Tyler R., Drums + Band Student

“Tyler Ray is exactly the kind of student that every teacher wants: he’s teachable, he works hard, when you give him an assignment it gets better at each lesson… he really makes my job easy! But on top of all of that, Tyler has become a really great musician! I’m SO excited that he’s decided to pursue music in college at MTSU in the fall! Tyler, ROOTS (and your Southgate Student Band, and me…) will miss you SO much but you’re going to do great things in college and I can’t wait to hear all about it! Congrats on Student of the Month!”
– Dennis, Drum + Band Mentor

“Tyler is the heartbeat of our Saturday band, “Southgate.” Not just because he gives us the beat as our drummer, but because of his commitment to his instrument, his preparation, and his encouragement of his band mates. His love for musicals is contagious and his music theory comprehension is beyond his years! Tyler is well deserving of student of the month!”
– Stephanie, Band Mentor

Dave Mohr, Guitar/Bass/Songwriting Mentor (6 years) 

“Dave’s ability to connect with his students and bring out their ultimate potential makes him the epitome of what it means to be a ROOTS Mentor! He brings life to not only his students, but the studio as a whole.” – Kathleen McPherson, Music Operations Coordinator

We asked Dave what he enjoys most about being a mentor, and this is what he had to say: 

“There’s obvious fulfillment in being able to pass on music, something I love, to others, but my favorite part might be the variety of what I get to do. No lesson is exactly the same, because no student is exactly the same. I love getting to know my students as people and trying to figure out what makes them tick and what they respond to in lessons. There’s nothing better than finding the right lesson structure and seeing someone dive head first into playing music. It’s like unlocking a super power.”

Mini Competition Team

Our Mini competitive team is made up of dancers ages 7-9 years old. These dancers take an average of 6-8 classes per week including ballet, skills, acro, electives (hip hop, jazz, lyrical), and rehearsals for their competition routines. On top of their weekly classes, some of these dancers have weekly private lessons to accelerate their training.

Emilie Burns

Throughout high school, Emi took part in several musical theater shows. She also trained at ROOTS, where her love for hip-hop and acro truly developed. After graduating, Emi dove straight into teaching at ROOTS as a full-time mentor.