We're approaching 15 years in total with NMA, including multiple teachers starting from Musical ABC…read moreclass, 1:1 lessons for our two children, and even for me, taking up first time piano lessons as an adult. Svetlana and team have inspired our children and us as parents, including voice lessons for my wife. I highly recommend NMA for families or indivuals interested in fostering appreciation and enjoyment of music.

Newton Music Academy is a great place for kids who want to explore music. My son has been here…read morelearning piano for almost 7 years since he's four and a half. We had several teachers during the journey and every teacher is fantastic. They really know how to motivate the kids and find the best pieces for them to enjoy the music. The instructors are also very respect to the kids by listening to their opinions and understanding of the music. Moreover, the director, Svetlana is always super patient and helpful to find the best suitable instructor to make the smooth transition, and extremely supportive to help the kids grow naturally. We feel really lucky to join the NMA family, a true nurturing place for kids to enjoy the beauty of music!

Gambas harps lutes…read moreand flutes The Amherst Early Music Festival is held every summer in different locations. I've been to ones in Bennington Vt,, Uconn and frequently at Conn college in New London. Everywhere but Amherst. I might be wrong but I believe I remember years ago that the festival was held in Amherst, ergo the name. Early music enthusiasts have several problems, First of all it is often difficult to find qualified instruction for bizarre and unusual archaic instruments, and second, it's hard to find other people that play similar bizarre and strange instruments. At Amherst you will absolutely be around zillions of very strange and unusual musical instruments and some very strange and bizarre people. There are two weeks of workshops that have some of the most qualify early music teachers on the planet. Intense and instructive. Then on July 18-19 they have the music and instrument exhibits. This is the part where anyone can just drop in and see instruments and talk to the makers. You must be warned. These are mostly Medieval and Renaissance instruments. The strings are frequently tuned different and the some of the winds can be fiendishly different to play in tune. As someone once told me fingering charts just give a suggestion of a note, not necessarily the note you are looking for. You will hear all kinds of howling, grunting, wheezing, plunking, thumping, farting growling, snorting and screaming from harps, lutes, recorders, vielles, flutes, ouds, crumhorns, kortholts, gambas, bagpipes and serpents. Sounds and sights I am sure you have never seen or heard before. So if you play one of these beasts from another time look into the workshops. If you just have an interest in music or perhaps the strange and bizarre come to the music and instrument exhibitions. You will be amazed. http://amherstearlymusic.org/

From the owner: Amherst Early Music is the largest presenter of Early Music workshops in North America. We create…read morelearning opportunities for amateur and pre-professional students to study with leading musicians in the field of Early Music. We present the Amherst Early Music Festival at Connecticut College in July, the Winter Weekend Workshop on Martin Luther King Weekend in Philadelphia, a Spring Weekend Workshop on or near Memorial Day weekend in Litchfield CT, a Spring Break Weekend Workshop in March, in Washington DC, and a Fall Weekend Workshop in October in Manhattan, New York City. Amherst Early Music, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation. All donations are tax-deductible. We are listed on GuideStar.org