The next Keith Richards, Stevie Ray Vaughn and John Frusciante could be honing their music skills at Baton Rouge Music Studios, an institution focused on teaching the future musicians of Baton Rouge.The studios, located on Bluebonnet Drive, focus not only on teaching the fundamentals of music but also working with other musicians.Officially registered as a business in 2006, Baton Rouge Music Studios was founded by Doug Gay and teaches students of all ages.Gay, a local musician and music education teacher, said he started the institution to provide a structured learning environment to teach the rock genre of music.
“I started teaching music lessons when I first moved to Baton Rouge as a supplemental income,” Gay said. “When I started teaching these kids I figured out that they needed someone to jam with. That’s when I decided to start an institution that could provide that atmosphere.”Gay said Baton Rouge Music Studios originally started with only two instructors and students he had built up from his own lessons three years prior.
Gay said the main focus of the studios is on a community-based atmosphere.”Providing a community environment where the teachers are empowering the students, students are empowering other students and parents are happy and are comfortable is something I envision,” Gay said.Baton Rouge Music Studios provides three different programs students can enroll in.Although private lessons are offered, Gay said the main focus is put on group lessons.
“You really discover yourself musically and as a person when you throw yourself into a situation where you work with others,” Gay said. “You bounce ideas off one another, or you might rub someone the wrong wway, but how you work that out is what I get excited about.”Gay said the group instruction program allows the instructor to teach more than one student the same technique at a time and lets these students use the skills in group work.”When we group these kids together they start to form friendships,” Gay said. “It gives them time to communicate together and form friendships so by the time they are ready to move into the young band program, they already have guys they know and are comfortable to play with.”The most unique program the studios offers is the young band program. Students are allowed to work with others and form bands following a semester format that uses a syllabus and a clear time line.Gay said the best part of the young band program is the excitement his students feel after performing for friends and family.
“We put the kids together and give them the opportunities to play,” Gay said. “They get their pats on the back, and everyone who goes to the shows loves it.”Baton Rouge Music Studios features a diverse group of faculty members all with different styles and musical preferences. Gay said his experience playing in the Baton Rouge music scene has allowed him to meet numerous musicians and find the ones he thinks would make the best fit with the studios.
“There are a lot of good musicians in this town, some I haven’t met yet,” Gay said. “Sometimes you just know that a certain musician will work well with kids.”Josh Nee, drummer for the bands We Landed on the Moon and Man Plus Building, is one of the local musicians Gay has recruited to become an instructor at Baton Rouge Music Studios.Nee said he met Gay through random friends and liked his enthusiastic attitude.”When I was playing bass more a couple of years ago I played a few gigs with Doug,” Nee said. “I found he was a very likable guy so coming to work with him was an easy decision.”
Nee said he was contacted by Gay to fill in as a sub for an instructor on a few occasions, eventually inheriting his own students.”It got to a point where I was subbing more than the teacher was there, so I inherited his students,” Nee said. “I always enjoyed teaching and working with kids, so it was wonderful to get into.”
Nee primarily teaches bass lessons at Baton Rouge Music Studios and said his lessons are broken into two sections.”I look at it as the first half of the lesson is focused on what I would like to teach and the second half is focused on what the student would like to learn,” Nee said.Gay said his lessons follow the same format as Nee’s and he encourages all of his instructors to do the same.”One thing we don’t sacrifice being an institute is teaching the fundamentals,” Gay said. “We can work on what you want to learn but let me show you some stuff you really need to learn first.”
Nee, who put his education on hold at LSU to pursue music, said University students could really benefit from what the studios has to offer.”The staff who works here has a kind of younger vibe, and some of our instructors are actually students at LSU,” Nee said. “I can’t think of any negative qualities about the    studios. Doug runs a good operation because he cares so much about everything.”Jason Wilson is an instructor at Baton Rouge Music Studios and also a University student.Wilson, communication studies sophomore, said Gay hired him after being a former student of his in high school.”When I started here, I was doing more clerical stuff like answering phones and filing papers,” Wilson said. “Eventually I got a call to sub in on a lesson.”Wilson was eventually hired as an instructor after subbing in for other teachers.”After a while I got some students of my own and now I’m teaching a class of about 12,” Wilson said.Wilson said his job as an instructor has fit in great with school.
“I schedule my classes towards the first half of the day, then I get here in the afternoon,” Wilson said. “It just takes a good balance between work and school.”Although the studios are a relatively new institution, Gay said he hopes to one day expand the studios into a larger area.
“My vision is to have a community center where young musicians can take lessons in a music friendly environment and hang out with their friends,” Gay said. “I envision just a polished reputation for music education, leadership, empowering the community at large with the gift of music, and providing quality product through our performances.”
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Contact Joshua Chenier at [email protected]