Sherin Moustafa and Matt Friedland are proud co-owners of Music Lessons Arizona, a Tempe music school.
But now they can add award-winning to their name.
Moustafa and Friedland got into music as children, starting with piano, guitar and singing. They both knew they wanted to make it a career, and both have music degrees from Arizona State University.
After teaching out of office spaces and home living rooms, they found that a partnership and a facility were necessary for growth.
“It was scary, but it was a necessity,” Friedland said. “We’re really glad we did it.”
The two opened Music Lessons Arizona, or MLA on 1700 E. Elliot Road in Tempe in 2018 and offered private and group lessons for guitar, piano, voice, drums and bass.
MLA has 6 part-time employees, along with Moustafa and Friedland, who are full-time and are lovers of music of all kinds, ranging from the experience of a doctoral candidate in piano to engineers who love guitar.
But the small business won a Better Business Bureau Ethics Award for its commitment to the community and ethical business operations.
The school was nominated anonymously, but had to complete a rigorous application process to be considered as a finalist. That included several pages of questions and an in-person interview with panelists from the BBB.
During the Nov. 19 gala, MLA was announced the winners of the second category, which examined businesses with 2 full-time employees.
“We were just ourselves in the application, and it really paid off,” Moustafa said.
The couple got three references from the Arizona musical community as well as the mother of a student who has won over a dozen piano competitions since starting lessons with Sherin.
“We have a gift that’s really special and unique that comes with the ability to transform lives through music,” Moustafa said.
To learn more about MLA, visit Home – Piano, Guitar, Bass & Drum Lessons in Tempe, AZ – Music Lessons Arizona
Madeline Bates
Reporter | Tempe/East Phoenix
Meet Madeline
Madeline Bates joined Independent Newsmedia in 2025 as a Phoenix/Tempe reporter. Before graduating college, she spent a semester in Washington as a Congressional reporter in the first 100 days of the second Trump administration. But local news is where her heart is. She is excited to be in Phoenix full time and exploring new parts of the city (as long as they have AC).
Community: After living in East Phoenix for two years, she fell in love with Paradise Valley, Mesa, Tempe, and everywhere in between. She recently discovered the beauty of the South Mountain Reserve and hopes to continue exploring should the weather comply.
Education: Madeline has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and a certificate in Political History and Leadership.
Random Fact: She is a self-taught nail tech. No, she cannot do your nails.
Hobbies: Hiking (when its not 100 degrees), fiction writing, cooking, baking and trying new coffee shops.