Sound Start Musical Instruction has big plans for its future

Sound Start Musical Instruction has been open for nearly six weeks, but owners Chase Wright and Ian Bolton are already building their student base.

Bolton and Wright are teaching about 40 students between the two of them, but they anticipate many more as they build their presence in the shallow pool of guitar instruction.

"I think, realistically, we could handle 100 a week, together," Wright said. "If we want to get to that point, we are looking into getting more teachers and our own building."

Bolton and Wright, both 24, started playing guitar at age 13 and stuck with it.

"Playing guitar is something we grew up doing and liked a lot," Wright said.

Wright and Bolton both played in the local band Fists of Phoenix before the band called it quits. Bolton also played with Oh for Audio, and Wright plays occasionally with Man Eating Shoe.

Bolton has been giving guitar lessons at Shivelbine's since 2007. Wright, who worked at Shivelbine's from 2007 to 2010, said he started sitting in on the lessons and learning "the ropes of teaching guitar."

"He has most of the lessons now, and I've started moving into it slowly," Wright said.

Bolton said he tries to institute a teaching structure that conforms to each student. His teaching methods differ according to the student's aptitude and abilities.

"In the first lesson, I try and get them playing something right off the bat," he said. "That way the student feels like they've accomplished something, and they will actually be able to do it."

Some students present a good challenge for the instructors, too. Like other school teachers, Bolton has to make a lesson plan.

"I try and show them exact tempos to practice and how many minutes to work on specific exercises," he said.

The lessons taught "depend on the student, really," Wright said. "We start off teaching the basics for the student who doesn't know anything, and most of the time we'll get into learning songs that they want to learn, but at the same time teaching them fundamentals."

Sound Start has two guitar rooms for individual lessons, and one larger room used for group lessons. Bolton and Wright have plans to grow out of their current space at 1213 N. Kingshighway quickly.

"Once the lease runs out on our building, we hope to have the business built up to a point where we can get our own building, where we can build a stage and get a good [public address system] to give the students the feeling of playing live," Bolton said.

In the future, Wright and Bolton hope to expand not only faculty and the building, but the instruments taught as well. They hope to start offering drums and keyboard lessons as soon as they find an instructor.

"We're trying to find a piano teacher, as well as teachers for bass and drums," Bolton said. "We've got someone lined up for vocals, too."

The duo is also thinking of ways their students can show off their talents.

"We want to push toward making bands," Bolton said. "Getting kids that are on the same skill level with similar music interests and get them all playing together. Once we get some bands organized, we want to rent out the Mississippi Mud House and have a recital of sorts, so our students can show off their skills."

One of Bolton's students, 13-year-old Josh Morse, has been taking lessons for two years and said he really likes the new Sound Start facility.

"One plus about the new place is there's a bathroom," Morse joked.

"I get a whole lot out of it because he is a great teacher," Morse said. "It's a lot of fun. I really like guitar. He's got the whole song down that you're learning before you even start practicing."

Morse hopes to play in a band eventually, but he's realistic.

"Everybody wants to be a rock star," he said. "I want to go to college and study guitar and see what happens from there."

Morse advises anyone wanting to take lessons to "stay with it and don't give up. Practice like crazy."

Lessons are 30 minutes long. Students need their own guitar for now, but within the next couple of weeks, Sound Start will have instruments available for rental.

"The rentals will be great for people who aren't sure if they really want to do it or not and don't want to commit to buying a guitar," Wright said.

Sound Start offers lessons from 2 to 7:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. Call 335-0511 for more information.