Small Town with a Big City Arts Scene
Dubbing Ave Maria Florida’s “West Coast Wynwood” may be slightly premature, but this Collier County community is home to a bustling music scene and has all of the markers for growth.
Members of the Treehause Band, for example, all hail from Miami but are creating a loyal following in this master-planned development. Vocalist Marti Fernandez and drummer Fredrick ‘Bam’ Scott met in Miami in the early 2000’s while both were performing at the same wedding. They became partners in life and on the stage, forming the Treehause Band in 2009.
About 10 years ago, the couple started looking for ways to escape the congestion of Miami. They looked at communities throughout Broward and Miami-Dade Counties but found the prices too high or the properties needing extensive upgrades. One of Scott’s students was the son of a current Ave Maria family. They urged him to look at the community.
“I fell in love with Ave immediately,” said Scott. “It reminds me of my hometown in South Carolina. My favorite part is how family oriented it is. Moving here was the best decision we’ve made.” 
He and his wife built a new home and moved in 2022. They continue to play live music and DJ at venues and events throughout South Florida and have added Naples and Fort Myers to their markets. The TreeHause band, which includes bass player, Terrell Bryant, also from Miami, and guitarist Al Becker, performs at some of Ave’s signature events, including Taste of Ave and the Margarita & Taco Festival. They also regularly perform at Ave Maria’s Oil Well Craft Beer.
As President and CEO of Big Bam Entertainment, Scott has had a star-studded career in music, including a Latin Grammy and a resume that includes working with such celebrities as Emilio Estefan, Quincy Jones, Diana Krall, Javier Garcia, and Jon Secada, just to name a few. The music producer, SAG Actor, DJ and music educator studied music at Brevard College in North Carolina before gaining a full ride to the University of Miami. Today he teaches more than two dozen Ave students piano and guitar and dreams some day of opening a music school in the community.
“I want to have a music school where my students can accompany the dance academy students,” he said.
He most recently taught music at a private school in Davie. His successful Miami-based music career took off following his graduation from the University of Miami. Over the years, he taught music lessons and performed in venues throughout the tri-county area on the east coast of Florida. Music composer for a Sony TV show, touring drummer for Universal Records Recording Artist Javier Garcia, and percussionist for the South Florida Chamber Orchestra are among his diverse personal achievements.
Equally accomplished in the music industry, Winston Thomas and his wife, Nicole, also chose to trade the hustle bustle of Miami for a calmer life in Ave Maria. Known in the music world as BlackOut, Winston needed enough room for their three children, his recording studio and his wife’s art studio and baby clothes company, Willow Mint Props. They found that Ave gave them the value they needed in a home, together with a family-focused community for their children. Their exuberance for the community spilled over to about seven additional friends who also decided to move to Ave. Today, the families and their kids are able to play and grow together.
A Latin Grammy Award-winning music producer and New York native, who grew up in music inspired by his DJ father, he moved to Miami at age 21 to work as a DJ and music producer. He met many artists through his gigs, including Brittany Spears and Justin Timberlake. He began working with such stars as Nicki Minaj, Jim Jones, The Diplomats, Serani and many more. He earned a spot on Minaj’s Pink Friday label and management roster and won two Billboard awards for his production of her second album, “Roman Holiday.”
His Grammy was a result of a collaboration with Puerto Rican rapper and singer-songwriter Don Omar, and he produced the number one hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, “This Is Why I’m Hot,” by American rapper MIMS. He has worked with mega stars Pitbull and Flo Rida, and also helped develop the talents of Jason Derulo, a pop and R&B singer-songwriter with multiple platinum singles.
His Ave Maria location is perfect for the new home-based music industry. “Covid changed everything,” he explained. “I can create the beats in my home studio and simply email it to the artist.”
The accomplished musician hasn’t stopped there, however. In addition to offering entertainment and other event services, such as photo booths, he has launched the magazine, Everything Ave Maria, to promote local businesses and the AveEats platform to provide convenient and fast-food delivery service to residents.
“It’s too difficult for companies like UberEats to efficiently handle a community like Ave,” he said. “This platform is designed just for our residents. I even hire Ave residents as staff.”
Both Bam and BlackOut are bringing the magic of music and more to Ave Maria. With these two superstars behind the dream, perhaps the “Wynwood” moniker isn’t that farfetched.