Today we’d like to introduce you to Preston Clarke. He and co-founder Stephen Norman-Scott share their story below.
Notasium started at a dog park in 2014. Preston Clarke, a formerly aspiring rock star-turned-music teacher, had been kicking around an idea of a different kind of music school that was centered around an all-new kind of play space but wasn’t sure where to start. Stephen Norman Scott had been longing for something more exciting than the internet marketing business he had created. After their dogs made fast friends at the Pineywood dog park in Durham, NC, Preston and Stephen did too and one day in 2014, while their dogs were chasing each other in circles, Stephen said, “I’ve got this itch to do something crazy, like open a food truck or something. You want to do that with me?” To which Preston replied, “I don’t know about a food truck, but I do have this one idea…”
The next day they met dog-free and started working out the details of the interactive structures, the location, the school, and the mission statement, which led them to the name “Notasium” as in a gymnasium for notes. They launched a website and a Kickstarter campaign a few months later and exceeded their goal of $40,000 to get funded on March 6, 2015. They signed a lease on a 6500 sq. ft. space in Durham and after raising more capital from friends and family, they were off and running. They opened their doors on August 22nd, 2015.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Getting the second location in Cary open in 2018 had some setbacks and hiccups that delayed opening a bit but the Cary Chamber of Commerce was very welcoming. It took some time to get the second location up to speed with the first location. It was just starting to hit its stride with lessons and birthday parties when the pandemic hit and we had to close the play space. Zoom allowed us to continue most of our lessons but safe to say, this past year has been easily the most challenging time for us.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Notasium?
We specialize in awakening the musician in children through our interactive musical play space coupled with group classes and private instruction that is based in playfulness and fun. Our one-of-a-kind playspace immerses kids in music that they experience physically, fostering the joyful relationship that typically leads to wanting to learn more. Our classes allow them to do that with multiple instruments through which they learn how to emulate and communicate and, upon completion, have the foundation to succeed at other specialized group classes or private lessons.
No other school takes children through each phase of learning the language of music in a more fun and effective way. And no other school offers such a pleasant full-family experience while it happens. Siblings and parents can enjoy the surrounding cafe during lessons and classes and most want to return for our musical birthday parties.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Children having the tools to make music a part of their lives for as long as possible.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: notasium.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notasium/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/notasium
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/c/Notasium/videos
