For almost as long as Chris and Fara Heath have known each other, they’ve wanted to open a music school together, namely to share their love and appreciation for the art with others. Both hold a pretty rich devotion to music, and offering instruction on it seemed the perfect way for them to express their gratitude further.
The dream came true in 2008 when the couple opened Sound Roots School of Music, a business that has grown into quite an educational hot spot in North Portland. Choosing to offer lessons on more current music, rather than classical, the place bustles with a hip and vibrant energy. A diverse group of 23 multi-talented teachers conduct private lessons, camps, birthday parties, and group activities for children and adults, and classes such as Rookie Rock have become so popular they’ve been requested outside of the school.
Sound Roots is definitely a far cry from the strict and stuffy music instruction of yesteryear, and my interview with Fara gives some understanding as to why that's so.
melophobe: How has music played a part in you and Chris’s life before opening Sound Roots?
Fara Heath: My parents came of age in the late ‘60s, so I was brought up on a healthy diet of edgy rock, like Pink Floyd, Queen, Stevie Wonder, and Janis Joplin from my dad, and the singer/songwriter vibes of Bob Dylan, James Taylor, The Beatles, and Lionel Ritchie from my mom. I took lessons on violin and piano periodically during my youth, but was turned off to music and the performing arts when a music teacher in 6th grade told me I couldn’t hold a tune and should try something other than music. I was crushed and didn’t rekindle my love for music until late high school and early college. As luck, or fate, would have it, I attended college in the same neighborhood as the Boston Symphony, Berklee College of Music, and The New England Conservatory. At first I was incredibly intimidated by such talented musicians, but came to find a newfound respect and love for music through what they were learning and ultimately passing on to me.
Chris's parents are of a slightly older generation, so they were into The Beatles, Peter Paul and Mary, and Aretha Franklin, and were also involved with church music. He was introduced to drum lessons first, but ultimately picked up piano and his first love for an instrument. He participated heavily in high school and college musical theater productions, often landing the leading role. When he arrived at Berklee he was exposed to jazz and more technical aspects of music like theory, songwriting, and film scoring. Naturally a very patient and easy-going guy, teaching was second nature for him and he has been doing it since his college days.
melophobe: How important do you feel music is for [people], both young and old? And not just to learn, but to appreciate?
FH: Music may be THE most important thing in someone's life. That sounds dramatic but we are both first-hand witnesses to the spiritual and emotional benefits that music can have on someone. Most of us go through our lives just trying to get by day-to-day. As kids, we go to school, we clean our room, we do what our parents ask us to do. As adults we pay our bills, take direction from our boss or clients, and take on many daily responsibilities that may keep us from enjoying the simpler things in life. Playing and appreciating music gives kids and adults the opportunity to move away from their day-to-day routine to express their emotions, relate to feelings and be a part of humanity in a way that often gets lost in our everyday world. It is also the only true universal language and supersedes all race, cultural, gender, and religious differences. It can truly be the vehicle to bring our world together.
melophobe: In December you had to move from your location on Beech St. to your current spot on North Williams – what did you like about this new place that made you decide to go with it?
FH: We found the space on Williams through one of our students, whose dad is the owner of the new building. When we first saw it, it was in complete shambles and had to be completely remodeled. However, we loved the quirky art deco feel it had, and the layout of the classrooms afforded us more space and better separation for sound-proof quality. We also loved the up and coming neighborhood it was in, and are excited to be part of such an emerging community of artists and small business owners.
melophobe: What do you think Sound Roots offers people, both as an educational device and a piece of the community?
FH: We are very proud to offer music education to the Portland community, in particular since there is such a huge void that comes from the lack of arts education in our public schools. We remain privately owned because we want to maintain complete control over the curriculum, the level of experience that our teachers carry and the ability to adapt quickly and efficiently to the ever changing needs of our community. We are family-owned and -operated, and encourage our teachers to be an active part of our musical community. As parents and residents of the neighborhood in which we run our business, we remain in tune with the needs of our neighbors, and are able to offer what is desired and lacking.
melophobe: What are some of your favorite things about Sound Roots?
FH: Watching people experience and learn new things relating to music is incredibly powerful in so many ways, but if I have to choose, my favorite thing to witness might be our camps. Maybe because they are so condensed and we really get to watch the complete metamorphosis of a shy, intimidated student walk in to our studio on the first day, then grow and ultimately emerge more self confident, in touch with their creativity and filled with pride as they perform what they have learned on the final day. It is really inspirational to witness.
melophobe: Can you explain your overall feelings on Sound Roots, and what the place means to you?
FH: I am not sure there are words to summarize the full extent of how we feel about this. The fact that we are making our living while contributing something we feel is so powerful to our community is the perfect situation and we couldn’t feel more blessed. In the last two years we have worked harder than we ever have in our lives, put all of our financial stability on the line and extended ourselves well past what we believed was our personal capacity, but in all honesty, I couldn’t think of another thing I would have rather been doing. When you are lucky enough to do something you love, it is the best kind of "work" anyone could ask for.
Sound Roots School of Music
Address: 3954 North Williams Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97227
Phone: 503-282-9999
Web: www.soundrootsmusic.com
