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Owner of Music Authority, Melissa Loggins joins the Atlanta Real Estate Forum podcast to discuss its various music programs and services along with how Music Authority navigated the Coronavirus pandemic. Loggins joins hosts Carol Morgan and Todd Schnick for the Around Atlanta segment and chats about everything from rock bands to instrument rentals and performances
Loggins always knew from a young age that she loved performing arts. As a child, she was a ballerina and had a dream of opening a performing arts school one day. During her time in college, she earned a degree in Music Business. By the age of 25, she owned a music store, achieving her dream and becoming one of the rare people using their degree in the Music Business.
Music Authority’s in-house repair shop is a full-line repair shop for school band and combo instruments that focuses on keeping the instruments in good working order. The store educates its customers to ensure they understand that their instruments should be serviced every six to eight months.
Music Authority provides rentals and lessons on school band equipment, but the main focus is lessons and rentals for combo instruments such as guitars, amplifiers and drum sets. The store focuses on contemporary music and has a strong rock band program that will officially have eight rock bands this Fall.
“Most schools have a lessons program, and they have a school band so we’re not going to reinvent the wheel and do what schools are already doing well,” mentioned Loggins. “We focus on those students who are getting missed because they play guitar and there isn’t a rock band they can join.”
The rock band program at Music Authority has three phases. The middle phase is a five-month program aimed at middle schoolers that does not require an audition. All that is needed is a little background information on your chosen instrument. During those five months, students perform two to three productions: two at an in-house venue, The Back Room, and one at an outside venue such as a parking lot concert.
Music Authority has been doing Rock Camp since 2003 and the rock band program for five years. Loggins has students who are featured on the radio and she has worked with artists who are now very successful in the music industry. She even has students finding success in the European music scene.
The showcase band program is a varsity-level program that requires an audition to join. The program’s groups perform at least once a month at venues like RockSolid Brewery in Ball Ground and Joe’s Sports Bar in Alpharetta. Guest appearances at the Halcyon Kid’s Club, allow toddlers to try out instruments. This program is designed for high schoolers, and some are given the opportunity to travel with Loggins to Nashville, Tennessee to experience the music industry.
The newest program offered is an elementary school program giving young children an opportunity to experience and try out music at an earlier age. Music Authority is located in Forsyth County, a county with a fantastic arts program that is currently building a new arts complex for its arts program to utilize.
“What we focus on is the kids that aren’t getting (needs) met within the school systems because you can’t go to the school system and sign up for a rock band. That’s something very specific that we do,” said Loggins. “I don’t want to compete against my school system. We support them.”
Through partnerships with schools Music Authority often supports music programs through sponsorships. And last year during the pandemic, Music Authority helped raise money to help the elementary school program purchase ukuleles.
Twenty percent of the students are adults, and last summer, Music Authority had an adult rock program. Loggins encourages adults to get involved as it’s a great way to relieve stress and find a creative outlet. Recently there were enough adult students in the program to make up two bands. Eventually, Loggins aspires to have a program so that the adult students can come together once a month to jam.
Loggins recently presented at the National Association of Music Merchants Conference, something she loves to do every few years. The conference is a wonderful opportunity for her, as a music store owner who is doing cutting-edge things, to talk about what Music Authority does and how it might be different compared to other music stores. Other stores can take what is shared and apply it to their stores.
This past conference, Loggins discussed what it was like to navigate an international pandemic in an industry that requires one on one instruction. The presentation was a co-presentation with Hi-Line Music in California where the owner’s experience was drastically different from Loggins’ experience at Music Authority. The conference session provided great opportunities to see more effective approaches and present them to other music store owners to apply to their businesses.
Loggins comments on how Music Authority navigated the pandemic, “We did it very carefully and made sure we had protocols up and dividers in our studios. At the time, everyone wore masks, and we wore gloves if we had to touch other kid’s instruments.”
Through the pandemic, Music Authority did smaller recitals and events with limited seating, masks required and social distancing within the venues. Before the pandemic, it was common to host three to six shows a month and currently are working back with two to four shows a month until things are back to normal. Music Authority recently restarted in-person events with a parking lot concert days after the CDC lifted the mask mandate in Georgia.
For more information about Music Authority, visit musicauthorityinc.com or interact with them on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok! You can visit the events page to learn about upcoming performances or call 770-886-9066. Listen to the interview above for more details!
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Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee, License #22564. NMLS ID #6606. Subject to borrower and property qualifications. Not all applicants will qualify. New American Funding and Music Authority are not associated. Click here to view the terms and conditions of products mentioned during the show. Corporate office 14511 Myford Rd., Suite 100, Tustin, CA 92780. Phone: (800) 450-2010. (August/2021)
New American Funding is a family-owned mortgage lender with a servicing portfolio of over 123,000 loans for $30.4 billion, 198 branches, and about 3,100 employees. The company offers several niche loan products and has made Inc. 5000’s list of Fastest-Growing Companies in America six times. It has a state-of-the-art career training facility and develops innovative technology, including the GoGo LO mobile application. For more information, visit www.branch.newamericanfunding.com/Atlanta.
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