Music academy opens in Frostburg
Apr. 25—FROSTBURG, Md. — A new local business offering music instruction for more than 10 instruments has opened in Frostburg.
The Frostburg Music Academy officially opened in January at 9 Ormand St. and is managed by Frostburg resident and multi-instrumentalist Jody Mosser.
"We have students from 6 to in their 70s," said Mosser. "Anyone wanting to learn is welcome."
Mosser has enlisted the help of eight other instructors to offer lessons on every major instrument, including guitar, mandolin, fiddle, banjo, dobro, electric bass, standup bass, drums, saxophone, voice, clarinet, brass and keyboards. They also offer training in home recording techniques.
Mosser has been a performing musician since he was a teenager. He currently plays dobro and mandolin for the Plate Scrappers. He also can be found backing top national performers such as Joe Craven and Cris Jacobs, including performing regularly at DelFest.
"I started when I was 12," said Mosser. "I heard my stepfather play the chords to 'House of the Rising Sun' on guitar and that was it, I was hooked."
The opportunity to start a music academy became possible when Mosser was approached by a man who had a building for sale just a block away from where Mosser lives.
"A friend, his name is Varis Ransi, was looking to put a business in the building on the corner of Ormand and Water Street," said Mosser. "He reached out to me through an old student of mine.
"I took a look at the place and it's in a pretty heavy traffic area. There was a void for this type thing in Frostburg, so I thought this place will work."
Mosser received a grant through the city of Frostburg's Building Improvement Grant program made possible by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development's Community Legacy program.
"We are a local small business," said Mosser. "We keep it in the community."
The building has been updated, including adding acoustically-designed rooms for teaching music.
"Every teacher is equally experienced and has spent many hours on the stage and they've taught for quite a while as well," said Mosser. "They can accommodate the sight reader or the person who wants to improvise and learn to play by ear.
"We can teach a wide variety of music. The students can play with others and learn how to communicate in a band. You create lifelong relationships though music."
The academy has a bluegrass jam session on Thursday evenings for teachers and students and will be holding band camps in the summer.
For more information, visit FrostburgMusicAcademy.com or call Mosser at 240-580-5030.
Greg Larry is a reporter at the Cumberland Times-News. To reach him, call 304-639-4951, email glarry@times-news.com and follow him on Twitter @GregLarryCTN.
