As a mother, teacher, and school owner, I rarely leave negative reviews. But after our experience…read morewith Creative Soul Music School in Southlake, I feel a responsibility to share our story and warn other families.
We enrolled our 6-year-old daughter in their music camp which is advertised for children ages 3 to 6. The camp description promised singing, bubbles, and playful music activities ; a joyful, age-appropriate introduction to music. But that is not what we got.
On day one, there was no singing, no games, just a group of older kids doing more advanced performance work. Our daughter was the youngest in the group, and we had no idea why the experience was so off until I emailed the school that night. Only then was I told that she had actually been placed in the 7-and-up camp instead, because the younger group that week was mostly made up of 3-year-olds. We were never informed of this change ahead of time and had no chance to consent or opt out.
To make matters worse, the group she was placed in was filled with children who already had music experience, most of them returning students at the school. I watched as they sat in a circle introducing themselves and listing the instruments they played. Our daughter had no experience and sat there with her stomach in knots, completely overwhelmed, intimidated, and teary-eyed.
When I quietly asked the instructor if he had experience supporting children who are nervous or new to music, he replied in front of her, "No, I don't really know how to do that." He wasn't mean, but he clearly didn't have the training or instinct to help her feel included. No effort was made to support or reassure her.
Eventually, I asked for help at the front desk, and a kind employee named Kenna offered to sit with her and gave her some coloring to do. That was the extent of her first day. No music, to group fun, just coloring off to the side. We were told Kenna wouldn't be available past Tuesday, so it wasn't a sustainable solution.
The next day, we tried again, but it was worse. The kids had already formed performance groups. Since our daughter hadn't been part of the group activities the day before, she had no place to go. We stood in the room waiting for someone to include her, or offer some guidance. No one did. There was no plan. No effort. And our daughter bawled her eyes out begging to leave.
She's been to several camps this summer and loved every single one. This was not typical first-day jitters. This was a terrible feeling for a parent, to leave your child in a place that has no idea what to do with her and makes no effort to figure it out.
I reached out, hoping the school would make it right. I asked for a refund and when they wouldn't give me that, I asked if we could use what we already paid as a credit for private lessons with someone trained in early childhood. Instead, I was told we'd need to pay again and officially enroll in private lessons and then they'll grant me "free" make-up sessions as their offering. Why would we spend more money with a business that already failed our daughter, just to be allowed to try again?
I cc'd the founder on my last message, hoping he might weigh in or show some care. He never responded.
We had planned to sign both of our children up for fall music lessons here. But after this experience, the lack of transparency, the lack of support, the refusal to make it right, we will not be returning.
I'm sure they will reply to this review with their version of events, but these are the facts. Our daughter was placed in the wrong group without our knowledge, received none of what was promised, and was left feeling anxious, out of place and in tears. And the school chose to keep our payment instead of doing the right thing.
Please think carefully before enrolling your child here. The marketing sounds wonderful. The follow through was anything but. It's a cash grab and they'll take anyone they can enroll, in whatever group, at the expense of the child.
