Mike is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist who really knows how to customize his lessons to the…read moreneeds and goals of his students.

Mike is awesome, period. He's been doing this for a very long time and he's super patient and very…read moreknowledgeable. Mike is concise and very clear with his lessons and I always feel like he has a very good way of knowing exactly what I need as a student. He's SO encouraging and you can just tell he knows his stuff really well. He's accommodating with his time slots and has never canceled on me. Thank you Mike for being the best music teacher. You're one of a kind!

Andrew is our son's drum instructor. We drive an hour & a half from Wisconsin because of how…read moreexcellent a teacher he is (as well an amazing musician). Andrew is helping our son excel in his high school's marching band and jazz band as well as his personal interests w/ pop and rock. Andrew is technically excellent in everything from classical symphonic percussion to marching band to world music to jazz to rock. We have been deeply impressed with his skills as a teacher / coach / instructor.

Andrew is very patient, knows how to work well with all skill levels at all ages, and most…read moreimportantly is an incredibly talented and educated musician! Extremely enjoyable experience...I highly recommend.

If you're looking to play a new instrument or take your playing to the next level, this is the…read moreplace. Not just a music school, but a true community of artists at all levels coming together with one common goal; to make awesome music. Guitar lessons here have greatly improved my playing and confidence, since joining I've been able to: finally play guitar and sing at the same time, perform live gigs with a band, partake in weekly jam sessions, meet other musicians to collaborate with, record music, and make new musician friends! I would be remiss if I didn't mention how incredible the instructors are, I've taken guitar with Justin for just a few months and can already hear the improvement in my playing. He's patient, knowledgeable, and tailors lessons to fit my playing aspirations-- seriously, can't say enough good things about him. I've also added on voice lessons with Bree and David, as a life long vocalist, I can honestly say learning from classically trained opera singers is a dream-- I can hear the difference from when I joined to now (2 years- just pre-pandemic). My only regret is not having joined AS sooner, I'm so thrilled to be making music here!

Why am I happy with Altered Stage? Many things, but mainly because it offers a path towards…read morebecoming a real musician. I started playing guitar 2 years ago, having graduated from Guitar Hero to Rocksmith. By using the in-game tutorial and Youtube video I was able to get the basics, however eventually I reached a plateau. Moreover I wasn't able to play a song from start to finish outside the game, and didn't have a consistent practice schedule. This changed once I joined Altered Stage. Jason Steele is an amazing instructor, combining experience, positive attitude and seemingly infinite amounts of patience. He is able to write the tabs of songs that I like, on the spot and from ear, and he helps me adjust it to match my skill level. He also has amazing techniques to teach how to do guitar solos, worth the price right there. Finally, he tailors the lessons to your needs, in my case we combine musical theory and guitar practice on each session. But the best thing are the gigs. By joining Altered Stage you will have the opportunity to play in a real stage in a real bar with other Altered Stage members. To be honest I was anxious the week before and all the way until I hit the first note, but with such a positive and supporting environment suddenly everything fell into place. As I write this review I am also getting ready for the next gig next Saturday, and now going on the stage is starting to feel like old hat. Guess I am becoming a rockstar! :-)

Dr. Yulia Lipmanovich is an incredibly gifted teacher and performer. I had the good fortune to find…read moreher and bring music back in my life, after a 30+ year hiatus. She not only knew intuitively where to start me and how quickly to move me up in difficulty, she provided opportunities for performance, an essential component of music I'd forgotten. These performances included pianists from age 5 to adults, so I was able to see how well Dr. Lipmanovich worked with all ages. Were it not for my need to make a living, I would devote my time to learning with Dr. Lipmanovich in Chicago, Italy or wherever she was teaching! For now, I imagine that life when I see her mesmerizing performances.

I can remember the first time I saw her recital and teaching notices at Coulson's music store on…read moreVan Buren around the corner from her studio. The title of her studio caught my attention and I took the information home. I didn't act on it for quite a while, but the day I made the call and heard her warm and reassuring voice my piano playing has headed straight for the stratosphere. It didn't happen over night but the constant attention to detail and the magic that great teachers have continued to thrust my musicality further than I thought possible. Yulia Lipmanovich has made that possible(I hope I spelled her name correctly) and I have had many piano teachers. Bach, Chopin, Mozart it doesn't matter as she has an intimate knowledge of the great composers and their music. As Duke would say Love Her Madly. JAK

Terrible program overcharge 3 times teacher barely showed up on time and staff is unorganizedread more

My son has been taking classes since he was less than a year old, and they have been simply…read moremarvelous! Highly recommend

This is gonna be quite the read. Just a heads up…read more I'm going to be as objective as I can here. I'll just lay out what happened TO ME (not a guarantee you'll have the same experience), and I'll leave it at that. I signed up to take voice lessons with Allison for the spring semester of 2024 (March through June). The first two months (March and April) were fine. Not amazing, but not terrible. There were, however, several little issues I noticed (eg, being late, eating during our lessons, constantly yawning). But that's not the main part of this review. At the end of April, I had received the unfortunate news that my father-in-law was diagnosed with cancer. Also, we were set to move in with them (not because of the cancer) at the end of May. All things considered, because of the effect it would have on my family, I needed to drop the voice lessons. At our next lesson, I told Allison about my situation and was asking if it was possible to perhaps opt out of the rest of my lessons. But I was fully willing to pay for May since that payment had gone through already (last week of the previous month). I just asked for a refund for June. She didn't really answer my question directly and kept telling me things like "try to find the joy in singing" and "why don't you think about if you want to stop the lessons and take it week-by-week." I had to keep asking her if there were exceptions to the contract I signed that allowed her to grant a refund. After several attempts, she finally responded by saying there CAN BE EXCEPTIONS. Now this is a crucial part of my review. And let me make this abundantly clear: If she had said right off the bat, "I'm terribly sorry, there are absolutely no exceptions," I would've been disappointed, but would have had to ultimately accept that that was her policy. But SHE left that door open. Not me. ***I do fully acknowledge up until this point, as a reader, you have to just take me at my word. And I know that can sow seeds of doubt. But now that the correspondence has moved to email, I can show you exactly what was said on both sides and you can have a more informed opinion*** I emailed her a week later to see if I could get a refund just for June (see screenshot). After that email, it took TWO WEEKS for me to get a response. And notice in her response, when it comes to my lessons, she continues to mention just the move and not my father-in-law: "in order to prepare for your upcoming move..." and "even though you do not feel that you can attend your voice lesson appointments right now as you prepare to move..." (see screenshots). I literally respond within half an hour reminding her what SHE said about exceptions so that I could find some clarity/common ground (ie, if my father-in-law's cancer would fall under those circumstances). Again, I just wanted CLARITY (see screenshot). Then I don't get a response for SIX days even with a reminder email (see screenshot). When I finally get a response, she, again, dismisses the cancer altogether and instead, just copies and pastes her email from before (see screenshot). You remember, the one I already read and wanted more clarity on? Yeah, she just sent that email again. I respond in literally less than 15 minutes. I'm frustrated. I can't imagine my emails being any clearer. And at this point, I wanted to make it super clear for her that the request for the refund was NOT about the move to my in-laws', but because of my father-in-law's cancer. Again, just seeking some sort of clarity on what she said (see screenshot). She responds and continues to fixate on the move which, I've made clear, is NOT why I'm requesting a refund. Clearly that would be unfair to her. And even if I ever said it was because of the move (which I didn't), I feel like I've made it abundantly clear that that's not the reason. She then restates that she's willing to postpone my lessons, but obviously at this point, I have zero desire to continue my lessons with her (see screenshot). And she works alone (ie, has no associates. it's something I asked her about and she confirms in a previous email). At this point, I feel like I just need to make my peace with the situation: she is refusing to understand that my request for a refund is NOT about the move, but about my father-in-law. But I needed one more shot at seeking some common ground/finding clarity (see screenshot). And in her final response, she finally states "extended family members' circumstances do not qualify for exemption" (see screenshot). Although it was disappointing, if she had just said from the start, this whole thing wouldn't have been necessary. If you've read this far, hope it's helpful in making an informed decision about her yourself. But I will say, if you do decide to take lessons with her, I just hope and pray nothing happens to anyone close to you during that time.

Allison has been my daughter's voice lesson instructor for several years now and I've been very…read morehappy with the experience. She organizes several programs a year, allowing her students to showcase their talents which are always great to hear. More importantly, her efforts with my daughter extends beyond singing - helping her foster confidence, responsibility and how to deal with the anxiety of a live performance, resulting in real results beyond learning how to carry a tune!

Celeste Park is an absolutely incredibly teacher and a multi-talented musician. When I first…read morestarted, I was worried that A) I was too rusty and B) too old, and she immediately eased my worries. She does an excellent job of encouraging her students while providing guidance that you can implement and practice tips that are very helpful. She's also just very cool and relates to her students, welcoming them as friends rather than pupils. Her ability to be so inviting and warm really eases any nerves one might have about learning a new instrument. As an added bonus, the space is really lovely. It's bright and full of color and natural light. It's also in a great location. All in all: I'm a huge fan and recommend this school (and Celeste!) to anyone wanting to take their musical education seriously.

I LOVE MUSE! This music school is wonderful I absolutely am obsessed with it!!!!! Thanks to this…read morewonderful school and the absolutely stunning gorgeous woman who runs it Celeste Park, I'm learning how to sing read and write music and play piano! The atmosphere is so peaceful and warm and inviting it's as if I'm walking into my home where all the faces of the people I love great me every time with a smile! The teachers are very precise with their lessons and also very patient and give me so many helpful tips to learn music! They also have instruments that you can rent to help you learn! A gorgeous place with so many talented students and teachers with gorgeous souls!

I wish there was six stars available! Our 12 year old son has never "taken" to an instrument after…read moreattempts with recorder and guitar. After he started at Lake Shore, I realized that it was less the instrument than the style of teaching. Working with Miss Julie, he has learned not only note reading, but also how to transpose and compose. Whereas previously I had to bribe him to practice, now he practices eagerly and he tells me "the time flies." He looks forward to his lessons each week. Thank you, Miss Julie, for giving our son the foundation for a life long love of playing music.