Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to John Davis. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi John, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a time you helped a customer really get an amazing result through their work with you.

One of the most meaningful and rewarding success stories I’ve had the privilege to be a part of is that of my long time student and now professional guitarist, Grady Byrne.

Grady started lessons with me at Scottsdale Music Academy when he was just 9 years old. At that point, he was like many young students, curious but unsure, with clumsy fingers and no real idea where the instrument could take him. But what he lacked in skill, he made up for in heart and passion. From day one, I saw a spark in him. Not just a love for guitar, but a willingness to learn and a deep hunger to get better. My job was to fan that flame.

From the very beginning, Grady and I worked through every foundational aspect of becoming a well-rounded guitarist from technique and music theory to songwriting and stage performance. He was also an integral part of our Band Coaching program at Scottsdale Music Academy, where he got his first real taste of what it’s like to rehearse, collaborate, and perform as part of a live band. Those early experiences learning how to, communicate musically with other players, and handle the pressures of the stage played a role in shaping his confidence and readiness for the professional music world.

There were times when the progress felt slow, especially during those tricky teenage years when distractions are many and motivation can be fleeting. Like any great journey, Grady’s wasn’t without obstacles. There were moments when he doubted himself, hit creative walls, or wasn’t sure what the next move should be. I wasn’t always the easiest on him, and he’d tell you the same. There were tough love moments, times I challenged him hard, pushed him to reach outside of his abilities, play cleaner, be more honest with his music. Because I knew what he was capable of, even when he didn’t see it yet.

Eventually, Grady found his own voice on the instrument. His playing matured, his confidence grew, and the conversations we had during lessons started shifting. They became less about how to play the guitar and more about the realities of the music industry, branding, networking, and making career moves. Our sessions evolved into strategy meetings as much as guitar instruction.

In 2019, Grady made the bold decision to move to Nashville, the big leagues. It wasn’t easy. He paid is dues playing the Nashville scene while attending Belmonte University and taking every gig that came his way. He kept grinding even when things got tough. I stayed in touch with him through all of it sometimes offering advice, other times just listening. It was during one of our calls that he told me he was starting to get some traction, sitting in on sessions and picking up momentum. Then came the moment every mentor dreams of: he landed a touring gig with up and coming country artist Dasha, who has since exploded onto the scene. Today, Grady is playing packed venues, on major stages, doing what we once dreamed about during his early lessons.

The full circle moment hit me hard when I saw him on national television, backing Dasha on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, a huge stage, cool as ever, the same kid who once struggled to play a clean G chord in my lesson room. What makes this story so powerful for me isn’t just the success, it’s the bond we’ve built over the years. Grady still checks in. We still talk. And whenever he’s back in town, he stops by Scottsdale Music Academy. It’s not lost on either of us how special this journey has been, for him as the artist, and for me as the coach who had a front row seat the entire way.

Great results don’t happen by accident. They come from years of practice, mentorship, and perseverance. And they’re made even more meaningful when there’s a strong relationship at the core. Grady’s success is a reminder of why I do what I do, not just to teach guitar, but to help shape musicians who are ready for the real world of music.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is John Davis. I’m the owner and lead guitar instructor at Scottsdale Music Academy. But, to be honest, I never planned to be a guitarist. I thought I was going to be a singer. But music has a funny way of choosing your path for you. I was about 16, visiting family in Medford, Oregon, when I walked into a grand opening event at a local music store and entered a raffle, never expecting to win. That raffle changed my life. I walked out of there with a brand-new Jackson electric guitar, and from that moment, I was hooked. I became obsessed. Playing guitar wasn’t just a hobby, it was a calling. I poured myself into it, taking lessons, playing for hours, joining bands, and eventually building my whole world around it.

Through my late teens and twenties, I played in local bands around Phoenix, constantly learning and chasing new musical challenges. In 1996, I took a leap and enrolled at the Musicians Institute (G.I.T.) in Hollywood, one of the best decisions I ever made. It was intense and inspiring. I was surrounded by insanely talented players, and it pushed me to grow fast. After graduating, I came back to Phoenix and started teaching guitar, never knowing that would eventually become the foundation for something much bigger.

Around that time, I was still deeply involved in performing, writing, and recording. I spent years on the road and in the studio, most notably with my band F5. We toured the U.S. for several years, sharing the stage with legends like Alice Cooper, Staind, 3 Days Grace, Tesla, and more. I had the chance to work with industry icons like David Ellefson (Megadeth), and producers Bob Marlette, guys who helped shape some of the most recognizable rock records of the last few decades. Those years gave me a firsthand education in the music industry: what it takes to make it, what the grind really looks like, and the mindset needed to survive it.

But as F5 was winding down, I found myself reflecting on where I’d come from, and where I wanted to go. I’d already been teaching for years, and I loved it. I saw the impact music could have on people’s lives, not just as a creative outlet, but as a confidence builder and personal transformation tool. I knew I didn’t want to stop sharing what I’d learned, and I knew I had more to give. That’s when Scottsdale Music Academy was born.

SMA isn’t your typical music school. We’re not interested in just churning out students who can play scales at lightning speed or memorize songs like robots. What we do here is personal. It’s about building real musicians, helping students find their own voice, and giving them tools to express themselves authentically. I’ve spent over 30 years in this craft, and my mission now is to pass that experience on, whether it’s to a 10-year-old learning their first chords or a 40-something rediscovering a passion they let go of years ago.

We offer lessons in guitar, bass, drums, voice, piano, as well as band coaching programs that get students performing live and learning how to communicate musically as a group. I like to say we don’t just teach, we mentor. Because that’s really what separates us. Anyone can show you where to put your fingers on the fretboard. But at SMA, we’re committed to amplifying people’s confidence and passion for learning music and that’s in our organizational DNA. We will stop at nothing to deliver on our promise to teach, inspire, and motivate our students.

What I’m most proud of isn’t the tours or the records or the MTV videos, though those were a blast. What really lights me up is seeing our students grow. Watching someone who came in shy and uncertain turn into a confident performer or a creative songwriter… that’s the real reward. Guys like Grady Byrne, who started with me as a kid and now plays professionally on big stages, that’s the kind of impact we’re making, and it’s why I keep showing up every day with the same fire I had when I won that Jackson guitar in Oregon.

If there’s one thing I want people to know about me and Scottsdale Music Academy, it’s that we’re not here to teach you how to copy someone else. We’re here to help you become the best, most expressive version of yourself , both musically and personally. That’s what sets us apart, and that’s what we live for.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Building a reputation in this industry didn’t happen overnight, and it certainly wasn’t about following a pre-made blueprint. From the very beginning, my goal with Scottsdale Music Academy was to create something different. I wasn’t interested in building a cookie-cutter lesson mill where students get funneled through a one-size-fits-all program and walk out with a handful of memorized songs and no real understanding of music.

What helped build our reputation is that we took the exact opposite approach. We became known as the boutique music school, the place people go when they really want to learn how to play, not just go through the motions.

In my early years teaching at local music stores, I saw firsthand what wasn’t working. Too many students were being forced into lessons they didn’t care about, sitting through rigid curricula that didn’t inspire or challenge them. I had some serious students too, and not everyone needs to want a career in music, but I learned quickly that the spark has to come from the student. You can’t fake interest, and real progress only happens when someone actually wants to get better.

That’s why, when I started Scottsdale Music Academy, I knew we had to break away from the norm. Everything we do here is designed to meet the student where they’re at. We tailor our lessons to the individual, their interests, their goals, their learning style. We don’t force everyone into the same mold. If a student wants to write songs, we’ll build their lessons around composition. If they want to perform live, we’ll get them on stage through our band coaching program. If they want to understand tone, gear, and stage setup, we go there too. It’s truly custom, and that’s not just marketing speak.

A lot of schools say they personalize lessons, but the reality is they often follow a generic curriculum behind the scenes. At Scottsdale Music Academy, we walk the walk. Our instructors are real working musicians with deep experience, and they take the time to build meaningful connections with their students. That level of personal investment is something parents, teens, and adult students all pick up on and it’s why we’ve built such a loyal base of long-term students and referrals.

What’s helped us grow and build a reputation over the years is simple: we deliver on what we promise. We teach, inspire, and motivate, and we do it in a way that helps each student discover their own voice through music. That kind of authentic, results-driven experience is rare in music education, and I think that’s why people continue to choose us, and why they tell others about us too.

Have you ever had to pivot?

One of the biggest pivots I’ve made in my business, and one that really shaped the trajectory of everything that came after, happened surprisingly early on. When I first started, the business was called Scottsdale Guitar Academy. At the time, it made perfect sense. I was a guitarist through and through, and my focus was entirely on teaching guitar. Honestly, I thought if I could fill up my own schedule and make a living doing what I love, that was the definition of success.

As I started gaining traction and built a solid student base, I eventually brought on my first additional instructor to help handle the overflow. It felt like a huge step not just teaching, but building a team. And that’s when the unexpected began to happen: we started getting calls asking, “Do you teach piano?” Then, “Do you teach voice?” Then drums, bass, and so on.

At first, I’d just say “yes,” even if we didn’t offer it yet, and then I’d hustle to find someone who could deliver at the level I demanded for our students. I scoured the city to recruit top-notch instructors who were not only talented but also aligned with our teaching philosophy. Slowly but surely, we started building a real roster of teachers and expanding beyond just guitar.

That’s when the first major pivot became inevitable. Two things became clear:
1. People weren’t just calling for lessons, they were calling specifically to take lessons from me. And getting them to try lessons with someone else, even another excellent teacher, was a major challenge. 2. By naming the business Scottsdale Guitar Academy, I had unintentionally put a ceiling on the entire brand. We were already growing beyond just guitar, and if I kept us boxed in by name alone, we’d always be fighting that perception.

The solution was obvious but incredibly intimidating: rebrand.

Changing the name, logo, and website after already establishing brand recognition was not something I took lightly. I had no idea how it would affect the business. Would people think we shut down? Would it confuse returning students? Would it feel like starting over? These were real concerns that kept me up at night.

But I knew that if we were going to grow, we needed a name that reflected our vision and versatility. That’s when Scottsdale Music Academy was born.

It wasn’t just a name change. It was a mindset shift. We stopped thinking like a one-man operation and started acting like a real school, a place where musicians of all types, instruments, and skill levels could come to learn, grow, and be inspired.

Looking back, that pivot was one of the most important decisions I’ve made. It opened the door for us to become what we are today, a full-service music school known for individualized instruction, high-level talent, and real results. It was a risk, no doubt, but one that taught me a valuable lesson: sometimes the biggest breakthroughs come from letting go of what’s comfortable and stepping into something bigger than you first imagined.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://scottsdalemusicacademy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottsdalemusicacademy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ScottsdaleMusicAcademy
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/scottsdale-music-academy-scottsdale-2