Laurie Cook Stevens
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LAURIE COOK STEVENS, 34
Founder/director of Chattanooga School of Language; 2018 winner of Small Business of the Year Award (1-20 employees) from the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce; active member of the Chattanooga Breakfast Rotary Club; former board member of the International Business Council of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce; graduate of SpringBoard Business Planning and Development program.
What's your anthem or theme song?
"Soy Yo," by Bomba Estéreo.
If you were a musician, what would your stage or band name be?
¡Salud! ("Cheers" in Spanish.)
If you were starting a band, who from your life would you pick to be in it and why?
My husband. He is a bluegrass musician and already in a band (Slim Pickins). Plus, he has really cool hair.
Which member of the band would you be?
Backup singer and keyboard player.
If you achieved rock star status, what would you hope it would be for?
I would hope to be known for being adventurous, bold, creative and kind.
Random green room demand?
Chips and queso dip, a couple of cold Coronas. LaCroix waters, mini Reese's cups.
Who are your top influencers (not necessarily musically)?
I intentionally try to surround myself with people whom I admire; who possess qualities, characteristics and talents that I wish I had more of in myself. So, my influencers are my everyday people - my family; my best friends; my colleagues and students.
I'm drawn to those creative souls who speak, sing, write and express the truth of their story, often in a quiet way and against the grain of everyday expectations. They seem like the authentic ones. I want to be near them.
Which musical style best describes your personality?
Hippie bluegrass or Latin dance music.
Who would write the soundtrack to your life and why?
James Brown, the "godfather of soul," "the hardest-working man in show business." You can't listen to his music without truly feeling it in your soul, without moving your body at least a little. It's music that spans the generations.
He came from extreme poverty but truly found his life's calling through the expression of music and dance. He was a revolutionary figure who not only influenced many of today's musical styles and artists, but he used his platform for good and was an advocate for education and children.
First album you bought for yourself?
Ace of Base, "The Sign" - on cassette.
If you could change one thing about Chattanooga, what would it be?
The Chattanooga of 2018 is quite different than Chattanooga a decade ago. Chattanooga is an international city whose community members represent this diversity in language, background and culture. I would like to see foreign language instruction and global education become a priority in our schools and for our young students through dual language immersion programs that make language learning available for all children, no matter their family's socioeconomic status, first language, background or address. By doing so, we're giving all students a leg up in mastering the highly desirable skill of communicating in another language.
When our community invests in language education and cultural training for young students and professionals, we are connecting them to the languages and cultures of the world, both inside and outside the classroom, and building a community of globally minded, locally focused leaders.
To what cause would you donate the proceeds from your first benefit concert?
Education is power. All donations from my first benefit concert would go to the Global Education Fund.