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The Music Studio Atlanta Opens in Johns Creek

December 2, 2025 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

The Music Studio Atlanta Opens in Johns Creek

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Cecilia Rowe, The Music Studio Atlanta, on Music Education and Opening a Third Location in Johns Creek (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 917)

North Fulton Business Radio host John Ray welcomes Cecilia Rowe, CEO of The Music Studio Atlanta, one of Georgia’s largest privately owned music schools, serving more than 1,500 students across Metro Atlanta. The company offers instruction in piano, voice, guitar, drums, strings, and select woodwinds through both studio locations and in-home lessons.

Cecilia discusses her family’s four-generation musical legacy, the company’s rigorous hiring process for educators, and how performance opportunities like open mics and recitals build student confidence. She shares a transformation story of a young student who went from crying at her first recital to confidently performing at The Strand theatre, illustrating how music education develops discipline, perseverance, and self-confidence that benefit children throughout their lives.

The Music Studio Atlanta currently operates studios in Vinings and East Cobb and is opening its third location on State Bridge Road in Johns Creek in December 2025. Cecilia also discusses her book, Don’t Miss Your Child’s Musical Window, which addresses when to start music education, how to choose the right instrument, and how to make music a lifelong love.

John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. The show is produced by John Ray and North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, and is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Key Takeaways from This Episode

Starting music education early creates stronger neural pathways similar to learning a second language, increasing the likelihood of a lifelong musical journey
The relationship between student and teacher is the most critical factor in sustained engagement with music lessons, more important than temporary motivation lapses
Performance opportunities in family-friendly, low-pressure environments help students develop confidence that translates to presentations, public speaking, and other areas of life
Music education builds foundational life skills, including self-confidence, discipline, commitment, and perseverance, that benefit children in all aspects of their development

Topics Discussed in this Episode

00:19 John Ray introduces the show and guest Cecilia Rowe
02:20 Cecilia Rowe introduces The Music Studio Atlanta and its locations
02:38 Cecilia’s family musical legacy from 1920s UK to present day
04:11 How Cecilia transitioned from corporate work to teaching music
05:41 What music education brought Cecilia as a student: confidence, discipline, and risk-taking
07:38 Cecilia’s love of teaching beginners and starting the family business
08:35 Instruments offered: piano, voice, guitar, drums, strings, and woodwinds
09:18 How parents choose the right instrument for their child
10:08 Discussion of Cecilia’s book Don’t Miss Your Child’s Musical Window
11:14 The studio experience: homey, safe, and child-friendly
12:10 The rigorous hiring process for educators who are musicians
13:52 Matching students with the right teacher for their style and goals
14:32 Open mics at Cecilia’s husband’s pizzeria and their purpose
16:05 Recitals as “fancier open mics” with themes and formal performances
17:30 In-home music lessons: 30 years of service to Atlanta families
18:34 How parents decide between studio and in-home lessons
20:04 Service radius for in-home lessons in Johns Creek area
21:37 Signs that a student needs to change teachers or programs
23:23 The importance of not quitting: commitment and perseverance in music
24:40 Who should engage with The Music Studio Atlanta
26:18 Success stories: improved reading skills and confidence transformation
28:59 New Johns Creek location details and ribbon-cutting event

Cecilia Rowe, CEO, The Music Studio Atlanta

Cecilia is a seasoned marketing and child-focused business professional with over three decades of experience and the owner of the multi-award-winning company, The Music Studio Atlanta. One of Georgia’s largest privately owned music schools, currently teaching more than 1,500 students both in-studio and at-home, the Music Studio Atlanta currently has locations in the Vinings and East Cobb areas and has expanded to open a third location in December 2025, in Johns Creek/Alpharetta.

After moving to Atlanta in 1989, Cecilia and her family started an in-home music lessons business, Courtnay & Rowe In-Home Music Academy, and spent 20 years teaching piano, voice, and guitar. She later became sole owner, and she merged it with the studio locations of The Music Studio Atlanta to create its current multi-location model. The Music Studio Atlanta is proud to have received five community awards last year, and this year the company has already been honored with four more.

Cecilia is passionate about creating safe spaces and family-friendly experiences for music education and aims to inspire children of all ages to build self-confidence, experience joy, and learn valuable life lessons through music. She recently was honored by the Cobb County Chamber with Women’s Owned Business of the Year as well as her third year in a row being awarded with Top 25 Business in Cobb.

In addition, Cecilia wrote a book as a musical resource for families, but also highlighting her musical journey and her family’s musical legacy. The book, Don’t Miss Your Child’s Musical Window, is also the motto of Cecilia’s life.

The Music Studio Atlanta

The Music Studio Atlanta is one of Georgia’s largest privately owned music schools, teaching more than 1,500 students both in-studio and in-home across Metro Atlanta. The company believes that music lessons should be fun while encouraging self-confidence, self-expression, and proficiency through performance opportunities. Students learn to focus, take risks, and persevere when the going gets tough and are rewarded for these efforts with an exclusive proprietary reward system as well as recognition for recital and other performance achievements. The Music Studio Atlanta sets goals like recitals and open mics to inspire students to practice more, learn faster, and gain self-confidence through performance opportunities. The company currently operates studios in Vinings (the flagship location since 2011) and East Cobb/Marietta (since 2022) and is opening a third location in Johns Creek/Alpharetta in December 2025 at 10945 State Bridge Road.

The Music Studio Atlanta offers comprehensive music education in piano, voice, guitar (including bass, ukulele, acoustic, and electric), drums, strings (violin, viola, and cello), and select woodwinds, with approximately 85 teachers across the organization. The Music Studio Atlanta has received multiple community awards and is proud to be affiliated with the National Association for Music Education, Georgia Music Educators Association, and Music Teachers National Association.

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Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio

Renasant Bank has humble roots, having started in 1904 as a $100,000 bank located in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has grown into one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions, boasting over $26 billion in assets and more than 280 offices offering banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services throughout the region. All of Renasant’s success stems from the commitment of each banker to invest in the communities they serve, which in turn helps them better understand the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, their banking professionals understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.

Beyond Computer Solutions supports North Fulton Business Radio

Whether you’re a law firm, medical practice, or manufacturer, there’s one headline you don’t want to make: “Local Business Pays Thousands in Ransom After Cyberattack.” That’s where Beyond Computer Solutions comes in. They help organizations like yours stay out of the news and in business with managed IT and cybersecurity services designed for industries where compliance and reputation matter most.

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About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray

With over 900 episodes and having featured over 1,400 guests, North Fulton Business Radio is the longest-running podcast in the North Fulton area, covering business in our community like no one else. We are the undisputed “Voice of Business” in North Fulton!

The show invites a diverse range of business, non-profit, and community leaders to share their significant contributions to their markets, communities, and professions. There’s no discrimination based on company size, and there’s never any “pay to play.” North Fulton Business Radio supports and celebrates businesses by sharing positive stories that traditional media ignore. Some media lean left. Some media lean right. We lean business.

John Ray, host of North Fulton Business Radio, and Owner, Ray Business Advisors — **John Ray, host of *North Fulton Business Radio* and Owner, Ray Business Advisors**

John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. John and the team at North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, produce the show, and it is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

The studio is located at 275 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009.

You can find the complete archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, and many others.

John Ray also operates his own business advisory practice. John’s services include advising solopreneurs and small professional services firms on their value, their positioning and business development, and their pricing. His clients are professionals who are selling their expertise, such as consultants, coaches, attorneys, CPAs, accountants, bookkeepers, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.

John is the author of the five-star rated book, The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices, praised by readers for its practical insights on raising confidence, value, and prices.

Allison Jarrell, Metro Music Makers

November 23, 2021 by John Ray

Business Beat

Allison Jarrell, Metro Music Makers

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Frazier & Deeter’s Business Beat: Allison Jarrell, Metro Music Makers

On this episode of Frazier & Deeter’s Business Beat, Founder and CEO of Metro Music Makers Allison Jarrell discussed her firm’s work in music education and music therapy. They offer students many instruction options from a wide variety of instrument lessons, sound production, both online and in-person instruction, as well as music therapy for children and memory care patients. Joining Roger Lusby and Donna Beatty, Allison shared her entrepreneurial journey, success stories, and much more. Business Beat is presented by Alpharetta CPA firm Frazier & Deeter.

Metro Music Makers

Since beginning with a focus on in-home private instruction, Metro Music Makers has expanded to offer our services online all over the country, and to schools and healthcare providers as well. Their team of trained, dedicated, and passionate teachers have all received extensive training in teaching online and in-person, and they bring their passion for music and education into homes and lives everywhere.

MMM’s mission is to extend the benefits of musical ability to people of all ages and abilities through superior music instruction and therapy. Their students can study virtually any instrument, and they offer multiple performance opportunities throughout the year, including traditional recitals, festivals, and community events, as well as virtual recitals and showcases for our online students.

They believe that music is for everyone and that any individual is capable of learning how to play an instrument regardless of age, gender, skill level, disability, and ethnic background. To ensure that they uphold the highest standards in music education, they provide a professional development program for their instructors to cover topics related to music and the fine arts, teaching music, learning styles, child development, online teaching, and business basics for professional musicians.

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Allison Jarrell, Founder and CEO, Metro Music Makers

Allison Jarrell founded Metro Music Makers as a private Atlanta-based music studio offering in-home music lessons. She has been teaching since 1992 (sometimes as many as 78 students per week herself), with students ranging from 3 years of age to senior citizens, and those with special needs. In addition to overseeing a variety of instructors in the Metro Music Makers family, she is a board-certified Music Therapist licensed in the State of Georgia. Allison’s music therapy experience includes working in special needs classes, in private behavioral therapy and research with children diagnosed with autism, in music therapy and research with neonates, as a music therapist at a drug and alcohol rehab for teens, and as a music therapist in mental health settings working with adults diagnosed with a range of disorders including schizophrenia, PTSD, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and dissociative disorders.

Originally from Easley, South Carolina, Allison attended the Greenville Fine Arts Center, and earned her Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy from Florida State University (cum laude). She also served a six-month internship at San Antonio State Hospital (a mental health institution). Allison pursued a career as a singer/songwriter after college, recording three EPs and one full-length album. While touring, she was hired by Mars Music, Inc. to implement the Babies Make Music program in the metro Atlanta area.

In addition, Allison was a finalist in the Greenville Symphony Orchestra Russian Music Festival Piano Competition in 1990 and a semifinalist in the Young Keyboard Artists Association International Piano Competition in 1990. She toured with the band Life As Mary from 2000-2003, including an exciting showcase with A & R exposure at the 2002 Atlanta Music Conference.

Allison’s flexibility working in diverse positions and environments gave her the training needed to begin Metro Music Makers in 2002. As parents learned about her music therapy background, she began to get requests for adaptive lessons for students who might not otherwise find success in traditional lessons.

Allison is currently a member of the National Guild of Piano Teachers, the Music Teachers National Association, the Georgia Music Teachers Association, the North Fulton Music Teachers Association, and the Music Therapy Association of Georgia. Additionally, Allison serves as a judge for events sponsored by the National Guild of Piano Teachers and the Georgia Federation of Music Clubs.

Allison’s students have achieved many honors over the years. She has seen over 225 of her students make top marks in the National Piano Guild Auditions and National Federation of Music Clubs Festival since 2003.

Allison believes that the process of learning how to play a musical instrument and learning how to create music relates to everything else that we accomplish in life. “We are teaching the future leaders and innovators of tomorrow,” she says. “As a teacher, when I really think about that and about the influence that lessons may have in my students’ lives, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for the opportunity to work one-on-one with young people over the course of many years.”

In fact, now that Allison has been teaching for a number of years, her favorite times are catching up with prior students over lunch or coffee. “It’s exciting to see what my former students do with their lives as they grow into adulthood,” she says.

Allison also was a one-time snake handler (a long story involving removing a baby snake from her house that turned out to be a copperhead!) and a one-time opera singer, (I Pagliacci) in 1991). She and her husband David have an adorable young son, Elliott, who began music classes at the age of six months. Elliott loves strumming the family’s guitars and playing the piano keys.

Frazier & Deeter

The Alpharetta office of Frazier & Deeter is home to a thriving CPA tax practice, a growing advisory practice and an Employee Benefit Plan Services group. CPAs and advisors in the Frazier & Deeter Alpharetta office serve clients across North Georgia and around the country with services such as personal tax planning, estate planning, business tax planning, business tax compliance, state and local tax planning, financial statement reviews, financial statement audits, employee benefit plan audits, internal audit outsourcing, cyber security, data privacy, SOX and other regulatory compliance, mergers and acquisitions and more. Alpharetta CPAs serve clients ranging from business owners and executives to large corporations.

Roger Lusby, host of Frazier & Deeter’s Business Beat, is an Alpharetta CPA and Alpharetta Office Managing Partner for Frazier & Deeter. He is also a member of the Tax Department in charge of coordinating tax and accounting services for our clientele. His responsibilities include a review of a variety of tax returns with an emphasis in the individual, estate, and corporate areas. Client assistance is also provided in the areas of financial planning, executive compensation and stock option planning, estate and succession planning, international planning (FBAR, SFOP), health care, real estate, manufacturing, technology, and service companies.

You can find Frazier & Deeter on social media:

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An episode archive of Frazier & Deeter’s Business Beat can be found here.

Exploring STEAM: STEM in Music and Media E11

June 9, 2021 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

Exploring STEAM: STEM in Music and Media E11

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Exploring STEAM: STEM in Music and Media E11

STEM Unplugged is a monthly podcast of SciTech Institute, a collaborative nonprofit organization making STEM connections in Arizona and beyond with Chief Operating Officer Kelly Greene and Arizona Chief Science Officer, Shalae. In this episode of STEM Unplugged, the topic revolves around Exploring STEAM: STEM in Music & Media.

Garth Paine, a professor of digital sound and interactive media at the School of Arts Media and Engineering at ASU and Evan Tobias, an associate professor of Music Learning and Teaching at Arizona State University’s School of Music, Dance and Theater share about ways to collaborate using music.

The School of Arts Media and Engineering at ASU is an innovative cross disciplinary school which leverages art, science, humanities and technology to drive positive change in complex social issues. The teaching, creative work, and research at Music Learning and Teaching at Arizona State University are animated by the question posed in the episode about how might we make a positive impact on society through musical engagement, learning, and inquiry. Chief Science Officer Shalae shares about her Action Plan and the use of music to enhance the media to connect with her peers at McClintock High School.

The Music Learning and Teaching program in the ASU School of Music, Dance and Theatre is one of the most innovative in the U.S. Their degree programs emphasize four core principles intended to prepare students for successful careers as leaders in music teaching and learning: Flexible musicians, Innovative Practitioners, Inquisitive Thinkers, and Community leaders. ASU music learning and teaching graduates make a difference in the lives of their students and communities.

As part of the Music Learning and Teaching program at ASU, The Consortium for Innovation and Transformation in Music Education conducts use-inspired research and collaborative initiatives to help music educators and those involved in arts, cultural, non-profit, and corporate sectors imagine and enact new possibilities for music teaching, learning, and engagement. CITME collaborates with people and organizations interested in advancing music education to develop music teaching, learning, and engagement in relation to contemporary society and the future. CITME looks to broaden and deepen how music teaching and learning can impact society and contribute to positive social transformation.

Evan Tobias is Associate Professor of Music Learning and Teaching at Arizona State University where he heads the Consortium for Innovation and Transformation in Music Education (CITME). He is also Director of ArtsWork: The Kax Herberger Center for Children and the Arts, a program of the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts that advances transformative, transdisciplinary, collaborative, and socially engaged arts and design programming, education, and research in relation to young people.

Evan’s teaching, creative work, and research are animated by the question: How might we make a positive impact on society through musical engagement, learning, and inquiry? So, he focuses on innovation and transformation in music education and how music learning and teaching might make a positive impact on people’s lives and society.

He is currently exploring the intersections of futures thinking, imagination, and curricular inquiry to help people imagine possibilities for music learning and teaching and to increase our nimbleness and flexibility in the face of change. Evan is available for consulting, professional development, and collaborative possibilities. You can engage with Evan @etobias_musiced on social media platforms and learn more about his work at http://evantobias.net

Connect with Evan on LinkedIn.

The School of Arts Media and Engineering at ASU is an innovative cross disciplinary school which leverages art, science, humanities and technology to drive positive change n complex social issues. The Acoustic Ecology Lab within that school address is climate impact through community engaged workshops and the development of innovative technologies for gunshot detection in the protection of endangered species and climate tracking through the sound of environments.

Garth Paine (USA/AU) born 1962, is a composer, performer, scholar and acoustic ecologist. He has received several awards for his music, including Outstanding Creativity, for Escape Velocity (Company in Space) and Best new Musical Score for Dance in Australia, 2014.

In 2018, Garth was researcher-artist in residence at IRCAM/ZKM, developing Future Perfect for spatial audio, cell phones and VR. He directs the Acoustic Ecology lab at ASU and holds a patent in gun shot detection. He is also a Senior Sustainability Scientist at the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute for Sustainability.

Connect with Garth on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Our Sponsor

SciTech Institute™ was established as the Arizona Technology Council Foundation as the conduit for collaboration among STEM industry, academia, civic, and non-profit organizations in Arizona. Now, rebranded and named the SciTech Institute™ the goal centers around aligning assets and resources to motivate individuals to pursue STEM-related educational and career paths or find a passion while engaged in community events during the SciTech Festival.

The Chief Science Officer program highlights the 6th-12th graders that have been selected as leaders in their schools and communities to receive training to build a world-class community of diverse STEM-literate workers and knowledgeable, engaged citizens. Science For All allows for tax credit donations to provide engaging experiences for students while RAIN (Rural Activation Innovation Network) focuses on resources for the rural areas of Arizona.

As a STEM Learning Ecosystem, SciTech Institute™ focuses on collaboration and connecting individuals with opportunities! STEM Professionals are encouraged to engage with the future workforce by serving as a mentor, leadership coach, panelist, keynote and session trainer during a variety of conferences hosted or sponsored by SciTech Institute™ and The Arizona Technology Council.

Teachers and Administrators are invited to connect with the resources available while activating a large network of STEM champions for student projects, judges at events, volunteers, exhibitors and more. SciTech Festival Event Coordinators are supported during the planning and execution of community STEM events around the state by the SciTech STREET Team Members and the growing network of volunteers. The possibilities are endless! SciTech Institute™ looks forward to connecting with you today. Visit SciTechInstitute.org today for more information.

Follow SciTech Institute on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Your STEM Unplugged Host

After grow up in rural New York and joining the United States Army, Kelly Greene learned quickly to adapt to her surroundings to be successful. She attended Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio to earn her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education.

She also enlisted in the United States Army and after graduating from training, Kelly traveled the world with the military. While stationed in Misawa, Japan, she fell in love with learning about cultures around the world. Even as a deployed Soldier during Operation Iraqi Freedom for two tours, she found opportunities to connect with the local children to form the Victory Base Council Girl Scouts with her fellow servicemen.

In 2013, she was deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and traveled the country by air. During this deployment, she had the opportunity to utilize the most advanced technologies available to the tactical HUMINT operations in theater. Upon return from combat, she retired with 21 years of service and began teaching. From 6th grade Math to 7th grade STEM, Kelly used her enthusiastic nature combined with her strong classroom management to design curriculum based on the Engineering Design Process!

Now, as the Chief Operating Officer at SciTech Institute, Kelly is excited to serve the communities in Arizona and beyond to share their interest in STEM!

About Your Co-Host

Chief Science Officer (CSO) Shalae Clemens is a member of the CSO International Leadership Council and a rising junior at McClintock High School in Tempe. Originally elected at ASPIRE Academy at Connolly Middle School, Shalae is now a 5th year CSO. Her Action Plans have impacted over 5000 students! Before covid, she traveled to train Chief Science Officers from Florida, Georgia, Texas and helped host the international training events at Arizona State University with students from Kenya, Sonora and Kuwait.

Shalae has also attended the CSO International Summits in Washington, DC. During the week long events she was able to visit the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, NASA, Defense Intelligence Agency, IREX and the National Science Foundation.

Shalae has a passion for STEM and is using her leadership skills to prepare the STEM workforce of tomorrow. She is also a volleyball player and enjoys spending time in Montana with her family on vacation!

Tim & Chrystal Mansour with Mansour International and Valencia Giles with Lawrenceville-Suwanee School of Music

November 29, 2018 by Mike

Gwinnett Business Radio

Tim & Chrystal Mansour with Mansour International and Valencia Giles with Lawrenceville-Suwanee School of Music

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Valencia Giles, Tim Mansour, Chrystal Mansour

Tim & Chrystal Mansour/Mansour International

Building and operating over ten businesses within 30 years, all these businesses started from zero. Tim Mansour was fortunate to sell all of them over a period of time for a total of $10.8 million dollars.

Together, Tim and Chrystal have over 50 years of business experience in the Health & Fitness industry through education, coaching and living a healthy way of life. Key elements of this program are motivating people to pursue and achieve their dreams & goals in business, building/managing relationships, health & fitness, as well as helping others manage and overcoming obstacle while remaining focused, persistent and positive.

As a business entrepreneur and motivational speaker, Tim would like to share his business experiences, challenges and passion for success! Receive tips and strategies on “how to” build a business from zero, manage/overcoming obstacles, lessons he learned along the way, how to manage working with family and friends, the importance & power of positive thinking and much more.

Mansour International is Tim and Chrystal’s current business, which allows them to enjoy investing in real estate, flipping houses and living a healthy way of life!

Valencia Giles/Lawrenceville-Suwanee School of Music

With over 500 students enrolled from the U.S and abroad, the Lawrenceville-Suwanee School of Music has been offering quality, private music lessons since 2009 for voice, piano, guitar, bass guitar, ukulele, violin, cello, drums, percussion, mandolin, clarinet, flute, and Greek instruments, early childhood music development classes, and art classes for young children through adult ages. Love is their model and great musicianship is their goal. LSSM provide lessons that inspire, motivate, educate, and instill confidence in students to help them perform at their highest level. They are Gwinnett’s most award-winning school. With a comprehensive music education and modern state of the art facility, everyone is a star.