Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Pelavin.
Hi Michael, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I am a musician from the Metropolitan area of Detroit, MI. I grew up surrounded by music and played guitar as my principal instrument. Music runs in my family on both sides, so I was kind of born into it. I started studying classical music, but explored more genres at a really young age. By high school and college, I was in punk, metal and jazz bands, practicing all the time and playing local shows in the area. I guess my taste became pretty eclectic over the years. My childhood teacher/mentor, opened a music school of his own, just a few years before I left Michigan, to attend Berklee College of Music. I taught for him from age 15-18 and found I had a real love for teaching.
At Berklee, I gained all of the knowledge I needed, to start a life in Los Angeles as a composer and more. In my last years in Boston, I even gave guitar lessons to my local City Convenience Store owners daughters. Long story short, I moved to LA after graduating, and started my life as a film composer, working for Christopher Young on major motion pictures. I left Christopher’s studio to work in the Palisades for another composer (Steve Edwards, also from Michigan) who gave me actual writing opportunities. I helped run Steve’s studio and music library for 6 years, while scoring, orchestrating, music editing and recording on multiple Hollywood films.
I left Steve’s studio to score my own films, orchestrate on bigger ones and build my own name. In all this time, I continued to teach guitar, piano and drums on the side. Throughout my years after Berklee, I became a multi instrumentalist while recording parts for my own film scores, albums and other forms of media. This allowed me to become proficient enough to confidently teach most of the rock band instruments to all ages and skill levels.
As busy as I was, I always continued to teach students privately when I was available to do so. I just love it! Watching a student grasp a musical concept gives me more joy than any red carpet event I’ve ever attended.
So, in 2018 I decided to start my own music school. A mobile/remote music school where qualified teachers travel to the comfort of your own home. Not just any teachers, but ALL of them, Berklee College of Music graduates. Now, we have 9 teachers for guitar, piano, drums, bass, voice and more. We service families all over the valley to the west side. We provide concerts every year and specific workshop ensembles leading up to the shows, so students have the opportunity to meet and play with other musicians in a band setting.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The biggest struggle starting UMA, was the transition out of film work and teaching at day schools, to going on my own as a business owner. Film projects were dwindling, both in quantity and financially. The business has changed so much over the years and our hard work didn’t seem to pay off like it used too. I took a job at a school as a music director, while teaching students privately after school hours. I was pulling 14 hour days while planning my big leap to go out on my own. The day I decided to actually pursue my dream, was the scariest day ever. Yet, I do know as an avid rock climber too, that the only way to achieve great things in life, is to take a bit of a risk getting there.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I opened Universal Music Academy as a music school for everyone of all ages, were we provide a customized way of learning to fit the students individual goals and skill levels. We provide musical instrument instruction for guitar, bass, drums, piano, voice and more. We also provide classes in composition, songwriting, production and music theory. All of our instructors are Berklee College of Music alumni. We are a mobile and remote music school, so everyone can enjoy music lessons in the comfort of their own home.
At UMA, I am the founder/CEO, but also an instructor. I still have 22 students of my own and one that is attending our Alma Mater (Berklee College of Music) this fall!
What sets us apart from other music schools is our background and unification. All of our teachers are also working musicians, composers, songwriters and performers, right here in LA. They also share the same passion for teaching that I do. We use our own learning experiences to build lesson plans for our individual students. That is why we say, “we write the book.” The fact that we are all from Berklee and speak the same musical language, allows me to fill any gaps regarding training teachers, and the use of similar affective methods that I’ve developed over the years.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
The look on a students face when they successfully play a musical passage that has been hard for them to learn, is extremely rewarding! It’s that teacher moment when you know you helped them get there, that makes my job complete. When they perform that piece start to end at a concert you put on yourself, in front of their family and friends, is when I really know that I am doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing!
On a side note, I am also an active outdoor rock climber, mountaineer, backpacker and fisherman. Thankfully ALL of my students and parents (and especially my wife!) are very supportive when I have to reschedule lessons and regular life events to fit these activities into my schedule. My wife and I love backpacking long distances, camping in the forest, and being miles away from civilization, only to return to real life and appreciate everything we have, just that much more! Today I live in utter gratitude to be living my dream and passing along the gift of music!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.universalmusicacademy.com
- Instagram: universalmusicacademy
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/universalmusicacademy
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/universal-music-academy-los-angeles
Image Credits
Gregg Canes, Cherie Friedman
