Education & Classes in Lakeway

It’s very fitting that Pepper’s School of Music is located on a street called Mountain Echo, right next to Harmony Hill and due north of Duet Circle. With such musical monikers, one would think the streets of northern San Antonio were paved in treble clefs, with singing crossing guards and guitar instructors on every corner. But it took the work of Ashleigh and Barrett Pepper, the founders of Pepper’s School of Music, to make musical tutorship more accessible to north-side denizens. From their renovated Mountain Echo home studio, the Peppers and their staff of instructors motivate tomorrow’s rock stars, drumline leaders, and designated National Anthem singers in fun lessons modulated for every student. With lessons in guitar, bass, drums, piano, and vocals, the caring instructors typically start with the basics of instrumental technique before teaching students how easy it is to read music, play by ear, or perform their favorite song.

The professional photography instructors who lead all classes at Landers Photography School have spent years shooting everything from sitcom stars to NBA athletes to golf courses and architectural sites. Their degrees, decades of combined teaching experience, and third eyes that let them see a photo op before it happens inform courses of study for both casual image enthusiasts and aspiring pros. Students wrangling with a first camera might zoom in on a nature-photography session, whereas shutterbugs dreaming of a business of their own can delve deep into courses on marketing or take part in mentorship programs.




Landers Photography

San Antonio native Jim Landers has spent a lifetime behind the lens. After graduating from Sam Houston State with a degree in photography, he took his talents public as the photography manager at Sea World of Texas. After that, he expanded his scope, snapping memorable shots at weddings and capturing yearbook-ready images as a school photographer. Soon, people began to take notice of all the hard work; since starting his career, Jim's work has appeared everywhere from the pages of The Knot, advertisements for Mercedes and Whataburger, and even the galleries of Smithsonian Institution. Now, he brings that same work ethic to private photography work. Jim trains his camera on all of life's most memory-worthy moments, capturing introspective portraits, documenting a wedding day's most candid moments, and even welcoming newborns into the world.

Though he couldn’t afford to get his pilot’s license after his first flight in 1967, Above & Beyond Aviation founder George Farris was hooked. He continued to pursue his dream of flying, eventually taking private pilot classes at the University of Texas. Now the expert who teaches the courses, Farris believes in making the rewarding and exciting experience of flight accessible to everyone. At Above & Beyond Aviation, he introduces students to flying and helps them work toward their own certifications. In addition to introductory flights and advanced training programs, Above & Beyond Aviation also offers aircraft rental for certified pilots who are tired of trying to flag down sky taxis.

"If you can see how beautiful your culture is," China Smith told Austin360, "you can see how beautiful you are." After eight years of teaching dance in East Austin schools, China realized how few opportunities there were to expose students to black art, something she believes is vital to the self-empowerment of her young students. This realization led her to found Ballet Afrique, a performing ensemble and dance studio that blends classical ballet and modern dance with African American culture. Ballet Afrique's team of artists aim to enrich the lives of performers, audiences, and students alike under the belief that expressive movement "transcends race, gender, and socio-economic backgrounds."

In addition to their performances and lectures, the rhythmically inclined dancers also teach classes from their tranquil studio, drawing in pupils of all ages and experience levels. Young twinkle toes learn the fundamentals of ballet, modern, and African dance, and an all-male tap dancing class for ages 9–17 encourages bonding, mentorship, and new ways to communicate with the downstairs neighbors.

In the early 1960s in the Navy, Don Dibble embarked upon what would become a decades-long career in scuba diving. After 10 years in the service, he founded the Texas State University scuba program, to which he still devotes many hours. In 1972, Don opened The Dive Shop to spread his passion and scuba know-how to the uninitiated and those scared by all the sand in the movie Jaws.

At the shop, two experienced instructors head up classes in an outdoor pool. The sessions cover everything from snorkeling to securing an NAUI certification with structured dips in the pool and local lakes. The shelves in the pro shop brim with gear for training and recreational dives from brands such as ScubaPro, Bare, and Trident.:m]]

Tina and Ed Carle, the husband-and-wife team behind this lively cooking school, grew up cooking beside the apron strings of culinary-minded family members. Before heading to New York City to work in five-star kitchens, Tina studied the techniques of her Italian grandmother as she layered lasagna or stirred bolognese sauce. In Texas, Ed developed a knack for prepping wild game, smoked meats, and comfort fare from his family’s butter-centric cookbook. Though he’s become more health conscious through the years, Ed keeps the focus on flavor, demonstrating his know-how in dinner-party-style classes with menus including items such as barbecue brisket or wild venison braised in a dutch oven until it bugles “Taps” and collapses off the bone.

Though their culinary backgrounds differ, Tina and Ed share a passion for top-notch ingredients that elevate dinner to an art. Before teaching lessons on shrimp, for instance, Ed drives to the gulf to pick up a fresh catch. They also share a zeal for cooking tricks and techniques that make dinner simpler and more delicious. To this pair, working over a cutting board or a stove yields a bumper crop of sharable delight.