Meet the Founder: Music is My Religion, Philanthropy is My Law
Hey, I’m Lance. I’m on a national mission to shake up the music education industry and get the word out to the masses that music does matter. I was born and raised in Paterson, New Jersey, by two crazy, loving, hard-working parents who were the absolute salt of the earth. If there is one thing I learned from them, it’s that a true act of goodwill always sparks another. I couldn’t have done any of this without my partner, Rockin' Robin.
My Mom and Dad's Wedding Day / Lance & Robin
The Guitar Pick of Destiny & Growing Up
The Roots of a Rebel: The 1970s & The Tri-State Cover Scene
In 1965, at just three years old, I was sitting around the tube with my family when guitarist Glen Campbell pulled this magic out of his pocket and started striking the strings. It threw me into a crazy dance seizure—I needed that magic! Later that week, Dad brought home my first guitar pick. Truly, a pick of destiny.
School was a completely different story. I struggled with academics, repeated the second grade, and standardized tests became a game of connecting the dots. But by the 1970s, music became my true pastime. I began playing in bands at school dances, talent shows, and street fairs. From 1978 to 1979, I was performing with guitarist Dan McBride (Dirty Dan from the acclaimed band Sha Na Na), playing the cover scene throughout the Tri-State Area.
Me and my older brother / Me in High School Commercial Art 1981
The Turning Point & The Touring Dream
Train of Consequences: From Judge Quinn to the National Stage
By 1980, life was great, completely out of control, and I was loving every minute of it. But I didn't see the train of consequences heading straight for me. After landing in some serious hot water, I found myself in front of my first spiritual adviser, Judge Quinn. Thanks to him, my life made a complete 360-degree turn. He ordered me to three years of probation and demanded I improve my grades. My music teacher stepped in, helping me create a five-day-a-week music program called 101 Rock Band. I finished high school with high honors.
In 1985, I became a dad to my first son, Lance, took a job on the Newark docks, and kept pursuing the music. By 1989, I was recording with legendary musicians from Billy Joel's band, Alice Cooper, and The Blues Brothers. After my daughter Kels and son Jake were born, I became a single dad of three. In 1998, I landed an 18-month national touring gig with an AC/DC tribute band, living the ultimate rock and roll dream.
The Birth of the 501(c)(3) Revolution
Bypassing the Bankruptcy: Turning Local Cuts into National Charity
By 2000, the music industry had completely shifted. It was time for Plan B. I started teaching music at a local store in Northern NJ and fell in love with it. In 2008, Robin and I organized our first six-week summer program: Garage Band School of Rock. We packed over 200 friends and family into a barn on August 8th, 2008 at 8 PM (8/8/8 @ 8). By 2009, that program exploded to over 1,000 fans and students ranging from 7 to 17 years old.
2009 Garage Band School of Rock
Then came the turning point. A local Pennsylvania school district spiraled into bankruptcy and executed drastic budget cuts, completely eliminating Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-grade music education. It was a crime. A flood of hard-working families rushed to my studio in desperate need of music schooling for their kids. I conducted a needs analysis, formed a committee, and launched a fundraiser campaign to create a formal 501(c)(3) nonprofit: Making Music Matter For Kids Inc. I didn't even have a clue I was becoming a philanthropist—I was just 100% focused on charity. We achieved full IRS tax-exempt status on August 2, 2016.
Rock School Lake Wally Fest 2012 / Summer Event Photos
The Battle of Steamtown & The Transition to NJ
Surviving the Pandemic & Overcoming Institutional Roadblocks
In 2019, I went forward with plans to build a massive performing arts studio to sustain the nonprofit: THE PLACE @ Making Music Matter For Kids. We had a beautiful ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Scranton Mayor, and the local kids were benefiting instantly. Then the pandemic hit. During the economic shutdown, corporate interests moved into the mall, and the administrative forces did everything they could to keep us from reopening. It was a heartbreaking blow for the kids who needed that safe haven.
Ribbon Cutting / Before & After Stage Building Photos
We regrouped, moved back to Clarks Summit, built a live-stream room, and organized a massive community block party. Days before the event, the local police department contacted us, threatening to have me arrested if we continued with our Free Summer Fan Appreciation Event. Then, a massive facility flood on July 19, 2023, sealed the deal. I was done dealing with the bureaucratic red tape of Pennsylvania.
I packed up the moving trucks and returned home to New Jersey. Throughout this entire journey from 2008 to today, I have taught hundreds of kids, watched them grow from toddlers into high school graduates, and loved every single second of it. I've learned to take every institutional difficulty and turn it into something extraordinary.
High school guitar student helping pack the moving truck
