If you’re looking for a teacher with a rockstar edge, Connor Schenk is who you want to call. A Nashville resident of 8 years, Connor has made his living traveling all over the world to sing and play, from all over North America and the Caribbean to the picturesque landscapes of New Zealand. When he’s not busy on-stage, you can find him working with parrots, watching old sci-fi shows, or hanging out with his friends around town.

At 26 years old, Connor has enough experience playing live to last him another 20. Whether he’s with his band Schenk, or traveling for piano bar shows, he always seems to be performing somewhere exciting. His favorite places he’s performed outside of Nashville include Alaska, Australia, Mexico, and New Zealand. However, in town, Connor has hosted shows at well known local venues such as The Cobra, The East Room, The Whiskey Shot, The End, Doc Holidays, Scoreboard, and Tootsies, to name a few. In addition, he’s added working with Grammy award winning producer, Mikal Blue, to his résumé, as well as singing backup for pop legend Macy Gray.

Connor graduated with a Bachelors in Music from Belmont University in 2020, where he specialized in vocal performance and songwriting. In his time at Belmont, he not only taught privately, but was hired as a university tutor to teach music theory to Belmont students. In addition to vocals, Connor also used his time at Belmont to showcase both his proficiency on the piano, which he now plays professionally for both the Royal Caribbean and Holland America cruise lines, and the oboe, which he played in Belmont’s orchestra as a student.

Connor truly believes everyone is capable of bringing something uniquely valuable to music. With as true as he’s been to his personal style and influences, it’s his goal to help each student become uniquely themselves in the same way.

Connor’s Teaching Philosophy: “‘Create, not replicate.’ In the same way that teaching someone to fish themselves helps more than giving that same person a fish, I try to give each student a great foundation on how to understand music in general, so that they can be true artists, with or without a set of instructions or sheet music. That way, we can bring out an individuals voice without hinderance, allowing them to express their voice in a beautiful, irreplaceable way.”

What’s been the highlight of your professional career — like your biggest spotlight moment to date?
“I think either recording with Macy Gray or performing one of my favorite Alice In Chains songs with the guitarist from one of my favorite bands, Badflower, would have to top the list. Those are the two standout moments that come to mind.”

What does being a “Mentor” mean to you and why are you excited to step into this role?
“I’m excited to help students reach their full potential! Also, honestly, I always feel I learn new things from my students, so I’m excited to be challenged with new ideas and concepts as well.”

What type of music did you grow up listening to? How did it influence your artistry?
“My favorite artists have always been split into two categories: the soft rock I enjoy, and the hard rock I enjoy. I started out being a HUGE Billy Joel and Elton John fan, which lead me to teach myself how to play the piano. On the hard rock side, I really love bands like Nirvana, Alice In Chains, Green Day, and Badflower. All these bands contributed to me learning how to use my voice in the way I’ve made a living out of today, as well as helping my to discover what I like to write about topically in my own music.”

Where is your favorite local spot? 
“I really like the venue The Cobra. It’s my favorite place to play, because it’s not only accepting of alternative music, but all different kinds of people. It’s a place you can truly be yourself.”

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
“When I was a kid, I wanted to work for NASA! That is, until I saw Billy Joel in concert, and it was then I decided to become a musician.”

If you could meet one author/performer/creator who would it be and what wold you ask them?
“I’ve always wanted to talk to Billy Joel about motorcycles. He’s an enthusiast and owns a shop up in Long Island.”