Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Michael Wheeler.
Hi Dr. Michael, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I always wanted to start a music school of my own. I had worked at the local community college and was music director for a church, but it wasn’t as satisfying as I’d hoped. Being contingent faculty at the college level means you can spend decades working for pennies while trying to pay off your student loans. One day, it just so happened that we found a commercial rental in our budget, and we opened JBSM about two months later.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
In some ways, it’s been smooth. The community has been really good to us and extremely supportive. On the other hand, times are tough for families, and that goes double for the faculty here. I’m hoping that economics will stabilize and get our community back on track. That being said, we have a lot to be grateful for.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I used to compose a lot of music, none of it terribly commercially successful under my pen-name Misha Kolesoski (“Koleso” means “Wheel” in Russian, and my last name is “Wheeler,” so it was always kind of a joke). These days I mostly just teach music. I specialize in Piano and Voice lessons, but I also studied for some time in India playing Dilruba (a bowed Hindustani instrument), and I enjoy teaching that as well.
How do you think about happiness?
Teaching makes me happy, mostly because I get to be the kind of instructor that my teachers were for me.
Pricing:
- 120/Month
- 300/Quarter
- 1000/Year
- For 30 minute music lessons
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bechtelschool.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bechtelschool4music
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BechtelSchool
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/jean-bechtel-school-for-music
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JeanBechtelSchool
- Yelp: https://www.youtube.com/@JeanBechtelSchool
