It’s a concept that not only brings multiple instruments under one roof, but also brings together multiple musicians in one place and, with a bigger facility, allows for new ways of providing music instruction.
Just launched this summer, Music Lab is the Drum Lab’s newest expansion. The drum instruction company, which opened in 2005, saw expanding into the multi-instrument Music Lab as an opportunity to build on a model that has earned them 4 years of top accolades by KCRA 3’s A List while also opening themselves to new possibilities.
“We wanted to further develop our program,” said owner Serge Lysak, pointing out particularly the advantage of having a large performance room at the new location in Granite Bay. “The performance room has a stage and we’re able to record videos, do master classes, group lessons, a student band program, open jam nights, and other music-related group activities where we’re teaching multiple students while giving them an opportunity to interact with other students. Basically we’re able to do music vs. one instrument.”
Music Lab offers instruction in guitar, drums, bass, piano, and vocals as well as violin, mandolin, ukelele, upright bass, and cello, with the potential of growth into even more instruments. Instrument-playing hopefuls and novices alike will find beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels of both one-on-one and group instruction.
The group instruction element and ability to do things like a master classes is unique to this location since the larger facility allows instruction to happen beyond the individual teaching rooms you see at Drum Lab. Lysak says Music Lab is additionally helpful for families looking to save on driving and schedule-juggling time at the all-in-one facility. Group instruction also provides students a more affordable option.
Drum Lab remains open at its location in Rocklin, while instruction at Roseville’s Guitar Lab has been consolidated into Music Lab. In some ways, it was the opening of Guitar Lab last fall that spurred the natural progression into a multi-instrument model.
“Once we started Guitar Lab…we saw a need to be able to connect the two instruments and other instruments to create bands and groups,” said Lysak, noting also a recognition of the connective and social element of bringing multiple instruments and people together.
And that is as much for the instructors as it is for the students, which in turn circles back to the students.
“The other part of this is it helps other musicians–guitar players meet drummers and drummers meet piano players and formulate groups and a music program that has a performance program as well,” said Lysak. “[Our goal is] to grow the program to be the best music program in the area if not one of the best programs in the nation…I want to develop some awesome people. I want to develop an amazing program for instructors for students and for the community.”
Lysak’s passion turned up a notch when asked why someone thinking of learning a new instrument should take the dive and begin instruction.
“You never know what positive things music will unlock in your life until you try it. Period. You just will never know,” Lysak, himself a drummer, said emphatically. “For some people music is their outlet. For some people it’s their social connection to other people. For some people it’s just something they do for fun, to relax, to calm down, to destress, to decompress. For some people its an art form, it’s a creative thing. For some people it’s a career. For some people it’s their way to revolutionize the world through their music. You can’t really tell someone ‘this is what music will do this for you’. There’s a list of things it could for you, but you’ll never know until you try.”
Music Lab, like Drum Lab, offers a free introductory lesson for those interested in discovering what music can bring into their life. Get to know the instructors, view locations, and find more information at muisiclabgranitebay.com.
