Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Boss.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My name is Michael Boss and currently I work and live in North Oak Cliff as the Executive Director of the Boss Conservatory, for short, everyone calls it BOCO. Sounds like LOCO.
I’ve worked as a musician since 2004 after I graduated from Booker T Washing HSPVA. In 2008 I graduated from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, did the move to NYC for 5 years living in Brooklyn, and now I’m in Dallas with my wife who runs our social media; branding. We’ve got two girls and one sings all the time and the other will follow suit!
I’ve toured and performed venues such Blue Note Jazz Club, The Troubadour, Dug Fur Lounge in Portland, a regular performer at Revelers Hall; The Kessler Theater. I’ve also written music for indie films; commercials and one of these films was premiered at DIFF in 2013. In an attempt to branch out of film music, I was lucky enough to be awarded a commission through the Irving Symphony Orchestra to write an overture in 2021. I then received my master’s in composition from SMU in 2021. I also play bass with an afro cuban/jazz/hip hop band, Terence Bradford; Congo Square. Along with Mack Price’s Haunted Mansion, a surf rock group playing all the Dick Dale hits you’ve heard in Tarantino films.
This entire time I have doubled as a music educator. Working with students on Bass, Piano, guitar, orchestral ensembles; modern band ensembles. I also write orchestral arrangements for HS orchestra; local artists—Najeeb Sabour—who need their works arranged in a timely fashion.
In 2021 I was given the opportunity to run and own the only music program in the North Oak Cliff area, and as time went on, we realized our program was the only one in the state attached to a professional operating music venue. My goal was to provide a top-notch service to students of all ages and to offer our students recitals and showcases at the Kessler Theater. This provided a niche business model that was incredibly enticing and one I could not turn down.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The biggest challenge for me in starting this was shifting gears from being a creative instructor and musician to being the business owner. Now I wear both hats. Additionally, becoming re-familiarized with my hometown as a business owner has been a multilayered endeavor.
As you know, we’re big fans of BOCO- Boss Conservatory. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
BOCO is a music program that offers music lessons, classes, labs and early music education for anyone who wishes to attend. Our student age ranges from 3 months to 18 years old. And, we even have more seasoned students in their 60’s! Our program is custom designed to put our students in the best position to achieve their goals. We also specialize in audition prep for Booker T Washing HSPVA and college auditions. In fact we’re one of the few programs that has helped students gained acceptance into Booker T on Bass, Piano; Guitar. All under the direction of the owner of the business—sorry, I had to humble brag at least once.
What really sets us apart from every music school in the area is our performance facilities. We have the best venue in Dallas—The Kessler—as our primary recital hall up to three times a year. This is unmatched from any school in the DFW area.
Our brand is a nod to the past but we also work towards the future. Our students play hits from Hall; Oates, Alecia Keys, Stevie Wonder, Same Cooke and Amy Winehouse. This is to push our students to learn songs from the past to help plant foundations for them to perform/write songs for their future.
I do hope anyone interested in our program understands that we strive to be the absolute highest standard for music education. There are several music programs in the DFW area that are carbon copies of one another. Some programs blatantly use the same branding; color schemes as their competitors to mimic their services without any real research, development or effort to set themselves apart. BOCO puts the needs of students first and provide a place where the culture of music from the past is a vital part of their education.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Please connect with us and visit our studio! We’re a one-of-a-kind program that is always looking for other small businesses to do collaborations with to help develop our program and hopefully your business too!
Pricing:
- Lessons at $180 a month/30 minutes once a week
- Lessons at $250 a month/45 minutes once a week
- Lessons at $300 a month/60 minutes once a week
- $70 a month for Little oaks/Early Childhood Classes
- $70 a month for Big Oaks/Early Childhood Classes
Contact Info:
- Website: www.boco-music.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boco.oakcliff/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BOCO.OAKCLIFF/
- Twitter: https://x.com/BOCO_MUSIC
Image Credits
Dylan Green
