48 | MARCH 7 • 2024 
J
N

Musical Educator

A

fter performing solo and with 
multiple bands around the 
world, musician and songwriter 
Josh Grekin decided to bring his passion 
for music back home, and he opened the 
Grekin School of Music in Ann Arbor. 
 “My goal was to build a community for 
musicians of all levels and all ages,
” says 
Grekin, who grew up in Ann Arbor and 
plays trumpet and piano professionally.
Grekin clearly struck a chord with music 
lovers in the area, and his business has 
grown. The school opened in 2012, but he 
waited to expand the business until 2022, 
after he moved into a bigger space and fin-
ished his Ph.D. from Oakland University. 
“We started with 60 students and last 
year we had 180,
” says Grekin, who rents 
space for classes at the Church of the Good 
Shepherd in Ann Arbor. “
And we expect 
about 400 kids in my various music camps 

this coming summer.
”
At the school, students of all ages — pre-
schoolers through adults — learn to sing, 
compose music and play four instruments. 
Private lessons are also available for chil-
dren ages 4 and up. While the students 
use Grekin’s musical instruments, as they 
become more proficient, they may want 
to rent or buy their own. The teachers are 
professional musicians, many have per-
formed all over the country, and a few are 
ex-students at the school.
Within Grekin’s school, they offer 
the Little Bands Academy. “This is our 
innovative program for beginner-interme-
diate students in which they learn strong 
basic skills on all the ‘rhythm section’ 
instruments (piano, guitar, ukulele, bass, 
drums) and voice,
” he explains. “By the 
time they have been in the program for one 
semester, they understand how a piece of 

music is put together. Once kids graduate 
from the Little Bands Academy they can 
continue in the Grekin School of Music 
with bands, lessons or both, but they have a 
very strong foundation. Of course, kids can 
also join without beginning with the Little 
Bands Academy — but it’s our special pro-
gram, our niche and really our biggest con-
tribution to the field of music education.
” 

Over the summer, some 15 camps 
are offered for kids of all ages from June 
24-Aug. 24. Camp programs include 
Express Yourself, Rock the Band ’80s Music, 
Summer Jazz and Wish Upon a Star Disney 
Hits. Mornings, afternoons and all-day ses-
sions are available. 
“Kids can come to camp for the whole 
summer, but each camp is only one week 
— except for our Aug. 5 camp for grades 
3-12,
” Grekin says. “We do an original —
written and composed by me — full length 

Josh Grekin offers musical lessons and camps for people of all ages.

ALICE BURDICK SCHWEIGER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ARTS&LIFE
MUSIC
Josh Grekin and 
some young 
students.

