Erik and Elise co-own Buford Academy of Music, which offers classes in singing, piano, guitar, bass, drums, cello, violin and songwriting.
When Erik Bennett’s beagle Elijah got lost in a storm 15 years ago, little did Bennett know that being reunited with Elijah would be the beginning of a beautiful relationship with another musician.
He also didn’t know that Elijah would lead to the creation of Buford Academy of Music.
“For years, Erik and I had been living parallel paths,” said Elise Bennett, an accomplished opera singer and music teacher. “I grew up in DeKalb County, and Erik lived not too far away in Henry County. After we started dating, he showed me a photo of himself in front of an elementary school I attended. I asked him why he was in front of my school, and it turned out that he had run a 5k that passed by my school.”
After graduating from high school and college, they both ended up living in Roswell at the same time, eventually landing in Sugar Hill where Elijah brought them together.
Elijah showed up on Elise’s doorstep a couple of days later, and Elise called several area veterinarians to see if anyone reported their missing beagle.
“The vet – my vet – called me and told me that they had him, and Elijah had been brought to the office by ‘a nice lady,’ ” he said. “When I went to pick up Elijah, the receptionist handed me a piece of paper with the name and phone number of that nice lady. When I first saw her name the first thing I felt was ‘this is destiny, and I could already feel it happening deep inside. When I called her and we began to talk, we had much more in common. We are both musicians and singers, music teachers and lived in adjacent neighborhoods.”
While Elijah was just the beginning for the musical couple, they have both gone far in their musical careers.
Building a foundation
Erik Grant Bennett, his full name under which he writes music, arranges and performs, is an Emmy-nominated composer with a degree in film scoring from the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Elise, with a background in classical music, including opera, studied vocal performance at Georgia State University.
When they met, Erik had an established career in film scoring, as a performer and as a music teacher. He had grown up in a musical family in Atlanta; his father was a classical pianist, and his mother sang with her five sisters.
By the time he was in middle school, he was creating arrangements for his chorus; in high school he was chosen to participate in the Governor’s Honors program as a rising junior.
“I began creating songs and musical scores every moment after school – and sometimes during school – hand-writing music rather than paying attention in class,” he said with a smile. “Having musical influences like film composer Alan Silvestri and the influence of musicians like Duran Duran, Led Zeppelin, Chicago and Prince – I grew up in the Seventies – my musical style is very eclectic: everything from Mozart to hard rock to country.”
After he graduated from Berklee, he added producer to his accomplishments. “You really need to authentically like a wide range of music to be authentic as a producer – both good music and bad music – and be able to know the difference.”
He earned an Emmy nomination for a TV News theme and has composed film scores for independent films and documentaries. He has released five albums: Fall (2021), Send Down (Song for Africa) (2015), Throwback (2013), Bulletproof (2012) and We Were There (2011).
Meanwhile Elise’s parents, Elizabeth and Angus McAlpine – were strict about her classical upbringing. Her father has two degrees in piano performance from the London College of Music and plays at Von Maur, and her mother with the BJ Chorale.
“That’s why they were strict about a classical and cultured upbringing,” she said. “They didn’t encourage my listening to current mainstream music,” she said. “In our house there was always classical music playing, as well as Scottish traditional music, including bagpipes.
“My parents have evolved over the years in terms of accepting other musical genres and styles and are very supportive of all that we do. They always attend every concert we put on.”
Elise studied classical music as a voice major at Georgia State University. Her musical tastes broadened, and she soon discovered that there are musicians who can do amazing things in all genres of music, not just classical. Elisa sang with the Atlanta Opera for many years and other musical ensembles. She sang a duet with Erik on one of his albums.
Buford Academy of Music
Elise and Erik perform a duet that Erik wrote for Elise. The story of how they met, the song is called “Unbearable Ache.”
When the two met, they were both teaching music, but after they married in 2012, they decided that creating Buford Academy of Music would encompass their talents and help other music students – no matter whether they were interested in rock, classical or something in between – follow their own dreams.
“That was her vision for the music school, to give kids the classical foundation while also exposing them to current music and ways to actually make a career in music,” Erik said, “because that’s the part that she wished she had been given.”
At Buford Music Academy, they teach private lessons on a variety of instruments, and they create performance groups and bands to provide a chance to students to demonstrate their talent.
“Erik built a studio in our home for him to concentrate on his composing and producing, but creating a stand-alone school of music opened many opportunities for us,” she said. “We work with professional musicians in recording sessions, including Erik’s albums, but also for other musicians. Buford Academy gives our students a place to take their musical studies and aspirations to the next level. There are very few private music schools that offer this much diversity.”
Buford Academy of Music is located at 4889 Golden Parkway, across from Publix on Lanier Islands Parkway at I-985. The facility includes the Blacklight Concert Hall where shows are held.
Erik performs two tribute shows featuring the music of Billy Joel and Elton John. Students also present artist-themed programs. Both the professional shows and the student performances feature full bands of professional musicians playing drums, bass, acoustic and electric guitars, piano/keyboards, and sometimes brass and wind sections.
Elise is his manager for his film scoring and producing career; the two are co-owners of Buford Academy of Music. She teaches voice and piano.
“We’ve had a wonderful life and business together ever since, and although Elijah has since passed, his legacy remains eternally intact in our beautiful, blended family of four children who are in their teens,” she said.
“The moral of this true story of Elijah is that there are no coincidences,” she said. “Love is real. Destiny is real. God is real.”
Photos: by Erik Grant Bennett
Upcoming show
- What: Still Standing: Elton John Tribute, March 7-8
- Where: BlackLight Concert Hall, 4889 Golden Parkway, Suite 200, Buford
- Info/tickets: 404 791-3645, ticketleap.com/ticketleap-events
The annual Sweep the Hooch is your chance to walk, wade, or paddle as we come together to clean up the river we all depend on.
