Inspired by teachers, RIT grad opens music studio to teach others

What started as a love of music and inspiration from his teachers has enabled Travis Rankin to fulfill a dream of sharing his passion with students.

As soon as he was old enough, Rankin remembers singing in his elementary school chorus and playing trombone in concert band. As he got older, he joined the jazz band, the marching band, and eventually rock bands that got gigs around town.

“We played basements, VFW Halls and even a club on campus at RIT,” he said. “We opened up for Kid Rock at Water Street Music Hall.”

Rankin eventually toured with bands across the United States and parts of Canada. He played music and was involved in recording it, as well as handling the business side, such as the marketing and bookings.

When the touring ended, he was faced with finding a new career. “I always wanted to be a musician, and at the same time, I wanted to be a teacher,” he said. “I’ve always had this voice in my head critiquing my teachers, affirming the way they taught and reached students.”

He enrolled in community college, originally studying communication and media arts, then changing to adolescent education. During that time, he worked with RIT students who sought his help for their senior film projects. “I was writing music for film and making music for video, film, and animation,” he said.

His wife, Stephanie, who received a master’s degree from RIT, encouraged him to transfer to RIT, where he could mold his course of study to visual culture with a focus on music technology and performance through RIT’s School of Individualized Study. And so he did, finishing in December 2022.

“From my previous work with RIT students, it already felt like home,” he said. “Many classes I took in SOIS challenged my thinking and helped me grow. I wrote a business plan as a class assignment for what would turn out to be Rochester Music Lab, and the things we would do.

Two years ago, Rankin opened the 2,500-square-foot studio on the third floor of the Piano Works building in East Rochester. There is an array of drums, guitars, traditional instruments, and plenty of unique instruments, like steel drums, ukuleles, a balafon, technical instruments including keyboards with equalizers, sequencers, theremins, modular synthesizers, even a recording studio that has a capability of recording 32 tracks at a time. Several of the teachers there are RIT alumni.

“We have dozens of students as young as 3 all the way into their 70s,” he said. “We bring drums on site for afterschool enrichment programs and to nursing homes to make music with those living there. We offer music camps and work with students of all ages and abilities teaching music performance, composition, and audio engineering. We let students switch freely between our offerings so they can explore and find their voice. Anything that music touches, we try to be a part of it.”

Rankin credits his RIT professors for urging him to be involved and preparing him to launch and grow his music business, blending his creativity with entrepreneurial skills.

“I had hands-on experience doing things with composing and learning how to use music equipment,” he said. “They instilled a love for teaching and the idea to give all of yourself to your work and others, to always show up and be very persistent.”

Recently, Rankin invited a group of SOIS students, called the SOIS Music Connection, to visit the studio. A surprising number of SOIS students have an interest in music—either as a concentration, minor, immersions, or just enjoyment—and get together to learn, explore, and share ideas about music.

“SOIS students often don’t have a group they can bond with. The Music Connection is our effort to create a place where they can learn and bond,” said Thomas Hanney, a principal lecturer who helped coordinate the visit. He said SOIS has been involved with students interested in performing arts for years, and the growth in Performing Arts Scholarships in the past five years has increased the number of musically inclined students throughout campus.

Eric Blostein, a fourth-year SOIS student focusing on health care management, plays in the RIT Jazz Combo and grabbed a saxophone in the studio and played a bit.

“I just kind of jammed out,” he said, and vowed to return to rehearse with his own saxophone. “I think it’s a really great facility that offers a lot of different opportunities for people to learn what they are interested in, whether it’s music or music production.”

After giving a tour of the studio, Rankin sat with the students to share his experiences and offer advice.

“I took a lot of the same classes you guys are taking now,” he told them. “And I found a way I could merge music with teaching to suit my interests. Find a way to merge your interests and if what you do is good work and you put yourself out there, you’ll be successful.”

Jason Salazar Tobar, a fourth-year SOIS student from Mt. Kisco, N.Y., was one of the students who visited.

“Music has always been important to me, helping me through my rough times and amplifying my favorite times,” he said. “I want to merge extended reality and music together, creating more immersive music experiences, and using sound design to better the immersion of an extended reality experience. I hope to work for music venues and festivals creating immersive graphics for artists.”

Rankin invited the students to return if they wanted to explore the studio or use the equipment in the future.

“I love school projects and figured if there is anything they wanted to use at the lab that may help in their studies, we would love to have them,” Rankin said. “The students who visited seemed very bright and had unique interests. They all seemed very cool.”

Salazar Tobar said Rankin’s offer of further exploring the studio “sounds amazing.”

“Having a studio like that is very impressive and what he is doing is great,” he said. “I always admire someone who goes into teaching because it’s not an easy thing.”