Music Change is the cadence at Spector school

On a recent sunny morning, Lisa Spector sat at her six-foot Steinway grand piano, unraveling the first movement of a Bach B-flat partita in her usual deeply focused, passionate way.

Nearby sat Kitty Rea, head of the Harmony Road music school in Moss Beach, and Spector's yellow lab Sanchez, Rea's tawny older lab mix Sugar and younger black lab Gina stretched out avidly listening. Olive, Rea's lab and border collie mix puppy, cavorted about, enticing them to play.

You could say the respected music studio that Spector opened 14 years ago has gone to the dogs. That's one of the many changes afoot at the school. And that's just fine with Spector.

Effective Monday, Spector will "let go" of the school, passing the baton to Rea, who once taught there.

Spector won't go into the doghouse, though. She will remain an engaged presence at the school, serving on the board of directors, teaching advanced students by audition, and appearing in concert, starting with the 14th annual Valentine's Day concert Sunday, Feb. 13.

But, combining her love of music and dogs, she is making room for change.

"I am getting more motivated and called to do more in the world of helping dogs," she said.

A few years ago, she launched a music series to help improve the lives of dogs, called "Through a Dog's Ear." She created several CDs of piano music designed to calm and give enjoyment to dogs. That brought her onto the CBS Early Show, Martha Stewart Living Radio, presentations at international pet training conferences, and to become a pet blogger for Care2.com, an online community of some 15 million people focused on making lives better for animals, and healthy and green living.

"I didn't expect this to happen," said Spector shyly. "This is my way of combining the greatest two loves in life - music and dogs - into a platform that improves the lives of dogs."

It started with golden retriever Byron, who "brought me into the dog world," and continued with Sanchez, whom she had originally fostered for Guide Dogs for the Blind in San Rafael as a potential seeing-eye dog, and adopted when he was turned down.

"I believe our relationship with animals reflects our relationships with people," she said. "How we treat pets is how we treat people in life."

Her CDs create a sound conducive to canines. "I'm helping people create an awareness of the sound environment, how it affects us, how it affects animals," she said. "We're responsible for them because they can't go to the iPod and turn it off."

And as to the school?

"There aren't a lot of piano teachers who also perform and dance with dogs," laughed Rea. "(Lisa) is a legacy, a one-of-a-kind."

The existing teachers will stay on, including Carolyn Larson (piano and voice,) high school student and longtime Spector protégée Sabrina Perlsweig (piano and voice,) and Patrick O'Connell (voice, guitar.)

Rea's classes at Harmony Road in Moss Beach will continue as well. Also due to continue teaching there are Howard Cespedes (flute,) Darin Darcy (percussion,) Dave Cannaday (guitar,) Sue Crosman (jazz piano) and Marty Hoffman, who will head a recorder ensemble and teach African drumming.

The philosophy Rea and Spector say they endorse is not so much change as expanding music learning for young children. Rea will introduce Kids' Music Round in Moss Beach and Half Moon Bay, designed for kids from infancy to 5, focuses on tonality and beat, and is "a direct path to piano classes at 5."

She also wanted to host Creative Connection summer camps, and embrace the kind of musical togetherness that used to go with singing along around the piano.

The school will have a new phone number, (650) 440-5112, and for information may be reached at harmonyroad.us.