Today we’d like to introduce you to Jim Lutz.
Hi Jim, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’m the Founder of the Quest Center for Art & Community Development, a music education and youth development center located in Dickson TN. And I’m excited for the opportunity to share an update to our 2021 Nashville Voyager story. In the interest of space and time, some background details are abridged.
The Quest Center vision dates back to 2010. After working in a corporate environment for over 30 years, I relocated to a rural, lower-income community in Middle Tennessee. Several years later I made the decision to focus my skills and experience on a more meaningful and philanthropic mission. I realized that many children in my adopted hometown had few, if any, options for organized after-school activities that didn’t require money or talent, and opportunities weren’t equally accessible for all children. For many families, financial burden and transportation were two major issues. The more I learned, the more I became obsessed with creating something that combined my passion for music, education and children – especially underserved, at-risk kids who often fly under the radar – to create an after-school music education program that would welcome all kids, unconditionally, and make it easy for them to participate & succeed. I wanted to level the playing field for all children regardless of where they lived, their family income or their abilities.
My objective was to serve a largely underserved demographic, so I opted for 501(c)3 status to help with financial viability. I developed operational and financial models that would be sustainable. I refined the service model to eliminate barriers that could exclude children – primarily lack of money, transportation and instruments. After several challenging years (and working two jobs) the pieces began to fall into place, thanks in large part to a small community of influencers who believed in the vision and my ability to deliver it.
In 2012, we launched several community-based activities to create awareness. In 2013, we conducted our first ‘official’ class with just three students. Now in its 15th year of operation, more than 2,225 children participate in Quest Center programs annually, with over 425 students from 7 Middle Tennessee counties enrolled in weekly classes throughout the year. We conduct after-school music classes at 12 locations throughout the community, including all 8 Dickson County public elementary schools, home-school co-ops and our studio in downtown Dickson, among others.
We focus on 4 areas of music education:
1) Weekly music classes. This is the entry point for all of our students. But we offer a continuum of programs as children develop skills and expand their interests. Class options may change throughout the year based on community response, but our standard curriculum includes guitar, keyboards, violin, drums, ukulele, banjo, vocal conditioning and audio engineering,
2) Extended Education activities that connect students with careers in music, (technical, business and creative), frequently with industry professionals. These include creating original material, live performance and recording original content as part of classes, camps and special events.
3) Our Enriching Lives Through Music class serves children living with disabilities.
4) The Quest Center’s Pathway Program is an opportunity for students to develop leadership, engagement & communication skills as paid Teaching Assistants in our public school classrooms.
In addition to learning music, our programs help students develop many essential skills such as self-confidence, positive self-esteem, discipline, focus, social skills, creative thinking skills – skills that help them succeed in school and life. Our service model and culture makes it easy for all children to participate and succeed.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I can’t imagine any business launching without obstacles and challenges. Some that were specific to the Quest Center included:
— At the time, a lack of enthusiasm and support for an arts program in a predominately youth sports community. Today, we are honored to be recognized as a major community asset for children throughout the area.
— Building trust and confidence among community leaders and parents that my intentions were genuine and I had the ability to deliver the vision.
— Raising community awareness, accessing and building trust with the demographic we set out to serve. This is where our partnership with the Board of Education really came into play. Word-of-mouth helped us gain momentum and parents began to enroll younger siblings and friends of current and former Quest Center students.
— Staying energized, positive and respectfully relentless despite being told repeatedly that I would fail.
— The single biggest challenge to our on-going growth and stability was – and still is – recruiting qualified instructors with the appropriate skills and flexible schedule to teach in our public school classrooms. The majority of Quest Center students (@ 70%) participate in our after-school programs at their public elementary schools. This requires our instructors and teaching assistants to be on-site at their assigned schools by 2:45 each day to 1) avoid car-rider & bus traffic, and 2) prepare classrooms & instruments prior to the arrival of students. This schedule, along with an ability to manage a classroom full of children – many with learning or behavioral challenges – impacts the availability of qualified resources to further increase our service capacity. Today we are fortunate to work with 10 lead instructors, 5 teaching assistants and 9 public school classroom partners.
— As with any early-stage business, fundraising was a challenge – and still is! We have a great network of grantor relationships, but over the last several years there’s been a noticeable decline in individual contributions. Our team continues to explore funding channels and opportunities.
— Ensuring long-term leadership so that the Quest Center remains a valuable community asset and is able to survive any individual(s).
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My professional career spans over 40 years in business leadership & individual contributor roles, with 20+ years P/L accountability. I’ve provided technology and business services for various industries including financial services, automotive, music and sports. However, I recognized my passion for teaching music in mid-1970’s while working with at-risk youth in a residential treatment setting. It was my first opportunity to develop music curriculum for kids who had no interest in learning about music. And I got to witness the impact on the kids. But as life and a growing family evolved, I spent most of my career in the corporate arena with organizations ranging from early stage to $4 billion in revenue.
Since inception, the sole focus of the Quest Center has been music education. But it also became apparent that we were providing so much more than ‘just’ music education. Our students were developing many of the essential skills described earlier. Examples of parent and student testimonials can be found at https://www.qcdickson.org/testimonials. Please take a few moments to browse and see for yourself how music has the power to impact lives.
These days I consider myself semi-retired. I still teach and serve the Quest Center in an advisory capacity, but leadership and day-to-day operations are in great hands with our Executive Director, Mr. John Johnson.
I’m proud of the scale and scope of children that we’ve had the privilege to serve and the impact we’ve had on so many kids and families. I’m proud that we beat the odds and have been able to grow and sustain our programs, even through a multi-year pandemic. We’ve developed the reputation of trusted, caring community partner with local leaders and families, and are recognized for the quality of our programs and team. The Quest Center was recently voted 2025 Best Performing Arts School in Dickson County by readers of the Dickson Post & Main Street Media.
We differentiate ourselves from other after-school music programs through the quality and integrity of our instructor team (mostly career educators), the quality and diversity of our curriculum, our community outreach focused on underserved children and a service model that puts the well-being and inclusion of children above all else. More specifically:
— We provide music programs to children and youth ages 9-18, including individuals living with disabilities. Unconditionally.
— We partner with other youth programs, including our local Board of Education, to help ensure we can reach the most vulnerable and underserved kids in the community.
— Classes are conducted at locations throughout the community, where kids live and attend school, to help reduce transportation issues.
— Instruments are provided at no cost to students, for both in-class and at-home use.
— Our programs are conducted year-round, often at times when children need structured activities most – during critical, often unsupervised after-school hours, evening hours and during school breaks.
— No child is ever turned away for financial reasons, but everyone contributes.
The maximum cost for a student to attend class at the Quest Center is $15 per week. Financial assistance is available as needed, so no child is ever turned away based on their ability to pay. Early on we experimented with different price points, including no-cost, and this is where we landed. Everyone has skin in the game.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
First and foremost, be genuine and conduct yourself with integrity.
A few other thoughts in no particular order…
— Seek out people who’ve already done what you’re trying to accomplish. Passion is your fuel, but having a smart person in your network who has success in your field is invaluable. But do your homework in advance and don’t waste people’s time. Be prepared with a clear response to the question “How can I help you?”
— Consider that social media (or other messaging channels) can be great tools for making direct connections.
— Be prepared with an articulate vision and with business & financial plans that support your vision. These will change over time, but they will be your roadmaps and help with your early-stage credibility, especially when you’re asking for advice or face pushback and skepticism.
— Show gratitude.
— Set clear and measurable objectives and track their progress. Measure what you can.
— Avoid letting pride or ego limit your decisions. Don’t be afraid to acknowledge mistakes and adjust your plan. Embrace them, learn from them and don’t make the same mistake twice. Be relentless, but also recognize a dead end.
— Be prepared and willing to eat, drink and sleep your vision. You’ll be living it 24 hours a day, and it can get pretty lonely.
— Believe in yourself and be the steadfast owner of the vision. Keep an open mind, but stay focused on the mission and not the distractions. You’ll receive more unsolicited advice than you ever thought possible. And you will second-guess yourself, but don’t chase shiny objects. I take criticism as a litmus test to review and re-validate my plan. Use these as motivation to succeed. Results and success speak for themselves.
— Set tactical day-to-day, month-to-month priorities that are aggressive but realistic. Be willing to re-assess true priorities as circumstances shift in real-time.
— And always wear your best game face even when you’re struggling.
The great news – know that most people are willing to share their time and experiences with you if you just ask, but always be respectful of their time and always arrive to meetings well-researched and prepared. Reciprocate where possible and whatever you learn – success and failure – make time to PAY IT FORWARD WITH OTHER ENTREPRENEURS. When you’re successful, be accessible; be the mentor. No one does this alone (although it may often feel like you’re alone!). And try to enjoy watching your vision become reality!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.qcdickson.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thequestcenter/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thequestcenter
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lutzjames/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/thequestcenter/videos
- soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thequestcenter
