About Cy-Fair Music and Arts — Cypress's Locally-Owned Music & Arts School Since 1995

Cy-Fair Music and Arts is a locally-owned music and arts conservatory in Cypress, TX, founded in 1995 and acquired in 2020 by Dr. Antonius Bittmann and Valentina Jotovic — co-CEOs of a three-school performing arts network. We combine music, visual arts, Musical Theatre, Acting and ABRSM Graded Exam preparation under one roof, taught by 30+ university-credentialed instructors in a 5,700 sq ft purpose-built facility.

Who are the owners?

Dr. Antonius Bittmann and Valentina Jotovic — co-CEOs of Cy-Fair Music and Arts, Music Academy of Texas (Katy, TX) and Hunterdon Academy of the Arts (Flemington, NJ). Antonius holds a DMA in Organ Performance and a PhD in Musicology from Eastman School of Music; Valentina holds a Bachelor's in Flute Performance from the University of Arts Belgrade and a Master's in Flute from Rutgers. Full bios on the Meet the Owners page.

What programs do we offer?

Private Music Lessons (piano, guitar in 4 specializations, voice, drums, violin, viola, cello, ukulele), Songwriting, Online Music Lessons, Adult Music Lessons, ABRSM Graded Exam preparation, Musical Theatre (101 and 201), Acting, Visual Arts (drawing, painting, cartooning, mixed-media, clay), and 30+ summer camps.

What awards have we won?

Best Music School in Cy-Fair — Living Magazine three years running (2023, 2024, 2025). 2025 Best Music School of Houston — BusinessRate. H-Town Best. Music and Art Lessons Provider of the Year 2026. Antonius's expert essays appear in Living Magazine's "Ask the Expert" series; Valentina was featured in the 2025 "Leading Women" series.

What is our teaching philosophy?

We teach the way each student learns. Our philosophy is rooted in the Multiple Intelligences theory developed at Harvard by Professor Howard Gardner in the 1980s. Every person has a unique combination of eight intelligences — musical, picture, body, word, number-reasoning, nature, self, and
people. Our teachers customize lessons accordingly. Valentina has consulted directly with Professor Branton Shearer (Kent State), a leading authority on applying Gardner's theories in education.

Why does ownership matter?

When parents choose a music or art school, they trust both the teacher in the room and the people setting the standards behind the scenes — who is hired, how they're paid, what curriculum is required, what facilities are invested in. CFMA is owner-operated, not a franchise. The people whose names are on the school are the ones making those decisions.

A Safe Place for Your Children (and Yourself!) to Discover the Magic of the Arts!

If you are looking for a safe, reputable, and trustworthy afterschool program to introduce your children to the musical and visual arts, you will feel right at home at Cy-Fair Music and Arts ("CFMA"). Founded in 1995, the school moved to its current location at 7103 Glen Chase Ct., Houston, TX 77095 in November 2005. CFMA was acquired in 2020 by two professional musicians, entrepreneurs, and investors, Dr. Antonius Bittmann and his wife, Valentina Jotovic.

CFMA is serving families especially in the Houston, Cypress, Spring, Klein, Tomball, and Katy areas. Over more than a quarter century, we have not only perfected the craft of teaching the arts to students of all ages but become deeply rooted in the fabric of the Houston community. Thousands of families have discovered and experienced first-hand the excitement, joys, and life-changing benefits of music lessons and art classes at CFMA, working with our skilled and experienced instructors. Many of our students have won music competitions and other awards, and after "graduating" from CFMA, some even moved on to become music majors in college.

Whether you are a beginner or have advanced skills already, our professional faculty will help you reach your goals and fulfill your dreams. At CFMA you will discover programs and activities for all stages of life, from age 4 through mature adulthood. Check out this website, or give us a call! We'd be happy to answer any questions you may have and help you enroll in the program(s) that best fits your needs and aspirations!

Our Educational Philosophy"Don't limit a child to your own learning, for he [she] was born in another time." - Rabindranath Tagore

Our teaching philosophy is based on the idea that we all learn differently. Each of us is a unique and complex human being. We each have different genes, have had a different upbringing, and learned different cultural values. No matter how old or young, each of us also has had a unique life story with a unique combination of experiences. That's why each student has their own way of absorbing information and learning new skills. In Educational Studies, this has come to be known as the "Multiple Intelligences" theory, which was formulated at Harvard University in the 1980s.

The Multiple Intelligences research concluded that humans don't have just one intelligence--traditionally measured by the "IQ"--but 8 different intelligences. We each have in us a unique mix of these 8 intelligences: Nature Smart; Musical Smart; Number-Reasoning Smart; Self Smart; People Smart; Body Smart; Word Smart; and Picture Smart.

At Cy-Fair Music and Arts, we know that students learn differently, and have a unique way of learning because their intelligences are configured differently. We see that play out in our lesson rooms and classrooms on a daily basis!

Therefore, to help our students have an enjoyable learning experience and achieve quick results, our teachers customize their teaching style to the learning style and goals of each individual student.