Unfortunately the Academy is not very client focused. The best example is how difficult it is to communicate with them. They do not use mobile phones or email. Communication must be done either in person or via leaving a message on their answering machine and waiting for a return call. This archaic communication style makes their unbelievably tough stance on attendance, late fees, interest fees, makeup lessons, etc. all the more frustrating. read more

If you can't find a spot in any other violin or piano lessons, and it's really important to you that your kid learn, this might work - but I'd strongly recommend searching harder. I made the mistake of relying too heavily on Google to find a music teacher in Springfield, which is how I wound up taking my kid to Trudy Fleming. I've since found another violin teacher who is much better, and if you spend more time searching, it will be worth it. My problems with Trudy were that she puts a lot of emphasis on looking fancy, but she doesn't spend a lot of time teaching your child. Lessons are shared with another student, and Trudy sits down and just talks at them for most of the lesson. There's very little hands-on help for students or parents, and no help at all if the other student is misbehaving. She also insists on using a hot glue gun to glue some guide pieces of wood on the violins, which means you won't be able to return it (if it's a rental) or get a good price if you'd like to sell it. (She will also charge you $200 if you don't let her take these little wood pieces off the violin.) I have since learned that the guides are not necessary, our current teacher never required them, and our student did well without them. My child was in one of her three-hour concerts, and some other young kids were getting a little fidgety about two hours in. She came down to yell at them, leaving a five year old girl crying without her parent there to help. This poor kid hadn't even done anything wrong, but Trudy was just nasty to all of the kids and it upset the child. Trudy doesn't have a good manner with kids or get along naturally with them, so I found it strange she went into teaching kids. It's also just weird to hear Trudy refer to "the Academy" all the time - she gives lessons out of her house, which is fine, but she comes off as having delusions of grandeur. For instance, you'll have to have a special concert uniform (which costs upwards of $80) made by a special seamstress - who is her mother. If there's a problem with billing, you'll have to talk to accounting - which is also her mother. On the subject of accounting, Trudy will try to get you to sign a contract several months ahead of time that will go as much as six months in advance - and it provides no option for leaving if you're dissatisfied during this time. Even if you have to move for a job or get deployed, you will owe her half of the contract. This is unnecessary, of course, but I left after a few weeks and was happy to pay to be rid of her. Be aware that there are a bunch of extra costs with Trudy's lessons. The uniforms cost more, and your child will have to buy a ticket to perform at their own concert (as will you and anyone else). I've never heard of anyone doing this anywhere else. After leaving Trudy's lessons, I've found there are a lot of parents in Springfield who have left, too - and we're all happier for it. I'm not here to advertise other music teachers, but there are some real great ones in the area. We've got our kid taking lessons from another teacher right now, and the difference is night and day. In just a few weeks with a new teacher, the amount of progress was much higher, and there's no rudeness, weirdness, or one-sided contracts. read more