Music school franchise to open
A husband and wife are opening a music school franchise in Houston’s Memorial area.
Bach to Rock, 9075 Katy Freeway, Suite A, is currently undergoing construction and is set to open by February. Alex and Lynley Stern own the franchise.
Bach to Rock will offer music instruction programs for children and adults, including individual lessons, group classes and summer camps. The music school also is to offer programs for children as young as six months old. There are 11 Bach to Rock schools in the United States, but the Memorial location will be the first in the Houston area.
“We are opening the first franchise in Texas,” said Alex Stern, 29.
The Sterns obtained franchise rights for two locations. However, the couple hasn’t decided where their second Bach to Rock franchise will be located or when it will open. They are keeping their eyes open for potential spots for the second location, though.
“We both grew up in Houston, so we are pretty familiar with Houston proper,” Stern said. “We are thinking about the West University/Bellaire area or maybe Sugar Land or The Woodlands. The thing about Houston is there are so many great areas.”
Alex Stern grew up in Bellaire and attended Bellaire High School. His wife, Lynley Stern, grew up in the Memorial area and attended Memorial High School. Both attended the University of Texas. Alex Stern has an Internet marketing background. Lynley Stern is a school teacher.
“We both love working with kids,” Alex Stern said.
“We are both from big families with a lot of nieces and nephews. Bach to Rock is a concept that really hit home for us because we are both passionate about music, and we wanted to find a business where we could work with kids.
“We excel in that environment.”
He said Bach to Rock is a young and growing franchise.
Bach to Rock is often named to Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 list.
In 2014, Bach to Rock was named one of the fastest-growing private companies in America for the third year in a row by Inc. magazine.
The company also is ranked as one of Franchise Times magazine’s 500 Powerhouse Brands and is on its Next 300 Franchise System list.
Bach to Rock’s Memorial location is among five franchise schools the company currently has in development, four of which are opening this winter.
An additional 30 schools sold nationwide, according to the company.
“Our success would not be possible without our dedicated franchisees and site directors who are focused on bringing music and arts programs into cities across the country,” said Brian Gross, president of Bach to Rock.
“We look forward to offering our fun, progressive curriculum to families in these new markets.”
Alex and Lynley Stern hope to utilize their educations, career backgrounds and love of music to build their business.
Lynley Stern plays the piano, and her husband was in theater during high school.
He produced music, mixing CDs and putting mixtapes together, for fun.
Alex Stern said the music lessons industry is underdeveloped in Houston, and that Bach to Rock offers a modern solution that he and his wife are excited about.
“Music lessons are traditionally more of an old-school market where you go to the back of a guitar center or to one-onone lessons in homes,” he said.
“It isn’t interactive. It’s not fun and modern. Most kids burn out quickly when they have to learn technical stuff.
“With Bach to Rock, students point the direction of where we go. If they want to learn Taylor Swift, we learn Taylor Swift and do all sorts of fun things.”
Bach to Rock also gets students into mini-bands of three or four people with an instructor to collaborate and build confidence.
“That is where Stern said the “real magic happens.”
“Each student is on a different instrument,” he said. “They get to create their band name, and it’s very cool interaction that gives these kids a real taste of music. That are not just stuck in a backroom somewhere by themselves.”
The franchisees expect to hire seven to 12 people during the first two years. Once construction work on the new location is complete, the business will begin advertising for positions ranging from front desk personnel to music instructors. To learn more about employment opportunities, visit Bach to Rock’s corporate website at www.b2rmusic. com or email Alex Stern at arstern7@gmail.com.