NILES — When Alicia Koch, of Berrien Springs, was working at her office job, she often could not get her love of music off her mind.

“Every day, all I could think about was singing,” Koch said. “I would close my office door and turn music on my computer and just sing. All I wanted to do was sing and dance and perform.”

Koch, who studied music in college and spent years traveling and performing, felt it was a calling to turn her passion for music and art into something that could help others.

This was the inspiration for her business, Euphoric Stage. The soon-to-open business will feature classes and workshops in art, music, dancing, acting and in raising self-esteem for children and adults. Koch will host an open house from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. July 13 and July 14, at the business, located at 1011 Broadway St., Suite 7. During the open house, people will have the opportunity to register for five-week classes, some of which will be free and some of which cost $10 per class.  The first full 10-week session of classes will start Aug. 20. There are sponsorships available for children interested in taking classes.

Koch has hired 14 contracted people to serve as “leaders” and teach classes. Like Koch, the leaders are passionate about music. Some of them are students at local colleges studying the industry. Koch said she hopes her classes resonate, especially with youth. Euphoric Stage will offer classes called the Self-Esteem Team that will discuss things like bullying and other tough issues that youth face today.

“I would love to get kids off the streets and … give them a place to call home so that they do not feel alone,” Koch said. “I think the arts are therapeutic for kids. We are not therapists, but we are using the arts to try and help people heal.”

For adults to build self-esteem, Koch will have a public speaking and growth class available. A Hope Team will work on site to provide self-help resources.

Some other additional features to the business will include weekly free jam sessions Friday nights, where anyone with an instrument or singing talent is welcome to drop in and play music.

Koch was born and raised in Niles and is a Niles High School alumna. She went on to earn an associate’s degree in music at Southwestern Michigan College and later a bachelor’s degree in human services and management from the University of Phoenix. During her 20s, Koch’s love for performing took her on a lot of traveling opportunities and eventually she ended up singing with a house band at the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas. Koch described how her time in Las Vegas really was the start of her inspiration to create a business founded on her love of music, but at the time she did not know quite what that would look like.

After moving back to the Michiana area about 10 years ago, Koch focused on being a mom and working a day job, but when she couldn’t get music off her mind, she knew it was time to act, she said.

“It built up so much inside of me that it was finally like a complete conviction,” Koch said. “It was like, ‘you have to do this.’”

Koch started the business couple of months ago as a mobile operation. She would travel with her team to local libraries to put on performances and help to get her name out there.

When she found a rental space available in the basement of the building at 1011 Broadway, she said she saw an opportunity to make the space her own. For the past week, Koch has been working on renovation the 1,300-square-foot space, which includes two large rooms, which will be converted into classrooms and six office spaces.

“Some of the offices will be private lesson rooms. One will be for the Hope Team,” Koch said of the space. “We are [also] going to have a kids’ area for when adults want to take classes.”

As she prepares to open her business in the weeks to come, Koch said she hopes that those who patronize it find more than a place to express themselves.

“I think a big part of Euphoric Stage is not just the arts ­­— it is self-discovery,” Koch said. “It’s taking people who may be in rut in their life and helping them find something about themselves artistically that gets them out of that rut.”

To learn more about the business or sign up for classes visit: euphoricstage.com.