5 Reasons Baton Rouge Music Studios is THE Place to Take Lessons 

Disclosure :: This post is sponsored by Baton Rouge Music Studios. 

Baton Rouge Music Studios

I am excited to have this opportunity to post about my business, Baton Rouge Music Studios (BRMS). It’s my life, and over the last 12 years I’ve built a business I am incredibly proud of. Sometimes I want to pinch myself, and sometimes I want to punch myself, but it’s been totally worth the blood, sweat and tears, and I look forward to sharing it with you. I hope you hear my heart, learn something new, and enjoy my post regardless of whether or not you’re looking for music lessons!

5 Factors That Make Baton Rouge Music Studios THE Place to Take Music Lessons

Cool Factor – Simply put, my staff is super cool. It’s my mission to find cool, energetic instructors who genuinely care about their students. When learning something as valuable as music, it’s important to be able to communicate with kids on a level that sells them on the importance of practice. When I was 8, my piano teacher had no personal touch. “Practice your scales. Sit up straight. No, I WILL NOT teach you the Beatles. Get back to your Sonatina.” I was not a fan of piano lessons, and eventually quit even though I loved piano. While the things I was told were legitimate instructions for improvement, a little sugar could have gone a long way in keeping my interest. At BRMS, we’ve developed a “culture of cool” that aides in helping kids get on board with the not-so-fun tasks of developing as a musician…and we WILL teach the Beatles.

Quality Factor – Ok, we’re cool, but cool means nothing without quality. The skills I honed as a music education major and band director were invaluable in creating a successful band program, as well as in helping my students get college scholarships, and even pursue professional careers in music. I made those same systems a requirement at BRMS. My administrative staff is dedicated to training our instructors, helping them develop weekly lesson plans and facilitating communication with parents. We have a benchmark system for reference of growth, and our lesson plans are all online for parents to see whenever they wish. No more loose pieces of paper lost in the car or relying on the kid to tell the parent what they are doing in lessons.

Flexibility Factor – No Beatles? Why not? There’s no reason you can’t use popular music to learn traditional concepts. There are essential elements of music that must be learned in order to get to the next level, but who says you have to only use Classical music to get there? Our staff remains flexible when it comes to content, but unwavering when it comes to the tried and true methods of teaching proper technique and theoretical concepts.

Buffet Factor – BRMS is a truly unique music education business and we offer many options for individuals from all walks of life. Here are just a few favored menu items ::

• Private Lessons – Learn and master your instrument through custom-tailored lesson plans.
• RockLab – Learn full songs in your private lessons. Perform with other students as a band twice a semester.
• Young Band Nation – Be in a real band! Learn to work as a team with other students in weekly band rehearsals. Perform 3-5 shows all over town!
• Little Rockers – For preschool-aged kids, explore the FUNdamentals of music. Learn the basics of reading music, how instruments make their sound, how to interact with music, and even make your own music!
• amplifi – Designed specifically for people of all ages with varying intellectual and developmental disabilities, amplifi takes participants on a song-writing journey. amplifi doesn’t just give them a voice, it gives them a microphone!

Community Factor –When you walk in to BRMS, the action can be almost overwhelming. Kids are rocking out in our venue. Noise is coming from every room. Parents are laughing and talking about their kids’ next performance. Kids are asking their parents if friends can come over to practice and eat pizza. It’s truly amazing to see. And once you’re in, it doesn’t take you long to join the party. We take our micro-community out into the larger community to share the talents of our students. Most performances are booked with the purpose of serving a cause. BRMS supports a myriad of non-profit organizations through our entertainment services; organizations such as The Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, The Arc Baton Rouge, The American Cancer Society, and MLK Festival of Service to name a few.

About Doug Gay

Doug Gay has a BA in Music Education from Northwestern State University. Doug has spent the last 20 years teaching music and performing professionally around the world, most recently with Grammy nominated artist Tab Benoit. Doug started Baton Rouge Music Studios in 2006 with the mission of providing young musicians a place to learn through traditional means as well as to foster their knowledge and creativity in new and innovative ways.