We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jeremy Rushing. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jeremy below.
Jeremy, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I discovered my passion for teaching music by exploring many different art forms, sciences, and cultures throuhgout my life. I started tinkering with music since I was little. I would bang on boxes and make up songs with my friends. I had access to piano , an old guitar ,and my parents’ record collection. By high school, I had taken up learning bass by ear. By graduation I was playing in bands and my school’s jazz ensemble. I went to college to study Medical Technology which was a biology/chemistry major. I was struggling to do well in sciences but was getting better and better at music. After my 3rd year of college, I was ready for my internship at a hospital. I had to do 6 months at a beginner phlebotomist ( the person that takes blood samples). Unfortunately I wasn’t good with needles, and was petrified to stick other people. My first patient was a very old woman who looked at me with uncertainty. I just couldn’t do it. So I took off my tie and decided to take a break from that and pursue music while I was still young. After a few years of practicing and learning more I moved to Atlanta to try and “make it” in music. I felt like I had failed and let down my family. I was determined to put a 100% into a career in music without the slightest idea how to do so. I played in many bands ( good and bad) and eventually toured with a few of them. During those years I traveled a ton and learned a ton more. I worked just about every minimum wage job while trying to afford to be a musician. but I was happy to work them because I was so positive I was working towards a bigger picture. One thing I started to figure out was how to learn. Learning was something I thought I was doing when I was younger, but as I understood more of what I needed to do in order to really understand what I was working on, I was able to progress so much more. This lead to a joy of taking on other languages as well. And then I started to get into teaching bass and guitar lessons. After a small period of teaching lessons to a few people, I was given an opportunity to teach lessons regularly. I had moved to Athens and realized there was no music school in Athens. A friend of mine and I decided to open a music school so we wouldn’t have to commute almost to Atlanta every day. So in 2004 we opened Athens School of Music. My music education really expanded after that. I found out how much I love teaching way after opening the school. and now 20 years later I’m still enjoying sharing knowledge and helping people of all ages and cultures play their favorite music. It’s interesting how I found my purpose so late in life. I probably could have gotten to where I am a little sooner, but I wouldn’t trade all those years of stumbling through life for anything.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
So I run Athens School of Music in Athens, GA. I teach guitar , bass, piano, drums, and voice. At the school we teach all instruments. Our main goal is to help people enjoy the musical learning process. We encourage creativity and build confidence. We use whatever the student is listening to as the “textbook”, and we make an effort to figure out how each individual learns so we can better help them progress. Patience is the most important attribute to our teachers. Since we teach all styles, we also have performances that cover a wide range of styles. We have bluegrass, rock, jazz, pop, funk, classical, and heavy metal all on the same stage. We also work with Spanish speakers, and try to help students with special needs or financial challenges.
I also write/produce music along with visual arts. Here is a sample https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72KMfYlicPc
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Listen. Listening. very important. Even if you have something really important to say. Be sure to take the time to listen to others.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
One thing that really allowed me to explore life and excel was the support of my parents. They truly supported me, wished me well in my pursuits, and gave me all the resources I needed. I was very lucky to have the parents I did.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://athensschoolofmusic.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AthensSchoolofMusicGeorgia/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jeremyrushing9659
