“Whatever people might imagine before seeing the band live is still far short of the mark,” says Caleb Chapman of the world-renowned Caleb Chapman’s Soundhouse and Crescent Super Band. “Whatever style of music people might prefer, there will be something for everyone to enjoy in a performance that they will never forget.”

Started in 1998, Chapman’s musical education program uses mainstream music to challenge youth to learn not only to be musicians, but performers. The band tours around the world, and its success led to an invitation to perform at an NBA All-Star event in Utah. On the evening of March 23, the Crescent Super Band will be performing at Sutherland Institute’s Annual Gala.

But the kids who join the Soundhouse and play in the Super Band are not musical phenoms when they begin. “These are all pretty much just normal kids who have committed to do something extraordinary,” says Chapman. “It all starts by ASKING the young artists of the Soundhouse to do things that people simply believe kids can’t do. We find that not only are they capable of things most people wouldn’t expect, but they also surprise themselves, and that is incredibly rewarding to watch.”

While the youth in the Soundhouse program may start out as “normal kids,” their developed talent as musicians and performers has led to performances with many Grammy-winning artists such as the Rolling Stones, The Killers, Journey, Toto, the Blues Brothers, the Saturday Night Live Band, Genesis, AC/DC, and the Dave Matthews band (among others).

The Soundhouse and Crescent Super Band are not only producing amazing performers, but changing lives as well. “Virtually 100% of our graduates have received college scholarship offers,” according to Chapman. “That’s thousands of kids over the years racking up literally millions of dollars in scholarship dollars. Can you think of any other training – including music, arts, sports, or otherwise – that has that type of success rate? I am not sure it exists.” While some of the Soundhouse alumni are pursuing music as a career, “the vast majority are working in other fields with great success and credit their time at the Soundhouse for that.”

Read the full interview with Caleb Chapman below. To learn more about Sutherland Institute’s Gala, including opportunities to buy or sponsor a table, click here.

Derek Monson: What inspired you to start the Soundhouse and the Crescent Super Band?

Caleb Chapman: I think the biggest motivation for me to launch the Soundhouse was seeing a need for a place where kids could pursue music that was culturally relevant to them. Traditionally, music education in our country has been based around classical music, which is some of the greatest music ever written, but is familiar to only a very small portion of the population. So, for those musicians interested in studying music that they are listening to – pop, jazz, R&B, rock, and other more contemporary styles – there are few resources available.

The Soundhouse and the Crescent Super Band exist to challenge young musicians in music that is in the mainstream and provide a place where they can not only learn to play at a high level of musicianship, but also learn the craft of performing. In this regard, the Soundhouse is unique not just in Utah or even the nation, but globally as well. The results of this approach have been nothing short of spectacular and the Crescent Super Band, our flagship group, has garnered over 100 international awards and is now recognized as the top youth big band in the world.

Monson: Of all the musical efforts you could have undertaken, what led you to focus on musical education for youth?

Chapman: I think it boils down to the fact that as a youth I got to experience a similar music program that challenged me and impacted my life in ways I could have never imagined. I am very competitive and loved playing most sports as a youth, but I found that my music studies really set me up for success in life. Now that I am older, not only did I want to give that opportunity to others, but I also wanted to add all the elements I didn’t have access to as a child – touring the globe, recording in a professional studio setting, shooting music videos, performing for huge audiences, and working with some of the biggest names in music. I simply can’t imagine how the 15-year-old me would have reacted to any of the opportunities we have been able to make available to our young artists! I am still shocked when I look at the roster of artists we have worked with over the years including dozens of Grammy-winning artists and members of such incredible bands as the Rolling Stones, The Killers, Journey, Toto, the Blues Brothers, the Saturday Night Live Band, Genesis, AC/DC, the Dave Matthews band, and so many more!

Monson: How do you take a group of inexperienced young people and turn them into one of the best professional bands in the world?

Chapman: This is one of my absolute favorite parts about what we do at the Soundhouse. Many people assume when they hear our bands that we have been lucky enough to stumble on 300 kids who all just happen to be prodigies and they wonder: “What is in the Utah water that has spawned all of this talent?” The truth, as you might guess, is that these are all pretty much just normal kids who have committed to do something extraordinary. It all starts by ASKING the young artists of the Soundhouse to do things that people simply believe kids can’t do. We find that not only are they capable of things most people wouldn’t expect, but they also surprise themselves, and that is incredibly rewarding to watch.

Monson: What should people seeing your band for the first time at Sutherland’s event expect to experience?

Chapman: When people hear that they will be seeing a performance by the world’s top youth big band, I think they imagine in their minds what really great young musicians would sound like. I can tell you from years of experience and feedback that whatever people might imagine before seeing the band live is still far short of the mark! The thing that really makes this band different from most bands of their age in any style is the fact that the musicians don’t just play the music, they perform! And to be a great performer takes just as much sacrifice and practice as being a great musician. We ask for a lot from these kids and the audience gets to benefit from their hard work! I can guarantee that whatever style of music people might prefer, there will be something for everyone to enjoy in a performance that they will never forget!

Monson: What has been the most unexpected positive outcome that the Soundhouse has produced?

Chapman: The most exciting thing for us is seeing the impact that music performance training can have on life performance! When I started Soundhouse 25 years ago the mission was to teach kids to play music well. Now that we have decades of experience, I have realized that our mission is much larger than that. In fact, since we began in 1998, virtually 100% of our graduates have received college scholarship offers – that’s thousands of kids over the years racking up literally millions of dollars in scholarship dollars. Can you think of any other training – including music, arts, sports, or otherwise – that has that type of success rate? I am not sure it exists.

And while a few of our graduates have gone on to do great things in music, the vast majority are working in other fields with great success and credit their time at the Soundhouse for that. There aren’t many people who have the chance to be literally the best in the world at something. Soundhouse gives these young people a chance to experience that. I believe that once these individuals get a taste of what excellence feels like, they never want to go back to anything less, and that goes for every aspect of their lives and careers. All of us at Soundhouse are honored to be a small part of something that can have such a huge impact on the world. And the fact that we have the time of our lives making fantastic music along the way is simply a bonus!