For musicians, the term “attacca” means “Keep going forward.”
Liubomyr Senyshyn and Margaret Boswell, musicians, spouses and co-directors of the Attacca School of Music in Belmont, have taken that directive literally.
The small school at the corner of Bartlett Avenue is about to take a big step forward, relocating to the historic Phelan Insurance Building at 63 Trapelo Road in Cushing Square this spring. According to Senyshyn, the new space will allow for more teaching and performance space and provide opportunities for community interaction.
“Right now, one of the limitations of the space is that only so many people can be here at once,” he said. “We have around 120 students and a chamber music program, so we are packed to the brim here in just two rooms.”
Senyshyn and Boswell met as music students in Boston and shared a dream to open a performance-focused music school. When the Bartlett Avenue space became available in 2022, they quit their day jobs and threw themselves into their business venture.
The leap of faith has paid off. The school started with 35 students. Within six months, they added a waiting list. Today, students from age four to adult study violin, viola, cello, piano and guitar and participate in a thriving chamber music program.
Boswell said that from the beginning, Attacca School of Music focused on creating a community of learners. Beyond teaching theory and how to play, the goal of Attacca has been to create a supportive and inclusive community where students learn and grow together, fostering a genuine love of music.
“It’s like learning a language, in that the more you can speak it, the more fun it gets,” she said.
The school offers 30-, 45- and 60-minute private lessons, 60- and 90-minute chamber music classes, multi-performance opportunities, master classes, and visiting artists and professors at all levels to help students grow and express themselves. They also offer a summer program at the Cremona International Music Academy in Italy.
Boswell and Senyshyn met in Boston while pursuing their master’s degrees. For Senyshyn, who came from Ukraine after working in professional orchestras, studying in the U.S. was a dream realized.
They built their careers as musicians and teachers and built their relationship at the same time, Boswell said.
“Over the years, we realized we were really passionate about teaching,” she said. “We think it is a really important thing to invest in, and the more we did it, the more we realized this is what we want to do. So, we decided we wanted to open a school.”
Senyshyn added, “We wanted to have a music school focused on performance because if you play music, that’s how you express yourself.”
Attacca offers monthly performance hours to all students, regardless of skill level, to encourage a love of performance.
“Every single student has a path to perform at their level, and that’s what we are most proud of, and what makes it special. Every month, there is a chance for every student to have a performance opportunity.”
The new building is the first step in the couple’s plan to continue moving forward. Next summer, the school will offer a half-day summer camp for beginners and more advanced students, chamber music programs, and private lessons for children and adults. The longer-term vision includes creating a nonprofit arm offering merit-based scholarships, as well as more group classes for younger students and more adult programs.
“We would like for the performance area to be open to the public as well,” Senyshyn said. “We know first-hand how hard it is to find a space to perform.”
They said the Belmont music community has been enthusiastic and dedicated.
“They appreciate music as an educational enrichment, and they work really hard,” Boswell said. “It is true that the best way to enjoy music is to play it, so if you invest it learning, the more fun it gets.”
For more information about programs at the Attacca School of Music, visit .
