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The early days were hard. We had no money, and few people believed in us. We even struggled to get family on board. They were understandably reluctant at first, with me leaving the ivory tower of academia to teach kids to play guitar. Thankfully, my passion eventually won them over. Within a few short months, my wife was out there with me, putting up flyers at coffee shops while grandmas and grandpas on both sides pitched in to watch the kids. What began as a solo mission quickly became a family effort. There was a bittersweet irony to these early heady days of the music school. The whole founding idea was that I could add value to the community while spending time with my wife and kids. But to make that dream a reality, I found myself working 100-hour weeks, barely seeing my family at all. From teaching lessons to cleaning bathrooms, there was a lot of work to do and only one person to do it. Thankfully, we are in a better place now. And I can say those trying times not only brought my family closer together, they gave us a sense of purpose within our community.
employing such professional staff, have such state-of-the art facilities, and be bringing quality musical education to so many families. That kind of success doesn’t come unless you’re meeting a clear need in your community. All in all, I am not sure who has gained more from this experience — our students or my family. But one thing I can say is that everybody reading this newsletter has played a role in bringing the dreams of a young idealistic grad student to life. And for that, I am eternally grateful. –Eric Nehring
Together, our family built MnSOM into the institution it is today. Not in my wildest dreams would I have imagined we’d be
PET OF THE MONTH
PET NAME: Lucy
STUDENT NAME: Cami Baker
PET BREED: Sheepadoodle (Old English Sheepdog / Poodle Mix)
PET AGE: 4 years old
FAVORITE THING ABOUT MY PET: She loves people and thinks she’s a 70-pound lap dog!
2 • www.mnschoolofmusic.com
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