CAMAS — A Camas enterprise identified for its music classes is shortly changing into a “one-stop shop” for youth artwork courses in east Clark County.
Music teacher Rob Melton, 55, of Vancouver, opened his first Opus College of Music — now the Opus College of the Arts — in Ridgefield in 2006. 9 years later, he launched a second location in Camas, reworking a nondescript constructing close to the Camas Safeway into a colourful spot for budding musicians as younger as 2 years previous.
The Camas faculty’s recognition has exploded since then, rising from 60 college students in 2015 to 460 college students at this time.
However as thrilling because it was to observe the varsity domesticate a loyal following, Melton knew Camas households had been eager for a extra handy approach to complement their youngsters’s arts training. Opus College households, he mentioned, had been typically working throughout city after faculty, dropping their youngsters off on the Opus College for music classes, then driving throughout city or into one other metropolis for dance, theater or tremendous arts courses.
In 2022, Melton started trying to find a Camas constructing massive sufficient to supply these different kinds of arts classes, too.
“The need was here,” he mentioned.
When a constructing subsequent to the Camas Opus College got here in the marketplace in 2023, Melton jumped on the alternative to broaden.
He has since transformed that constructing, a former chiropractic heart, right into a light-filled annex for theater, dance and music classes. Melton hopes to additionally supply grownup health courses, resembling yoga, within the new constructing starting later this 12 months.
Within the unique constructing, the varsity continues to supply the personal and group music courses which are on the coronary heart of the Opus College expertise, in addition to new courses providing college students a basis in tremendous arts by clay, watercolor, drawing, collage and oil pastel media.
And whereas extra conventional arts applications might deal with perfecting a specific piece of music or nailing a particular dance transfer, the aim at each Opus College places has all the time been to nurture a love of music and the humanities.
“Our vision is to grow artistic spirits,” Melton mentioned. “We want them to have fun.”
After they started their Opus College journey, Melton and his spouse, Janet Melton, needed to trend a program completely different from the music courses that punctuated their very own childhoods.
“We wanted to create a vibrant place of music, learning and fun — a place we wish was around when we were taking lessons,” the Meltons say on their Opus College web site.
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Rob Melton mentioned he began taking guitar classes on the age of 6 in his hometown of Pocatello, Idaho, however that one thing in regards to the particular person classes left him wanting.
“I would show up in basements, back of businesses, in closets, halls of churches,” he mentioned, “but never with other students or a consistent teacher or curriculum, something I was longing for.”
After graduating from Fort Vancouver Excessive College in 1988 and attending Mt. Hood Group School and Clark School, Rob Melton tried his hand at songwriting in Los Angeles earlier than returning to the Pacific Northwest. He earned his bachelor’s diploma in piano efficiency and grasp’s diploma in educating from Portland State College. He and Janet met in Portland whereas taking part in an African drumming group and married in 2002. The couple have tried to instill a love of music in their very own youngsters, 17-year-old Jack and 15-year-old Simon, and even fashioned a household band, The Meltones, through which Janet performs the accordion, Rob performs the upright bass, guitar and mandolin and their sons play the guitar, harp, piano and banjo (Jack) and ukulele and piano (Simon).
In his skilled and household life, Rob Melton mentioned his philosophy for educating music is rooted within the sheer pleasure of making.
“Our philosophy is to keep music fun by having fun teachers, effective curriculum and giving students an opportunity to play music together,” he mentioned.
Many Opus College courses, notably for the varsity’s youngest college students, typically incorporate video games.
“Life is a game,” he mentioned, “and students love discovering. They love learning about themselves.”
