Community Highlights: Meet Angie McCreight

Today we’d like to introduce you to Angie McCreight.

Angie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have loved music my entire life. One of my earliest memories is listening to artists like Elvis Presley, Elton John and more with my parents as a toddler. I started singing at the age of five, joining my church choir at the age of eight. In middle school, I was a member of the Ketron Singers who performed at the World’s Fair in Knoxville, TN and continued to develop my vocal skills with private lessons. I continued to perform in high school with my school’s jazz band and performed in the Tennessee All-State Choir, as well as at the Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts.

I continued my vocal training in college and participated in activities that allowed me to continue to perform. I went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Medical Technology and worked in pharmaceutical research for over 20 years. In 2011, after leaving my career in the pharmaceutical industry, my husband, Kelly, and I decided to open the first School of Rock in Tennessee in the Franklin/Cool Springs area and opened the Nashville location two years later. I am very passionate about providing this outlet for young musicians and have also seen my own children participate in the program and become School of Rock National AllStars. Every day is a gift when I see the students get excited about their music and performing in live music venues, even when they get excited about just being in the building. We are celebrating ten years in Franklin, eight years in Nashville and will soon be opening our third location in Mt. Juliet. The memories that I have created with our students will be with me forever. School of Rock is a passionate community of music teachers who are experienced musicians devoted to helping students attain musical proficiency and our instructors guide students one-on-one to personalize learning, inspire confidence and build social skills. School of Rock is a growing, passionate community dedicated to enriching the lives of our students.

Our community does much more than make music. We make an impact. We create safe spaces for shy young people to find their voice. We open our arms to people who are looking for their tribe. We provide a channel for our students to express their joy and sadness and build confidence in a world that can easily sap one’s spirit. With over twenty years of experience and hundreds of thousands of students, the School of Rock has taught us that playing songs with people you love drives deeper engagement than conventional music education. Our students grow as individuals by taking the stage with others. As our students work together with their bandmates, they learn broader life skills like collaboration, compromise and courage.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As with any business, there have been struggles along the way. Anyone can take music lessons. In fact, many of our first students had been in private music lessons for years. Typically, a traditional music school would have recitals or if students were in private instruction, they may not have had the opportunity to showcase what they were learning. School of Rock presents a very different option… we put on live concerts at live music venues.

Initially, there was a struggle with customers being able to envision how the program works and how it would be different from a traditional music school. There were also struggles with being able to book venues, as they were concerned about the performers being 18 and under and whether the performances would be good.

We were very fortunate that the general manager at the time of the Hard Rock Cafe in Downtown Nashville invited us to perform our very first show in the venue. As is tradition, our inaugural show was Pink Floyd’s The Wall. I’m proud to say that the students killed it! The venue was packed and the crowd was amazing!

Ten years later, looking back on it all, I’d say one of the biggest hurdles has been in convincing venues and festivals just how amazing these young musicians are. We have worked extremely hard to create strong relationships with venues, organizations and key people in the local music scene, and the students have been able to have some absolutely amazing experiences and create lifelong friendships and memories.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about School of Rock?
School of Rock is a music school for all skill levels, ages, and musical aspirations. With students ranging from ages 5 to adults, School of Rock is where music students grow into real musicians. School of Rock is Music School reimagined. The patented School of Rock Method uses programs that are designed to encourage learning in a supportive environment where students of all skill levels are comfortable and engaged. We take the music school concept to the next level for kids, teens, and adults. Across the globe, we have over twenty years of experience, hundreds of schools, thousands of team members, tens of thousands of students and hundreds of thousands of alumni.

At School of Rock, we offer an unmatched experience that uniquely combines individual instruction, performance experiences and camaraderie. Performing is transformational and we capture that wonder and excitement. While we delight in the successes of all of our students, no matter how big or small, we believe that diversity and inclusion cultivate the creativity essential to our School of Rock community. Students of all ages, ethnicities, genders, gender identities and expressions, religious beliefs and cognitive capabilities are encouraged to find their tribe with the School of Rock as music, globally, is a vibrant tapestry created by people of all colors and creeds. We pride ourselves in providing a place where students can not only perfect their music skills and proficiency but also a place where they feel safe being who they are.

Created in Philadelphia in 1998, School of Rock has withstood the test of time, improving upon the initial platform of putting kids on stage to shine. Throughout the years, School of Rock has been diligent in focusing on ways to improve the student experience by creating additional programming as well as a patented teaching method and the School of Rock Method App. While we offer one on one lessons, our performance programs are the real basis of what we do. We offer different programs for kids ages 5 through adult that includes weekly one on one lessons with a weekly rehearsal, culminating in a live concert at a live music venue.

To date, our students have been seen performing not only throughout Middle Tennessee but also across the US. Our students can regularly be seen performing concerts at the Exit/In, The Basement East, 12th and Porter, City Winery, Plaza Mariachi, Hard Rock Cafe, Kid Rock’s Honky Tonk, The Tin Roof Broadway, Margaritaville, and many other legendary venues across Nashville, including the Mother Church, The Ryman Auditorium. Our house band, which is an auditioned group, plays regularly at Bridgestone Arena for the Nashville Predators NHL games, as well as the plaza parties prior. We have also performed at festivals such as Summerfest, TN Soybean Festival, The Pilgrimage and Bonnaroo. In addition to those amazing venues and festivals, our students have toured the Northeast, the Midwest and the West, playing in iconic venues in NYC, as well as Las Vegas.

But, perhaps one of the most important offerings we have provided since 2020 and the onset of the Covid19 virus is our School of Rock Remote service. From the very beginning stages of the global pandemic, we were able to, within days, move all of our lessons and rehearsal programs to remote learning. We were able to navigate the initial issues and provide our students with continuing music education and support through a very difficult time. We pressed on with our rehearsals and continued to perfect our shows for when we were finally able to perform them live for the parents. Throughout the quarantine, School of Rock offered Master Classes daily in performance, songwriting, etc., as well as offered weekly interactions with guest artists such as Steve Vai and Billy Corgan! We are very proud to have been able to continue to support our students not just musically but also provide emotional and mental support during a time that was very difficult to navigate. As the world opened back up, our students were ecstatic to be able to once again enter the schools and do what they love. School of Rock is so much more than music… we aim to inspire everyone to Rock On Stage and In Life!

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I have found many mentors within our School of Rock system amongst the group of owners that regularly discuss issues, as well as bounce ideas for new and exciting opportunities for our students off of each other. It’s a tremendous support system and one that includes both tribal knowledge of School of Rock and experts in business, law, HR, etc.

However, making connections on a local level amongst the business community and within the music scene has been vital to our success. We have formed many partnerships with local businesses and have also developed relationships with local artists and venues. The most important thing to always remember is to never be afraid to ask. The worst thing they can say is no. And if they say no, keep trying. For me, School of Rock isn’t just a brick-and-mortar building where I conduct my business. It is a passion and one that combines my love for music, education and nurturing our youth.

Contact Info:

• Email: nashville@schoolofrock.com
• Website: nashville.schoolofrock.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nashvilleschoolofrock/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SchoolOfRockFranklinTn
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/NashvilleSoR

 

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: nashville.schoolofrock.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nashvilleschoolofrock/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SchoolOfRockFranklinTn
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/NashvilleSoR