SAN ANTONIO – BlackBox Music and Arts is owned and operated by Dwayne and Susan Toler.
The husband and wife duo first opened their doors on the West Side of San Antonio in 2015. The inspiration for their business came because the Tolers wanted to create a space where performers and visual artists could gather and learn together, according to their website.
Susan is a graphic designer and Dwayne is a retired EMS lieutenant. Their love for music and art brought their business to life. KSAT interviewed Susan and got her take on what it was like starting a family business.
“Being able to collaborate with somebody that has a true understanding of how you work and how you think is a lot of fun,” said Toler.
Throughout the school year, BlackBox hosts after-school classes for kids. Once summer hits, the camp days begin.
They have camps focused on learning different instruments, doing art classes, and taking acting and singing lessons.
“We’re letting the kids experiment and just do all kinds of things that they feel that they want to do to be able to express themselves,” Toler said.
Classes run week to week and there is no set camp schedule. Instead, parents are able to pick which two camps they want their kids to participate in each week. A normal day could look like this: piano in the morning, lunch then art classes in the afternoon. This gives parents the opportunity to pick what their children will learn each week.
“Certain schedules work better for some parents than other parents. So we try to mix it up, but they are week to week,” said Toler.
Spots for their weekly camps are still open. Pricing depends on which camp you want to sign your child up for. You can sign up by heading to BlackBox Music and Arts website.