In this episode of The Best of Johnston County Podcast, listen to the inspiring story of Dr. Christine Rogers, owner of Neighborhood Academy of Music in Clayton. Discover the diverse range of music lessons—from piano and guitar to violin—and the adaptive classes they offer. Learn how their unique approach to teaching music benefits students of all ages and abilities. 

Tune in for insights into their rental program and what makes this community gem a special place for music education.

Jonathan Breeden: At what age should a child possibly start taking these different instruments? When do they have the sort of the brain power, the attention span, but what would you say for the most popular ones, what would be a good age to start somebody on piano?

Dr. Christine Rogers: It depends on the child. To read music, you have to be able to start at the top of the page, and move your eyes from left to right, and then down the page. A lot of 3 and 4 year olds will just look at a picture and point, and maybe recite the words because they've been read to. But following their eyes need to be able to track.

So, 4 or 5 for piano, we have 3 who teach violin, and they really recommend that the child learn to track and read, maybe take some keyboard for 6 months before they have to learn to hold the instrument up.

Narrator: Welcome to another episode of Best of Johnston County, brought to you by Breeden Law Office. Our host, Jonathan Breeden, an experienced family lawyer with a deep connection to the community, is ready to take you on a journey through the area that he has called home for over 20 years. Whether it's a deep dive into the love locals have for the county or unraveling the complexities of family law, Best of Johnston County presents an authentic slice of this unique community. 


It's really a fascinating business that is much bigger in scope than even I realized, and my children have been going there for many years. But before we do that, I wanna remind everybody, that you should like, subscribe, or follow The Best of Johnston County podcast, wherever you find The Best of Johnston County podcast, or wherever you're listening to it today. Whether it be Apple, Spotify, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok, so that you'll be aware of future episodes of The Best Johnston County podcast. 


The Best Johnston County podcast comes out every Monday, and we have all kinds of great guests that have already been on, they'll be on in the future. So, like and subscribe, give us a 5 star review, so that you'll be aware of future episodes. Hello, Dr. Rogers. 


Jonathan Breeden: Good. I'm glad you were willing to come in. I know I had to try to talk you into it, but I'm awful glad you're here. Tell everybody, who you are and what you do? 


Dr. Christine Rogers: My name is Christine Rogers, I've been married for 56 years to my husband, have 2 children that are grown, and a busy life. For 24 years, I have owned and operated Neighborhood Academy of Music in Clayton. And it's been a wonderful thing to span the world between teaching and a business. 


Jonathan Breeden: There's a big difference between teaching and a business. 


Dr. Christine Rogers: There is, and I'm part of both worlds. 


Jonathan Breeden: I don't know a whole lot about teaching, other than I teach the young lawyers who work for me. But I do know a little bit about running a business, and it is hard work. And it is often thankless and a lot of hours people don't see. And so, I got a lot of respect for anybody that can run a business, and run a business is profitable. Because running a business and running a profitable business are two separate things. 


Dr. Christine Rogers: Oh that's interesting, because at about age 4 or 5, my mom's neighbor, her name was Jean. And I remember her said, could you just send Christine over for piano lessons? I think she wanted this little darling to be at her recitals. And so, I started taking piano lessons with Jean. For several years, my parents did not have a teacher for me, it was a different age. There was one car, dad went to work, and mom stayed home with the kids. 


Jonathan Breeden: Oh, man. 


Dr. Christine Rogers: It was a lifelong thing, really, that I just loved playing the piano. When I was 13, I started playing for church. I played for my elementary school chorus, then for church. And after we were married, I had a couple years of college. From that generation of women who did not do 4 years of college. I did a couple years and started raising a family. I married my high school sweetheart. So, after the kids were in elementary school, I went back to get the first degree. 


Jonathan Breeden: Okay. 


Dr. Christine Rogers: And after that, I started teaching in public school and enjoyed that, but just started chomping away at the Master's. And then finally, the Certificate of Advanced Study, and then finally, the PhD. I was 51 when I finished my PhD. 


Dr. Christine Rogers: I just love teaching. Some people want to perform. I want to see my students perform. 


Jonathan Breeden: Okay. 


Dr. Christine Rogers: So, yeah. 


Jonathan Breeden: That's cool. So, where'd you get a PhD from? 


Dr. Christine Rogers: UNC Greensboro, has been one of the top 10 in the nation for music education. A lot of people don't realize that, it is a wonderful school for music ed. So is Appalachian and East Carolina. 


Jonathan Breeden: Greensboro has a tremendous music program and music education, I'm definitely familiar with that. I would still argue, they may have the best teacher preparation program for any type of teachers, including music teachers, maybe in the state. And of course, it started as Greensboro Teachers College back in the day. 


I believe I had a great aunt who's passed away, that may have graduated from there. And she became a teacher in North Carolina, I think that's where she went. She would have gone in the late 30s. And I think, she went to Greensboro Teachers College. 


We're very blessed in this state to have the university system, we had along with the Community College System that we have here in North Carolina with Johnston Community College. There are only about 56 Community Colleges in North Carolina. I know at some point, you taught at Chapel Hill? How did that happen? 


Dr. Christine Rogers: I taught for Rowan-Salisbury System. But my husband's office was in Harnett County, then they moved north of Smithfield. I was able to become a professor at UNC-Chapel Hill in the music department. Smithfield, Chapel Hill, we moved to Clayton. For four and a half years, I taught at UNC. 


Jonathan Breeden: What'd you teach? 


And I had taught middle school band. I had taught elementary general. My student teaching had been in high school, so they were like, Oh, she's done it all. So, I worked with the band people about, what if you get a section of chorus? What are you going to teach them? How do you form the vowels when you sing? How do you light up your face? 


I didn't work with the band people per se, cause that was a little out of field. But except, if they were going to sing, and then the elementary general, in fact, we had a teacher who just retired in the Johnston County System that I taught music at Greensboro. He taught elementary general music and he just retired. 


Jonathan Breeden: Oh, man. 


Dr. Christine Rogers: What was your question? 


Dr. Christine Rogers: And I worked with a Master's Degree students, they had to put together a portfolio. We went out once a week, we took the school van and went into the schools. And they watched me teach, I watched them teach. I did supervision out in the field. I had students as far away as Winston, Kernersville, which was really quite a trek from Clayton. 


The day I heard that Southpoint Mall was going in, I was on my way to Chapel Hill. And I heard that there would be 85,000 more cars once all the housing, the doctors, the dentists, the lawyers, everybody got there. I'm like, I'm hanging this up, I can't do this commute anymore. So I thought, let's just do something here in this growing community. 


Jonathan Breeden: Of Clayton. So, how did you come up with the name Neighborhood Academy of Music? 


Jonathan Breeden: That's Applebee's catch chain, right? 


Dr. Christine Rogers: Hey, neighborhood would work. We're sitting in a neighborhood, we want to be neighborly people. 


Jonathan Breeden: Yeah. So when did the business open? 


Jonathan Breeden: That's when I moved to Johnston County was in 2000, and Rainbow Lanes was fairly new. And I remember, they built your building and the DMV was [00:09:00] built beside it. DMV, I guess, it's moved out of that location now, but it was right there on Highway 42. 


And I used to go to the DMV and do hearings to try to help people get their driver's licenses back, when I did a lot more criminal law than I do now. And your building was there. And then, a few years later, the eye doctors, the saunters built a building. Cause they were over in the lowest food shopping center. 


That may have been like in 2010. So now there's a series of buildings there. And then, a dentist came in across from them. So, now you have 4 or 5 buildings there on 42. You got the Rainbow Lanes, and then you have the buildings, you have [00:10:00] an older office building. I think you've got the 3 or 4 buildings you're in there. Edward Jones is in one of the buildings there as well. 


Dr. Christine Rogers: Horizon Medical. 


Dr. Christine Rogers: Guitar, piano, voice, we have a fair number of ukulele students, percussion, drums. We have conga, cajon, and then of course, the trap set, the percussion set. We have a couple teachers who teach drums. 


Jonathan Breeden: Okay. 


Dr. Christine Rogers: Guitar and piano, voice and drums are the most popular, I would say. 


Jonathan Breeden: Yeah, my daughter takes violin there. 


Dr. Christine Rogers: Oh, yes. Oh, I forgot the violin. 


Jonathan Breeden: And she really has enjoyed that. 


Jonathan Breeden: She definitely takes a private lesson there. And y'all do a series of recitals at the end of the year, The Clayton Center. I went to that, I really enjoyed that. And I saw all different levels of students on that stage. I saw students that looked like they could have been in a movie, and could play like recording artists. And I saw students that were brand new, it was really a great thing. So, if you have a student at whatever level they're at, I think you can serve them. Because I've seen students all levels at these recitals. I think, one of the things that I did not know that you [00:12:00] did was art classes. Tell me a little bit about that. 


Dr. Christine Rogers: We have a teacher and she is a college student, but very adept at teaching. Our former art teacher had a Master's Degree in art. And when she was moving to the Boone area, I'm like, Oh man. I interviewed several, and she told me, my student is the one to hire, and she's done very well. 


Jonathan Breeden: You also have some adaptive music classes? At least 1 or 2 kids that has autism. Tell me a little bit about that. 


Jonathan Breeden: And I think you serve pretty much all ages. I was talking to you earlier about my first interaction with your business was back in late 2010, 2011, when my now 14 year old son was about 15 to 18 months old, and he was there doing kinder music. I know you don't have the kinder music for the babies now, but you do have young Mozarts that started as young as 3, tell me about that. 


And they learn low and high, and they learn where middle C is. And they start playing simple melodies. Most of the children are 4 that start there, but we have had some 3 year olds. And we recommend it for 4, 5s and even 6 year olds as a preparatory to keyboard or piano. 


Jonathan Breeden: Okay. And you also offer adult classes and adult lessons too, correct? 


Dr. Christine Rogers: We do. We have a lot of retirees who come. They're like, I always wanted to learn to play the guitar, or I wanted to play violin and now's the time. 


Jonathan Breeden: Okay, that's great.

Narrator: Have family law questions? Need guidance to navigate legal challenges? The compassionate team at Breeden Law Office is here to help. Visit us at www. breedenfirm. com for practical advice, resources, or to book a consultation. Remember, when life gets messy, you don't have to face it alone.

Dr. Christine Rogers: It depends on the child. To read music, you have to be able to start at the top of the page, and move your eyes from left to right, and then down the page. A lot of 3 and 4 year olds will just look at a picture and point, and maybe recite the words because they've been read to. But following their eyes need to be able to track. 


So, 4 or 5 for piano, we have 3 who teach violin, and they really recommend that the child learn to track and read, take some keyboard for 6 months before they have to learn to hold the instrument up. Yes, it's tiring for a young child. 


Jonathan Breeden: So guitar, 6, 7, 8, for actual guitar? 


Dr. Christine Rogers: That works. Get half size guitars, and 3 quarter size. You can get smaller instruments. 


Jonathan Breeden: Cool. I took guitar lessons, and I am not musical, and I really, just was not interested. I think I was 8 or 9, and I did it for a little while, and music wasn't my thing. Which is fine, but it just wasn't my thing. I don't have a ton of natural rhythm, or anything like that. Fortunately, my wife is a very good singer, and was able to sing in college. So, what musical talent my children have gotten working with your program, their natural talent, I think would definitely come from their mother, definitely not their father. 


Dr. Christine Rogers: Parents think of music lessons as going to practice, which you go to practice for basketball, for soccer. But with music, you practice at home. 


Jonathan Breeden: Right. 


Dr. Christine Rogers: And you go for a lesson. 


Jonathan Breeden: Yes. 


Dr. Christine Rogers: So, the teacher can lead you onward. 


Jonathan Breeden: Yes, so you're right. Our children take piano, and they need to practice, we make them practice at least 5 days a week. So, they have to practice in order to get their screens. Everything's about screens with these kids nowadays. So that they practice, and they've been doing it a few years now, they're pretty good at it. And it's much more enjoyable to listen to when they practice now, than it was when they started. 


Because they can play just about most songs that you hear, they can now play, it's a lot of fun. And one last thing y'all do with people realize, you rent instruments. One of my executive assistant here's, rents an instrument from you, for her child to go to the middle school, I think Riverwood middle school. You rent a lot of instruments, is that its own separate wing of the business? 


The parent can rent, or the grandparent a lot of times rents. And for the first 2 months, there is pay for 1 month and get the second month at no charge. But then after that, it's every month, and most parents pay for a damage voucher in case, Oh, we had a van [00:19:00] back over a trumpet one year. And it wasn't even the mother, it was a carpool van, it happens. 


Jonathan Breeden: What's the average cost of rent a trumpet? 


Dr. Christine Rogers: I should have checked the prices. It's in the $43, $44 range. 


Jonathan Breeden: Per month? 


Dr. Christine Rogers: Yes. 


Jonathan Breeden: Okay, so affordable. Same thing with most the other middle school instruments. Most of the people you rent to the middle school students, I believe. 


Dr. Christine Rogers: Yes. And it is rent to own, the rental is actually less than $40. But if you get the damage waiver, it's worth it to have it. In case somebody backs over it, or some kid knocks over your cello in school, and breaks the neck or something. 


Jonathan Breeden: Okay. 


Dr. Christine Rogers: And even if they pay it off, the equity transfers. For the band instruments within a year, if they start out with flute and the band teacher says, we really need more saxophones, they can trade within a year for $20, they can trade for sax. It's a good program. 


Now the saxes and cellos are a little more to rent, but the smaller instruments, most people start with the violin, clarinet, trumpet, flute, trombone. And then, there's also the sax and the cello, the tenor saxophone that we can order. French horn, we can order those if they want one. 


So, they were neighbors of mine, and they were super nice people. And anyway, that's a great program because, we need to lower the barrier to entry to music. And I think, that's what you're able to do with your rental program. So, I guess the last question I would ask you is, what do you love most about Johnston County? 


Dr. Christine Rogers: The people, they are so friendly. I hear, this one did this and this one did that. I'm on a couple of social media groups where there was this happened and that happened. The people I meet are so kind and so nice and so helpful. And Johnston County is a great place to live. It's a great place to rear your children. 


Jonathan Breeden: I agree 100%. And almost everybody, we ask that question at the end of every episode. And we're about 40 episodes in by now. And it's always the people, and that's what I love about this place. I've been here about the same amount of time you have been. 


Dr. Christine Rogers: Thank you. The best way is to call, 919-359-6105 or you can go to our website and look, but there's not a link from the website to the email. The email is listed there, my email is listed there. And I'm like, don't put my email up there with a link, I get too many email. Anyway, let them go ahead and type it in, or let them call. 


Jonathan Breeden: What is the website? 


Dr. Christine Rogers: It's www.NeighborhoodAcademyOfMusic.com. It's the long thing. 


Narrator: That's the end of today's episode of Best of Johnston County, a show brought to you by the trusted team at Breeden Law Office. We thank you for joining us today and we look forward to sharing more interesting facets of this community next week. Every story, every viewpoint adds another thread to the rich tapestry of Johnston County.

If the legal aspects highlighted raised some questions, help is just around the corner at www. breedenfirm. com.