Since she was a child, music has been a part of Aurora resident's Farnoosh Farokhpour’s life.
Her father, a professional violinist, had Farokhpour take piano lessons from the age of six.
“He always wanted to have music in the house,” said Farokhpour, who grew up in Tehran. She said her extended family were all musical as well, and the family would often come together to play instruments.
“They were always gathering, everybody playing, jamming, so music was always in my ears,” she said.
After studying to become an engineer in her native Iran, Farokhpour moved to Canada in 2001.
“When I moved here, the first thing I bought was a piano, even before if I had a furniture,” she said.
Farokhpour spent eight years working as an engineer, but soon felt a yearning for a return to her musical childhood. She decided to leave the corporate world behind and make a career pivot.
“I'm not saying engineering is bad. I love engineering, but you get to the point that you need to do something for your heart and soul,” she said.
Having not studied music in school, Farokhpour had to knuckle down, studying for her piano teaching examinations with the Royal Conservatory of Music.
After passing her exams, her first student was her own daughter, when she was kindergarten age.
Soon some of the other parents asked if Farokhpour could teach their children, and then more and more students joined till Farohkpour had to start turning away students.
Unsatisfied with this, Farokhpour hatched a plan to teach more students.
She started her own business in November, Farnoosh Music Academy, located in St. Andrew’s Village.
Farohkpour found the unit that now houses her music academy in November, and within a few short months, had the space was renovated, with her grand opening being held at the beginning of February.
“So fast, everything happened so fast. I can't even believe how we did it,” she said.
The academy now has nearly a dozen instructors in a range of disciplines, including piano, vocals, guitar and saxophone, with Farokhpour saying she now has capacity for up to 400 students. All going well, Farokhpour hopes the school will be fully enrolled in five years and open a second Farnoosh Music Academy.
“There's something about this music,” she said. “It's always positive. It gives you energy, it gives you motivation. It's just very inspiring.”
Farnoosh Music Academy is at 2 Orchard Heights Blvd., unit 213, in St. Andrew’s Village in Aurora. More information can be found online.