In recent months, there’s been growing discussion over the importance of music programs, especially for young kids. Little Treblemakers know just how important music and such programs are first-hand – and as a music program themselves, based in Atlanta, Georgia, they provide a fun and engaging way for people aged from 2 and a half to 100 to learn and engage with music, while also creating memorable performing experiences for the community.
LTM recently unveiled the video for their latest production, a cover of Bread’s “Guitar Man”, with students participating in every aspect of its creation. To mark its release, I caught up with LTM founder Sydney Eloise to find out more about the creation of LTM, her own music background and who she’d most love Little Treblemakers to collaborate with.
Hi Sydney. First of all, for anyone unfamiliar, who are and what exactly is Little Treblemakers?
Little Treblemakers is a music program in Atlanta, Georgia – serving students from ages 2 1/2 to 100. Our goal is to provide a joyful way to learn and engage in music education, and hopefully provide a long-lasting relationship with music. Also, to create unforgettable, immersive performing experiences for our community!
As the founder of LTM, can you tell me a little about why you wanted to create this program? What’s your own musical background like?
There are a lot of things that contributed to the creation of Little Treblemakers. One of those things is my joy of performing as a touring artist and recording artist, along with my background in Montessori education as a guide, and passion for early childhood development. I wanted to create a way to engage in all the things that I love – working with children, working creatively, providing a unique environment for learning, bringing joy to work, creating my own schedule, and allowing space for me to make my own music and tour. So the balancing act of give & take. I’m giving back to the community and in turn, it gives back to me.
LTM‘s latest release is a reimagining of the classic song “Guitar Man.” How did you come to decide on that track in particular – what does it mean/represent to you and the LTM kids?
Yes, for our latest music video production, we covered “Guitar Man” by Bread. Every semester we pick a theme which then correlates with our spring student concert & song that we record in the studio. This spring we chose 70s yacht rock which was super fun! “Guitar Man” really stuck out, even though it’s a bit of a deep cut, as it was one of the first songs that I learned to play on guitar as a child, so it had a very special place in my own story.
Upon further look, and reading over the lyrics, it felt like the perfect story for our students to tell. The story of a travelling musician trying to find their way, trying to find their purpose through joy and failure. Our interpretation of “Guitar Man” is that each of us is Guitar Man. Every one of us are trying to find ways to connect to each other, to connect with our “work,” to survive and thrive, how we’re all searching to find joy in the work that we do, but sometimes, the joy is just trying.
That to say, it was super special to have the students participate in every step of the process, from coming into the recording studio (Standard Electric Recorders Co.) to track vocals, to stepping on set and acting for the music video. The kids had such a fun time and so did we!
I recently interviewed John Ondrasik of Five for Fighting who has co-created and backed a campaign to highlight and champion the importance of musical education in schools. Would you say that LTM does something similar, at least in terms of allowing young people an outlet through which to discover and express themselves?
Absolutely! LTM believes it’s vital for young children to have exposure and access to learning about music. Creative exploration is so important and should be included in all education programs across the world. It’s proven that children that engage in the arts and music earlier on are more well-rounded, have stronger communication, problem solving skills, and confidence levels!
LTM partners with regional and touring bands and in the past have collaborated with/worked alongside Big Thief and Lunar Vacation among others, but if you could have LTM join forces with any other band or artist on a project, who would it be and what song would you work on together?
We love collaboration! Our hearts are always so warmed by any band on any sort of level that’s willing to let our students have a peek at their world and their processes. Showing our young students that that could be them on the stage, that could be them behind the mixing board, and that could be them managing the band, is so powerful. There’s so many positions available in the music industry, all so important, and we’d like to open that door a bit more and show our students what’s possible!
When I was just starting out, there was no one to tell me that even if you’re not one of the biggest rock stars in the world, there’s still so many paths to a fulfilled and successful life in music. I think a lot of people give up on it way too early because of that belief system. I want to use LTM to challenge that, and show young kids that you can do so many things with the skills they’re honing in our program.
In terms of a dream band to work with, I think it would be awesome to team up with Haim or St. Vincent. Both of those artists seem to be so deeply involved in all facets of their own careers, and I deeply respect both. I think giving our students more access to artists like that will continue to show them that the world of options and creativity is so wide and vast.
Are there any events or projects in the pipeline that anyone interested in what Little Treblemakers do and offer can come along to? How is the summer looking for yourself and the kids?
We just wrapped our spring semester and are rolling into sweet summertime. We are currently welcoming new LTM students into the program, and we will be hosting our Small Stars Camp in July. Small Stars is a band camp where students of mixed ages learn to work together for a week playing songs and learning to write as a collective.
Starting this fall, we are very excited to launch our first acting program, along with Big Treblemakers – curated lessons focused especially for teens and adults! We will be throwing in some new group classes, performing opportunities, and fun workshops! We have some exciting things on the horizon as we enter into our next musical school year. We like to keep everyone on their toes a bit though, so you’ll just have to follow along to see what our next big venture is!
Finally, what’s the long-term goal for Little Treblemakers? Years from now, perhaps when you step back from it, what do you want to be able to reflect on and be most proud of in terms of what LTM achieved and the impact it made?
Wow. A long-term goal for LTM would be that we’ve made a positive impact on our students and families and the Atlanta community – that we brought a special slice of magic into their lives and supported the students in a healthy joyful relationship with learning music, and that hopefully they continue playing all the way into adulthood.
The most rewarding aspect of building LTM has been our relationships with these kids and parents – who ultimately help shape what this program is as we grow. We hope to make core memories for our community that support their goals and give confidence in whatever they decide to take on as they grow into young adults.
The overarching mission of LTM is to show children all of the creative jobs that are available to them in both the music and film world. From audio engineering, producing, songwriting, performing, acting, prop building, set decoration, art direction, director, producer, camera operator, lighting design the list keeps going on. We want to crack open the door that feels like it’s been hidden for quite some time. That you can live a creative and artful life, and make a living doing so.
There are more routes than just teacher, doctor, lawyer – options I felt I couldn’t always connect to as a child, and didn’t know where I could fit in. The worldview of work is changing and I think it’s important to show children all of the in front-of-the-scene & behind-the-scene opportunities that are available to them, and then supporting them with the proper education and practice to set them up on whatever path feels most aligned.
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