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Private Music Lessons
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The #1 Choice For
Music Lessons in Grand Rapids!

FEEL CONFIDENT IN YOUR CHOICE OF MUSIC LESSONS

We welcome you to experience the Academy of Music difference!  Our goal is to foster confidence and creativity in students of all ages through an exceptional music learning experience. With our state-of-the-art facilities and excellent instructors, we work to develop lifelong skills, transform lives, and bolster our community with fun and engaging lessons that encourage the love of music.  With convenient locations in Grand Rapids and Jenison, an online lesson management system, and flexible hours, we are able to accommodate busy families.  Browse through our many benefits to see why we are West Michigan’s #1 choice for music lessons!

Top Award Winning Music School in West Michigan!

Nationally recognized for Music Academy Success and Voted #1 Grand Rapids Music Studio by Grand Rapids Kids (grkids.com)

FEATURED ON:

How Does This Work?

Find a Lesson Time That Works

You can look through our directory to find the day and time that best works for you and your schedule!

You can review our lesson scheduler here.

Teacher Match

You can read all of our teacher bios online to find the one that best fits your needs.  All of our teachers have great personalities, and they love connecting with students of all ages and levels.

Start Making Music

Finally, you can get started within 1 week! Enrollment is always open, and you can start at any time.

(Lessons are at the same time and on the same day each week, but can be changed if sports or other schedule issues require that you move to a new spot!)

Instruments We Teach

Guitar | Piano | Singing | Voice | Drums | Bass | Ukulele | Violin | Viola | Cello

16 Benefits Our Students Enjoy!

Drum Instruction in Grand Rapids

1. We Teach 10 Instruments All In One Location

Families With Multiple Musicians or Instruments Save Time & Money

Our students save time and money, as one family can take multiple instruments on the same day.  Other studios offer multiple instruments, but we are the only one to offer all of the most popular instruments – Piano, Guitar, Drums, Voice, and Violin –  in a high quality, convenient, professional environment. Bass Guitar, Ukulele, Mandolin, and Cello lessons are also available.  We teach music lessons to all ages (including adults) and all ability levels (beginner to advanced).

Violin Student in Grand Rapids

2. Most Qualified Music Teachers In West Michigan

More than 45 Professional Music Teacher All with College Training or Performance Experience

Our music teachers are experienced teachers, dedicated to learning about your personal goals and helping you to achieve them. With several teachers for each instrument (guitar, piano, strings, drums, and voice), we are confident that we have the right teacher to meet your music lesson needs.  Academy of Music teachers are friendly and dedicated to teaching you the style of music that you want to learn in your music lessons.

Piano Students in Grand Rapids

3. Widest Range of Lesson Times Available

Open Seven Days A Week

Music lessons at the Academy of Music in Grand Rapids, MI are available seven days a week from early in the morning to late at night to accommodate your busy schedules.  In addition to our after school lesson times, we offer other scheduling options for homeschoolers and retirees.  We also offer lunch hour music lessons for business professionals or late evening music lessons for college students and other adults.

  • Monday-Thursday 11 am – 9 pm
  • Friday 11 am – 7 pm
  • Saturday 11 am – 4 pm
  • Sunday 1 pm – 6 pm
Guitar Student in Grand Rapids

4. Proven Track Record of Excellence Since 2003

Our Full-Time Mission is Teaching Music Lessons

Visit our Testimonials page to see what our students are saying.  Every year, aspiring music teachers start their own studio, and a year or two later they close. The Academy of Music in Grand Rapids has a proven track record of offering quality music, piano, guitar, voice, drums, and string instruction in Grand Rapids, Michigan year-round. Our full-time mission is teaching music lessons, and we have been trusted by hundreds of Grand Rapids families for more than a decade.

Music Academy Waiting Area in Grand Rapids

5. Family Members Wait in Comfort

Enjoy Comfortable Chairs, Kids Activities, Wi-Fi and FREE Coffee

With 4200 square feet at the Academy of Music, we have the most spacious and family-friendly waiting area in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Instead of waiting in a music retail store showroom or an in-home teacher’s driveway or living room, our clients a enjoy spacious, professional waiting areas with comfortable chairs, activities for children, Wi-Fi, reading material, a filtered water cooler, and free coffee. We also provide observation windows on every door so that you have the option of observing your child’s lesson. If you prefer, you may sit in on their lesson at any time.

Music Academy Studio in Grand Rapids

6. High Tech & Fully Stocked Music Rooms

Modern and Engaging Lesson Experience Available

Everything you may need for your lesson is included in our music rooms.  Whether that be an amp, stereo, full drum kit, keyboard, or a piano, we have it all!  It is only necessary to bring your own guitar, drum sticks, ukulele, or string instrument.  The Grand Rapids music rooms are fully equipped with professional soundproofing.  Large observation windows are also available for those who wish to observe.

Academy of Music in Grand Rapids also delivers a cutting edge experience by integrating technological advances.  We have installed LED monitors and Apple TVs in every classroom, and every music room is equipped with an iPad..  Teachers can wirelessly connect iPods, iPads, or laptops to the monitors. This allows students to have a modern and engaging lesson using music teaching apps, music software and more. We also encourage our students to bring their own devices to lessons along with their instruments.  No other school in Grand Rapids offers this technology.

In addition, our instructors have easy access to technology that allows them to quickly pivot to an online Live Video Lesson when students are not able to attend in-person. Instructors can also create a video recording for students who miss a lesson.

Music Recitals in Grand Rapids

7. Free Recitals in a Local Professional Venue

Perform On-Stage With a Grand Piano & Dynamic Acoustics

We are one of the only music schools in Grand Rapids that offers free recitals with a Steinway grand piano in a first-class professional recital hall.

Every parent wants to know how their child is doing and whether they are progressing. The best way to understand if your investment in guitar, ukulele, bass, piano, voice, drums, violin, viola, or cello is really worth it, is to have your child participate in a recital.

Many of our students choose to perform in our recitals.   We hold these in a professional setting where students can perform on a stage platform with a grand piano and excellent acoustics.

For our students, these music recitals are free, and we do not charge recital participation or admission fees.

Music Recitals in Grand Rapids

8. Destination Recitals

Perform On-Stage in a Legendary Music Hall

We are the only music school in Grand Rapids that offers unique performance opportunities at famous music halls in the United States. Academy of Music students have been invited to perform at Carnegie Hall in NYC,  the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH, and at the Guest House at Graceland in Memphis, TN. These destination recitals encourage personal and musical growth through a unique once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Music Academy Staff in Grand Rapids

9. Professional Office Staff

Full Time Customer Service, 7 Days a Week

The Academy of Music in Grand Rapids is the only music school in Grand Rapids that offers full-time professional customer service for our music students seven days a week. Many music studio desks are staffed by the teacher/owner, or more commonly, an answering machine.  We have friendly, full-time staff members who are available at the Academy of Music front desk to assist our clients quickly and professionally.

Music Academy Awards in Grand Rapids

10. We Celebrate Achievement

Trophies, Certificates, Award Wristbands & Positive Affirmation

We are the only music school in the Grand Rapids area that gives students the opportunity to earn special color wristband bracelets (kids and teens love them!), certificates AND trophies for passing musical tests. Do other schools offer trophies and certificates? A few. But none of them inspire their students with smiling faces by giving them full color, really cool “Musical Ladder®” wristbands that they can show off to their friends. The Musical Ladder® is our unique method of music education that you can only get here.

More importantly, when our students have a test coming up, they practice more, their parents are proud, their teachers are proud, and everybody wins. You can only get the Musical Ladder® here. Our adult students also the recognition for achieving their goals.

Music Academy Discount Cards in Grand Rapids

11. Automated Lesson Management System

Save Time With 100% Online Registration, a Teacher-Student Message Platform, One-Click Live Video Lessons, and more!

Academy of Music families appreciate our fully automated lesson management system. Key features include 100% online registration, a private messaging platform for teachers and students, easy DIY options to manage your account, choose a Live Video Lesson, schedule make-up lessons, change your lesson day/time with just one click, and more!

Voice Student in Grand Rapids

12. Early Afternoon & Lunch-Time Lessons

Perfect For Homeschoolers, College Students, Working Adults, and Retirees

Music lessons at the Academy of Music in Grand Rapids, MI are available seven days a week to accommodate your busy schedules.  In addition to our after school lesson times, we offer earlier scheduling options for homeschoolers or retirees.  We also offer lunch hour music lessons for business professionals or late evening music lessons for college students and other adults.

Music Academy Front Entry in Grand Rapids

13. Safe & Accessible Location

On 28th St. Near the Lovely Cascade Shopping District

Our location one mile east of I-96 on 28th St. in Grand Rapids, Michigan makes our school convenient to all areas of the greater Grand Rapids community. In addition, there’s plenty of parking on even the busiest lesson days when more than 100 students come and go.  Near our studio, you will find the lovely Cascade shopping district which includes D & W grocery, Target, Meijer, a library, and many excellent family dining opportunities.

Safety during lessons is also a priority at the Academy of Music, and we carefully follow a Family Safety Plan: five background checks for everyone who works at the school, observation windows for every teaching studio, video cameras in studios and the lobby areas, plus admin staff present during all lessons.  Learn more at FamilySafetyPlan.org.

Music Academy Front Entry in Grand Rapids

14. Your Choice of Make-up Options

Make-Up Options Never Expire
No need to stress if you missed a lesson! We offer four options for missed lessons:
1. Choose a Live Video lesson.
2. Request a recorded video lesson.
3. Sub-lease your spot to a friend, neighbor, or relative.
4. Register for a weekend Group Make-Up Class.  These group make-up classes are available all year for your convenience. They are informal and are offered in a small group setting. Group make-up class benefits include an opportunity to get to know other musicians at the school, an opportunity for an informal performance, an opportunity to meet other Academy instructors, and an opportunity to review skills or learn a new one.
Musician Pictures in Grand Rapids

15. Professional Student Photos

Free Student Photos With a Professional Photographer

We are the only music school in the Grand Rapids area that offers free professional photos for our students.

This is a service that our music student parents love as they all want quality photos of their children. Adults are welcome too! Students can bring their instruments to the photoshoot and wear whatever they like.

If you would like your child to be featured in the Face of the Academy Photos, just let the office staff know and we will add you to the list for the next set!

Drum Student in Grand Rapids

16. Month-to-Month Lessons

Easy to Start – Easy to Stop – No Long-Term Commitments

The Academy of Music in Grand Rapids does not require semester minimums for music lessons. Every student here is on a month-to-month basis.

If you are ready to start, you have nothing to lose as we only want students who truly want to learn. We will not commit you to a long-term contract.

Technologically Advanced Facilities

Our students enjoy over 4,200 sq. ft. of Grand Rapid’s most advanced music lesson rooms. Each studio is soundproofed and stocked with everything our students need, from pianos, keyboards, and full drum kits with pads to amps and stereos. Parents can sit in on their child’s lesson, watch through large observation windows, or relax in our spacious and comfortable parent’s lounge with WiFi, magazines, and activities for kids.

Meet The Owner

As a mother of five and music teacher with a master’s degree in music education and more than 30 years of experience teaching music, I understand what parents need to know about helping their children experience real success in music.

Since 2003, I have dedicated myself to offering an outstanding music education experience for students in the Grand Rapids community.  What began as an early childhood music and piano studio is now the largest professional music school in the area, offering lessons on five major instruments – piano, guitar, drums, voice, and strings.  I’m most grateful for our fabulous teachers and hundreds of students in such a supportive community who trust us each week with their music education.

Barbara Hendricks
Founder, Owner, and Director

Academy of Music Grand Rapids

Barbara Hendricks - Owner of Academy of Music Grand Rapids

News At The Academy

READY TO GET STARTED?

IT’S EASY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP!

Lessons are first come, first serve, so contact us today to arrange your first lesson!

Sign up is easy and parent-friendly with helpful staff at the front desk seven days a week to serve you or an easy online registration option.

PRICING

Because we only offer lessons on a month-to-month basis, there are no large upfront payments, no complicated contracts, no annual material or performances fees, and no semester minimums.

$32.50 / 30 minutes
Lessons are available seven days a week and are scheduled once a week.
A one-time registration fee is $30 (due only at the time of registration).

616-965-1655