In a 1992 episode of Golden Girls, Dorothy sat at a table inside a bar. Next to her a piano player led her in song. Dorothy started singing the melancholic “What’ll I Do” by Irving Berlin. Dorothy rose to her feet midway through, completely serenading the crowd.
When Christine Fogh watched the scene on TV as a young girl, she longed to play “What’ll I Do.” Normally, she could immediately copy a song on her pink Casio keyboard just by listening to it, (the skill even inhibited her ability to read music) but at the time, she didn’t have the chops to mimic the tune.
“It was such an emotional song,” Fogh told the Sun. “I remember having the feels, and I was like, ‘I’m going to record that one day.’ That’s been on my mind for years and years.”
Use those cords
Christine Fogh offers piano and voice lessons for all ages. The group’s next recital is scheduled for June 20 at the Santa Maria Civic Theater. Sign up for summer camps or a free trial class by visiting christinefoghmusic.com. Stream Fogh’s new songs on various platforms by visiting christinefogh.hearnow.com. Follow the school on Instagram @christinefoghmusic.
In April, Fogh released an EP called The Long Way Home. The third and final song in the collection is “What’ll I Do.”
Fogh was thrilled that the track was listed in the public domain, copyright free. That was also the case for the other two on the list: “After You’ve Gone” and “Sunshine of Your Smile.”
The musician recorded the songs in her home studio over the course of four months. It felt good, she remembered, like she should’ve been doing it for her whole life. The feeling gave her the idea for the EP’s title, The Long Way Home.
“I arranged everything, and I did the vocals, the background vocals,” Fogh said. “I had my friends do little things here and there, and they were amazing.”
The artist hasn’t been the only person taking advantage of the recording booth. Her piano and voice students do, too.
After taking a break from music to raise her children, Fogh wished to get back into music. She always loved to write songs, sing, and play piano, even earning a music degree from Cal Poly. It had been a while since Fogh released her 1999 debut album, End of the World.
Eleven years ago, she started teaching piano and voice lessons in her sunroom under Christine Fogh Music. The original 20 students have increased to a school of 80, just about as many as the entrepreneur can handle.
“Eventually in 2018 I converted my garage to the studio that I have now, and it’s amazing,” Fogh said. “I literally love my studio.”
She filled the 450-square-foot space with seven keyboards along the walls, a baby grand piano, and a regular upright one. The center remained empty for dancing with the littles.
Unlike some music schools that begin at 6 months, Fogh accepts everyone aged “0 to a million.” Adults must accompany infants 0 to 4 for half-hour lessons of movement, singing, games, and percussion.
Four- and 5-year-olds start on smaller keyboards with group lessons that have rotating themes every 12 weeks. Ages 5 to 7 learn to play longer compositions and improvise.
“The 8-and-up [class] is so much fun,” Fogh said. “We always start off the class with a theory game, like an ear-training game to help them with whatever we’re focusing on that week. And then we go to the keyboards, and they work on their music.”
Fogh has similar programming for voice lessons, too. Right now, she’s teaching some Taylor Swift hits.
Trained in contemporary commercial music, Fogh believes in sharing the joy of non-classical songs ranging from musical theater to R&B, although she teaches some classical courses, too.
“It’s great to learn [classical], but depending on what your goals are, if you just do that, it’s not going to get you there,” the teacher said.
Contemporary style breaks away from traditional beliefs that singing classically was the only way to protect one’s voice, which has been scientifically proven wrong, Fogh explained.
Her own influences are Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. Today she teaches singers who are inspired by celebrities like Ariana Grande, which means lots of work on belting.
One popular voice lesson Fogh offers is a one-time pop workshop. In an hour and a half, one to four singers focus on one song of their choice and record the final product in the booth. Like real pop stars.
In her ongoing classes, the teacher likes to record her students every month so they can hear how their voice is improving. Seeing them reach accomplishments is the most rewarding part of running the business.
Fogh gets to be silly in her classes, so it feels like she’s performing every day. She wouldn’t want to tour stadiums, but the small audience in her studio is just enough.
“I think I have to have the best job ever,” the singer said.
Everyone deserves access to music, she added. Fogh works with the Music Link Foundation to offer affordable lessons to underprivileged students. The mission is close to her heart.
“I want to make sure that no matter if people can afford it or not, that they’re getting music education,” Fogh said.
She knows how music can fill a void, especially after not pursuing it for so many years. The small business allows her to funnel her talents into one space, combining all her musical passions to serve her hometown community.
“I felt like I was missing that in my life,” Fogh said, “and this was the perfect thing.”
Send sharps, flats, and everything in between to Staff Writer Madison White at mwhite@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in May 21 – May 28, 2026.