Hard to believe that a year ago I was still in Austin, Texas looking for a space to open a music school in Atlanta. Finding the right space was paramount to making Guitar Shed a reality. There were plenty of obstacles along the way: sound issues, neighborhood, square footage, rising cost of in-town real estate, design, parking, tenant mix and not to mention trying to make this all work across state lines.

After much investigation, I finally stumbled upon a landlord who was supportive of the arts and embraced my vision. It wasn’t until I moved in that I realized I also stumbled upon a neighborhood and community that supported my vision. A few months later, my wife and I purchased a home down the street from Guitar Shed in that same community. Kirkwood has welcomed us with open arms.

When we opened in mid-August, I started with one room and four students (most of them are still taking lessons now). I was teaching guitar, piano, ukulele and bass. Before I knew it we had a piano teacher. I can teach beginner piano, but it was a relief to have a true expert on board! After a couple of months, we had outgrown the one room and it was time to allow for simultaneous lessons. Next, another guitar teacher and voice teacher.

You all have probably noticed the new rooms at the Shed and we are expanding once again. For those of you who have been with us since the beginning, thank you! And for those of you that are just joining us we are happy to have you at the Shed. Learning is a two-way street and our students have inspired us in ways that make us want to be better teachers, musicians and students.

Fast forward to almost a year later and we’re getting ready for our second recital with a full night of music. Looking at the roster, I can’t help but notice the diverse mix of children and adults across multiple instruments and genres.

Looking forward to the next year at Guitar Shed and I can’t wait to see what is in store.