From Classroom to Stage: How Storytelling Turned My Lessons—and My Events—into Unforgettable Experiences
by Bryce Larsen
As a music educator, I’ve taught everything from middle school world music to high school electronic production, rock history, digital literacy, and video editing. Over time, through trial, error, and hundreds of hours in the classroom, I discovered something that reshaped how I teach:
People remember stories.
When I’d present information as a list of facts—dates, genres, names—it rarely stuck. But when I wrapped the same material in a story, everything changed. Suddenly, the students cared. They leaned in when I told them about how hip hop grew from block parties in the Bronx, or how Bob Dylan’s electric guitar turned a folk movement on its head. When I asked students to create music as part of a narrative—a remix of their life, a leitmotif for a character, a mood-shifting film score—they connected with the material on a deeper level. They weren’t just learning—they were experiencing.
That realization didn’t just change my teaching. It changed the way I perform.
Outside the classroom, I run Adventure Sound Live, a live music agency that specializes in private events—from milestone birthdays to weddings, from intimate dinners to full-blown dance parties. And just like in teaching, I don’t approach these events as a series of tasks to check off. I approach them as stories waiting to be told.
When someone books Adventure Sound Live, they’re not just getting a group of musicians. They’re getting a team of artists who understand pacing, emotional build, and the arc of a great night.
We begin with a conversation—not about what songs you want, but about how you want the night to feel. From there, I suggest a lineup: maybe a violin and piano duo to welcome guests, a guitar-and-percussion combo for cocktails, a full dance band for later, or a quiet solo set for dessert. These aren’t arbitrary choices. They’re stages of a story.
Take one of our 70th birthday parties:
We greeted guests in the foyer with a soft, elegant violin and piano set.
Shifted outside to the patio for a relaxed cocktail hour with acoustic guitar, vocals, and light percussion.
Brought the energy up with instrumental pop over dinner.
Then kept the momentum going with four musicians on the patio, dancing through soul, Motown, and country classics.
Even the breaks were designed—recorded dance music for the younger crowd, followed by a final live singalong set that brought everyone together.
We didn’t rigidly follow a script—but we did follow a story arc. Each moment was placed with intention, and we adjusted based on the feel of the room. That’s not unlike teaching: you can have the best lesson plan in the world, but if your students aren’t with you, you have to pivot.
Another time, at a 40th birthday, we started late—10pm—because guests had been partying all day. We knew they needed space to warm up again. So, we started with a reimagined trio set: soft dance covers on piano and vocals. Then transitioned into a 90s acoustic singalong. We brought the energy up gradually, spiking with a dance set, then giving people a break with soulful R&B, and finally ended on a high with rock classics and arm-in-arm singing.
These are the kinds of nights people remember. Not because we hit every cue perfectly—but because the energy made sense. The night had a pulse, a flow, a narrative.
Teaching taught me that content is just the start. Engagement is everything. You can know your material inside out, but if your delivery doesn't resonate emotionally, it won’t stick.
The same is true for entertainment. A setlist is not a story. But when you think like a storyteller, every musical choice becomes part of a greater whole. You're not just filling time—you’re guiding people through a shared experience.
It’s why we’re trained to handle surprises—last-minute layout changes, delayed guests, unexpected toasts. We bring portable gear, wireless setups, flexible timelines. We plan deeply so that we can improvise freely, all while keeping our eyes on the story of the night.
Now, whether I’m working with students in a classroom or guests at an event, I carry the same core belief:
The most meaningful experiences are the ones that unfold like stories.
That’s what we do at Adventure Sound Live. We design events to breathe. To rise and fall. To surprise and connect. To leave guests walking away not just saying “that was fun,” but “that was unforgettable.”
Because perfect doesn’t mean flawless.
It means true to the moment.