By JASON COX
Of the Keizertimes
Noah and Sara are so darn happy these days they're practically bouncing off the walls.
And why not? They're so close to their dream they can hear it, feel it, see it.
Noah Seitz and Sara Greenleaf-Seitz are opening the Keizer Academy of Music and Arts at 4904 River Road N. in Keizer Plaza. The school is taking registrations now, and formal classes begin September 8.
The concept behind the academy is unifying the arts: An impressive array of classes are proposed, including group and private music lessons, photography, dance and acting.
"This is a collaborative environment for both students and teachers," Sara said.
"It'd be cool to have an event where students could do a collaborative recital, where the students are playing music, the dancers are dancing," said Noah.
Both of the two make a living off their music, holding degrees in music performance – Sara on piano, Noah on cello – from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music. Noah would go on to study at the University of Oregon, while Sara was an accompanying pianist there. She currently works as a piano accompanist at Linfield College, while Noah teaches at schools in the Salem-Keizer area.
But their dream was to do what Sara's best friend Tia Pietsch did in Homer, Alaska: Open a music and arts academy.
Sara was also running a piano studio in their Keizer home, but in speaking with other private music teachers she found a common thread: Houses of any kind provided too many distractions, and often teachers were traveling to each student's home, spending as much time on the road as they were teaching.
"That's when we realized if we were going to do music full-time professionally, it needed to be more convenient and more streamlined for all involved," Sara said.
Teachers working privately not only have to impart musical wisdom, but have to also be familiar with running a business. While most of the teachers will be private contractors, Sara said it will help instructors focus on their love of music – "they don't have to do scheduling or collect tuition."
It's not just better for teachers to have a base for lessons, Sara said. For frazzled parents running their kids all over town for activities, Sara said KAMA could be almost a godsend.
"If one kid takes piano and another guitar, you can drop them off here in one shot," she said.
The couple lives in Keizer with their daughters Lilla, 7, and Clara, 3. They chose Keizer in part because of the Salem-Keizer School District's impressive music programs.
"If every student in those programs has a private teacher they'll get even better," Sara said.
High on the list of priorities is hiring prescreen teachers with university training. Many of the teachers are currently music students themselves at area colleges. Facilities include a dance studio, several rooms for private music lessons, and a Yamaha full grand piano.
While both are steeped in musical experience, Sara also has dance experience from accompanying ballet recitals on piano.
"Dance and piano are already combined in some sense of the word," Sara said. "Students can have that experience of crossing over into other arts."
The word "collaborative" comes up a lot when discussing the couple's decision to include as many arts as possible under one roof.
Acting courses are available for children, teens and adults. In the area of music, students can take private or group lessons on guitar or piano as well as any common band instrument you can think of. Music theory and voice courses are also available.
Dance classes start for students as young as 3 years old, and includes ballet and modern dance. Yoga classes for almost every age group are also on the table.
Lessons are one-on-one, and no class will have more than a 15-1 ratio. Currently about 20 teachers have signed on to teach at the school.
"Most of our teachers are still working in their field," Sara said. "That was really important to me. Students need to see that their teacher loves performing and isn't afraid to put themselves on the line. Why should a student put himself on the line if a teacher won't?"
Most private lesson students will also get a 15-minute music theory training by computer.
And as big as this dream has been, they're thinking even bigger. In a few years they'd like to be in a facility where they can host performances, or bring in art shows.
"Keizer deserves to have a beautiful space to hear music, see art and watch professional dance troupes," Sara said.
Scholarships were awarded to two local students: Ali Zuro of McNary High and homeschooler Jessica Ries. Both won a full year of lessons or classes via an essay contest. The school also plans to offer a bring-a-friend referral program to help defer student costs.
