“I love playing music first and foremost, but I love teaching and I had so many wonderful students over the years from all backgrounds,” Russell said. He said some of his former students use playing music as a therapeutic hobby, and others continue working to make music a profession.
Getting to see many of them continue to play even after graduating from the program has been a rewarding experience. Russell has watched many of his students grow into adulthood. Russell said each week, the organization works with as many as 125 musicians of all ages and musical abilities.Īfter outgrowing three studio spaces, PopShop found its permanent home at the former Woodburn Elementary School.
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A new kind of PopShop was born, and from then on, his students learned not only the fundamentals, but also how to perform with others and build self-confidence on stage.Įleven years have since gone by, and the program has grown exponentially. Russell divided up 11 of his students into two bands and began playing anything from rock to country to metal music. He noticed many of his students did not have the opportunity to play alongside other musicians and decided to change that. In 2006, the band parted ways, but Russell continued teaching private drum lessons. “We had this idea of going into schools and talking about popular music and what we did for a living.” “We were all educators on the side and we came up with this idea of PopShop,” Russell said.
As they toured around the country, the band members came up with the idea of sharing their knowledge and experiences as musicians with schools. Soon after, Russell became one of the founding band members of The Argument and was the drummer for about a decade. After graduating, he taught middle school band in Pittsburgh for three years before returning to Morgantown. Russell first started calling Morgantown home nearly 30 years ago when he studied percussion at West Virginia University. It hurts to hear he is leaving, but it is nice to hear PopShop is staying open.” “When I think of the arts in Morgantown, I think of Chris Russell. “Everywhere I looked that involved music or the arts, his name was stamped with it,” Morgan said. She said she has always valued his compassion for others, the way he approaches music and how he believes in every single one of his students. Morgan said Russell has been one of the most influential people in her life and within the community. She participated as a drummer for about five years before becoming an instructor while studying at WVU. Taylor Morgan, a former student of Russell’s, joined PopShop in middle school when she heard about the program through a friend. “My vision is for it to keep going as it is.” “PopShop will thrive here under the staff that we have,” he said.
Recognizing the importance of the program in the community, Russell is confident it will continue on for years to come.Īlthough he won’t be working directly in the studio, Russell plans to continue working remotely as the executive director. “He is irreplaceable as a person and friend.”ĭue to unforeseen circumstances, Russell and his family are relocating to Raleigh, N.C., at the end of the 2020-21 school year. “He’s been here so long and everyone knows him,” said Brian Spragg, longtime PopShop instructor and soon-to-be operations manager. MORGANTOWN - Executive Director Chris Russell is passing the baton after more than a decade of bringing music performance into the lives of many through PopShop, a nonprofit music program.
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