I came to Mr. Rumoro as a complete beginner. I was also extremely frustrated with guitar. Before…read morethen, I had friends who seemed like they could play, but they couldn't explain to me what they were doing in a way I could understand. I had tried online guitar programs and then a different in-person teacher and found both unfulfilling. Both of these only would teach me a few pentatonic shapes without telling me how to practice them well or how to use them, and maybe a few 'fun-chords' or parts of different songs without telling me how to understand them. All of this left me angry every time I would pick up my guitar: the fretboard was blank to me, my hands were dumb, and I couldn't make sense of the music. Mr. Rumoro took me in as a student, and changed everything completely for me. He organizes your practice so every week you know exactly what you are doing to become better as a complete musician: this means scales, arpeggios, sight-reading, chord changes, and work to understand it all. You think it's gruesome, until you start looking forward to your practice hours as the best part of your day everyday (but don't get me wrong, it still is gruesome), and your hour a week with him as a best part of your week. It is rare to find someone who is so great and so noble that they make you feel shame when you don't practice as much as you should have, and who makes you want to practice even more than you need to. Mr. Rumoro is such a person: with him, you want to become better, and you do.

If you are serious about guitar, then you need to go to Frank. He starts by expertly discerning…read morewhat you already know. Then, he pushes you week-in, week-out to become a complete musician. It is clear he has incredible knowledge, but what is more impressive is his ability to teach. If you are willing to put in the work and have the opportunity to go to the FJR Jazz Guitar Academy, then I wouldn't consider any other option.

The Metzger School is an outstanding source for voice and piano training. Jared works well with…read morechildren and adults alike, is capable of teaching to all levels of ability, and is versed in most genres of music. I learned of this professional yet welcoming studio from a discerning friend, and after a year of weekly lessons for three members of my family, we have not been disappointed.

My daughter (9) is taking piano lessons with Jared and we are very happy with the lessons and the…read moreprogress she has made over the last year. She has learned a variety of songs. Some she has never heard of and some are classics like When the Saints Go Marching In. Many times he will have two or three songs to choose from and let her pick which song she will learn next. His teaching style is a combination of both reading notes and listening memorization. Jared will have assignments each week to covering some new skill, 5 - 10 mins of practice a day. During the lesson he has you wait in his livingroom. It is very comfortable with a TV, Netflix cable and wireless internet available. Parking has never been an issue, both pay and free parking is available. Twice a year he has group performances where all of his students have a chance to perform one song in front of all the other students and their families. This is optional and a great experience. My daughter said she likes him because "He makes it very understandable".

Mark is a gifted teacher. I'm coming back to the piano since I have retired. Even though I'm an…read moreolder student, I bring with me many scars from piano teachers at an early age. Mark is helping me undo the damage that was done with his sheer joy of teaching. I have a much better understanding of how to practice to improve all aspects of my playing starting with fingering, timing and hearing my music. I am now playing more with an understanding of how to improve leaving behind the desire to play with no mistakes. I am having more fun at playing the piano knowing I have a steady, gentle hand guiding my path. I highly recommend Mr Valenti if you are serious about the art of playing music. Dr Jeffrey Rouse

It has been exactly three years since my last review. I would like to leave an updated review for…read moreMark. I am a community pharmacist. Since the pandemic started, working as a pharmacist has become a lot more challenging. I am at a high volume store juggling multiple responsibilities and on top of it all, I was also responsible for rolling out COVID testing and also multiple COVID vaccines at my location. I had the blessing of being able to administer vaccines and witnessing my patients in tears of being able to see their grandchildren again. One of my patients told me appreciably, "you are doing God's work". Understandably, I come home exhausted and mostly on the brink of passing out most days. Despite restrictions and added work stress, I chose to continue my lessons with Mark. The great thing about Mark is that his lessons via phone, via Skype or in person are equally world-class. He does not only treats problematic piano playing symptoms, he recognizes them and gives you suggestions on how to cure it. It is really up to you to do the rest of the work. During lessons, he does not gives you the answers to his questions easily, he makes you think hard. My piano playing has improved so much in a short period of time, my friends and my family were blown away at my recent recital. Mark is not only a wonderful piano teacher, he is also an amazing person. He is punctual, responsive and honest. He goes far above and beyond to accommodate my learning knowing the daunting demands of my work during this difficult time. For example, my store was the first to roll out COVID testing in the district, so I have to stay later than expected and will miss my lesson, Mark rescheduled me immediately without hesitation. Even though he is a concert level pianist, he treats me with respect and does what is best for my own musical growth. Thank you so much for everything, Mark.

Marshall is an amazing teacher. Very skilled and knowledgeable while also understanding the trials…read moreand tribulations that come with being a beginner. 11/10

Drum Chicago is the best. Marshall is fantastic with kids and my son has loved learning with him…read more We plan to stay with him for a long time!

Chris is so passionate about their work, and such a fantastic teacher! They deeply care about their…read moreclients, and individualize their teaching style based on each person's needs, even learning music that specifically motivates each person to learn. Their teaching style is engaging, validating, and encouraging - highlighting small wins to keep you committed to the process. It's so rare to find someone who genuinely wants to see you learn and grow, and who brings such a level of fun and enthusiasm to playing piano. Whether you're a new student wanting to try something out, or someone who's wanting to get back in the game - I strongly encourage you to set up an appointment with Chris. Worth every penny. Thank you, Chris!

Chris Narloch is an amazing piano teacher for me. Being 76 years old now, he understands that I am…read moredoing it for fun. It is good brain exercise for me and hand dexterity. I am always trying to get better. Chris encourages me. If I have any questions about the music piece I am working on, he explains it to me. Chris gives me tips to use when practicing. It is fun for me too. I get to participate in Adult Piano Recitals throughout the year with other adult piano students. I am so glad that he is my piano teacher now!

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.

Nick was a great guitar teacher. I appreciated how he was friendly, patient, and observant he was…read morethroughout the course of my five beginner lessons. He would send me songs to practice before our next lesson, and then we would play live so that he was able to critique and instruct what to improve upon. Conducting all of these lessons virtually is no easy task, but he maneuvered flawlessly. Would recommend Nick to any aspiring guitar beginner!

Never had more fun playing guitar--nor learned as much--since I started taking lessons with Nick…read moreFerrer aka Chicago Guitar Teacher a year ago. Nick's prices are reasonable and he's flexible about schedules if you give him fair notice. I really like Nick's teaching style. He tailors each lesson to my style and skill set, but it's not like we're just trying to learn the chords of a new song each week to tick off a box. Nick obviously spends a lot of time thinking about how to approach each lesson beforehand, printing out sheet music and tablature and identifying sections and guitar parts that ultimately get me into playing the song. He's always encouraging but also pushes me to try out things I haven't done much of, be it singing while playing or stomping on and off pedals during a song. He'll introduce theory or scales or chords or exercises occasionally where a certain song or riff calls for it. I definitely come out of every lesson feeling I got a little better but I've always had a lot of fun.

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.