Fine arts academy still rocking after 20 years

Jonathan Jamison, owner of Allegro School of Music in Buda, is living his dream. Sort of.

Jamison teaches music lessons to students during the day and takes the stage as Basil McJagger, the keyboard whiz for Austin band the Derailers, by night.

"While I was in college, I came to the realization that while it would be great if I was Chicago or the Beach Boys or someone with insane success, if I could just work and pay my mortgage and have a car or two in the garage and do that by playing and teaching music, that would be almost just as satisfying," Jamison said.

Jamison went on to receive his music degree from the University of Nebraska. His resume is not unique among Allegro's other teachers. Scott Matthews, the school's drum teacher, has spent time performing with the Dixie Chicks and Dale Watson. Thomas Mann, one of the school's piano teachers, studied under legendary pianist Washington Garcia at Texas State University while working toward his music degree.

Jamison's newest gig started in 2009, when he bought the music school, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2013. Jamison and the school's six other instructors teach piano, guitar, violin, voice, drums and more. Jamison said if a student requests lessons on an instrument the instructors cannot teach, he will find an expert on it.

Jamison said it can be tough to run a music school when people are looking to cut back expenses wherever possible.

"Sometimes I feel like we're a canary in a mineshaft because music lessons are about the first thing that people cut," Jamison said.

The first summer Jamison owned the business was rough. Enrollment dropped to about 40 students in summer 2009 but has picked up during the past four years so that it now hovers between 65 and 75 students, most of whom range in age from kindergartners to high-schoolers.

Mann has been with Allegro since 2001. One of his students of six years was recently accepted to The University of Texas' Butler School of Music.

"The best thing is seeing these kids go through it all from when they're 6 to 18," Mann said. "It's really amazing."

The school's curriculum goes beyond learning notes on a page. Mann said he makes sure Allegro students learn about how music relates to different industries.

"Kids think you just have to be on stage and that's it," Mann said. "Any type of industry, there is a music part to it. There is music technology, there's teaching, conducting, it's endless."

For Jamison's 5-year-old twins, Eldon and Rosemary, music lessons are just one part of his ongoing effort to turn them into "well-rounded" people. The twins' extracurricular activities also include swimming and soccer teams.

"Probably every kid doesn't need to have music lessons, but I think probably a kid does need to be involved in things that are going to grow them as decent humans," Jamison said.

Allegro School of Music, 512-312-5995, 119 Cimarron Park Loop, Ste. B, Buda, [email protected], www.allegrofinearts.com