The third time’s the charm for music school Music Compound, with the impending opening of a long-awaited location in Manatee County. “Music Compound MAN” (located at 4740 SR64, just west of I-75 in the Braden River Business Park) will serve families and adults in Parrish, Lakewood Ranch and Bradenton.
Programming will launch with an Introduction to Music Summer Camp for elementary-school-age students the last two weeks of July and then feature lessons for kids, including Kidz Rock and Modern Band programs for area youth wanting to grow musically and socially. These programs encourage team building, boost confidence, and build performance skills. Available adult programs will include private and group lessons as well as jam sessions for those wanting to play music while meeting new people.
The signing of the lease on June 2 is the culmination of an effort Music Compound owner Jenny Townsend has been working toward for years. She first hoped to open a Lakewood Ranch location in 2018 but that effort didn’t pan out. She then prepared to make the dream a reality in 2020 but, with the deal on a 10,000-square-foot space – which would have required a significant build-out – scheduled to close in March, the pandemic made such a huge investment too risky.
The expansion comes as Music Compound’s SRQ (Cattlemen Road) location is fully booked. Music Compound SRQ started with six studios and now, even with the addition of “lots of walls” and growth to 13 studios, programming is still at capacity.
“We have clients who have been asking for us to consider a location in Manatee County for quite some time,” Townsend says. “We have students who have been commuting for years from Parrish and Lakewood Ranch. And even with the addition of new studios at SRQ, we can’t keep up with demand!”
The new 4,500-square-foot space will feature 13 spacious studios and a music lounge, where younger students can socialize, decompress and make the transition from time in school to the music enrichment programming.
Once Music Compound MAN is up and running, a number of current SRQ students as well as some instructors will transition there; Townsend expects to backfill the resulting openings in Sarasota with new students and instructors fairly quickly. With one instructor and two staff members already in place, Townsend expects to have hired a total of between five and 10 staff members for Music Compound MAN by December. Music Compound currently employs 30.
For additional information, to register for the summer camp in Manatee County and/or to learn more about programs during the school year, visit musiccompound.com or call 941-379-9100.
About Music Compound
The Music Compound provides an environment to inspire, collaborate and educate children and adults in pursuit of their love of music. The goal is to transform dreams into reality by providing a contemporary and influential environment for musicians of all ages. For more information, visit musiccompound.com.
