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Larry and Autumn Edoff of Weston look upon music not just as the food of love but as "medicine" for the soul. And the couple he's a Grammy-nominated recording artist, she's been a professional dancer are trying to pass that sensibility along through the three music schools they run.
"I almost feel a little ill if I don't hear music," says Larry, a singer-songwriter whose "Love Will Always Come Back" was nominated for Song of the Year in 2006.
Larry and Autumn, who moved to Weston six months ago with their baby son, Leif, operate Weston Music Lessons, Westport Home Music and Westchester Home Music. The schools serve more than 500 students and employ about 35 teachers with degrees from Juilliard, Berklee College of Music and New York University.
Larry and his staff teach children and adults anything they want to learn about music -- how to play instruments, music theory, composition, music technology and recording techniques. "What I try to do, and what makes this business special, is that I cater to each student," he says.
He was teaching music in elementary school in 1999 when he opened his own music lessons business so he would have more time to compose and perform. He is a musician of many talents. He sings and plays piano, strings, guitar, bass, drums, French horn and clarinet and produces artists out of his home studio when he isn't touring.
He describes his teachers as "well-rounded musicians, and a lot of the teachers are performers and composers, and it makes it much more interesting." As he spoke builders hammered away in the basement constructing a new soundproof drum-recording studio.
Autumn, who has danced professionally since she was 17, will open the Weston Dance Academy next fall to teach ballet, modern dance and jazz.
"For me, at least, and I know for Larry, we're trying to help build a culture and at least expose kids to music and to dance because were training the future generation to embrace dance and music and say this is an important part of our culture." Little Leif is already being exposed to music and dance, which his parents say is what makes him so smiley all the time.
"He's already bouncing and playing drums and playing the piano. He's having these rhythms already put into him and ... there's a lot of coordination and higher thinking skills as well," she said.
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