PALM BAY, Fla. — Aaron Stout had an incredible career and then retired to slow down a bit only to find his passion a second time around inside a Brevard County classroom. He now shares those special skills while teaching keyboarding and music theater to Odyssey Charter Junior and High School students.

He says, "The number one thing that I try to encourage and foster is that they have a feeling of freedom enough to express themselves and to allow their personality to flourish."

That's important to Stout whether his students are interested in being center stage or not. He adds, "Some people are coming in one hundred percent ready to get on stage, ready to get in front of an audience on an instrument and perform. For others this is probably the most terrifying possible experience that they could imagine."

Stout understands that.

He says, "My background is actually not as a performer but as a freelance technician and director and producer." Retired from that field now he's sharing what he learned over the years in the classroom now. Stout says, "There are a lot of introverts and people who are challenged by getting in front of people who have thriving careers in entertainment."

He says he's teaching students valuable skills no matter the career path they choose.  Stout adds, "It was realizing that organization, preparation, planning, commitment, responsibility, follow through, those are the things that work everywhere. I think this is really really powerful for my students to understand."

​Stout says he loves what he does now. He adds, "It seems like it was meant to be to me."