Sarantakos partnered up with Jerry & Louise, who are known for their Cher tribute act on Long Island. “Since I was young, I always wanted to pursue a career in music. I was fortunate over the years to study music and I progressed to writing and producing. At one point, I opened my own store in Levittown, which was called Monster Music in 1989. From there, I grew to three stores and I had about 1,000 students a week. From there, I had the opportunity to pursue the other family business: magic,” he said.
“I met Jerry & Louise six years ago at a book signing in Huntington,” Sarantakos said. “Then, they asked me to be a guest for their Cablevision show. We kept in contact sporadically and I realized that on the East Coast, I needed a production company and a facility with cameras for editing all in-house, from the music to the audio to the editing. In November of 2016, we became partners and we did a lot of projects. I do manage some other artists and other productions. Jerry & Louise came and we did a lot of productions together. They have a beautiful facility in Shirley, New York.”
Jerry & Louise continued, “We try to cater to all artist needs in one location. With JD on board, we hope to improve and go to bigger levels.”
Sarantakos further added, “It’s a full production home that provides all needs, whether it is music or business. I looked at their space, and because of my history in the music industry, we decided to build a place for Music Lessons for the surrounding neighborhoods.”
Jerry & Louise run “Music Idol” in elementary schools on Long Island. “These kids on Long Island are very talented,” Louise said. “It helps their self-esteem and for the real world if they want to pursue a music career. We enjoy it and make it fun, and JD does it in a fun way,” Jerry added.
Sarantakos noted that they hired the “right teachers” that they trusted and had a passion for the music. “Kids find themselves faster through music,” he said. “We are having our grand opening very shortly. We also cater to the New York State Music Association.”
An acclaimed music aficionado, Sarantakos shared his closing remarks. “We have the East Coast Blues Competition, and I have 10 members on my team. It goes all the way to Canada, in 20 states. We are doing a competition for blues bands that are unsigned with original music and celebrity guests. We are doing a competition that is catered to the blues community, and all the radio stations will know about this competition. These people will register with their bands. People will go online and they will vote which band they like the best. We are providing transportation for the best 10 bands, and the last three bands that win will be given prizes of $50,000. It’s going to be huge,” he concluded.
To learn more about East Coast Music Lessons, check out their official Facebook page.
