Renee Lauderback, founder of Mountain Music Parlor, besides being the creative visionary of the whole shebang, she’s teaching fiddle and Ukulele in-between everything else a small business demands. She loves sharing the wonderful gift of music and her teaching style is serious but fun. Say’s, “you can screw up your technique later when I’m not looking”! Her goal is to nurture the love of music in her students and to instill constructive disciplines that will carry them with confidence thru life’s rollercoaster.  “Music is both magical and miraculous” she says. “Teaches you how to focus, concentrate and self-critique to higher levels”. “A vehicle of blessing that can’t be erased out of us, and the spiritual super glue that connects us all soul to soul.”

Raised in an Italian family, with Mario Lanza, Frank Sinatra, Louis Prima and Dean Martin on the turntable, add in a little Pat Boone, Lawrence Welk and the Bill Gather Trio, it’s a wonder how she even got here mixed up with all these banjo pickers! Says she was born with a violin stitched to her neck with her name on it whether she had a clue or not. “God gave me the talent but not the personality”.  Placed as a 1st violinist early on, finding herself sitting in orchestra’s bored to death throughout the years, “while the viola’s figured out their parts”, and getting in trouble for throwing paper airplanes at the cute bass player. Her bubbly personality finally burst the bubble and she found the Bluegrass scene.  A different type of freedom she’d never had.  Playing in an all woman Bluegrass band called the Mountain Girls and then another called Ricochet her love of heritage music grew.

As of late, Celtic and Old-time have become a serious part of her music fetishes of which she’s a strong supporter playing for local Celtic affairs and encouraging others to join in…”it’s all good and good for ya!”

Renee brings true commitment and dedication to her mighty little music shoppe. It’s become a hub and beacon for American Folk music in the Washoe County area.

“It was bound to happen…funny how God works!”

No she doesn’t play the banjo.  It just happened to match her dress!