While it has only been open a year, enrollment at The Sarah Kelly Music School, north of Houston, Texas, is already near full capacity. Owned by two-time Grammy nominated singer/songwriter Sarah Kelly, the school strives to bring in top names to meet with students. Everyone is excited about an upcoming visit (in January) by Chris Sampson, Dean of USC’s Thornton School of Music, who will give out some partial scholarships to USC’s popular music course. To help meet the huge demand, Sarah’s school recently started offering online classes; now she can literally reach out and help anyone learn to write a song!

What makes this school unique is that apart from learning to play instruments, students actually get to learn to write their own music. Regardless of musical experience, students are usually playing songs after just a few weeks of lessons and writing their own soon after. They have a chance at being accepted into the school’s Artist Development Classes that focus on production, vocal training and song writing, giving them access to a studio where their songs are recorded by a professional producer. Instead of recitals, Sarah’s students actually get to experience real “gigs” where they get to know the feel of a stage performance. There are so many things that make this school exceptional and set it apart from all the others.

Among the ‘greats’ that Sarah has lined up in the near future are record producer, Mike Clink and arranger and instrumentalist Stevie Black. Mike Clink has thirty years of experience in the music industry, selling over ninety-one million records worldwide, and has worked with legendary bands such as Aerosmith, Guns N’ Roses, and Metallica. Stevie Black, known in the music world as “that string guy,” has performed with music giants such as Madonna, Foreigner, Cher, Joe Cocker, Elton John, Matchbox Twenty, Rihanna, Snoop Doggy Dog, and many, many more. A few students/interns are beginning their first EP’s and Stevie, along with several other highly respected musicians, has agreed to play on their projects!

Sarah herself plays hundreds of shows every year, including 10,000-people festivals in Europe, and has played from the hottest clubs in L.A. to the biggest churches in America. Midnight Sun is the latest album from this Christian music favorite that tells a story of healing, restoration and empowerment. One part rock riff, one part love letter – worship is the glue that holds it all together.

While Sarah’s career has taken her across the world to perform for thousands of people, her heart has always been in teaching others how to express themselves in the language of music – and it shows in the investment she makes in her students. With six interns from Sweden and Holland, as well as five from within the U.S., she is relentless in teaching them ways to support themselves through music and has gone so far as to purchase a house for them to live in – all girls. Sound like a reality show in the making to anyone?

For more information, please visit the school’s website at: www.sarahkellymusicschool.com.