Northwest School of Music

Northwest School of Music

Written by Mark Collins Friday, 07 December 2007

School hires professional musicians to teach.

When Todd Barth founded Pfluger-Rock and the Northwest School of Music, it wasn’t because he was getting too old to rock out in the clubs; he just really enjoyed teaching music.

“There are a lot of really great players out there that teach because they don’t make enough money playing, but they hate doing it. They just do it for money,” Barth said. “But I’ve always been really fortunate in that I enjoy teaching.”

Barth started teaching music 26 years ago in Houston when a friend encouraged him to give lessons at a local music store. Interestingly enough, it was also at a friend’s urging that the Northwest School of Music was founded.

Scott Cain, a fellow musician and friend of Barth’s for 25 years, saw how successful Pfluger-Rock was and became interested in opening a school of music.

“He started joking around with me and said ‘Hey Todd why don’t we open a school together?’” Barth said. “But he was always real busy. He plays for a lot of bands and he teaches at the university, so I always blew him off.”

However, three years ago when Cain’s wife Kathleen graduated, the musicians had an office manager for a new school, and the plan was set in motion.

“I found a location that was just fantastic,” Barth said. “It was another case of good demographics. A lot of families lived here; there were a lot of kids going by. It just fit the area perfectly, and there weren’t a lot of other schools here at the time.”

Three years later the school is running well and employs 35 music teachers between both locations. Barth does his best to hire the most qualified teachers, most of whom have played professional gigs and have extensive teaching experience.

“The lessons are really only as good as the teachers. No matter how fancy your waiting room is, it all comes down to the teachers,” Barth said. “I tried to find the best teachers I could.”

Another aspect of Pfluger-Rock and the Northwest School of Music are the recitals, which occur two or three times per year.

“Recitals are kind of a hassle for a lot of people, but they’re ultimately good for the kids because it gives them an opportunity to show what they’ve been working on and it gives them something to work toward in their lessons.”

Now a staple in Pflugerville and Northwest Austin, Barth has his eyes on starting a music school in Georgetown.

“I think I’m a good candidate to own a business because I like to do lots of little things. I’m detail oriented.”

Instruments taught at Pfluger-Rock and Northwest School of Music

• Guitar
• Piano
• Drum
• Bass
• Voice
• Clarinet
• Flute

Northwest School of Music, 8863 Anderson Mill Rd., Ste.114 • 258-9785; Pfluger-Rock, 100 W. Pflugerville Pkwy., Ste 102 • 989-2425; www.austinacademyofmusic.com

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