Quick Comparison #
| School | Credentials | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville Music Academy | Incorporated June 2015 by founder and CEO Tatia Rose, lineage to 2006 Rose Music Group, faculty with Belmont University music degrees including Davis Ginn Commercial Trumpet Performance and Music Technology | Eleven-instrument teaching roster covering piano, voice, songwriting, violin, fiddle, cello, guitar, drums, saxophone, flute, banjo, trumpet, trombone, twice-a-year recitals |
| ROOTS Academy | Founded 2008 by singer-songwriter Nate Sallie, 11,000-square-foot Brentwood campus with fifteen dedicated music studios, seven sprung-floor dance studios, fully equipped band room | Piano, voice, guitar, drums, violin, ukulele, songwriting, music production, band ensembles, group classes, dance and musical-theatre programming on the same campus |
| Music U | Launched 2013 by Jes Cleland, co-run with Cameron Cleland who holds a Bachelor of Music from Belmont University, more than one hundred private students alongside group classes | Piano, ukulele, guitar, bass, drums, voice, violin, songwriting, group music classes for preschools and homeschool co-ops, Spring Recital and Rockstar Camp |
Private music instruction in Nashville sits inside a regional pipeline that includes the Belmont University School of Music, the Vanderbilt Blair School of Music, and the Middle Tennessee State University School of Music, all three of which feed working teachers and touring professionals into the local studio market. Families weighing options for piano, guitar, drums, violin, voice, or band instruments should look for teachers who hold conservatory or university music degrees, a multi-year track record at a single studio, and a published recital or showcase calendar that gives students a recurring performance milestone. The three schools below run dedicated multi-instrument programs in Nashville and Williamson County, each with founders who hold working credentials in the music industry and rosters that cover the full standard instrument set.
1. Nashville Music Academy #
Located at 1718 14th Avenue North in the North Nashville arts district, Nashville Music Academy was incorporated as a standalone education business in June 2015 by founder and CEO Tatia Rose. The school traces its lineage to Rose Music Group, which Tatia Rose started in 2006 as a combined education, artist-management, and concert-production company, and which split in 2015 so the education arm could operate as its own studio. Tatia Rose still teaches piano on the roster, which gives the studio a working founder on the instructional team rather than only at the executive level.
Eleven-Instrument Teaching Roster #
The studio runs lessons in piano, voice, songwriting, violin, fiddle, cello, guitar, drums, saxophone, flute, banjo, trumpet, and trombone, which is one of the widest instrument lists published by any private music school in Davidson County. The faculty page includes instructors with university music degrees, including Davis Ginn, who holds a Belmont University degree in Commercial Trumpet Performance and Music Technology. That university-trained bench is meaningful for families who want a teacher with documented degree training rather than self-taught experience alone.
Studio, In-Home, and Online Delivery #
Lessons are delivered three ways: at the 14th Avenue North studio, in the student’s home, and online through video instruction. The studio also runs after-school and supplemental programming through partner schools and hosts two annual recitals where every active student performs the repertoire they have prepared during the term. That recurring twice-a-year performance schedule gives students a fixed deadline structure that mirrors what conservatory students experience.
Nashville Music Academy Contact #
- Phone: (615) 521-1937
- Address: 1718 14th Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37208
2. ROOTS Academy #
Founded in 2008 by singer-songwriter Nate Sallie and headquartered at 320 Southgate Court in Brentwood, ROOTS Academy began as a home-based program called The School of Worship before relocating to downtown Franklin, then to Cool Springs, and finally to the current purpose-built 11,000-square-foot campus on Southgate Court. The Brentwood facility houses fifteen dedicated music studios, seven dance studios with sprung floors, and a fully equipped band room, which is among the largest single-site footprints of any private music studio in the Nashville metro.
Eight-Discipline Music Curriculum #
Music students study piano, voice, guitar, drums, violin, ukulele, songwriting, and music production, and the studio also runs band ensembles and group classes that let students rehearse and perform with peers rather than only in private one-on-one lessons. Founder Nate Sallie carries a working recording-artist background, which connects the school to the songwriting and production side of the Nashville industry in addition to traditional classical and rock instruction.
In-Studio, At-Home, and Online Delivery #
ROOTS runs lessons three ways: at the Brentwood campus, in the student’s home throughout Nashville, Franklin, and Brentwood, and online through video lessons. The school combines music with dance and musical-theatre programming on the same campus, which is a structure that suits families who want a child to study multiple performing arts disciplines without driving to separate locations. Make-up lesson policies and a published lesson calendar are part of the studio’s standard administrative documentation.
ROOTS Academy Contact #
- Phone: (615) 804-1177
- Address: 320 Southgate Court, Brentwood, TN 37027
3. Music U #
Music U was launched in 2013 by founder and owner Jes Cleland, who brought more than twenty years of music-education experience to the program when she opened the first Music U class at a downtown Nashville preschool. The program is now co-run with her husband Cameron Cleland, who holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Belmont University. That Belmont credential on the executive team places the program inside the same university-trained-musician network that supplies many working Nashville studio teachers.
Eight-Instrument Private Lesson Track #
The private lesson program covers piano, ukulele, guitar, bass, drums, voice, violin, and songwriting, and the studio also runs group music classes for preschools, homeschool co-ops, and childcare centers throughout the Nashville area. The published student roster has grown beyond one hundred private students alongside the weekly group-class enrollment, which gives the program scale across both the private-lesson and early-childhood-classroom segments of music education.
Spring Recital and Summer Camp Calendar #
Music U publishes a Spring Recital each year so private students have a fixed performance milestone, and the summer schedule includes Rockstar Camp sessions in June and July plus a dedicated Songwriting Camp. That camp-and-recital cycle keeps students performing in front of an audience at least twice a year and adds a creative-writing songwriting element that most traditional music studios do not run as a structured program.
Music U Contact #
- Phone: (615) 668-8931
- Service area: Nashville and Brentwood, TN
https://www.musicunashville.com/
Reference Notes #
- MTNA (Music Teachers National Association) is the national professional body for private music teachers. MTNA issues the Nationally Certified Teacher of Music (NCTM) credential, which requires documentation of teaching experience, professional development, and adherence to a published code of ethics.
- The Royal Conservatory of Music Development Program (RCM) and the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM, based in the United Kingdom) publish graded curricula and external examinations that private studios use to measure student progress against an international standard.
- The Suzuki Method, developed at the Talent Education Research Institute in Matsumoto, Japan, by Shinichi Suzuki, is a recognized early-childhood string and piano pedagogy that emphasizes parent involvement and listening-based instruction.
- The Belmont University School of Music, the Vanderbilt University Blair School of Music, and the Middle Tennessee State University School of Music supply much of the working teaching pool for private studios in Davidson and Williamson counties.
- The Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC) Education program runs partnerships with regional schools and provides performance and field-trip programming that supplements private music study.
- The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) is the national professional body for school music educators and publishes the K-12 National Core Music Standards that align school and private instruction.
Selection Methodology #
The three schools above were selected from the broader Nashville music instruction field using these filters: minimum tenure on Nashville-area teaching, verifiable teacher credentials including Music Teachers National Association alignment with the Nationally Certified Teacher of Music framework or conservatory and university music degrees from Belmont University, Vanderbilt Blair School of Music, or Middle Tennessee State University School of Music, published recital or showcase calendar, named instrument roster, brand-name anchor with verifiable address visible on the school’s own website, and a published lesson scope that maps to student goals. Operations without verifiable street address were excluded.
Frequently Asked Questions #
Q: How was each school verified?
A: Each school was checked against MTNA Nationally Certified Teacher of Music framework alignment where claimed, Belmont University School of Music, Vanderbilt Blair School of Music, or MTSU School of Music degree training where claimed, NAfME K-12 National Core Music Standards framework awareness, Royal Conservatory of Music Development Program or ABRSM external examination alignment where applicable, Suzuki Method training where applicable, verifiable Nashville-area street address, and a published lesson scope on the school’s own website.
Q: What sets these three apart from the broader Nashville music instruction field?
A: Faculty degree credentialing (Belmont University School of Music, Vanderbilt Blair School of Music, MTSU School of Music, or out-of-state conservatory equivalents) is the practical filter that separates a school from a craigslist teacher renting time in a strip mall. Each program above seats degreed faculty and runs a published recital or showcase calendar (the real test of pedagogy, since students who never perform never test what they’re learning). Method continuity (Suzuki, Royal Conservatory, ABRSM, Faber, Bastien) and instrument depth across piano, strings, voice, and band-program horns round out the differentiation.
Q: Are any of the three schools paid placements?
A: No. The three profiles above are editorial selections drawn from publicly verifiable sources. No school sponsored placement.
Q: How should I prepare for a first appointment, lesson, or booking?
A: Bring a written list of goals or scope items, any relevant prior records or experience levels, a list of dates and constraints, and questions about pricing, schedule, cancellation, and progress measurement. Request a written agreement or enrollment form before signing.
Editorial Note #
This guide was published on 2026-05-11 and reflects research current as of that date. Verify licenses, phone numbers, and current business status before engaging any firm.