I decided to learn to play lead guitar after years of playing drums professionally. I sent an email…read moreto Ft Worth music academy out of the blue as I wanted to take lessons to better my playing. The owner, Eric, personally called me even though he was on vacation. He was truly interested in my goals and musical history and then set me up with one of his talented instructors, Rowdy. Rowdy is an incredible musician and teacher and has taught me in a fun, practical, and truly "live" kind of way. I have just been playing guitar for 5 months and I am soloing over the entire fretboard and can play solos of Angus Young, Slash, and others that I enjoy. Rowdy is so likable and easy to learn from. sign up. You won't regret it. Playing music changes your life for the better! Joe

I came in for the Introductory lesson and felt like I was welcomed as a friend. Yes, this is a…read morebusiness, but they took excellent care of me, getting me starting on strumming on day one. Steven did an outstanding job of explaining and showing me. I own a guitar, but have only seen a few things online to give me an idea on how to play. I need someone who can tell me when I'm doing something incorrectly and how to fix it on the spot. I found it here. I'm also an "old guy" learning a new trick. Eric made me feel welcome and secure in the choice of coming in. I was very pleased with my introductory lesson. I learned more in 15 minutes (the lesson was 30 minutes long) than I have an 4 months watching "teaching" videos online!

I've been playing violin for three years and using a student rental instrument from Affordable…read moreBeginner Strings to learn, but I inherited a viola from my beloved grandmother that had been sitting in its case probably since the 1940s or longer. I figured I was at least competent enough to play a better quality instrument now so it is time to switch to viola and start playing my grandmother's. After getting a recommendation that Wayne Burak's was the local shop to use for quality instrument restoration, I saved up until I had the budget to get the viola restored. Although it was in good shape overall and is a good quality instrument, it needed a lot of work. I picked it up yesterday and played it a little bit in the shop...O.M.F.G. I had never played a viola in my life, only a violin, but the sound quality between what I can do on this viola vs. my rental violin is just night and day. The sound is AMAZING. I was practically in tears, the good kind. I really wish my grandmother were still alive to hear me play, sadly she passed away almost 20 years ago. It looks beautiful as well but the sound is the most important part. But anyway, Nick Burak (Wayne's son I presume) does amazing work, and is a super nice guy to work with. I felt like the price, while of course not cheap, was reasonable for the work that was done and I needed all new everything (case, bow, strings, shoulder rest) on top of the restoration work itself. They are definitely known around town for being quality and they have a bit of a queue, so please remember that quality work takes time. It was about 3 weeks for me to get my instrument back, most of that time was simply just that there were others ahead of me in line. It absolutely was worth the wait. We live very close to ABS and not so close to WB so for my destructicon teenage son's rental it's probably more convenient to stick with ABS (since I frequently need to bring it by for minor things like a new string or what have you) but I'd absolutely drive the distance to take my own beloved instrument over to Wayne & Nick anytime it needs anything.

I have been working with the Buraks for almost a decade. They have always produced quality work and…read moreprovided excellent customer service. I worked with Nicholas a few weeks ago because my cello was in dire need of repairs. I got my bridge, soundpost, and strings replaced, as well as a seam repair, for a very fair price. Nick was communicative the whole process. Edward (my cello) came back as good as new. My previous cello was made by their luthier, and it is still in excellent condition. I am very fond of that instrument. I trust Wayne Burak and Associates with my repairs, upkeep, and everything else associated with my instruments. I highly recommend them to anyone.

its not easy finding a good banjo teacher, very few even exist around dallas. i was taught a few…read moresongs by my grandad when i was a kid. i have been taught 3 finger style and how to read tab. i have only had a few lessons so far with jim but i am impressed. jim is a pro musician who has played with lyle lovett, robert earl keen and the front porch boys and other known groups around texas. he is a bluegrass teacher/player primarily but i told him i wanted to learn to play like my grandad, which was 2 finger Appalachin picking and frailing. luckily i have a cd made from a '60s recording of my grandad. jim didnt hesitate. and he was good at it right off the bat trying to figure out what strings/frets my grandad was playing at such a fast speed with varying styles in one single song. and showed me a cool frailing style that, once you get the hang of it, is easier for me than the "standard" frailing technique. he took the 24 song cd and is listening to and tabbing the old songs just the way my grandad played them. we are doing this bc alot of these old songs werent published but rather passed down from former slaves that were still alive around the turn of the century when my grandad was a young boy and i didnt want that work to disappear. he doesnt waste time talking like alot of teachers do, gets to right to it after a quick hello. also he can do lessons via skype which can be really helpful to those with busy schedules. give him a shot, he's good

Nice and friendly guy to work with, but was disappointed when it came to the money topic…read more Was not able to make my schedule work to use all the lessons that were purchased as a package. He promised a refund and told me that his associate will contact me to mail a check due to him being overseas. Zelle transfer takes 1 minute to complete. Also was told that refunds are only possible for a limited time - this information was never disclosed anywhere on the website or during purchase. Learning experience had been great but customer service is poor.

You won't find a better drum instructor in Dallas than Johnny Bell. His tab method gets you started…read moreright off the bat. He is personable, high energy and I welcome his critiques. I am 41 years old and never picked up a drum stick in my life until this week. Within one lesson, I decided on not only my grip but that I wanted a drum set- a decision not to take lightly as a kit takes up square footage in your home and it's a "loud" instrument. He did not push me to purchase a kit either. He gave me numerous recommendations tailored to my 1230 sq ft home. I will continue my lessons in his studio as it's a really badass set up and I enjoy playing with him, despite drumming appearing to be a "solo" instrument to us noobs. I would recommend him for adults as well as children. I am a piano player. Drums are an "intimidating" instrument to me...but not anymore with Johnny Bell as my instructor. He is in love with his craft and it shows during every minute of lessons.

We love Grays School of Music! My two children (8 yr old boys) wanted to play different instruments…read moreand it very easy for us to find a time and date for both so that they could have their lessons at the same time to fit our busy schedule! We are so fortunate to have found Jackson Eli (guitar) and Ms.Chen (piano) at Gray's School of Music. Jackson's combined skill, experience and love for music make him a highly qualified guitar teacher. His love for music is contagious! He makes my son smile and laugh and feel at ease. Since taking guitar lessons with Jackson, I have seen my son rapidly learn to read music and play new songs fearlessly. Jackson is so experienced in many different genres of music and it does not matter if you are just starting or if you are advanced. His patience with my child and his enthusiasm put him apart from other teachers in our minds. We enjoy his mellow, and encouraging attitude. He goes out of his way to find music that is interesting for our 8 year old and he is always accommodating. He has been a pleasure to work with! We highly recommend Jackson Eli to all who are interested in guitar! The Veltkamp Family

Derek is an outstanding teacher. I took lessons from Derek for roughly a year and I can't even…read morebegin to describe how much I learned in the process. I went from a guy who could barely play anything but bar chords, to a guy who could hold his own playing with others. Take the chance, it's a great opportunity.

Mr. Williams is an excellent piano teacher and we highly recommend him. Our sons skill, confidence,…read moreand love for music has skyrocketed since beginning weekly lessons for the last two years. He has taught in a structured, reassuring manner that my son could easily follow. We really appreciate his attention to detail and his focus on our sons progress during lesson time. And our son has felt Motivated to continue practicing Week after week, more than with any other teacher. You would not be disappointed hiring Mr. Williams as your piano teacher.

Adam is truly a rare breed, and I mean that in the best way possible. When we initially chatted on…read morethe phone about beginning lessons, he talked to me for over 15 minutes purely about different amplifiers. That level of passion is nearly impossible to find these days, and it allows Adam to be an incredible teacher. He's also a blast to be around and has quickly become a personal friend of mine. Highly recommended.

Adam was the PERFECT guitar teacher for someone brand new to guitar like me. He was patient,…read moreencouraging and answered every question I had with expertise. I really felt like I was improving after every lesson. We went over tuning, notes on the strings, picking practice, playing with metronome, strum practice, chord transitions, fretting, posture, and everything else a beginner wants to know. I mentioned I was into fingerstyle guitar early on and Adam made sure to incorporate fingerstyle practice alongside the usual lessons to keep me engaged. Adam is a real musician, classically trained, and knows what he's talking about when it comes to guitar, both acoustic and electric. Highly recommend!

I admit. We got lucky early on. But with our son, Max, now studying music at Berklee College of…read moreMusic it all started because of that luck. Eight years ago, 12 year old Max wanted to play guitar. For a lack of creativity we went to Guitar Center and asked around. Two sales dudes recommended Greg Ray. Max has not looked back. Greg's teaching approach was clearly adapted to Max's style of learning. Each week, Greg would ask Max which song he wanted to learn. They poured over technique, musicianship and artistry. Max would come back, they'd tweak it then Greg would say, "what song do you want to learn this next week? And on the cycle of learning unfolded. Years later, when Max auditioned for Booker T Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Greg coached Max on how to play Donna Lee at full speed (google that song). Max's preparation and expertise was jaw dropping. Out of 76 auditioning guitarists, Max was one of a handful selected. Max loves music. He is a profoundly talented guitarist. We owe a HUGE debt of gratitude to Greg Ray! So if you're reading this review and you're looking for a guitar teacher for your kid (or you?) -then consider yourself lucky!

Greg has taught my son for almost 8 years. During that time they have explored a variety of styles…read more(jazz, blues, classical and rock) and reviewed music theory. My son's skill and love of guitar have blossomed under Greg's guidance. We look forward to our son studying many more years with Greg.