For more than two decades, Valley Music Institute (VMI) has given local musicians a place to rehearse, perform and build community through live music.

The VMI program offers musicians the opportunity to be part of a band. The program hosts sessions throughout the year where students meet once a week at ModSpot in downtown Modesto to practice music of their choosing.

Whether students are advanced or beginners on their respective instruments, VMI provides an opportunity for them to learn and collaborate with other musicians. Program director, Darin Morris, has led this program for the past two decades.

Morris has had a passion for music since he was a teenager. He played in bands, took lessons anyway he could and eventually attended the Guitar Institute of Technology in Los Angeles, now known as Musicians Institute.

After earning a certificate as a professional guitarist, he returned to Modesto, continued playing in bands and began teaching guitar lessons, helping students learn songs like “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Crazy Train” by ear.

He later earned a degree in classical guitar while continuing to perform in rock bands and teach lessons. Soon after, several guitar teachers came together to create VMI.

The program began in the 1990s as a guitar-centered program, but one teacher encouraged Morris for years to start a rock band program. Morris was hesitant, but eventually agreed.

The rock band era of VMI started with four bands. Morris taught two of them while another teacher led others. Eventually, the other teacher left to become a pastor, allowing Morris to take on the program by himself.

As more bands joined the program, Morris became even more invested in VMI and began reducing the number of guitar lessons he taught in order to host more bands. Eventually, he transitioned fully into leading bands rather than teaching individual students.

Today, the program has grown immensely to over 60 bands. Morris said the community aspect of the program has remained the same throughout the years.

“You just have that vibe of we’re all in this together, and kind of like a drama production or something, we’re a cast. We’re all helping, and the families are helping [and that part] feels the same,” Morris said.

Tuition for each session starts at $150 and varies depending on how many bands a student joins, but Morris does provide students with an opportunity to earn a scholarship.

“I don’t think we’ve ever turned away a single person. So, we can figure out a way to get it covered if they let me know,” he said.

He also provides loaner instruments for students so that they can practice at home and be prepared for weekly rehearsals.

“If it’s a guitar, bass or keyboard, I could straight up lend it to them. I don’t have enough little amps to lend out to people, but if it’s something to practice on, I also have acoustic guitars,” he said.

The program not only helps students improve their musical abilities but also gives them opportunities to create memories through performance at local venues and events.

Lina Crouson, who participated in VMI as a student for 12 years and a VMI teacher for four years, joined the program in the summer of 2013 after her school cut funding to its music program.

Though she was nervous about joining an already established band that had selected songs before she arrived, she quickly adjusted and prepared for future performances.

During her first session, Crouson’s band was invited to play a performance at SURLA’s in Modesto, which became one of her favorite memories as a musician.

“Darin was like, ‘They said VMI can play, and I need a couple of older teenage bands to play,’ and we got invited to play, and it was so cool. I [was] outside at night, I’m playing like a rockstar, and I didn’t get home until like 1 a.m. that night,” Crouson said.

The performances are what students are mainly playing towards. They have created many memories for students throughout the program’s life, but first, students need to practice.

Nathan Baker, who was part of VMI for 7 years, described how the early weeks would be mainly discussion and then learning each song one by one.

“So, it would typically serve as the first week or two, would be selecting songs and then we learn them one by one by the list in the recording or taking them home and learning the tablature,” Baker said.

Students usually practice three songs each session before performing them in concerts several weeks later. VMI bands have previously performed at Graceada Park’s Mancini Bowl, Rancho Fresco and the State Theatre.

Cherri Crouson, Lina’s younger sibling, was a part of VMI for 11 years and said Heroes, a now-closed restaurant and venue, was one of their favorite places to perform.

“It was just really cool to look at bands from above [on the balcony]. I guess it’s a core memory because I still feel that thrill and like stage fright from that being one of my first shows. It’s just a place like that after being there for almost eleven years, it’s gonna stick with you,” Cherri Crouson said.

Though the program requires students to practice at home and meet with a band every week, it is not enough to feel overwhelmed.

Alex Martinez, Stan State graduate from 2025, participated in the program while enrolled at Modesto Junior College and Stan State. He believes that people can make the time to practice three songs if they have some time to spare in their schedule.

“As long as your workload isn’t super insane, I think that it’s super reasonable. There’s people that if you practice at home, you have plenty of time to learn three songs. There’s [also] lots of people that don’t [practice] but you could totally show up for one hour a week and do your best,” Martinez said.

Not only did he feel that it was doable, but he also recommends anyone who wants to try music with a few friends to give it a shot.

“I would say go and try it, maybe try it with a friend. If it’s not for you, it’s okay, but it definitely doesn’t hurt to try [as] it’s not a crazy time commitment. Playing music is good for you; it’s good for the heart. It’ll bring you some joy, and I think anybody can get that,” he said.

Morris has inspired many students to continue learning their respective instruments, while also helping them become performers. Baker credits Morris with teaching him how to approach performing on stage as a guitarist.

“He was very motivating toward getting the parts good enough to perform and solidifying the idea that if you’re performing on stage, nothing has to be perfect. You just gotta be solid,” Baker said.

This session at VMI features several performances, with the next taking place at Modesto Porchfest on May 17 and VMI Mainstage from May 24-26.