Our Origins
Southern Highland Music Foundation (SHMF) was founded in July 2013 by Tom Nixon. Tom’s background of musical experiences was developed at home, where music was played and encouraged; in church, where music was an integral part of services; and in school band and chorus. These experiences fueled his interest and inspired him to make music a large part of his life. There was one entity in particular, however, that especially provided an environment for Tom to grow as a musician and allowed him true liberty to express individual music artistry. That entity was the Foxfire Music Program.
“Foxfire is a method of classroom instruction—not a step-by-step checklist, but an overarching approach that incorporates the original Foxfire classroom’s building blocks of giving students the opportunity to make decisions about how they learn required material, using the community around them as a resource to aid that learning, and connecting the students’ work with an audience beyond the classroom.”
The practice of sharing knowledge among peers and the focus on student interests are key cornerstones of the instructional methods. This method allowed Tom’s creativity and other students to flourish. In the Foxfire Music Performance classes, Tom became part of the Foxfire Boys Band. Playing in this band afforded him many performance opportunities and learning experiences over the past three decades.
After completing his undergraduate studies at Piedmont College in 1990, Tom joined the faculty of Rabun County High School as an interim mathematics teacher and later accepted an appointment to the federally funded agency Ninth District Opportunity as a curriculum specialist. After ten years with Ninth District Opportunity, Tom turned his attention to his primary passion, music. He left the agency and began teaching private music lessons and classes, which led to the opening of the Blue Ridge Music Academy in 2005.
Blue Ridge Music Academy has grown to offer instruction in music of all genres and instruments of all types. It has a full service recording studio, a retail store, and offers instrument rental and repair services.
As music instruction classes began to fill up, Tom found that many of his students struggled to pay for their lessons and many more , who wanted to learn, simply could not afford to pay. This was the spark that led him to create a new, non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the musical arts through donations and fundraising. This new organization was chartered to provide no-cost, and low-cost music instruction for both children and adults who had a desire to learn to play, but lacked the necessary funds. In July, 2013, Tom formed the Southern Highland Music Foundation (SHMF).
Relying on the Foxfire music instruction method, SHMF students are encouraged to learn from each other and to explore their heritage. This hands-on, peer inspired learning concept is now the basis of the Southern Highland Music Foundations’ methodology and what has made the program so successful. When the student’s creativity is unleashed, they learn at an accelerated rate. Learning becomes something they desire and it makes an impact on every area of their life. Tom experienced this for himself as a Foxfire student and seeks to carry on this tradition at SHMF.
Join us in our mission
Help us fulfill our mission to provide comprehensive music instruction to students of all ages.
For more than 10 years we’ve been on a mission to help anyone and everyone learn about and play the music of the Southern Highlands. Today, we’re asking that you join us. Any amount that you can contribute helps us to continue to provide instruments, equipment and music instruction.