Meet Paul Landry of After School Music School

Today we’d like to introduce you to Paul Landry.

Paul, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born and raised in Westminster, Massachusetts. The eldest of seven (5 boys and 1 sister). At 12 I picked up my brother’s guitar and taught myself to play by listening to my favorite records and copying what I heard by using a guitar chord chart. During Middle School and High School I was involved in both the Drama and Music departments performing many plays and musicals and I was a member of the Oakmont Boys Choir. With the Choir I recorded and sang a solo on the Christmas Song: I Wonder as I Wander. It was professionally recorded, produced and sold locally as a fund raiser for the choir. Hey, I had my first single on a 45 record! We performed for the Governor in Boston and toured and performed throughout Europe! My fondest memory is of singing that solo in Paris’s Notre Dame Cathedral. The sound was amazing! The tour opened my eyes to how music was an international language and it taught me that performing can expose one to greater opportunities to see the world.

After High School I performed in a few local Rock Bands and in Community Theater and Summer Stock musicals in Massachusetts and Vermont. I eventually moved to New York City to study acting further at The Neighborhood Playhouse and the National Improv Theater. After studying and performing at these schools I got work as an actor with a Theatre for Young Audience Company and The New York Street Theater Cabaret touring nationally and internationally. I got my coveted Actor’s Union Equity Card and worked for a season as a solo singer-guitarist aboard Holland America’s Cruise Ship the SS Volendam sailing from New York City to Bermuda.

While living in New York I met my beautiful wife Keli, married and had our 1st child Wyni. We soon moved to Los Angeles to further our careers. My wife eventually became quite a successful commercial actress and during Covid decided to flex her creative abilities and design and create her own Shoe Company: Gini and Albert. After 911 we had our second child, a boy named Zeut who is now 22. All of us are creative artists.

I actually founded the After School Music School concept back in 2001 while being a music teacher at various private Kindergarten through Middle Schools located here in the San Fernando Valley. Some of the schools were: Lewis Carroll Academy, Applied Scholastics Academy of the Valley and NVLA. At all these schools I was hired as the Music and Drama teacher creating various Theater and Musical Productions along with forming a Uke String Band and a Glee Club which performed at the schools. All these productions were a great PR action for new public at the schools and the positive word of mouth spread like wild fire. As a result interested parents and students started to approach me on offering small group and private music lessons after school and the rest is history.

Based out of my home/studio nestled in Winnetka, After School Music School now offers Private Music Lessons for all ages living locally in the San Fernando Valley and Nationally with ZOOM Lessons. I offer: Piano, Guitar, Ukulele, and Bass Lessons. All lessons teach music fundamentals (how to read and play music) and how to perform with others in the process.
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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?
Soon after we were married back in the early 90’s my wife (having visited Los Angeles previously) suggested we make a move there to pursue our careers in a warmer climate. So, newly married and with a 6 month old child, we packed everything we owned into a U-Haul and made the long trek from NYC to LA. Once here it was very difficult finding consistent viable work to support our family and goals. We both took odd jobs the first few years just to pay rent and keep food on the table. Luckily my wife’s commercial acting career luckily took off and our financial burdens lessened which allowed me to continue to pursue my purpose of performing and teaching music. We’ve always worked as a team and continue to support each other’s goals and dreams.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Because of my life experiences and practical teaching background I’m very good with children and adults alike. I always try to keep lessons FUN and interesting. I am genuinely interested in each and every student and I really take the time to get to know them as individuals as I’m working with them. I am a very patient teacher and treat everyone like a good friend. Most of my students are children age 5 thru teen and I teach several students on the Spectrum which requires much more patience and understanding. My purpose is to imbue positive music into the society and create musicians who go out and fill their homes and the world with the joy of music. I feel this is something the world really needs right now.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I’ve been very fortunate to find out what my purpose in life is and while searching for schools for my children to attend I found that the schools we applied at were all in need of someone to teach music and drama. Because of my varied practical experiences and background I luckily fit their bill and was able to volunteer my services in exchange for tuition. Word of mouth and great reviews got around thru the students and parents and referrals started to pour in. This snowballed into the business I have today.

Pricing:

• Tuition Fees can be found at my website,

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.AfterSchoolMusicSchool.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfterSchoolMusicSchool

Image Credits
All Photos (C) 2026 Paul Landry Photography. All Rights Reserved