Butterscotch Studios Brings Songs from Outside Window
Pours Sun in a Creative Home for Musicians and Artists
Butterscotch Studios isn’t just a sweet spot for music and art—it’s a rich, buttery swirl of creativity, collaboration, and community.
Stirred up by founders Laura Stratton and Sam Mallouf, this flavorful space has quickly become a golden-hued hub where artists and musicians learn, mix, blend, and solidify their craft in perfect harmony.
“We’re primarily focused on music lessons right now—private music lessons. That’s what we’re up and running,” Mallouf said. “We just opened on Monday. Had a ribbon-cutting yesterday [February 11].”
Walking through the space, the studio boasts dedicated music rooms, each featuring a well-tuned piano, and offers lessons in a wide array of instruments, including voice, violin, viola, guitar, ukulele, bass, piano, and even banjo.
Beyond lessons, the studio is setting the stage—literally—for house concerts, both indoors and outdoors on a backyard patio stage as soon as the cold temperatures take a seasonal hiatus.
A personal touch is present throughout the space. Left Hand Artist Group (LHAG) and Stratton’s mother have paintings adorning the walls, adding to the studio’s eclectic, homegrown charm.
“Everything here is either donated or purchased from local thrift stores,” Mallouf noted.
One of the more unique pieces in the space is a vintage floor-model television set, which they plan to repurpose into a record player and speaker system.
“I love repurposing things,” Mallouf said. “I like working with retro instruments and sound equipment.”
While Stratton’s passion lies in music, Mallouf leans more toward visual art. Downstairs, they are building a dedicated art space, which will soon be used for painting classes and art sessions.
“We’re just going to let people come in and create,” Mallouf said.
Their approach is simple but effective: give artists and musicians the space, resources, and community support they need, and let the creativity flow.
Walking into Butterscotch Studios, visitors are immediately met with a sense of warmth and inspiration, something the founders have worked hard to create.
“People walk in, and they just light up,” Stratton shared. “That was our goal—we want people to feel happy when they’re here.”
While Longmont already has music schools and private instructors, Butterscotch Studios aims to fill a gap by providing a true creative collective.
“There’s Mojo Music Academy, and they’ve been here for over 20 years—they’re wonderful,” Stratton noted. “We’re actually hoping to collaborate with them on jazz performances on the porch this summer.”
“But we found that a lot of instructors were teaching freelance and really wanted to be part of a collective,” Mallouf explained. “They were looking for community, not just a job. And that’s what we offer.”
For Butterscotch Studios, the mission is clear—the more art and music in a community, the stronger and more connected it becomes.
“There’s plenty of space for all of us,” Mallouf said. “Other organizations have been incredibly supportive, telling us, ‘Do your thing, and let’s collaborate where we can.’ The more music and art, the better.”
Rather than dictating how things should be run, Butterscotch allows artists and musicians to teach and create in their own way.
“We ask them what they want to do, instead of telling them what we want them to do,” Mallouf explained.
“We don’t micromanage our instructors,” Stratton added. “We want them to feel supported, empowered, and free to be themselves because if they feel that way, they’ll pass that same energy on to their students.”
For many, creating art and music is deeply personal, and confidence can be a major hurdle.
“It’s really about empowering our students,” Stratton said. “Music should be fun. So many parents tell me, ‘I hated my piano lessons growing up.’”
The goal at Butterscotch Studios is to make music and art an enjoyable, fulfilling experience—not just another obligation.
“We want to know what our students love and then figure out a way to help them learn it,” Stratton said.
Butterscotch Studios didn’t take off by chance. It flourished because Stratton and Mallouf were already deeply embedded in the local arts and music community.
“Laura is in Foxfeather, and they’ve been in the music scene here for over ten years,” Mallouf said. “We put a call out for instructors, and I think we had almost everyone in three or four days.”
The team now includes respected local musicians such as:
Jim Herlihy - Guitar and banjo
Miguel Halverson-Ramos - Violin and viola
Antonio Lopez - Guitar and beginner piano
Annie McGregor - Voice, beginner piano, and beginner guitar
Brooke Steele - Electric guitar and bass, beginner piano
Charles Blenzig - Jazz Piano
Beyond music and art, Butterscotch Studios is rooted in community. The couple emphasized the studio’s mission to contribute to a larger cultural landscape while fostering an environment where everyone feels safe and welcome.
“We’re women and queer-owned. We want to encourage people from the queer community to feel welcome here. That’s something that we want to contribute to the community, just being a safe, welcoming space for all,” Stratton said. “Whether that means you’re an artist or a musician, we don't want to exclude anyone who’s not a musician or artist. We just want people to feel like they can come here and hang out and be a lover of the arts.”
The idea for Butterscotch Studios wasn’t always part of an immediate plan. In fact, Stratton and Mallouf originally imagined opening a creative retreat much later in life.
“We thought when we were retired, we would have a space, maybe a farm, where we would live and have some kind of studio,” Mallouf said.
However, one casual dinner out sparked a shift in perspective. The couple, who married in September 2024, knew they wanted to work together on something meaningful, something that would bring together their artistic and musical backgrounds while fostering a strong sense of community.
“So, we were just kind of soul-searching as far as what we wanted to do with our lives,” Stratton explained. “We wanted to work together and do something fulfilling and community driven. Sam’s an artist, I’m a musician—it just felt natural to put this place together.”
Finding the right space for Butterscotch Studios wasn’t just luck, it was another moment of serendipity.
“We really wanted to be downtown,” Mallouf said. “We also wanted an older house that felt like our vibe. We wanted people to walk in and feel like they were at home.”
One morning, after breakfast at Lucile’s Creole Cafe, they drove past a house a block away with a “For Rent” sign in the window.
“We called, saw it later that day, and signed the lease a week later,” Mallouf said.
“This was early December,” Stratton added. “We saw the ‘For Rent’ sign, looked it up online, and we were like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is perfect.’”
And just like that, Butterscotch Studios had a home.
“This house itself has had great vibes since the first time we saw it,” Stratton said. “We love spending time here. We get excited to come to work now.”
Behind the scenes, their journey to Butterscotch Studios wasn’t just about opening a business—it was about following a calling. Before stepping into their roles as studio founders, Stratton and Mallouf led separate professional lives, balancing artistic pursuits in their free time with more traditional careers.
“We have side gigs, and we’re still doing those too,” Mallouf admitted.
“I’m a real estate agent, and Sam is a grant writer,” Stratton added. “Before that, I was in property management, and I taught music for a long time. That really helped me understand how this kind of business works.”
“I worked in veterinary medicine for a long time, as well as in nonprofits and education. When I moved to Colorado from San Francisco in 2016, I worked at Colorado State University for about seven years before shifting into local medicine,” Mallouf said about grant writing. “But I realized I wanted to work for myself.”
Initially, their dream wasn’t tied to a physical space, they imagined a traveling, work-from-home lifestyle. But everything changed when they saw an opportunity to create something lasting together.
“We just realized we wanted to work together,” Mallouf said. “We didn’t expect to have a physical space. But we love it. It’s like a second home. We love coming here and making sure it’s running.”
Running a business together as a married couple might sound daunting, but Stratton and Mallouf have found a natural rhythm.
“Oh my gosh, we balance each other out so well,” Mallouf said. “Every time I don’t want to do something, Laura’s like, ‘I got it.’ And when she’s buried in something, I step up.”
Their roles within the business fell into place effortlessly.
“Sam is the design mastermind,” Stratton said. “Everything here looks the way it does because of her incredible design eye. She’s also really handy—she builds things, loves putting together furniture, and repurposes old pieces into something amazing.”
“She acts like building the entire scheduling system was no big deal,” Mallouf chimed in. “It was this massive, tedious job, and she did it all from scratch.”
They’ve also found that good communication and a shared vision make all the difference.
“It was never a question of, ‘Who’s going to do what?’” Stratton said. “It was always just, ‘I’ll handle this, you handle that,’ and we trusted each other to get it done.”
Their work styles complement each other perfectly.
“I love the creative, hands-on side of things,” Mallouf said. “And Laura is amazing at managing systems, communication, and making sure everything runs smoothly.”
Many of Longmont’s beloved businesses are run by couples, where each partner takes on different roles. But is that the secret to success?
“For us, it is,” Mallouf said. “This is how we are as a couple—this is how we are at home, too. We both have the same priorities. It’s not just one person’s dream; it’s both of our dreams.”
“Not everyone wants that,” Stratton added. “We’ve talked to a lot of friends who say, ‘I could never do this with my partner.’ But we love spending time together, and that makes it work.”
From the moment they wake up to when they go to sleep, Butterscotch Studios is always on their minds.
“We go to sleep talking about Butterscotch, we wake up talking about Butterscotch,” Mallouf laughed. “And we love it.”
For Stratton and Mallouf the name Butterscotch Studios evokes a sense of warmth, nostalgia, and happiness, but there’s more to it than that.
“It’s from the song Chelsea Morning by Joni Mitchell,” Mallouf explained. “The line is, ‘The sun poured in like butterscotch and stuck to all my senses.’”
The song, which captures the joy and creativity of artists and musicians living in New York’s famous Chelsea Hotel, felt like the perfect inspiration.
“Butterscotch candies are nostalgic, warm, and happy,” Mallouf said.
“We had to come up with a name quickly because we needed to file our LLC in order to sign the lease,” Stratton added. “So, we brainstormed lyrics from songs and artists, and when we landed on Butterscotch, it just felt right.”
Like any new business, spreading the word has been the biggest challenge.
“We have a good little network, but it’s still just our bubble,” Stratton said. “There are so many people in Longmont and the surrounding areas who don’t know about us yet. We want to make sure everyone feels welcome here—not just our existing music community.”
Since its launch, Butterscotch Studios has been spreading the word primarily through social media and word of mouth.
“We’ve had a few students find us through Instagram and Facebook,” Stratton said. “That’s also how we connected with potential instructors.”
But even with a strong local music network, growing beyond their inner circle is an ongoing process.
“We used my band Foxfeather’s social media to help spread the word, and our instructors have done the same,” Stratton said. “Reposts and shares really help, and we’re always looking for ways to reach more people.”
With growth in mind, their goal is to expand while keeping their mission focused on community, inclusivity, and the love of art and music. Although Butterscotch Studios is still in its early stages, they’ve already seen plenty of momentum.
“Winter Walkabout [Music Showcase] was a huge success,” Mallouf said. “We had over 150 people walk through our space, and it really felt like a warm, welcoming community event.”
Butterscotch Studios may be new, but its foundation is strong. The focus now is on attracting more students, expanding workshop offerings, and deepening their community connections.
“We’ve had some great momentum so far,” Stratton said. “But we know there’s still work to do in spreading the word and welcoming more people into our creative space.”
Despite the challenges of starting something new, both founders agree that Butterscotch Studios has already exceeded their expectations.
“There’s a saying that when you’re doing what you should be doing, things come to you easily,” Mallouf reflected. “It feels like that’s what’s happening here. We listened to the universe, and the universe is providing.”