Utah School Of Music, Lehi

A group of musicians step onto a parade trailer and man their requisite noisemakers—guitars, bass, and drums. Only months ago, they may have never even picked up an instrument, much less thought they'd be part of a band playing a live gig. But now, their nimble fingers deftly play live covers of The Beatles, AC/DC, and Maroon 5, which pump from speakers as the movable stage winds through Lehi's streets.

The university-trained instructors of Utah School of Music & Dance organize music and dance recitals like these each year, helping students of all ages and abilities to share their burgeoning expertise. Profiled by the Utah Valley Business Blog, the school encompasses both private and group training studios where tutors such as guitarist Scott Miller—author of Mel Bay's Getting Into Jazz Fusion Guitar—help emerging Mozarts as young as 3 to master woodwinds, percussion, or the art of destroying a guitar amplifier. During dance classes, expressive movers practice hip-hop, jazz, or ballet moves atop a supportive floating floor, lingering afterward in a waiting room decked out with complimentary movies and WiFi.