Ballard School of Performing Arts

Located on the south east corner of Ballard and Marble in Historical Downtown Wylie the "new" Ballard School of the Performing Arts is a wonderful facility! The class rooms are large and comfortable for both instuctor and student.

We call the school new because of the additional instrument and lesson instructions that that been incorporated into our program. We have recently added, children and adult dance classes, and banjo lessons! Our aim is to offer instruction for as many disciplines as we have room for, and believe you me, we have the room!

If you need, Vocal lessons, Guitar, Banjo, Percussion, Piano, Violin, Dance, or Bagpipes, come check us out!

Come by and tour the facility the next time that you are downtown visit 130 North Ballard!

972-429-0047

We moved to Wylie about five years ago from upper Illinois near the Wisconsin border. Moving to Wylie presented us with a new way of life and a totally new and different focus. My wife a music lover of Jazz, Blues and Gospel, and me, a musician all of my life were so pleased to see the high level of interest in music when we got here. It was amazing to see how many wonderful guitar pickers, piano players and singers there are in this new community of ours! It just blew me away! My intent was to go to Dallas, start singing and build up a following. I never intended  to open a music store. It was when I saw the great level of interest by parents supporting their children in music, that my wife and I decided to open a music store. We wanted to be in the "thick of it", right in the heart of this wonderful musical movement! Ballard Street Music Company is just what the doctor ordered. I know that there is much to learn, and believe you me, we're learning and it's WONDERFUL! Acting on our faith in the Creator, we moved ahead we found Ballard Avenue. We loved the street name and the historical look. We found a building on that street, thus the name... "Ballard Street Music Company! We call it a music company because our goal is to present to you everything related to music. That means Gifts for musicians, Art related to musical themes, Awards and Plaques as well as instruments, accessories, rentals and lessons. Thank you all so much for the warm reception that we have gotten. We plan to give our all, to service your needs as YOUR local music store. If you have not had a chance to come by, please drop in to meet us. Sincerely,
Rob and Debbie Hunter,
Ballard Street Music Company
972-429-0047

My Fathers Island

Written by: Rob Hunter

Originally written in 1980 revised 10/25/2004

It was an obscure time, a time of uncertainty. On a summer night around nine oclock or so, I was walking down the sidewalk of a dimly lit urban street. The air was thick. A fog-like reddish misty haze of visible humidity was in the air.  As I walked past an alley, from the corner of my eye, I caught the figure of a man . A silhouette in the shadows, he was not pleasant; and although we exchanged no words I could tell that he was the enemy of my soul.

As my pace quickened, I felt his desire to take me, to use and abuse my good intentions. His clutch was after me, and I ran. I ran fast and hard, looking for an open door that I might find security behind, there was none. While fleeing, my mind sought help; help from above, help from my Father. A silent cry went upward from my heart, a cry to the helper of my soul. I needed an open way of escape.

Then suddenly, unmistakably, in my heart I heard a voice! There, the voice said, up ahead, look at the window of that garden apartment, the one with the dim lighted glow, run and leap!

There was no hesitation in my stride, no fear in my flight.  My posture was that of a diver leaving the board, my arms stretched over my head, body ridged and straight, I leaped head-long into the window. Just as I hit, I closed my eyes... 

The first of my members to strike were the finger tips. The rest of my body soon followed, soaring through the shattered glass without effort, without pain. As I cleared the window I opened my eyes... Oh, oh, how amazing was the sight! I could see the most wonderful aqua marine blue as I dropped from the sky above. It was a siren color, made crystal like, by the illumination of a beautiful sun. My plunge was long and deep. I marveled as I felt my body knife through the crystal clear liquid.  I had just dived from the fear of night into the safety of this wonderful sun lit day.

As my body arched upwards to the surface, the first thing that I saw was a small island rock, not very large. As I swam closer I could see a man sitting on it. I recognized him, it was my Father; the keeper of my soul. When I reached the stone I climbed up and sat next to Him and was comforted. We talked for a long time. I thanked him for being there, and coming to my rescue.

After I was rested, my father said, see that rock over there?  Yes Father, I said.  The rock that He pointed to was another small island similar to the one we were sitting on. It looked to be about 100 yards away.   Son, Do you think you can swim to it? Of course I can I said, and with that I jumped in and began swimming.

The water was calm; smooth. The day was so bright and as I swam I could feel the warmth of the sun on my skin. My arms made long effortless strokes through the cool blue water. As I continued my journey I would look up periodically to make sure that I was still on course.  About a quarter of the way through my swim, I felt a cool movement of the air. I saw the surface of the water move as the easy breeze swept over.

I seemed to be making some progress towards the small island, but, for the length of time that I had been swimming, I should have been closer, so I picked up the pace.

I could feel the breeze stiffen. The air was cooler, and the direction of the wind had changed so that it was blowing directly into my face. I looked out into the distance and saw a cloud in the sky above the small island that I was swimming to. Then I recall looking back to the island that I had left.  I could see my Father still sitting there, his gaze towards me. Finally, I reached the halfway mark to my goal, I thought to myself, this is harder than I had anticipated, so I began to swim harder and with more effort.

A day that was so clear and bright a short while ago had turned gray; the light moving surface waters had now come alive, and were battling against me. The waves resisted my advance, and for the first time during this dare, I felt anxious; but still determined, I pressed on.

The harder I swam, the heavier my arms got, I was struggling to continue. Looking up I found myself no closer to the rock than I was at last glance. The sky had turned to an ominous blackish gray, then the rain came. The rain fell hard. Each drop created a sound that threatened my hope of ever finishing this journey, and for the first time I could not see the island ahead. As I turned to look back I could barely see my Father. I was lost; I felt doomed, I was about to perish!

I swam with all of my might but was going nowhere. My strokes began to fail and as I thrashed around in the water, my hand hit something!   There,  there it was again! It felt like wire or something, and I held on tight! The atmosphere was so dark that I could barley see what I was holding on to, but it appeared to be a rusted wire fence. By this time my limbs were very weak; my fingers were numb from the cold water. Pulling myself along the fence, I struggled back towards the safety of the first island, towards my waiting Father.

Hand over hand I pulled, not looking up, not knowing where I was. One consolation though, the wind and waves that were once in my face were now at my back pushing me towards safety. As I struggled onward the weather began to change. The storm started to ease and the rain was not falling as hard. Through a light fog I could see my Father sitting there on the small island. I continued pulling myself along fence and I could see that it was connected to my Father's island. As I pulled myself along, the waters began to calm. The closer I got to my Father, the calmer the waters got. I could again see the familiar day that I experienced after the flight from the enemy of my soul. I could feel the grip of the adversarial waves loose me as I floated easy on the smooth waters towards safety.

Finally I arrived. Almost too weak to pull myself onto the rock, too exhausted to speak, I looked into his eyes.   As I rested my head on His shoulder, he said to me.  Son you see, you can't do anything without me.  Always trust in me.