Melody Richardson

You could say music runs in my blood. My grandmother was a classically trained vocalist and piano teacher who also moonlighted under a stage name in glamorous Chicago nightclubs. My parents, still married to this day, met in high school on the set of The Music Man. And yes, they named me Melody. As if they somehow knew music wouldn’t just be a hobby for me – it would become my calling, my compass, and my way of connecting with the world.

I grew up harmonizing in the back seat of the minivan, staging musicals in the living room, and plunking out I–IV–V–I chords on my grandmother’s pride and joy: a 1941 mahogany Baldwin baby grand, which now lives happily in my own home. Music was never just something I did. It was the language my family used to connect, to share, to love. So, it’s no surprise that I felt called to help others find their voice, too.

With that path laid clearly before me, I studied at both Georgia State and Kennesaw State Universities, earning my Bachelor’s in Music Education with a focus on early childhood and vocal pedagogy and methodology. Since then, I’ve earned many certifications and worn many hats. Whether teaching elementary music, directing musical theatre, serving as Education Director for the Georgia Symphony Orchestra, or now - directing the youngest members of The Greater Atlanta Girls Choir, I’ve seen consistent evidence that music is more than practice and performance. Music is a vehicle for belonging and a way for the world to find its true voice and thus, harmony.

When I first walked into The Music Studio Atlanta, something clicked. I recognized the same energy I grew up with and have worked to create in every program I’ve led – joyful, intentional, creative, and alive with possibility. I knew this wasn’t just a place where kids learn scales. It’s a place where they come alive!

Now, as Assistant Director at TMSA for the In-Studio division, I bring all of that with me: the teaching experience, the fine arts leadership, and the legacy of music that runs through my veins. But more than anything, I bring the heart of a child who once lit up singing “Lida Rose” in the living room and sensed that music could make the world feel bigger, better, and more connected.

If you’re a parent seeking a musical home for your child where they’ll be nurtured, challenged, and truly seen, I’d be honored to walk that path with you.