MEET MIKE LOWDEN

He’s a business owner, musician, music teacher, and a great lover of reading and libraries. Loud & Clear Music School (formerly Falls Music School) has two locations, 21 teachers, and numerous students ages 4 to an impressive 91!

A DREAM IS BORN

In 2014, Mike was a local school music teacher and rock guitarist with a dream to "make more musicians in the world" by opening a music school. He had no business experience or even a computer. So, where did Mike start? He went to the Cuyahoga Falls Library.

THE PLAN

Mike thought to himself, "If I can read one book a week, I'm bound to learn something about business that could help me get started." 52 books in 52 weeks is a massive goal for even the most dedicated readers - but he did it! Mike checked out 52 business titles like "The Lean Startup" by Eric Ries and "The E Myth Revisited" by Michael Gerber from the Falls Library and other local libraries.

"In the early days [of the music school], I couldn't afford a computer. I answered my business emails and LinkedIn posts from the public computers at the Falls Library until we were off the ground." Eventually, he opened his first location on Portage Trail before moving to Front Street in 2016. His passion for music and firm belief that music is for everyone helped his business take off.

MIKE'S PHILOSOPHY

Mike says music is like golf. "Lots of people play golf. Many people love it but openly admit they're terrible at it and play anyway. I think the same should go for music. You don't have to be a born prodigy to enjoy playing! For most people, it's a learned skill."

THE PRESENT

Most days, you can find Mike in his office at the Falls location of Loud & Clear Music school. There he's surrounded by several guitars, three full bookshelves, and one portrait of Bach. 

In his free time, you might find Mike reading or visiting Shelf Life (the used bookstore across the street). He shared his favorite book is "Godel, Escher, Bach" by Douglas Hofstadter. "I just love how he connects so many seemingly unrelated things. The music of Bach, the mathematics of Kurt Godel, and the artwork of MC Escher into one big mish-mash of ideas you can really chew on. It's brought a lot of meaning to my life, and I still think about it all of the time!"

CONTACT

For information about Loud & Clear Music schools, visit loudandclearmusicschool.com Lessons are available at two locations: Cuyahoga Falls and Green/Coventry

In the future, you might also find Mike leading a music program at the Cuyahoga Falls Library. Keep an eye on the library calendar.