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For over a decade, I drove an hour round trip to take our daughter, Carly, to her piano lessons with Stephen Dominko. Little did we know that he was the youngest ever world champion accordion player in 1964 at the age of 17.

 

As time went on, we discovered more about his incredible life as a musician, such as being the only accordionist to play with the New York Philharmonic and performing on the Lawrence Welk Show.

 

Walking into his home, we would often hear him playing beautiful melodies on the piano or the expressive sound of the accordion. One day, he shared with us that his favorite word was "Sparkle" and I found it to be a magnificent choice!

 

When I first saw this studio space, I was captivated by the sparkling waters of Great Pond and Long Pond. It reminded me of the conversation I had with Steve years ago, and I knew that this dream business had to be called Sparkle art studio.

 

My hope is that this studio will inspire others to find their own sparkle through making art, finding the perfect piece for their collection, or through the connections and stories shared within these walls!

 

Stephen Dominko passed away in December 2017, but his legacy lives on. In high school, our daughter created a moving short film about his life, which won an award and was played on the big screen!