Remembering Mike Corley

-Stathia Orwig

On November 24, 2025, our community lost someone truly special. Mike Corley passed away at the age of 80, leaving behind a legacy of kindness, strength, and steady devotion to the people around him.
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Mike built a respected and successful career in the banking industry. He was a man of discipline, the kind of person whose actions told you everything you needed to know. Even at 80, he was known to stay in great shape by going to the gym to staying active and healthy.

For me, though, Mike wasn’t just a respected community member. He was part of my life long before I ever imagined I would grow up to run my own music school.

I first met Mike as a child. He and his wife, Becky, were our carpool drivers for St. John’s, and it was almost always Mike behind the wheel in the early mornings, ready to take us to school. My mom usually handled the afternoon pickups, but the day always began with Mike—patient, reliable, unfailingly kind. I didn’t know it then, but that quiet steadiness was the same steadiness that would guide me later as an adult.

In September of 2000, I began working for Becky at Dallas Music. Becky taught me what I didn't learn in school about being a piano teacher. But she also taught me about running a highly successful music school. When Becky had to step away from Dallas Music in the early 2010s, Mike “became” our boss. He stepped in with grace and commitment and taught us even more about the business side of the music school business. I worked for Mike until June of 2015, when he sold Dallas Music. Those years shaped me more than I realized at the time.

Mike and Becky both taught me so much of what I know about running, operating, and caring for a music school. Not just the logistics—the heart of it. The integrity. The balance of compassion with standards. The belief that music is more than lessons; it’s community, purpose, and connection.

When I look at Music SO Simple today, I see pieces of what I learned from them everywhere. Mike lived a life defined by dedication—whether it was to his family or his work. I will always be grateful for the role he played in my life and in my journey as a business owner. He made an impact simply by being who he was: steady, humble, devoted, and deeply good.

​May his memory be a blessing, and may we all carry forward some of the strength and gentleness he brought into the world.