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Photo by Jen Roberts
Students listen to Notes for Life co-founder Ronnie Notch (right) and musician Arshad Goods (left), who came to speak to the class.
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Photo by Jen Roberts
Arshad Goods (left) and Ronnie Notch (right) speak to Notes for Life students.
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Photo by Jen Roberts
Students stand with Arshad Goods, Ronnie Notch, and Allison Worth (far right).
On the Tuesday before Christmas, the Galleria Mall buzzed with last-minute shoppers trying to find that perfect gift. Among them were 11 local high school students who came to the mall not for shopping, but for their final Notes for Life class at the Microsoft Store.
Ronnie and Tiffany Notch created Notes for Life in 2014 to provide a hands-on learning opportunity for students who want to know more about digital music production.
The husband-and-wife team, who are also local musicians, saw a need for such a program in St. Louis, so they at first created a curriculum for college-age students. But Ronnie says, “I realized that we were teaching the stuff too late.”
Ronnie and Tiffany redeveloped the curriculum for high school students and found a space for the program in University City. Just about the time they were getting ready to put a deposit down, Ronnie launched a recording label in the Microsoft Store, where he met Trina Claggett.
In Trina's role as the community development specialist for Microsoft, she was responsible for finding opportunities to engage the local community. “Ronnie was here talking about this music program, so a collaboration opportunity came, and I offered the space here in the store,” she says.
The first class began with six students in October 2014.
“Recruiting students the first year was difficult,” Tiffany says. “We posted a lot of ads and statuses on social media.”
Now, they rely on word of mouth and have no shortage of students.
The instructor for Tuesday’s class, Allison Worth, led the students through an activity where they make music together. The students worked intently at one station before moving to the next, where they would add to the music already created. Sometimes they would laugh at what the previous student had created, but they would quickly get to work, one hand on a small piano keyboard and the other on the tablet keyboard.
“Allison used to be a student last year, and now she’s an instructor.” Ronnie adds, “She’s still in high school, so we’re able to provide an opportunity that students wouldn’t receive anywhere else.”
Allison plans to attend Columbia College in Chicago next year, where she will continue her work in audio design and production. “I just really love it,” she says.
Tiffany says that reading the testimonials at the end of the session is one of the most rewarding aspects of her work. “Allison, for example, said this program influenced her decision in choosing a major. She was undecided but knew she wanted to do something with music, but as a woman, she wondered if she had a place in the industry,” Tiffany says. “We open doors and show them there’s no ceiling.”
It’s evident as I talk to Ronnie, Tiffany, and Trina that the program’s success has everything to do with the partnership they have created with each other. They are talented, passionate, and extremely modest, often passing credit to someone else in the group.
“He’s very humble, if you can’t tell—Tiffany too,” Trina says. “That’s what makes working with them so great, because they truly put the kids first. It’s about empowering the students with music and how that translates to life skills. The program really goes beyond music.”
On January 10, as 22 new students begin Notes for Life in St. Louis, the program will launch in eight new cities around the country.
“So 2017 is going to be the year?” I ask.
“I like the way you think,” Ronnie says with a smile.
