Macri School Helps Students Find Music Within

Plainville Observer By Kaitlyn Naples

When Frank Macri was a child, music fascinated him. He pursued music during his college career, and is now a guitar player who is passing along his wisdom, knowledge, and skills, to his students at the Macri School of Music, which he opened in January of 2002.

Macri is truly passionate about what he does, and focuses on helping his students learn an instrument, music theory, and sharing his passion with his students. Before he opened the music school, he wanted to create an environment that was like a community, and wasn’t just about lessons and instruction, but taught how to incorporate and utilize what had been learned.

Macri spent some time at other music shops, teaching, and decided he wanted to create something different. He has over 20 years of experience in teaching, and his full-time instructors also share extensive music instruction backgrounds, as well as musically-focused college degrees.

Why Macri School of Music?

The Plainville based Macri School of Music not only provides instruction in piano, guitar and bass guitar, but a myriad of other programs such as songwriting, improvisation, music theory and more. Lessons at Macri cater to what the student wants to learn. Macri, and his other instructors, will work with their students to develop a lesson plan that is based on the student’s needs and wants out of the lesson. Macri said there is also instruction available for musicians of all levels, including absolute beginners.

“Every student is different, so we create instruction to fit that student,” he said, adding that students are also encouraged to play songs they will enjoy. In addition to the instructional tools needed to learn how to play an instrument, Macri School of Music also hosts different clinics and workshops geared toward various genres, and has “open mic nights” or acoustic guitar nights, to allow students additional outlets to expand their musical talent.

Macri said the music school will team up with a venue to allow his students the opportunity to perform.

“These kind of events allow for friends and family to come and see what the student has to offer,” Macri said, “and it allows for an encouraging, realistic, environment,” something Macri said students need to experience.

The music school also creates different ensembles between the students, and sometimes the students even form their own ensembles, he said.

“People are so excited to play an instrument, but they have no one to play with,” he said, adding that typically occurs with the adult students, since the children have the ability to play at school. The “open mic nights” also turn into band nights, to let bands perform. Macri added that the school also provides as a networking outlet for students of all ages.

“We utilize any outlet we can so that the students are applying the techniques they learn,” Macri said. He added both learning the techniques and music theory are equally important, however applying those techniques and skills is the most significant skill.
“If you learn technique and theory and don’t apply it, then its useless, and if you just learn how to play a song without knowing how you got there, then you just know how to play that one song,” he said.

What he loves about the job?

Macri is able to develop personal relationships with each of his students, at Macri School of Music.

“I get to see my students grow, and progress in both life and in music, it’s rewarding,” Macri, who enjoys playing jazz and rock music on his guitar, said. His love of teaching and his passion for music makes for a comparable combination for a career, and he said he just enjoys teaching different students and being able to see what they are eventually able to do.

“As much as I give to them, I get back from them,” he said, adding that most of his students will continue with music throughout their lives, in some shape or form.

“Just seeing the joy music brings to them, reminds me of how much I love music,” he said, adding that he has students who range in age from 7 to 78 years-old, and they all share the joy of music. Macri said a question he is frequently asked is, “Am I too old?” He said every time he replies, “you’re never too old to start.”