Caleb Chapman is a musician, performer, businessman, author, educator and all-around talented individual. He used his passion for music to create a school for it. Caleb Chapman’s Soundhouse, headquartered in Salt Lake City, first began in 1998 as the Crescent School of Music. The program began with around 50 students and several private instructors.
“Caleb Chapman is an extremely inspiring individual,” notes Kya Karine, executive assistant to Chapman. “He built this incredible program from the ground up with his passion for music and his unique skill sets in business.”
Chapman’s desire to teach young artists is evident in his program. According to its website, the Soundhouse is “recognized nationally as the leading music performance training studio for musicians.” Fostering kids as young as 12, it’s easy to see why Chapman’s Soundhouse can be an important step in the musical aspirations of young performers.
However, Chapman didn’t just create a place to learn. The Soundhouse is somewhere to practice, prepare and make lifelong relationships. Karine’s experience with Soundhouse was monumental in her ultimate choice to pursue music further.
“My experience with the Soundhouse was invaluable and completely shaped the direction my life took,” she explains. “I fell even more in love with playing bass and performing, so much so that it led to me deciding to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Jazz Performance from the University of Utah after my one year with the Soundhouse.”
Pursuing any kind of university-level education in music might seem difficult, but participating in the Soundhouse program might make it a little easier — almost all program seniors receive scholarships to pursue music and academics. The program receives a remarkable amount of $1 million in scholarship offers annually. It’s safe to say the Soundhouse is neither a waste of students’ time nor money.
While students spend a great deal of time training in performance, the Soundhouse also offers an unlimited amount of knowledge to be gained in other areas. Not only does the program educate participants in music, but also teaches young musicians valuable life skills. Leadership, marketing and creativity are only some of the transferable skills taught at Soundhouse.
“The life skills he teaches us are universal,” Karine remarks, “Whether someone goes on to pursue music professionally or something completely different.”
The brand’s ultimate goal allows those around the country and the world to experience the program. In 2017, Chapman partnered with Andrew Surmant (CEO) and Rick Drumm (COO) to plan their global expansion. While the expansion hasn’t quite hit the international scale yet, the brand does plan to open three studios in 2018 in Los Angeles, Nashville and Boston.
The merit of the three new studios will most likely be comparable to the SLC location, where students will profit from knowledge and experience.
The expertise Chapman has bestowed to program participants has not gone unnoticed. Gov. Gary Herbert granted Chapman with the “Governor’s Performing Artist Award” in 2013 for his contributions to Utah art. Chapman has also received various medals and awards for his bands. Not only has he received many honors for his work in the Soundhouse program, but alumni have both attended and graduated from prestigious schools such as Juilliard and the New England Conservatory.
Chapman has a lot to be proud of, especially for how far both he and his students have come since the program’s conception in 1998. Chapman’s business is a great example of how hard work and determination can benefit those with a willingness to teach and a goal to accomplish.
“He has quite literally created a business that helps other people live out their dreams of performing, and he’s constantly bursting with new ideas and ways to continue to build and better the Soundhouse program,” Karine said. “It’s a great reminder that if you’re passionate enough about something you can indeed make your dreams come true.”