Sarah Kelly Music School is a music school located in The Woodlands focused on helping young artists pursue their dreams in music. Co-owners Sarah Kelly-Ekman and Jonas Ekman saw the need and wanted to do more for young musicians. Sarah Kelly-Ekman is a Grammy-nominated touring artist, coach and owner of the school. The music school has been around for the past 16 years, dating back to 2010 when she and her husband, Jonas Ekman, taught music lessons out of their home. The Ekmans said they’ve developed a different approach to teaching the craft of music.
“We’re not just a music school. We are releasing music, we are promoting music and we are helping them write their songs. We ‘re helping them learn how to sing, learn how to play, but then we’re also helping them do something with it if they want,” Kelly-Ekman said.
Jonas Ekman is over studio production within the school, which involves in-house producer working with students to create music demos and give them experience hearing their own voice.
“Getting over that fear of hearing yourself, not in the way you hear it in your head, but in a microphone is super important. As they get more serious, I get more involved and we actually make the records that end up on the Grammy ballot, Spotify and Apple music,” Ekman said.
Taking a step back
In 2016, the company grew and moved into its first studio on Market Street in The Woodlands. It serves ages 5 and older and offers group and one-on-one lessons in:
- Singing
- Songwriting
- Performance
- Piano and guitar
Kelly-Ekman said coaching students was beyond a passion. She felt the need to help students follow their dreams through music.
“ I experienced some really hard things, and songwriting is that place that I ran to during the highest highs and lowest lows. That’s why I feel it’s an honor of an obligation ... to help people write music just in case they’re like me and it helps them get through the worst of the worst. I do think the school has been a part of saving lives ... not the school, but songwriting itself,” Kelly-Ekman said.
How it’s going
Today, the school is coaching around 370 students with a staff made up of 10 coaches and 15 interns. Kelly-Ekman said they’ve also opened a Fulshear location for lessons once a week. She says the school continues to grow and has opened opportunities beyond the school for students.
This year, a group of 10 students received the opportunity to travel from Texas to Los Angeles to record original music in world-renowned recording studio, EastWest Studios, under the direction of producer, Mike Clink who’s worked with Guns N’Roses, The Whites, Môtley Crue, Megadeth and Eddie Money just to name a few. Students recorded with musicians Clink, Victor Indrizzo, Sean Hurley and Andrew Synowiec. She also said they took a group of students two weeks in a row to Nashville where they recorded with Taylor Swift’s producer.
“One of the songs got noticed at Glow, which is one of the best TV [and] movie companies ... that’s one of the songs we’ve recorded on one of these trips. We have 38 new songs with the best production humanly possible with songs coming from these kids hearts and souls [and from] The Woodlands ... there’s going to be 38 new songs out and probably 38 on the Grammy ballot if we do our job right,” Kelly-Ekman said.
Stay tuned
Kelly-Ekman said Live on the Lawn shows featuring Sarah Kelly Music School performances are held every Friday at 6:30 p.m. on Market Street in The Woodlands. Her goal this year is to elevate the entertainment experience to make it even bigger on Friday nights. The Ekmans encourage the community to support students by checking out their instagram page for new music released by the school on Fridays.
“ I think we’re just starting to see where this thing is actually going to go. I don’t know where that is [but] i’m just taking one step in front of the other and I continually rely on what’s best for the kids,” Kelly-Ekman said.
