Find Music Lessons

As an instrumentalist for over 20 years, Alex teaches guitar, bass, drums, ukulele, and banjo.  Whether it be solo or ensembles, Alex has a passion for the stage and instrumental performance.  From a young age, he has had the opportunity to learn from some of the world's best musicians through programs such as Jazz All-Star bands, Civic Theatre, and Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.  He further trained at Grand Rapids Community College before moving to California to perform with the Young Americans.  Alex has taught and performed thousands of shows across 10 countries and almost all 50 states.  He has a passion for and drive to give students all the tools they need to succeed on stage, at home, or at school.  Proficient in styles such as rock, folk, jazz, funk and blues, Alex teaches all ages and all skill levels. 

Angie has been playing the piano since she was 4 years old.  Brought up in a musical family in Niles, Michigan, she further developed her talent by receiving her Bachelor of Arts Degree with two majors in piano performance and piano pedagogy, and two minors in vocal and saxophone performance at Bethel College.  She additionally received a Master's Degree in Music from Western Michigan University where she was honored with an Excellence in Teaching Award.  Angie has completed two original CDs, and you can find her songs on her YouTube channel.  She loves to make her lessons an exciting place to expand musical knowledge in a relaxed atmosphere.  

Audrey began playing guitar in 2007 and started performing music professionally in 2015. Her passion for music led her to perform with many choirs, including studying voice at GRCC where she received her Associates Degree in music recording. Audrey has a passion for songwriting, and in July of 2020, she released her first EP, "Roots." Audrey enjoys learning about her students and their individual goals and musical interests. She keeps lessons fun and engaging by teaching students the skills they need to sing or play their favorite songs.

Bertram was educated at Dordt College in music and education. He is a pianist/singer/songwriter with a passion for adapting lessons to each student's potential and needs. In addition to teaching piano lessons, he enjoys providing music education, accompanying singing, playing in bands and giving performances in schools, nursing homes, civic organizations, and churches in the Grand Rapids area. When teaching piano, he likes to incorporate traditional music book series, improvisation, music games and theory on a level the students can understand.

Betsy teaches piano to learners of all ages and levels. She shares the joy of music through engaging lessons that imprint on her students the lifelong benefits and power of music. In order to best foster each individual, she teaches from a variety of piano methods, music genres and clever resources. By taking time to get to know each of her students, she develops a keen awareness of their unique abilities, needs, and interests. Her teaching style can be described as intentional, encouraging, and creative. Betsy recieved her classical music training at Calvin University, and has experience in private piano instruction, professional accompanying, and church music ministry. 

Chris teaches guitar, bass, and ukulele. He graduated with a degree in anthropology from Grand Valley State University, and that field has influenced his interest in different musical practices from around the world. He started playing guitar at the age of 15, and has since become interested in different string instruments from around the world, such as the Koto and Sitar. He enjoyed studying music theory while at Grand Valley University, discovering new ways to understand and perform, and continues to enjoy learning new techniques and discovering non-traditional ways to construct music. As a music instructor, he loves seeing new students discover the joy and benefits of playing an instrument and creating their own signature sound, style, and technique.

Claire is a seasoned private music teacher with a Bachelor of Music degree from Columbia College in Chicago.  With over a decade of experience teaching piano, voice, guitar, and ukulele, she has the expertise and flexibility to accommodate a wide range of ages and skill levels.  

In her lessons, students are given an opportunity to learn music of their choice from the very beginning.  Music theory and technical skills are incorporated into each lesson.  Her goal is to allow each student to flouish within their desired style and repertoire.

Claudia received her bachelor’s of violin performance from Western Michigan University and will continue to pursue a music education degree from Grand Valley State University. She has a passion for teaching classical violin and viola lessons to students of all levels of experience. She recognizes that each student has a unique way of learning, and accommodates students with the method that works best for them. Together with her students, she helps them set a personal goal to achieve continuous improvement by striving for excellence. In addition to teaching, she also performs with local orchestras and is the music assistant at the St.Cecilia’s School of Music. 
 

Elizabeth grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan with a fascination and love for music.  Her passion for playing the piano began she was young and eventually led to becoming a piano major at Grand Rapids Community College.  Elizabeth teaches with encouragement and patience in a lighthearted and relaxed atmosphere, paying attention to each student's needs and preferences.  She beieves in the many benefits of learning music and in fostering healthy practice habits as students pursue their goals.  In the lesson, she enjoys using method books for note-reading, technique, and theory, as well as interactive games for rhythm and discovery.  Elizabeth believes learning music is a worthwhile pursuit for students of all ages and levels.

Ellen began piano lessons at four years old, starting a lifelong passion for the study of music.  She studied piano at Hope College, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music.  Later, she completed a Master of Music in Ethnomusicology at Bowling Green State University.   Ellen also has an extensive background in performing liturgical music, and has served many years as a church pianist.  In her capacity as a teacher, Ellen strives to not only bring out the best of students' abilities, but to foster curiosity to explore our music-filled world.

Emma grew up with music as a constant.  Now a multi-instrumentalist, Emma holds a B.M. in Violin and Viola Performance from Grand Valley State University.  Since 2019, she has been performing as a section violinist/violist with the Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra in Petoskey, MI.  In addition to violin and viola, Emma is an accomplished singer/songwriter performing around the Midwest.

Since she began teaching in 2018, Emma's philosophy has been that each student should have a strong foundation that is suited to their individual needs as a player.  Everyone learns differently, and she works to ensure that each student feels encouraged and inspired while learning their instrument.  

Eric loves playing drums. He has his own unique approach to teaching drum lessons, preferring that students learn through fun games. He loves it when students realize they've been learning while at the same time having a ton of fun.

Esther teaches piano and accompanies for various churches and choirs. She holds an Associate of Arts degree with a piano major, and studied at Western Michigan University. She enjoys teaching children as well as adults, and seeing the spark of music love kindled in their hearts.

Music is Gary's life, and he consideres it an exciting endevor to learn, teach, and perform! He is a native Michigander, and has been involved in Music performance since highschool, playing piano and organ or singing in a variety of settings. He studied piano as a music major at both Michigan State University and Central Michigan University. More recently he has been a staff piano accompanist for the Villages Charter High School Music Depertment in Florida. In additon, he has held church postions as a music director and worship leader. He has a long career of teaching piano along with experience arranging, writing, recording, and home studio production.He enjoys teaching traditonal claissic piano as well as experimental improvisation, jazz, and pop music, His goal is to help students have fun while achiving their goals, and to inspire them to learn to make the piano come to life.

Greg is a pianist born and raised in the Grand Rapids area. He started playing the piano at age 10 by ear, and later benefited from private piano lessons, eventually completing a degree in music education at Grand Rapids Community College. Growing up, he enjoyed participating in music by accompanying school musicals.  More recently, he has performed his own music scores to films shown at Grand Rapids Comic Con.

Greg strives to share his passion for music with his students, and believes that anyone can learn to play and have fun doing it! He likes to focus on the fundamentals of learning music, using an organized course for each student. In addition, he enjoys teaching students the music they would like to learn. Because one of Greg's strengths is playing by ear as well as improvisation, he is also able to teach the fundamentals of chord structure, song dynamics, modes and scales.  These tools have the potential to take a piano student above and beyond in their musical journey!

Hadassah studied music at Moody Bible Institute and Grand Rapids Community College, singing in the Moody Chorale and GRCC's Madrigals.  Music brought her abroad, performing in England, Scotland, Israel, and Venezuela.  Hadassah has experience in music ministry, teaching privately, accompanying, and performing in local venues.  She enjoys developing relationships with her students and watching their transformation and growth.  

Heather loves teaching viola and violin to students of all ages and abilities. Her motto is, "Music is for everyone!" She has been teaching for several decades and has had students win awards, along with some choosing to become professional musicians. She received a bachelor's and master's degree in viola performance from Indiana University - with a cognate in violin pedagogy - and received a performance certificate from the Peabody Institute in Baltimore. She won a position as a full-time member of the Grand Rapids Symphony, where she played viola for 17 years. In her teaching, she chooses from a wide variety of music books, based on what will be the best fit for each student. She tailors each lesson to the individual student, with the perspective that every student is unique and has strengths of their own.

Janet is an award winning pianist and songwriter, born and raised in Grand Rapids, MI. She holds a bachelor's degree in liturgical music, and a master's degree in education. She is a dedicated teacher with teaching certificates in three states and has taught music in both private and public schools. Janet brings a patient and encouraging style to her lessons with piano students.

JD teaches guitar, bass, and ukulele. He fell in love with music at a very young age, and has been taking lessons and performing ever since. He graduated from Olivet Nazarene University with a Bachelor of Arts in Music, applied guitar. JD's philosophy of teaching is to share the joy of music through fun and practical means. He is passionate about making the learning experience enjoyable and applicable to each student's life. His teaching approach incorporates helping students learn their favorite song, sing along with fun rhythms, and exploring different genres through strumming techniques, chord playing, and note reading. His favorite teaching moments are when a student has a "that's so cool," "ah I get it now," or "lightbulb" moment!

Joe studied piano at Cairn University where he earned his bachelor's degree. He is classically trained, but loves learning different styles of music. He teaches piano students of all ages and skill levels. Joe loves helping students learn new pieces, and loves to see them perfect a piece and perform it in a recital or for their family.

Keith began studying piano and music theory with legendary jazz accordionist Russ Messina from Buffalo, New York. He later earned his Bachelor Degree in Music Theory/composition from Cornerstone University. Keith has performed in jazz emsembles, with church worship teams that toured abroad, as well as in several local bands.  Keith teaches a variety of styles including classical, jazz, pop, and praise and worship. His teaching style is filled with patience and encouragement.  His goal to help students develop a love for all kinds of music.

Kohl is a singer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and educator.  He studied opera vocal performance at Yale, and currently sings with Opera Grand Rapids.  In addition, he performs as a freelance jazz and fusion soloist throughout West Michigan and composes for video games and film. His teaching experience began with the Williams Syndrome Association, where he has worked on adaptive curricula for music production lessons and vocal coaching. Kohl successfully teaches voice, piano, and guitar to students of all ages, levels, and personalities.  He loves incorporating improvisation and composition in lessons, and especially loves exploring and celebrating each student's confidence and style in music.

Lexi is a violinist from Cincinnati, Ohio. She received her BA and her MA in Music Performance. While a graduate student at the University of Wyoming, Lexi was a private instructor for viola and violin at the University of Wyoming String Project. Along with teaching at the Academy of Music, she is the Member Services and advertising Coordinator for the League of American Orchestras. Before joining the League, she was a proud member of the Grand Rapids Symphony production team. Lexi specializes in classical music for the viola and violin. She enjoys helping beginning students get started on their instrument and develop new skills and musicianship!

With over 20 years of teaching experience, Luc is a multi-instrumentalist, proficient in guitar, bass, drums, piano, ukulele, and vocals.  Since the age of 16, Luc has been an active performer in both original and cover bands, honing his skills on stage. Throughout his teaching journey, he has worked with students ranging from 4 to 64 years old, catering to individuals of diverse skill levels and musical backgrounds.

In his lessons, Luc places great emphasis on meeting students at their current level and adapting his teaching style to align with their unique learning preferences. His primary objective is to assist them in accomplishing their personal goals, firmly believing in the profound connection between musical success and overall life achievements.

Lydia started singing and playing piano at age 3. She has 20 years of formal voice training, specializing in musical theatre and pop vocal styles. She recently moved to Grand Rapids from Louisville, Kentucky where she was born and raised in a musical family of educators. She went to West Virginia University and graduated with her BFA in music theatre as well as a minor in theatre production. She started her teaching career at Classic Melodies Performance Institute teaching ages 4 through adult, which included a variety of classes such as musical theatre, acting, private voice and piano as well as codirecting two different musicals. As a teacher, Lydia loves walking alongside her students to reach their personal goals and establish healthy practice routines. When she is not teaching or performing, Lydia enjoys cuddles with her dog Piper, coffee, cooking and reading.

Marlae has her double bachelors in Music Therapy and Violin Performance. She is very active in the community and has performed with several different professional groups throughout the state of Michigan. She currently provides Music Therapy services for those on Hospice care, as well as individuals with special needs, and has spent over the last decade as a private teacher for violin, cello, viola, guitar, ukulele, and piano. 

Matthew grew up in a musical family, and has a background in orchestra, marching, and world percussion performance. He completed a minor at Grand Rapids Community College in percussion performance. Soon after graduation, he joined a performance group and was signed to Capitol-EMI Records where he traveled the world playing music from 2009-2016. Since 2016, Matthew has been teaching private lessons.  He focuses on transposing rudiments from snare to drum set. His goal is for his students to be able to transpose their inner rhythm to a drum kit.

Blessed with a musical family, Mercy has loved music since before she can remember.  She studied piano through high school and college with a focus on classical and sacred music, eventually graduating from Grand Rapids Community College with a degree in piano performance.  She also enjoys singing in several choirs and playing organ for her church.  Mercy works with beginning and intermediate piano students of varying ages and experience, and tailors the curriculum to meet each student's unique needs and preferences.  With a patient and encouraging style, she does her best to share the joy of music with each student.

Meredith studied Computer Science and Early Childhood Development at Grand Rapids Community College.  She is a multi-instrumentalist, but her favorite instruments are violin, viola, cello, and piano.  She enjoys playing string instruments in local groups and in church.  At the Academy of Music, Meredith teaches violin, viola, and cello to all ages, and focuses on helping students have fun while learning to play.  

Mitch teaches guitar, bass, ukulele, and drums. Throughout his music career, his playing has been heard on more than 30 internationally distributed albums.  He has additionally performed extensively with renowned artists, as a featured guitarist with the Grand Rapids Symphony, at Civic Theatre and Circle Theatre, and as the lead vocalist and guitarist in several bands.  Mitch also has a background directing and performing church music.  When teaching, Mitch likes to tailor instruction to the interests of each individual student.  He encourages students to share their favorite song or artist, and is always learning new music for his students.

Nelleke studied music therapy in college and has worked as a music therapist, music director, and performer. Teaching piano, however, is one of her favorite things to do.  She loves helping students play music in the way they learn best, whether it's by listening, watching, improvising, composing or breaking the code of written music and theory. She also loves to make connections between her students' other interests and their music education. She enjoys teaching all ages and levels, from beginners to college music majors. Her goal is to make lessons and practice fun, but to also encourage commitment. Her favorite types of music are singer-songwriter, new age, classical, and Broadway.

Rachael has been playing the piano for most of her life. She graduated with a Bachelor's of Music with an emphasis in piano from Moody Bible Institute. In addition to studying and performing classical piano repertoire at recitals, Rachael sang in the Moody Chorale and played both percussion and piano with the Moody Symphonic Band, touring both domestically and internationally. She has additionally served as a church pianist and has experience accompanying.

As a teacher, Rachael has worked with students ranging from six years old to high schoolers. She has experience working with children outside of a musical setting as well, volunteering with her church's children's ministry and working as a nanny. She loves connecting with students and helping students develop their individual musical voices. She believes technique is foundational to good musicianship, and her teaching focuses on both. Rachael wants her students to enjoy their lessons and achieve their musical goals.

Ryan is a guitarist with over 10 years experience teaching students. Ryan's approach to teaching guitar is guaranteed to get you the results you are striving for with a unique course structured to get you jamming to your favorite songs in no time. He specializes in Rock, Blues, Jazz, Pop, and Country music. Ryan's favorite guitarists are Joe Satriani, Lincoln Brewster, SRV, Andy Timmons, Slash, and John Mayer. His main goal is to make sure you have fun learning music and reach the level of musicianship you are striving for.

Ryan has been involved in music from an early age, and teaches voice, guitar, and ukulele. He completed his Bachelor of Music at Grace Bible College, and currently writes and records his own music as well as produces music for others. He also continues to perform extensively in church worship bands, a rock duo, at weddings, and at his own concerts. In addition, Ryan is a church worship leader. He likes to encourage students to truly learn how music works, asking them questions to help them recall and absorb the knowledge they have gained. Most of all, Ryan helps his students to believe in themselves – to truly know that they can learn and become an excellent musician, one step at a time.

Silver has been singing ever since she can remember, and began to teach herself piano when she was fourteen. She has been teaching voice and piano for almost three years. She has experience performing on many types of stages and also creates her own music as well. She has completed a Certificate of Fine and Performing Arts and plans to continue college towards a teaching degree. She believes that a career and passion should coexist, and with this position she finds both! Her favorite thing about teaching is seeing the growth and excitement that come from her students as they learn something new.

Skylar has a passion for music and teaching, and has taught music classes in both public and private school systems.  She grew up in a small town, seeking any musical opportunities that she could including private voice instruction and local performances.  This inspired her passion for providing music to all students.  Skylar eventually received a bachelor's degree in K-12 music education from Cornerstone University where she was involved in three ensembles.  She loves helping students find their voice and style, and is excited to help Academy of Music students of all ages grow in their musicianship.

Sonja studied piano at Alma College and has enjoyed a career as a public school teacher for band, orchestra, and choir in the Grand Rapids area. In addition to teaching public school music, she has accompanied choirs at both churches and schools. She also enjoys accompanying students playing solos or ensembles in district and state competitions. At the Academy of Music, Sonja teaches piano and strives to meet students where they are in their musical journey. She likes using a mixture of classical as well as contemporary and pop music literature to keep students engaged.

Tanya graduated from Kiev Christian University, and has a reputation for being a dedicated and accomplished singer and vocal coach with a solid background in music. She is trilingual with fluency in the English, Russian and Ukrainian languages, and has performance experience as a soloist in the Ukraine as well as Eastern and Western Europe. Tanya has extensive vocal coaching experience with children and adults. She offers instruction using a variety of vocal styles to challenge students - Broadway, Pop, Rock, Jazz, Rhythm & Blues, and Classical. Tanya additionally focuses on developing individualized instruction that encourages the joy of music, singing, and performance! Tanya loves getting to know students and helping them unveil their natural gifts and talents!

Thom found his passion for drums at a very young age. Growing up, his biggest drumming influences were from rock groups in the 60's and 70's. Today, he loves all genres of music including jazz, latin samba, country, pop, and electronic house music. When he is not teaching, he plays drums in a psych rock band. Thom believes technique and building independence are important and will help students develop musicianship.  It is equally important, however, that students develop their own style and have fun while playing. Thom teaches all ages and levels.