I've been singing for a while and never considered lessons until I saw what a little bit of…read moreprofessional input could do. Ben is a wizard! My voice is feeling good (and sounding good) so I'm happy. Looking forward to getting some piano lessons in the mix too. Thanks, BAWS!

I am taking lessons to improve my audition skills and abilities as a performer. I have been…read moreperforming for over 5 years now but never singing, and Benjamin has helped me feel comfortable and skilled in my abilities to audition for something that may require singing. The practice space is in an amazing building downtown and it's very comfortable. Anyone looking for audition and/or singing help or lessons should absolutely see Benjamin. He's a great instructor who cares about your progress and growth.

I have been taking lessons with Davin for almost a year and a half. Davin is a talented and…read moreinspiring teacher who will help you grow and learn about who you are as a singer. He has a professional demeanor and a friendly ability to clearly communicate with each student on an individual level. He celebrates the strengths and achievements in your process, speaks to habits, and helps break down those walls that we so often put up (I know I do). After every lesson I step out feeling freer, happier, and more confident. There is a great difference in who I am now vocally and who I was when I walked into my first lesson with him over a year ago. Also...Missy is new to Davin Youngs Voice and she is fantastic as well! I have taken a lesson with her and she is personable and professional. She's also crazy-talented and understands why we do what we do and how to enhance our singing technique. She is a great addition!

I've been working with Davin for over a year. As an actor who has also attended an arts…read moreconservatory and has taken singing lessons over the years, he's one of the best vocal teachers I've worked with. Seeking to improve my talents as a vocalist, I've also taken group as well as private lessons at Old Town School of Music. I personally find private lessons to be of much more use than group lessons as it affords much more time to address the technical concerns(bad habits, posture, etc.) that are holding me back. A satisfying one on one dynamic with a private vocal coach can be much more difficult to find. I've had teachers where the lessons don't seem like they're building on anything; the "arc" of the lessons seems disconnected. As a private teacher, Davin is the best I've worked with. What I like about him is that he will keep on me about my bad habits and he's not afraid to be direct with his criticism(another peeve I have about some private coaches is that they are afraid to lose you as a client so they tend to sugarcoat things). Anyhoo, I heartily recommend him as a teacher. I joked with him once that as a starving artist, I have a budget: Rice, Beans and Singing Lessons. And it's true. Finding your voice as a singer is one of the most satisfying and amazing things you can do and with his help, I'm well on my way. Thanks, dude!

My daughter and I took this class in winter 2018 and LOVED it. My baby was about nine months old…read morewhen we started, so a little young to actually be signing, but it set the foundation for her first steps in communication. We loved our teach Wendy Auffant! She was always upbeat and had fun lessons which focused on relatable themes (animals, bath time, meal time..) They were all very practical signs, things we could start using right away. I especially liked how she used music to incorporate the signs into our routine. My husband and I found ourselves singing or humming the songs all afternoon which helped us learn them as well! The repetition and music helped our daughter as well. While taking the class, I loved seeing my daughter LEARN what communication was. I could see her brain working as she processed that I was saying a word, using a sign, and was trying to tell her something. It took several weeks but through that, she started trying to communicate back to me. I don't think I realized that babies have to learn first what communication IS and then how to respond. Now that my daughter is about fifteen months old, I am continually amazed at her use of signs and how it helps us communicate. I think we avoid a lot of frustration on both ends, because we often know what the other is trying to say. We started off just using the basic signs "more" and "all done" for meals, but I am proud to say she regularly uses the following signs: help, please, brush teeth, share, ball, outside, milk, eat, water, thank you, and hurt. Seeing her sign "please" and "thank you" is just so cute! I highly recommend using baby sign language with your child and recommend Wendy's class! She was an excellent teacher and I have nothing but positive things to say about her class!

I highly recommend this class. Just learning a few signs is incredibly helpful before your little…read moreone is able to talk. Wendy is wonderful! She is so sweet and kind and you can tell she loves teaching.

I highly recommend Antony to anyone wanting to develop or sharpen their musical skill. When I was…read moresearching for a voice teacher as someone with zero singing experience, I felt overwhelmed by how many options there were; I had no idea whom to choose. A random craigslist ad for Ablan Guitar and Music (that also led to this Yelp page) led me to working with Antony, and I have no regrets. As others have mentioned, Antony's a very warm and encouraging teacher, which I've found helpful when I'm feeling a little nervous or self-conscious. He really cares about getting to know his students on a personal level, which adds another fun element to lessons with him. I also enjoy the fact that every lesson feels different--they're never boring. Getting to work on the songs that I want to work on has given me a deeper understanding and appreciation of the music. I'm still early on in my singing journey, but I am learning a lot and look forward to working with Antony more in the future.

I NEVER write yelp reviews so hopefully that reinforces what I say in the below. I took guitar…read morelessons all through high school and college and decided to get back into it in my late 20's. Antony is by far the best teacher I've ever had. He's that rare person who has immense talent while also being able to articulate how to improve to those who are less talented than him. On top of that he's also extremely positive and encouraging while also being someone you'd want to have a beer with. If you're in the Chicago area and are trying to improve your chops on any instrument, you're doing yourself a disservice if you go anywhere else.

I studied improvisation with Steve Ivcich decades ago. I wasn't interested in becoming a…read moreprofessional actor (and lacked the talent even if I had wanted to become one). I took the class just to have an interesting life experience and possibly meet some new people, nothing more. And yet what I learned from Steve has stuck with me all these years later, and I still think about my experiences in his class from time to time. They were that meaningful -- even profound in some ways. That's the mark of a great teacher!

So... I realized something the other day... I actually dove…read moreinto acting because of this guy... I took several of his Professional Program classes and never looked back. Unfortunately I never finished the last class, but wow, as I thought about it, Steven taught method acting like none other. Pure genius. Pretty much in line with the teachings of Stanislavski and Chekhov, but with Stevens' own blend of artistry mixed in! Without a doubt, his classes gave me the drive and ambition to pursue my acting career. And thankfully, I've been involved in some really, really, awesome projects. Thanks Steven! Highly Recommended!!!!!!

After completing the Studio program, I can say I highly recommend this class. It's definitely for…read morethose who are ready to work hard and are in it for the long haul. This class slowly delivers their method which gives you great structure for prep and gives you tools to focus before an audition/performance. The way it slowly unfolds definitely is intentional and allows you to really hone your process and helps to try to avoid common pitfalls. I especially appreciated this program already having a lot of acting training - getting some new tools (while being familiar with some things) and more structure for my process. However, I talked to newer actors who loved starting with this program too and complained of other schools not actually teaching students how to act but rather just getting notes on specific scenes done in class. What you learn in this class can be applied to every audition/performance scenario. Every teacher I had (4 total including subs) were generous, kind and still pushed you hard. They also did a good job of giving fair feedback that both encouraged what was working and helped you fix things that needed to be worked on. I found the teachers to have no ego and there to be no favoritism which is something I found annoying in some previous LA acting classes. All in all, if you have the time, energy and curiosity to commit to it, this class will help you grow immensely and hone your artistic voice.

This place has a certain way of teaching that necessarily isn't going to connect with everyone…read more Although sure it could work for you, 8/5 times I'd say it won't. Also this studio comes off as prestigious, they make you retake the class if the teacher thinks you aren't good enough to be in the second or third level. Acting isn't something that is able to be graded in a traditional learning model, it's art, art is up to anyone's own interpretation. If you truly want to make this place a safe place to evolve and practice the craft of acting, I recommend taking a strong look into fixing this 'grading' scale and actually be more hands on with the students and improve on what they are good at instead of throwing them into the deep end of something they have no idea of how to portray and then bury them for it. To me this form of retaking courses comes off as sort of a scam business model, each course is close to $500, hold at least 2 kids back and make them retake the class and now they paid $1000 to take the same class again. I've taken classes around the city and this model certainly seemed low class. This establishment has nice bathrooms though.

My daughter has been at Dreamer's Academy for two years and about to transition to Pre-K in the…read morefall. She has received so much love and support and developed deep bonds with the other kids and her teachers. She has blossomed in her time there socially, developed a love for learning, and is emerging very ready for Pre-K (I'd guess she'll be ahead of some of the other kids with the curriculum she received). And now as she's struggling to adjust to the upcoming changes, Doyin (Owner) has been incredibly supportive and willing to work with her, and us, through it. And it isn't just us. I've seen her work with several families through difficult stages and a range of behaviors. You don't find that everywhere. We are beyond grateful. Finally, besides all of that , we found a great community of parents to socialize with and that will help each other out. Dreamer's has become a very important part of our family!

Our daughter has been in the infant program at Dreamers Academy since she was 11 weeks old and it's…read morebeen wonderful! The owner and staff are very attentive to her and I love getting updates on everything she's doing throughout the day. We are happy to be part of the Dreamers family!

I equate my experience with this center as a bait and switch. During the tour and enrollment…read moreprocess, communication was reasonable and staff were responsive. There was no wait and I was able to enroll and start my child within a 2wk timespan. Unfortunately, after starting care (2nd day after) I received an email saying their tuition policy changed. Two weeks after that, I received another email stating their monthly activity fee would require annual payment. These changes directly contradicted the enrollment paperwork I literally completed 2 weeks prior. In addition, they lost a full unopened sleeve of my child's diapers and pack of wipes. All they offered to correct their error was a useless apology. Furthermore, the front desk is often unstaffed during peak pick up and drop off times. The center has a bug problem and months after I've terminated care, I've yet to receive a refund for the fees they wanted paid annually.

When my daughter was born, I decided to stay-at-home with her during the first year and a half…read more When she turned 18 months, it seemed like the right time for me to enter back into the work world and for her to begin socializing. That being said, I was very nervous and anxious for this transition in her life. After a lot of research and tours, we decided on Lily Pad and began with a practice "drop in." This was the first time I left her in someone else's care. Needless to say, she cried a lot BUT it was the staff that made me feel at ease about the whole situation. I know they could sense my apprehension, and they did/said everything they could to assure me that the transition would take time. Their calm demeanor made me feel calm! And I really appreciated that in the first couple weeks. Now, my daughter walks into her classroom happy and ready to play! When we ask, "Are you excited for daycare?" she says "Yayy!" They are very attentive to her individual needs, and often give her extra care i.e. sitting on the teachers lap or holding her if she's having trouble going down for a nap. In the beginning, I called a couple times a day to get an update. And even if she wasn't having the best day, I received the reassurance that they had it handled and she was in safe care. They provide three organic meals a day. The facilities are always well-kept, and clean. They do lots of sensory play including arts & crafts, sensory bins, bubble wrap play, and outdoor adventures. They also have an amazing app called Tadpole that they update with pictures, and a daily report of what she ate, how often they changed her diaper, etc. This gives my husband and I a lot of peace of mind. On one tough morning, my little one cried pretty bad at the drop off - which is gut wrenching for any parent to walk away from. However, when I got to my desk at work, I had a picture of her reading a book and smiling. I appreciated that the teacher took the time to put my mind at ease. I highly recommend Lily Pad to any parent looking for a safe, nurturing space for their child!