnant with our first child, two members of our church approached me on separate occasions with the exact same question. It seemed an interesting and fun prospect, and knowing I would be resigning my full-time position at the end of the following school year, I thought this might be an opportunity in the making. That fall, Piano by DESign unofficially opened its doors with seven students, all beginners. I enjoyed the students and the experience so much, I began making plans to expand my studio.

The following summer, following the birth of our child, I began to spread the word that I would be officially opening my piano studio, Music by DESign. Enrollment grew, and by the fall of 2000, Music by DESign had an enrollment of 17 students, from preschool through middle school, encompassing total novice to early intermediate ability levels.

In December, 2004, our family relocated from Plano to our current Fairview location. The following summer, all studio operations transferred here and Music by DESign began anew, attracting students from Plano, Allen, Fairview, Lucas, McKinney, Melissa, and Frisco. Though I had originally intended to return to full-time classroom teaching when our youngest child reached kindergarten, those doors quickly closed. In 2012, to more accurately reflect the vision and purpose of the studio, Music by DESign became Piano by DESign and officially incorporated as an LLC.

Piano by DESign strives to provide quality musical instruction in a caring, nurturing environment. It is my goal to develop lifelong lovers of music, and students who can enjoy the beauty of musical expression through the piano for their entire lives.

Meet Debbi Speer, Owner of Piano by DESign

Mrs. Speer began studying piano at the age of 5, when her first-grade teacher suggested to her parents that she needed to develop finger strength in order to be able to hold her pencil correctly. Shortly thereafter, she attended her first lesson at the home of her beloved piano teacher, Mrs. Gladys "Skippy" Stouder in Miami, FL. She studied with Mrs. Stouder for the next twelve years, until her family moved to Texas following her high school graduation. While in high school, she began accompanying fellow students on the piano for their district solo competition performances. During her senior year of high school, she earned Superior with Distinction Honors from the Florida Music Teacher's Association at the state competition in both piano and clarinet.

Mrs. Speer holds a B.S. in Elementary Education from Gordon College in Wenham, MA, and a M. Ed. from the University of North Texas. After a decade of classroom experience teaching 4th, 3rd, and 1st grades in both private school and public school settings in Dallas and Plano, as well as a full year serving as a substitute teacher in multiple districts across North Texas, she opened the doors of her studio, Music by DESign, in the fall of 2000. In 2012, to more accurately reflect the vision and mission of her studio, she changed the name to Piano by DESign and incorporated as an LLC.

Mrs. Speer is a frequent accompanist for middle- and high-school students at local UIL Solo Competitions. She has served as the Director of Children's Ministries on the staff at Prairie Creek Baptist Church in Plano and the Promiseland Worship Director at Christ Fellowship in McKinney, where her family is actively involved as members. She has directed both children's and handbell choirs and has created and directed summertime musical camps for preschoolers and elementary students. She currently serves as the VBS worship director for Christ Fellowship, overseeing a team of youth and adult volunteers serving over 800 children during the annual Vacation Bible School outreach.

Mrs. Speer and her husband have been married since 1993. They have two children and a Wonder Dog named CeCe.