From Student to Teacher at The Music Settlement

by Max Schlenk

I first got involved with The Music Settlement in late middle school, around seventh or eighth grade. My teacher, Mr. LeeGrand, was teaching the jazz band at the time, and he recommended that I try the Jams program at TMS. I play saxophone and woodwinds, and I stayed involved with the Jams program all the way through high school until I left for college to major in jazz studies.

Now, I’ve come full circle. After graduating, I moved to New York for about ten months to pursue music. But when I came back to Cleveland, the first place I went was The Music Settlement. I went to see Mr. LeeGrand, and within two or three weeks, he asked me to take on a faculty role with the Jams program. So now, I’m back at TMS—but this time, I’m on the other side of the classroom.

Music Has Always Been My Life

When I was in high school and thinking about what I wanted to do, a friend gave me a piece of advice that stuck with me. He said, “If you don’t really see yourself doing anything else, then that’s why you should go to school for music.” Music was—and still is—everything to me. It’s given me a sense of purpose, expression, and hope. I can’t imagine who I’d be today without pursuing music or without the mentors and peers who guided me along the way.

That’s why TMS means so much to me. If I hadn’t encountered The Music Settlement, I wouldn’t have as much joy in my life as I do now. Music helps me express who I am as a human being, and TMS gave me the space and the tools to explore that.

The Transition from Student to Teacher

Becoming a teacher at TMS was a humbling transition. When I first started teaching, I had just finished college, and I was eager to share everything I had learned. But Mr. LeeGrand gave me another great piece of advice: “Max, try to remember where you were when you started this program. Don’t try to give the kids everything you know all at once. Give them a step-by-step process to build skills and learn in a way that doesn’t seem overwhelming.”

That advice has guided me ever since. Teaching has shown me just how talented and quick some of these kids are—especially my younger students. I’m always amazed at how fast they pick things up. When I was their age, it took me so much longer to get to where they are now. So I’ve learned to take things slowly, but I’ve also learned that I can trust them to rise to the challenge.

Bringing Real-World Experience to My Students

My experience as a professional musician helps me give my students a unique perspective. I studied jazz under Gary Bartz, a saxophonist who played with legends like Miles Davis, Max Roach, and McCoy Tyner. He taught me what it meant to live through the music and the culture of that art form. I’ve also had the chance to play all kinds of gigs—jazz, rock, R&B, gospel, wedding bands, even polka! All of that experience gives me something valuable to offer my students when they walk in with a challenge. Whether it’s a technical issue or a performance-related question, I’ve probably learned something from a gig, a teacher, or just from being on the scene that can help them out.

Meeting Students Where They Are

One of the first things I ask my students—whether it’s in a private lesson or a group setting—is, “What do you want to learn? What interests do you have? What music are you listening to?” That gives me a roadmap to build a lesson plan that excites them.

For example, I teach one of the beginner programs at Jams, Junior Jams. I picked one song that I wanted them to learn, but then I asked them to make a list of songs they liked. We narrowed it down and landed on Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” I told them, “Okay, but just so you know, this is going to be some work because it’s tricky stuff.” But because they were excited about it, they were all in—and that made the learning process so much more rewarding.

Even in private lessons, I meet my students where they are. Some of my students—kids and adults—are just doing this for fun, and that’s perfectly fine. There’s no reason they can’t find their own meaning in music, and I’m here to help them improve and enjoy the journey.

What People Don’t Realize About TMS

One thing that I wish more people knew about The Music Settlement is how accessible it is. A lot of people think they can’t afford music lessons or that getting an instrument is out of reach. But TMS has financial aid and scholarship programs, and if you don’t have an instrument, they’ll usually find a way to get one in your hands. Some of my friends who are successful musicians today came up through these programs and persevered thanks to the support they found at TMS.

That’s what makes TMS so special. It’s driven by a genuine love of music and teaching, and it’s a place where financial obstacles don’t have to stand in the way of passion.

A Deep Sense of Community

What I love most about TMS is the mentor-to-student relationships that are built here. My first saxophone teacher was Mr. LeeGrand, and now, coming back and working with him as a colleague is a full-circle moment that’s deeply meaningful to me. The Music Settlement gave me so much as a student, and now I get to give that back to the next generation. There’s no better feeling than that.

Share Your Music Story

We all need stories that move us. To help others recall their own stories and inspire them to share those stories. We need stories to invite others into our community of people transformed by the power of music. What is your music story? How has music changed you?

Share Your Music Story