December 18, 2025 • 10 mins
What if the difference between “I’m not musical” and “I can play” is the room you walk into? We sit down with Andy LeGrand, owner of LeGrand Music Studios in Knoxville, to unpack how a welcoming arts environment, professional coaching, and the right instruments help real people make real progress. From first-timers to working musicians, Andy shares how a studio built on encouragement and clarity turns hesitation into momentum.
We explore the studio’s community-driven model, housed inside the Fountain City Arts Center, where students learn amid paintings, conversation, and creative energy. Andy walks us through their pro instructor team and why they introduced an in-house line of acoustic guitars: classical options designed for beginners, a smaller-body model for young players, and the Flex hybrid that bridges nylon and steel string styles. By cutting out middlemen, they offer better playability at a friendlier price, helping students practice more because the instrument feels good under the fingers.
We also tackle the biggest myth he hears: that some people just can’t do music. Andy breaks down how progress blends the academic and the expressive, with early lessons focused on making the intangible feel concrete. He offers practical insight on pacing, patience, and the small wins that compound over time. You’ll also get details on their sound-treated lesson rooms, group spaces, online sessions for remote learners, and exact location in Fountain City Park inside the old library building.
If you’ve been waiting for the “right moment” to start or return to music, consider this your nudge. Stop by the studio, try a guitar, meet a coach, or head to legrandmusic.org to get matched with the right lesson. If this conversation inspired you, tap follow, share it with a friend who needs the push, and leave a quick review so more neighbors can find the music waiting for them.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_01 (00:00):
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, Skip Marty.
SPEAKER_00 (00:12):
Well, hello, everyone, and welcome to the
Good Neighbor Podcast of EastTennessee in Western North
Carolina.
So I am very excited today tohave a special guest in the
studio for the first time.
And uh super excited to uh I'm auh music freak and uh I'm sure
I'm super excited to learn allabout uh this business and what
they do, and I'm sure you willbe as well, because today I have
(00:34):
the pleasure of introducing yourgood neighbor, Mr.
Andy Legrand, who is theowner-operator of Legrand Music
Studios.
Andy, welcome to the show.
SPEAKER_02 (00:42):
Thank you, Skiff.
It's good to be here.
Appreciate it.
SPEAKER_00 (00:44):
Well, like I said, we're thrilled to have you.
Uh I'm a I'm a somewhat of aguitar player, musician, so I'm
super excited to learneverything that you guys do.
So why don't you uh kick us offby telling us about Legrand
Music Studios?
SPEAKER_02 (00:58):
Sure, yeah.
Uh uh Le Grand Music Studios hasbeen operating in Knoxville uh
for about 16 years.
Uh we have an all-pro staff, allprofessional musicians, and we
currently have 15 instructors.
Uh we uh recently added our ourown brand of instruments and
accessories to help uh supportthe idea of getting affordable
(01:19):
quality instruments into thehands of students and
professionals.
Uh Le Grand Music Studios isreally more than just a music
school for children and adults.
Uh we focus on creating uh acommunity environment where
students and musicians feelencouraged to explore and
discover and develop their ownmusical interest, uh whether
(01:41):
they're taking the first stepsuh into music or whether they're
uh returning to an old passionor or wanting to bump up, level
up their skills as aprofessional to the professional
level.
Uh it's a really, really neatenvironment.
Um we enjoy it.
It's a very creativeenvironment.
Uh it's housed inside theFountain City Arts Center, which
is an art gallery and uh a placethat teaches um um classes for
(02:04):
art, painting, and drawing andthings of that nature.
SPEAKER_00 (02:08):
Very cool.
Well, um you said you have yourown your own brand of
instruments.
What kind of instruments are wetalking about?
SPEAKER_02 (02:15):
Well, they're uh currently they're guitars, uh,
they're all acoustic.
Um I'm I'm a classical guitaristmyself, so I'm I'm uh we've got
some that were designedspecifically for classical uh
players, uh introductory level,and then we have some that's a
hybrid in between the steelstring and acoustic, so it's
like an acoustic neck, but withnot a lot of strings.
We have one of those with asmaller body that are for
(02:37):
younger students.
Um they're called that's calledthe Flint Merrill One series,
and that that one guitar iscalled the Flex, which is kind
of a fun name for that onethat's actually hybrid.
And then we have yourtraditional steel string
guitars, uh, the concert, theconcert size, grand auditorium,
jumbo.
Um they're all very, very uhgood quality instruments for the
(02:58):
price.
Um there we we purposefully uhbring these in uh ourselves uh
because we want to cut out thatmiddleman uh to make them a
little more affordable forpeople around here.
So um they're they're fun toplay.
We have a good time.
SPEAKER_00 (03:13):
So that's one thing I found.
Guitars don't get cheaper.
Oh no, they only get morecheaper.
They do not.
They do not.
Well, very cool.
Uh Andy, how did you uh how didyou get what's your journey?
How'd you get started in thisbusiness?
SPEAKER_02 (03:26):
You know, I I've been I've looking back, I've
been asked this question uh thispreviously, um, and I I think I
started uh music when I was fouryears old.
Uh I think I was singing in achurch choir.
And I, you know, I have I don'thave to go through all those
details, but eventually that ledled into songwriting and um uh
the study of the guitar as aninstrument.
(03:47):
And I performed a good bit whenI was a teenager, uh, and um
that performance led to lots ofconnections and and
understanding uh the depth ofmusic.
Uh so as I walk through life,you know, I just I found a way
to give it back.
And that's kind of why why we dowhat we do.
Um I I think all the musicianshere at the studio are in a very
(04:08):
similar place.
Um it's a very, very s a similarthing to to just give back what
was given to us.
And uh it's it's fun.
We have a we we enjoy thatprocess.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (04:20):
Amen.
Well, um in the music industry,uh which you do a lot, you sell
instruments, you do lessons,training.
Um what are some myths ormisconceptions uh in your
business?
SPEAKER_02 (04:33):
Yeah, you know, the I think the largest
misconception that I've had uhdoing this for 16 years here in
Knoxville specifically, arethere's a lot of people who
think that they can't do music.
And uh I I have to disagree withum that as a whole.
Now, I've met one person whodidn't want to put the time into
it.
Uh and because of that, it it itcame into a place where you know
(04:58):
it was kind of like, hey, youknow, this might not be for you.
But the truth is I I believewe're built for it.
I think it's within us, and wejust gotta kind of dust off um
things to in order to reach inand understand how to connect
with music and understand, youknow, there's an academic
element to it, but there's alsothe feel element, you know, and
(05:19):
the creative and the expressiveelement.
I think we're all I think we'reall geared for that.
So uh when people say I I don'thave a musical bone in my body,
I I tend to I tend to say that'snot true.
So that's it, but I think it's amisconception, and I think that
most of the people that that Iwork with would would agree with
me.
SPEAKER_00 (05:37):
Absolutely, yeah.
Yeah, absolutely.
Couldn't agree more, and and youknow, I'm a big fan of uh if I
can learn how to play guitar,and and I'm you know, I've got
lots of issues, but well we alldo, but uh to me, you know,
there's uh people learn indifferent ways, and I think if
you can work around you knowthat particular person's needs,
(05:58):
I think it's it yeah, it's easyto learn how to play.
You just gotta work with them.
SPEAKER_02 (06:01):
So once you get past the first, the first uh general,
you know, idiosyncrecies oftrying to understand where we're
going.
And you know, one of the one ofthe things I think that people
in general have a hard time, youknow, you're taking something
that's not tangible and you'remaking it tangible by playing it
and you know, or put it orwriting it or whatever, it's
it's kind of out there, and andthat's a difficult thing for
(06:23):
people to to understand.
But once they start doing it,it's it rolls, you know.
It starts making sense.
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (06:28):
Very cool.
Well, uh outside of work, uh,what do you like to do for fun,
Andy?
SPEAKER_02 (06:34):
So I I work a good bit.
Um, I'm I'm uh I'm a seven-day aweek person right now, but when
I have some free time, I uh Ienjoy hiking.
Uh what that's one of myfavorite things to do.
I like to hit trails in thesmokies and um and the state
parks here in this in the eastTennessee.
I enjoy them very much.
(06:54):
Uh and I'd like to hang out withmy kids.
Uh, we have a good time.
SPEAKER_00 (06:59):
Very cool.
Hopefully they enjoy theoutdoors as well.
SPEAKER_02 (07:02):
Yeah, they do.
They do.
SPEAKER_00 (07:03):
Well, they live in a great place for it because yes,
they do.
That's perfect.
Absolutely.
Well, if um if if Andy, if youcould think of one thing that
you'd like our listeners toremember about uh Legrand Music
Studios, what would that be?
SPEAKER_02 (07:17):
Where we're located.
We we um it's amazing.
We've been here 16 years, and wehave people who walk in this
building and go, I didn't evenknow this place existed.
The building, not just thebusiness, the building.
You know, so so uh we're we arewe do we teach lessons online as
well through through um uh ourresidence sessions which are
(07:40):
which are geared geared strictlyonline, but we also teach in
person.
We have uh eight studios thatare geared, uh there's sound
resistant studios are forprivate lessons.
We have a big big area where wecan do classes.
Um we are located in the heartof Fountain City area of
Knoxville, which is which isnorth Knoxville above 640.
(08:01):
And um we're very close to theduck pond, and we're located
inside the park, uh the FountainCity Park, uh, where in the in
the old library building.
And you can come in here umpretty much six days a week um
and talk to somebody.
You can view the art that's onthe walls, you can play a
guitar, you can learn aninstrument, um, and uh that's
(08:25):
just a good place to be.
So I hope that people can comeon down.
SPEAKER_00 (08:30):
All right.
Well, for those of our listenersand viewers that are like me
that are, you know, uh intriguedand would love to come check you
guys out, potentially, you know,set up some some lessons, um, or
or look for a guitar, um, howcan they learn more?
SPEAKER_02 (08:46):
Well, uh, we have a website, it's it's
legrandmusic.org.
And there are links to there toeverything we've talked about
today.
Lessons, they can actually uhthere's a little form on there
they can fill out, just ask foruh minimal personal information,
which is your name and youremail address, and someone will
go back to them and talk to themabout it if they don't find what
(09:07):
they want online.
And otherwise, um, we're we'reout there on the web all over
the place.
SPEAKER_00 (09:14):
Very good.
All right.
Well, Andy, I can't tell you howmuch I appreciate you being here
and really enjoyed uh learningall about you.
Gonna come check you guys out.
Actually, would love to see someof your guitars too.
SPEAKER_02 (09:26):
Oh, awesome, Skip.
That'd be great.
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (09:28):
So I'll come check that out and appreciate you
being here and uh wish you andyour family and uh your your uh
students all the best movingforward.
SPEAKER_02 (09:37):
Well, thank you very much, Skip.
It was a pleasure, appreciatethat.
SPEAKER_00 (09:40):
Absolutely, and uh would love to love to have you
back sometime.
unknown (09:43):
Thank you.
SPEAKER_00 (09:44):
Thanks, all right.
SPEAKER_01 (09:45):
Thanks.
Thank you for listening to theGood Neighbor Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on the
show, go to GNP Try DashCities.com.
That's GNP Try Dash Cities.comor call four two three seven one
nine five eight seven three.
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, Skip Marty.
SPEAKER_00 (00:12):
Well, hello, everyone, and welcome to the
Good Neighbor Podcast of EastTennessee in Western North
Carolina.
So I am very excited today tohave a special guest in the
studio for the first time.
And uh super excited to uh I'm auh music freak and uh I'm sure
I'm super excited to learn allabout uh this business and what
they do, and I'm sure you willbe as well, because today I have
(00:34):
the pleasure of introducing yourgood neighbor, Mr.
Andy Legrand, who is theowner-operator of Legrand Music
Studios.
Andy, welcome to the show.
SPEAKER_02 (00:42):
Thank you, Skiff.
It's good to be here.
Appreciate it.
SPEAKER_00 (00:44):
Well, like I said, we're thrilled to have you.
Uh I'm a I'm a somewhat of aguitar player, musician, so I'm
super excited to learneverything that you guys do.
So why don't you uh kick us offby telling us about Legrand
Music Studios?
SPEAKER_02 (00:58):
Sure, yeah.
Uh uh Le Grand Music Studios hasbeen operating in Knoxville uh
for about 16 years.
Uh we have an all-pro staff, allprofessional musicians, and we
currently have 15 instructors.
Uh we uh recently added our ourown brand of instruments and
accessories to help uh supportthe idea of getting affordable
(01:19):
quality instruments into thehands of students and
professionals.
Uh Le Grand Music Studios isreally more than just a music
school for children and adults.
Uh we focus on creating uh acommunity environment where
students and musicians feelencouraged to explore and
discover and develop their ownmusical interest, uh whether
(01:41):
they're taking the first stepsuh into music or whether they're
uh returning to an old passionor or wanting to bump up, level
up their skills as aprofessional to the professional
level.
Uh it's a really, really neatenvironment.
Um we enjoy it.
It's a very creativeenvironment.
Uh it's housed inside theFountain City Arts Center, which
is an art gallery and uh a placethat teaches um um classes for
(02:04):
art, painting, and drawing andthings of that nature.
SPEAKER_00 (02:08):
Very cool.
Well, um you said you have yourown your own brand of
instruments.
What kind of instruments are wetalking about?
SPEAKER_02 (02:15):
Well, they're uh currently they're guitars, uh,
they're all acoustic.
Um I'm I'm a classical guitaristmyself, so I'm I'm uh we've got
some that were designedspecifically for classical uh
players, uh introductory level,and then we have some that's a
hybrid in between the steelstring and acoustic, so it's
like an acoustic neck, but withnot a lot of strings.
We have one of those with asmaller body that are for
(02:37):
younger students.
Um they're called that's calledthe Flint Merrill One series,
and that that one guitar iscalled the Flex, which is kind
of a fun name for that onethat's actually hybrid.
And then we have yourtraditional steel string
guitars, uh, the concert, theconcert size, grand auditorium,
jumbo.
Um they're all very, very uhgood quality instruments for the
(02:58):
price.
Um there we we purposefully uhbring these in uh ourselves uh
because we want to cut out thatmiddleman uh to make them a
little more affordable forpeople around here.
So um they're they're fun toplay.
We have a good time.
SPEAKER_00 (03:13):
So that's one thing I found.
Guitars don't get cheaper.
Oh no, they only get morecheaper.
They do not.
They do not.
Well, very cool.
Uh Andy, how did you uh how didyou get what's your journey?
How'd you get started in thisbusiness?
SPEAKER_02 (03:26):
You know, I I've been I've looking back, I've
been asked this question uh thispreviously, um, and I I think I
started uh music when I was fouryears old.
Uh I think I was singing in achurch choir.
And I, you know, I have I don'thave to go through all those
details, but eventually that ledled into songwriting and um uh
the study of the guitar as aninstrument.
(03:47):
And I performed a good bit whenI was a teenager, uh, and um
that performance led to lots ofconnections and and
understanding uh the depth ofmusic.
Uh so as I walk through life,you know, I just I found a way
to give it back.
And that's kind of why why we dowhat we do.
Um I I think all the musicianshere at the studio are in a very
(04:08):
similar place.
Um it's a very, very s a similarthing to to just give back what
was given to us.
And uh it's it's fun.
We have a we we enjoy thatprocess.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (04:20):
Amen.
Well, um in the music industry,uh which you do a lot, you sell
instruments, you do lessons,training.
Um what are some myths ormisconceptions uh in your
business?
SPEAKER_02 (04:33):
Yeah, you know, the I think the largest
misconception that I've had uhdoing this for 16 years here in
Knoxville specifically, arethere's a lot of people who
think that they can't do music.
And uh I I have to disagree withum that as a whole.
Now, I've met one person whodidn't want to put the time into
it.
Uh and because of that, it it itcame into a place where you know
(04:58):
it was kind of like, hey, youknow, this might not be for you.
But the truth is I I believewe're built for it.
I think it's within us, and wejust gotta kind of dust off um
things to in order to reach inand understand how to connect
with music and understand, youknow, there's an academic
element to it, but there's alsothe feel element, you know, and
(05:19):
the creative and the expressiveelement.
I think we're all I think we'reall geared for that.
So uh when people say I I don'thave a musical bone in my body,
I I tend to I tend to say that'snot true.
So that's it, but I think it's amisconception, and I think that
most of the people that that Iwork with would would agree with
me.
SPEAKER_00 (05:37):
Absolutely, yeah.
Yeah, absolutely.
Couldn't agree more, and and youknow, I'm a big fan of uh if I
can learn how to play guitar,and and I'm you know, I've got
lots of issues, but well we alldo, but uh to me, you know,
there's uh people learn indifferent ways, and I think if
you can work around you knowthat particular person's needs,
(05:58):
I think it's it yeah, it's easyto learn how to play.
You just gotta work with them.
SPEAKER_02 (06:01):
So once you get past the first, the first uh general,
you know, idiosyncrecies oftrying to understand where we're
going.
And you know, one of the one ofthe things I think that people
in general have a hard time, youknow, you're taking something
that's not tangible and you'remaking it tangible by playing it
and you know, or put it orwriting it or whatever, it's
it's kind of out there, and andthat's a difficult thing for
(06:23):
people to to understand.
But once they start doing it,it's it rolls, you know.
It starts making sense.
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (06:28):
Very cool.
Well, uh outside of work, uh,what do you like to do for fun,
Andy?
SPEAKER_02 (06:34):
So I I work a good bit.
Um, I'm I'm uh I'm a seven-day aweek person right now, but when
I have some free time, I uh Ienjoy hiking.
Uh what that's one of myfavorite things to do.
I like to hit trails in thesmokies and um and the state
parks here in this in the eastTennessee.
I enjoy them very much.
(06:54):
Uh and I'd like to hang out withmy kids.
Uh, we have a good time.
SPEAKER_00 (06:59):
Very cool.
Hopefully they enjoy theoutdoors as well.
SPEAKER_02 (07:02):
Yeah, they do.
They do.
SPEAKER_00 (07:03):
Well, they live in a great place for it because yes,
they do.
That's perfect.
Absolutely.
Well, if um if if Andy, if youcould think of one thing that
you'd like our listeners toremember about uh Legrand Music
Studios, what would that be?
SPEAKER_02 (07:17):
Where we're located.
We we um it's amazing.
We've been here 16 years, and wehave people who walk in this
building and go, I didn't evenknow this place existed.
The building, not just thebusiness, the building.
You know, so so uh we're we arewe do we teach lessons online as
well through through um uh ourresidence sessions which are
(07:40):
which are geared geared strictlyonline, but we also teach in
person.
We have uh eight studios thatare geared, uh there's sound
resistant studios are forprivate lessons.
We have a big big area where wecan do classes.
Um we are located in the heartof Fountain City area of
Knoxville, which is which isnorth Knoxville above 640.
(08:01):
And um we're very close to theduck pond, and we're located
inside the park, uh the FountainCity Park, uh, where in the in
the old library building.
And you can come in here umpretty much six days a week um
and talk to somebody.
You can view the art that's onthe walls, you can play a
guitar, you can learn aninstrument, um, and uh that's
(08:25):
just a good place to be.
So I hope that people can comeon down.
SPEAKER_00 (08:30):
All right.
Well, for those of our listenersand viewers that are like me
that are, you know, uh intriguedand would love to come check you
guys out, potentially, you know,set up some some lessons, um, or
or look for a guitar, um, howcan they learn more?
SPEAKER_02 (08:46):
Well, uh, we have a website, it's it's
legrandmusic.org.
And there are links to there toeverything we've talked about
today.
Lessons, they can actually uhthere's a little form on there
they can fill out, just ask foruh minimal personal information,
which is your name and youremail address, and someone will
go back to them and talk to themabout it if they don't find what
(09:07):
they want online.
And otherwise, um, we're we'reout there on the web all over
the place.
SPEAKER_00 (09:14):
Very good.
All right.
Well, Andy, I can't tell you howmuch I appreciate you being here
and really enjoyed uh learningall about you.
Gonna come check you guys out.
Actually, would love to see someof your guitars too.
SPEAKER_02 (09:26):
Oh, awesome, Skip.
That'd be great.
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (09:28):
So I'll come check that out and appreciate you
being here and uh wish you andyour family and uh your your uh
students all the best movingforward.
SPEAKER_02 (09:37):
Well, thank you very much, Skip.
It was a pleasure, appreciatethat.
SPEAKER_00 (09:40):
Absolutely, and uh would love to love to have you
back sometime.
unknown (09:43):
Thank you.
SPEAKER_00 (09:44):
Thanks, all right.
SPEAKER_01 (09:45):
Thanks.
Thank you for listening to theGood Neighbor Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on the
show, go to GNP Try DashCities.com.
That's GNP Try Dash Cities.comor call four two three seven one
nine five eight seven three.
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