Kai Music and Arts: Exceptional Music Training for All Ages and Abilities

Finding your voice with an instrument is the mission of Kai Music & Arts in Chico, where students work with experienced teachers to express themselves. Learning how to play music has been shown to help reduce stress and anxiety, boost self-confidence and focus and improve student grades, according to Gary Smith, co-founder, booking agent and musician mentor at Kai Music and Arts. “However,” Gary says, “maybe the most important aspect is that it helps give a little more balance to a life that sometimes feels unbalanced.”

Along with playing a variety of instruments, Gary has a bachelor’s degree in marketing management, and has worked in the music industry as a live music venue owner, manager and booking agent, and has provided financial backing on numerous albums. All these endeavors helped him become an advocate for the power of music.

Patient and caring Kai Music and Arts instructors teach young students to love music as they build their musical skills.

Individual instruction, patient teachers and fun sets Kai apart

While most public schools offer music, what sets Kai Music apart is that it is specifically a music school. “We teach the individual child as well as group lessons. We offer our students the opportunity to play along in our Kai Teacher Band during our fundraisers, to give them the understanding of what it is like to play in a band with other instruments,” Gary says.

Around age five is the sweet spot to start learning piano, according to Gary, and six years of age is a good timeline to begin drums and ukulele. But he notes, “With that, you need a teacher that is patient, understanding and at all costs makes it fun for the child.” Kai Music specializes in teaching piano, drums, guitar, bass, ukulele, violin, trumpet, brass, woodwinds, recording arts and vocals. All the instructors are experienced musicians, and many currently play in local bands.

Homeschool students makeup about half the students at Kai Music, and students come to the studio for lessons from as far away as Corning and Orleans. Some of the school’s teachers also travel to Gridley, Corning and Orland to give at-home lessons for those that can’t travel. In the future, the school plans to offer an online program similar to Zoom lessons to reach students at even greater distances.

Kai Music and Arts has a unique philosophy about teaching music to children. “If we bring a child in and we start with theory and push it on them, then they get bored,” Gary says. “I want people to say, ‘I started playing piano and I loved it.’ It has always been amazing. We have [children] come in and we say, ‘What song do you want to learn?’ As we teach them how the song is put together, they start asking questions that pertain to theory.”

Students sign up for 30-, 45- or 60-minute lessons once a week and Gary says the lessons they provide are the most affordable in town. Students can switch to another teacher, and many Kai teachers can play multiple instruments. “A big focus is to get kids to learn the basic foundation of the instruments, and if we get several of them who are playing different instruments all working on the same song, then we put them together at events and they get to know what it is like to be in a band,” Gary says. He says that some of the coolest achievements students have made include playing live in front of their community during Friday Night Concerts, Mulberry Station events and even a few Open Mic nights on Fridays at the DownLo. “We don’t just teach music lessons,” Gary says. “We show our students how to use their new skills to make the world a better place through fundraising shows they can participate in.”

Named with Love, Kai Music and Arts is community supported

Gary named the school Kai Music & Arts after Kai, the family dog. “He was the sweetest dog and accepted us for who we were, unconditionally. When we lost him to what I believe was a type of cancer, there wasn’t a dry eye in our house. I wanted to pay honor to him by doing something so positive and life changing for our community and beyond to keep his name alive. Dogs seem to heal our hearts and so can music,” he says.

Kai Music and Arts provides students with opportunities to gain confidence by practicing their performance skills in public venues.

The support of the Chico community has helped make Kai Music and Arts possible, from professors and music students at Chico State University to Nick Andrew, Greg Scott and the DCBA and Chamber crew to financial, physical and emotional support from Gypsy Andrews, who is “our true leader,” Gary says. “Gypsy is the support that has kept our doors open; made families feel cared for. Gary says Gypsy has kept Kai “financially balanced every month, run payroll, schedules, and events. We wouldn’t be able to do all we do for our community, nonprofits or our students if she wasn’t here. We love Gypsy!”

Kai Music’s oldest student was 76. He really wanted to finish an album and he did. Gary reminds readers that it is never too late to learn. To find out more, visit Kaimusicandarts.com or call 530-717-5949.