Coast Music celebrates two decades of bring musicians and community together

Story and photos Chelsea Sektnan

On a recent summer Monday, eight-year-old Mia Papanikolas walked into Coast Music in Manhattan Beach with only a handful of group piano lessons behind her. On Friday, four days later, she walked out of Coast Music feeling like a rock star. She and five other kids from around the South Bay, had taken part in Coast Music’s transformative, Music and Outdoor Recreation Camp, better known as Rock Band Camp.

Coast Music was founded 20 years ago, in 2004, by Palos Verdes Estates residents and musicians Beth, 57, and Matt Rohde, 54. While helping young musicians become performers, their true specialty is fostering a close-knit community of music lovers.

“One of my favorite things after 20 years in business, is I still get to work with my students,” Beth said. “Former students have become our teachers, we’ve known them their whole lives.”

Coast Music started as a modest, 600-square-foot music school in Hermosa Beach.Today the school has 5,000 square feet in Manhattan Beach. Facilities include soundproof practice rooms, and rehearsal rooms, and a stage with professional sound and lighting.

“I had worked for all kinds of music schools, but I wanted to bring something to the community that would keep kids excited about music,” Beth said. 

In addition to their rock band camp, Coast Music offers a musical theater camp, and one-on-one, and group lessons in every musical genre, from jazz and rock to chamber music. Students are given opportunities to perform across the South Bay, at venues like The Point, and Saint Rocke, fundraising  events, and festivals like the Hermosa Fiesta.

“We take anyone and everyone who wants to learn music,” Beth said. “Our oldest students are in their 80s. It’s really good for cognition.”

Band director Pablo Garcia-Quesada, 30, guided Mia and five fellow students, ages 8 to 12, most of whom had little or no music experience, in learning to play their instruments.

The Crushed Fanta preparing for their first performance after one week playing together at Coast Music’s Rock Band Camp (left to right), Asha Shah, Asher Griffith, Ria Shah, Phillip Harris, Logan Difley and Mia Papanikolas.

“I’ve always wanted to be in a band,” said Mia, who learned to play bass and sing in her band, The Crushed Fanta. “At school, I don’t really feel like I’m part of something. Now I have a place to get away, and I feel like I can do this, be a rock star, and have some fun,” she said.

Fellow band member, eight-year-old Robinson Elementary student Asher Griffith, joined the Rock Band Camp after receiving an electric guitar for Christmas. He was inspired by his dad, a member of the band, The Riptonez.

“I feel like a rockstar, and I try to do my best and rock out when I’m on the stage,” Griffith said.

Garcia-Quesada and the other teachers at Coast Music review camp applications and match bandmembers based on the students’ ages, interests, and skill levels. 

“It became my son Jeremy’s home away from home,” Priscilla Addler said. “Now he’s a teacher at the school. It was a wonderful place for him to grow up, and hone his skills.”

“He needed something challenging, and Coast Music filled that void.Without Coast Music, I think he would have been at a loss. They are a community — that’s the way we always looked at it,” Addler said.

Emily Dietz started taking voice lessons at Coast Music when she was 12 after discovering her passion for singing. Now she also teachers there.

“They kind of changed my life,” Dietz said. “I studied with them for six years and fell in love with music.”

Hermosa Valley 6th grader Victoria Stewart, 11, attended the Musical Theater camp at Coast Music this summer.

“It’s incredible to see everyone’s talents come together and all the incredible songs come to life on stage,” Stewart said. “I’m really lucky to have a place like this.There are stars who started here, and I think that’s really incredible.”

Mia Papanikolas.

Mia Papanikolas and Ria Shah in their Coast Band Camp performance as The Crushed Fanta.

Ria Shah.

Singer, band program director, and co-owner Marti Harris, 55, said what makes Coast Music special are the exceptional teachers and students in their community.

“They’re all supporting each other and cheering each other on. That gives them the courage to try things they would be afraid to try on their own,” Harris said.

“Even the wildest kids are just 100 percent focused on their instrument,” Garcia-Quesada said. “Kids for whom music is foreign at first learn to bop and flow to the songs.”

Musicians flow in and out of the building throughout the day, gathering in soundproof rooms and hallways to talk, and make music together.

“They  can play in their bedrooms, but they don’t feel the music the way we do when they’re here,” Garcia-Quesada said.

Mia’s mom, Amy Papanikolas, said of her daughter’s experience, “What I love is that it’s a great way to get them engaged with an instrument, and being in a band makes it easy for them to get into it. They make playing music very achievable. It’s a great way to build their confidence, too, it’s not so overwhelming,” the mom said.

The Crushed Fanta drummer Logan Difley.

As students come and go, the band room door swings open, and the sound of “Classic” by MKTO pours out from the practice space. Mia and her bandmates are in full swing  — Asher jamming on the keyboard, Mia passionately singing, and other band members Asha and Ria Shah, Phillip Harris and Asher Griffith playing guitar and providing background vocals.

“I had so much fun last week at camp because I had all these absolute beginners who had never touched an instrument before, but they were naturally musical, so they picked it up really fast,” program director Harris said. “Within the first hour of band, they’re playing a song together. Seeing their reaction and excitement is so gratifying.”

By Friday, The Crushed Fantas were ready to rock. The six musicians took the stage in front of a cheering crowd of friends and family.

“I’m so impressed, they blew me away,” Asher’s dad, Gabriel Griffith, said. ”I couldn’t believe how much they got done in so little time.”

“I felt confident, but at the same time a little scared,’ Mia said. “It was overwhelming. It was hard the first day, but we got better and better over the week.”

Beth said she and her team work to create connections that resonate beyond the music rooms and stage.

“It’s kind of the one thing we can all unite on,” said Beth’s partner, Matt, an arranger on the Emmy Award-winning TV show “The Voice.” “I can’t imagine life without music… It’s a great way to commune together and a great way for kids to bond socially. There’s a camaraderie that I love about being in a band. Plus, they’re learning a really cool skill set.” 

Coast Music will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a dinner and party on Wednesday, September 21. For tickets visit CoastMusicRocks.com. PER