Behrens Guitar Studio is run by Sean Behrens, a local musician who specializes in teaching…read moreclassical guitar to children using the Suzuki method. My older son (now almost 6) started taking lessons from Sean about two years ago, and my younger son (almost 4) just started lessons a few months ago. Sean is a wonderful teacher, and he has a really special knack for teaching very young children. He is incredibly patient, cheerful but firm, and has an endless bag of tricks for keeping kids engaged in learning guitar. Wooden balancing clowns, Tic-Tac-Tony, dice, plastic dinosaurs, Hot Wheels, stickers - all are pressed into service to sustain interest. I'm seriously impressed by his teaching technique and how he has instilled (some) discipline and focus in my wild boys. Having your child take guitar lessons from Sean entails a significant commitment. Sean wants at least one parent of every student to either already know how to play guitar, or to learn to play guitar alongside the child. He also expects that a parent will work with his or her child in daily practices - both with playing and on music theory. There are two weekly classes required- one private lesson and one group lesson. If your child is already in ballet and Little League and piano and soccer, you probably aren't going to have the time or energy to take on classical guitar with Sean. If you are looking for an excellent, engaging classical guitar teacher for your child, and you have the time to commit to working with your child to learn guitar, look no further than Sean Behrens.

Sean's not just for the kids! While he has an active Suzuki practice he also teaches adult students…read morein a more traditional way. I approached Sean as a mostly self taught amateur adult guitarist about two years ago with the desire to improve my classical musicianship and began a course of study that's lasted to the present day. Over the years I'd reinforced a lot of bad habits in my playing while studying on my own and Sean has been able to help me identify areas to focus on. My playing has improved dramatically during this time and Sean's patience, encouragement, flexibility, and insight have been the key. Sean is an excellent guitarist in many styles with impressive academic credentials in classical performance (he received his Masters studying under Ricardo Iznaola). More importantly, he's a pleasure to work with and has a deep understanding of the obstacles that can hold you back from your best work. I've learned a lot about focused practicing, working through technical challenges, the mechanics of producing good tone, and playing in consort with others... among many other things. If you're looking for a talented classical guitar teacher, I highly recommend Sean Behrens.

I have been a musician and singer all my life but have had some trouble understanding the theories…read morebehind correct singing and their practical applications. I have always known I needed help with certain aspects of my singing, but I didn't even know how to explain what I needed help with in a way that made sense. With Chris I feel I am finally going somewhere better with my voice and my understanding of what singing is. The first thing you notice when you are getting acquainted is that Chris has a pleasant and gracious presence. He is also fun/funny, yet task-oriented. I would imagine with his personality he could make any man, woman or child, whether an experienced vocalist or not, feel at ease enough to bust out singing and get to work! Chris is so good at telling you 1) what to work on 2) exactly how to work on it and 3) explaining why it will help, which is huge for me. After my first lesson I found myself practicing techniques and exercises he taught me and I almost jumped out of my skin at how much better he'd already made me. Teaching singing seems to be second nature to Chris. I truly feel he holds all the good info to give people to help them excel. Definitely try his lessons, whether you want to learn how to sing for the first time, get better at singing, or already sound like Mariah Carey but just want someone cool to hang out with!

When you have nobody to give you any honest feedback other than say a recording device you can play…read moreback to yourself, it's kinda hard what exactly is the issue. I've had to figure it out on my own, but with a teacher the one on one that a choir director does not have time for, has been the BEST feedback I could possibly have. It gave me confidence and a sense of where I am musically.

My daughter absolutely loves her group classes at Songbird Rising Suzuki School! The teachers are…read moreall so wonderful and highly skilled. One thing she really likes is that the teachers offer a lot of guidance on style and the way the piece of music should be played. I, as a parent, really appreciate how responsive the owners and teachers are to any questions we have and also how welcoming they are. The sense of community that Songbird Rising Suzuki School offers is so important to our family and we are thankful to be part of it!

High quality violin instruction!…read more We take lessons with Ms. Laura. She's an excellent teacher and knows when to push and when to use games or movement to keep students engaged. The school has great communication with parents, very organized scheduling, and easy payment options. They have regular informal performances in Hyde Park for students to get experience playing in public. If you're looking for child-friendly suzuki violin lessons, this is one of the best schools in town!

My son has been taking lessons from Jake for about a year. He loves the teaching philosophy and…read morehas improved in both guitar and composition. His skills as a musician and guitar player have improved significantly. Highly recommend Jake.

I started lessons with Jake about 3 months ago. I've been playing guitar for about 20 years, but I…read moream mostly self taught with some pretty bad habits and honestly no sense of rhythm whatsoever. I also wanted to break out of ruts and 'expand horizons' regarding improvisation. The lessons have been fantastic. Jake has tailored perfectly for my skill level. What that means to me is that I'm pushed outside of my own comfort zone, but the goals are obtainable with good practice habits. Jake is very easy to get along with and extremely patient with me regarding the bad habits that I've taught myself. Those habits have been setting in deeply for over 20 years and Jake has been great and helping me recognize what I need to do to break them. If you want to learn guitar or if you know how to play a bit and want to push your abilities, then contact Jake. He's made the whole experience enjoyable for me.

Joe is an excellent teacher with a positive, upbeat personality. My son loves going to piano…read morelessons with him.

Joe isn't just a proficient musician, he's also a wonderful teacher. He has great empathy and…read moreunderstands people's unique ways of learning. He's friendly, professional, and provides excellent customer service.

My son has been working with Jessy as a piano teacher and she is excellent! She knows a great deal…read moreabout theory, technique and is a good instructor.

Michael is an amazing drum teacher! I have learned so much from him in a short amount of time and…read moremy drumming skills are vastly improving. He is a very patient and creative instructor and I am never bored with our lessons. I would highly recommend him to any level of drummer!

Michael has taught my 10-year old daughter drums for nearly 4 years. In that time, he's taken her…read morefrom an absolutely beginner with zero experience to a place where she's skilled enough to play live in an all-girl roc band ("Midnight Butterfly"). Michael is an incredible drummer; a master in multiple genres and styles of drumming, but an even better teacher. Teaching kids is an art, and he's forged an amazing relationship with my daughter- She truly loves her drum teacher (except when he makes her play jazz; but that's her problem!).

We have more than loved working with Kris the past years. He has taught our son piano at age 6 and…read more7, with all the patience and friendliness, yet high professionalism, that we could have hoped for. He set up expectations for our son without making him feel bad if he hadn't touched the piano much in a given week - even in weeks without much practicing, progress was made just by sitting down with Kris for a lesson. And then we got to the point where something clicked, and our son will now not go a day without playing! Kris is always flexible, truly listens to his student, and explains everything very clearly. His lessons are playful yet full of information. He is just great with kids and a very knowledgeable musician himself. We couldn't have been happier with his style of teaching and will miss him greatly now that we are moving out of state!

Kris is a kind and patient teacher. He challenges students to grow at a pace that is comfortable…read moreand appropriate for their individual needs. He helps them build a variety of skills (including music theory and ear training) as they learn to play new songs. Both of my children have been taking piano lessons with Kris for almost 2 years, and I have been amazed with what they have learned and how much they have grown and changed in that time. Thank you, Kris!