Bio

Whether you want to learn how to play a ukulele, guitar, piano, or violin, we offer music lessons to both beginners and advanced students.

OUR STORY

Sylvia and Jim Johnston, the owners of Cornerstone Music Café, have a unique journey that brought the café to life.

The couple first met while working at Cornerstone Music—Jim as a drum instructor and Sylvia as the administrator. Jim, a drummer since his teens, and Sylvia, with restaurant experience dating back to age 14, combined their passions and envisioned adding a café to the music studio, transforming it into what is now Cornerstone Music Café.

Both Jim and Sylvia are known for their hard work and determination, traits that run deep in their family history. Jim’s grandmother, Cecille, was not only a nanny at the Historic Bow Valley Ranch in Fish Creek but also a skilled piano player. In the café, you’ll find a special photograph of Jim playing drums alongside his grandmother on the piano. Sylvia’s grandmother, Ida, owned a café/garage in the Hamlet of Irvine in Cypress County, where a young Sylvia could often be found enjoying crinkle fries or ice cream.

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Shortly after the café opened, they welcomed their son, who has grown up in the café, eager to help and be part of the family business. Family and community are at the heart of everything the Johnstons do, a value instilled in them by their grandmothers’ legacies.

Teaching Info