Trumpet students at the Kansas City School of Music receive comprehensive instruction from our exceptional faculty. We accept children and adults of all ability levels. Trumpet Lessons are tailored to fit each student’s needs. Our students don’t just play the trumpet; they excel at it.
Kansas City School of Music provides a comprehensive foundation in guitar technique and music theory that will allow you to go anywhere you choose – rock, jazz, classical, pop, country, etc. Our guitar students learn how to read music, play by ear, and improvise in many styles. Rather than just learning songs, our instructors teach students how to understand music and develop foundational guitar skills that are transferable to many styles of music. Lessons are tailored to fit each student’s individual needs. We accept children and adults of all ability levels. Our students become versatile musicians and accomplished guitarists as they develop their passion for music.
Performance Opportunities
Performing is a crucial part of the learning process when it comes to music. At Kansas City School of Music, we offer a wealth of opportunities for your children to perform in a professional setting. Visit our calendar page to see what upcoming events we have going on.
Exceptional Facilities
The quality of facility won’t necessarily impede your child’s ability to learn music, but it can certainly make it more enjoyable. Kansas City School of Music has two locations for your convenience: our Lenexa campus and our Overland Park campus. Both of our state-of-the-art facilities have large and spacious practice rooms, soundproof walls, temperature control, and much more. All of this contributes to our high standard of excellence and allows your student to focus on mastering their musical talents.
Kevin Sterchi - Guitar Instructor
Saxophone students at the Kansas City School of Music receive comprehensive instruction from our exceptional faculty. We accept children and adults of all ability levels. Lessons are tailored to fit each student’s needs. Our students don’t just play the saxophone; they excel at it.
Clarinet is one of three woodwind instruments we offer lessons in here at Kansas City School of Music. Whether you’ve never held a clarinet before or you’ve been playing for several years, we’d be happy to offer you comprehensive music lessons. The clarinet has a long history and a diverse selection of repertoire and our lesson plans reflect that. Our aim is to not only develop your skills as a clarinetist, but to build a solid foundation of musicianship that will serve you for years to come. Our students don’t just play the clarinet — they excel at it.
Kansas City School of Music prides itself on its music instructors. We create a custom music lesson plan for each student who comes to us based off their age and skill level. We work with each student from the ground up to ensure they understand the fundamentals of playing the clarinet and are able to show it through each piece of music they perform. Our master instructors provide lessons for students of all ages and musical backgrounds.
Regular performances are key to developing your skills as a clarinetist. Although we strongly advise our students to get involved in music groups outside of our music school, we do offer ensembles and other opportunities to work with other students. These groups are open to all of our students. Give us a call if you would like more information about this.
Offering two state-of-the-art facilities is part of our high standards of excellence. We want our students to be able to learn and develop in a productive atmosphere and part of that comes down to the design of our facilities. Each of our music school facilities comes with the following amenities:
Parental involvement is crucial for the musical development of young children. That’s why if your child is in preschool or elementary school, we require parents to sit in on music lessons. However, if they are older than that, we still strongly recommend getting involved in their education. If you have any questions about this, give us a call, and we can help you figure out what level of parental involvement would be most beneficial to your child.
Music education has significant positive influences on brain development in young children. In addition to improving intelligence, music will help your child develop physically, emotionally, and socially. For our youngest students, Kansas City School of Music offers the following educational programs for toddlers:
Musikgarten – Experience the joy of music with your child through our interactive Musikgarten classes. These small classes are designed to expose each child to music through age-appropriate activities such as dancing, singing, listening to music, as well as playing rudimentary instruments.
Suzuki Piano and Violin – For students ages 3 and up, we offer Suzuki elements combined with traditional methods based on the individual needs of the student. Students will learn to play the chosen instruments aurally with gradual steps toward reading musical notation. This method also requires a great deal of parental involvement, including supervised practice sessions and attendance at each lesson.
Rebekah Thompson - Voice InstructorA quick reference of chord names, formulas, and notation.
A chart of numbers on a standard metronome.
The Kansas City School of Music piano curriculum is designed to give students the foundation they need in all areas of music. Students are expected to demonstrate knowledge and skill in 12 different areas:
Students systematically progress through 24 levels ranging from beginner through advanced, and must pass an exam at each level. Each exam covers all areas of the curriculum. Students are expected to demonstrate superior musicianship, exceptional performing skills, proper technique, and knowledge of musical concepts.
Nowhere else in the Kansas City area can you find such a well-developed, well-rounded program for piano instruction. Countless hours have gone into the development of the curriculum to ensure success for students and teachers. Come see for yourself how this program will strengthen your child’s knowledge and love for music.
Young children (ages 5 through 13) can benefit greatly from private voice lessons. Vocal instruction for children in this age group is structured much differently than for a teenager or adult. Their young voices and developing physique as well as their emotional and intellectual maturity must be taken into consideration during each lesson. Our teachers will customize the lesson plans specifically to the child’s age, personality, and goals.
First and foremost, the student will have fun and work hard. Progress does not happen quickly and does not happen without effort. Discovering the individuality of the student’s voice and learning how to use it properly, rather than the goal of an instant “perfect” voice, is the objective of each lesson.
The student will not be pushed to develop a more “mature” sound too quickly and will not be forced to sing a certain style of music, whether that be pop, musical theater, jazz, or opera. The natural voice will be preserved, nurtured, and developed at a pace that is appropriate for the student. Many children will want to emulate the sound of their favorite vocalist or even that of their teacher; however it is important that the child maintain an age appropriate sound and refrain from imitative singing. The vocal health of every voice student is paramount.
While we are passionate about teaching young children the joy of singing, we have a standard for acceptable behavior. Students must behave maturely, understand and take direction, and be willing to put forth one hundred percent effort at every lesson and practice session. Failure to uphold these standards during the lesson and during practice at home may result in the termination of lessons.
As mentioned previously, a child’s voice must be treated differently than that of a teenager or adult. Many voice instructors will not teach a student younger than 13 simply because they have no experience doing it. A child’s voice is constantly growing and changing, and the teacher must develop her teaching style to accommodate this. Once this happens, the child can flourish in a private lesson setting. The chance for children to explore their own voice and the music that can be expressed is a valuable experience that can produce joy, confidence, and freedom in a child’s life.
The concern that the small vocal muscles of young children are too fragile for serious private voice lessons is a prevalent outdated myth. Of course children must not be taught as if training for an adult performance such as an opera or rock concert. However, children are quite capable of learning the foundations of good singing such as good posture and breathing. The instruction is gentle with a focus on how each vocal exercise feels physically. It must be understood that the teacher is dealing with muscles and bones that are still developing, and sometimes, at varying rates. Overuse and over-singing is never healthy, whether for an adult student or a child. Again, patience and foresight must be exercised so that a balance can be struck between consistent progress and burdensome, potentially harmful, work.
It is crucial for parents to be involved in their child’s practice time at home. Young children often need constant reminders and guidance to fulfill the expectations set during their lessons. Parental involvement helps the child to follow the rules given by the teacher and to maximize efficiency during practice at home. This system ensures that the child is practicing correctly, and helps the child become motivated in learning about the voice.
Students are required to bring a notebook to every lesson so that notes can be taken on appropriate breathing, posture, and singing technique. These notes will help the student to re-create what they have learned in their lessons during their practice at home. Parents are required to sit in on lessons and supervise their child’s practice at home. Exceptions to this requirement may be made at the sole discretion of the teacher.
It is very important that the parent does not correct the child during the lesson, or answer questions directed to the child. The parent is welcome to address the instructor with questions, but should refrain from interacting with the student or teacher in any manner that undermines the teacher’s authority or in any other way detracts from the lesson.
Parents should feel free to communicate with the instructor between lessons regarding any issues that concern them. It is better to solve problems immediately rather than waiting for the next lesson.
Becoming a successful singer requires dedication and patience from both student and teacher. At Kansas City School of Music, our voice instructors have consistently shaped their students into great singers by providing them with the tools necessary to achieve their goals.
The weekly voice lesson is the model for practice at home. Exercises and methods presented at the lesson should be recreated during daily practice. Focused practice requires a space where distractions are limited and a place where the student feels comfortable singing aloud. The amount of daily practice will be determined by the teacher based on the student’s age and experience level. The frequency and quality of practice is essential to progress and is foundational to becoming a successful singer.
All voice students will be expected to know or learn basic music reading and piano skills which are essential to the development of a well-rounded musician. Piano skills are especially important for singers to assist them in maintaining proper pitch. It is also helpful, and sometimes necessary, to play the melody on the piano when assigned new repertoire. Students deficient in these areas may be required to take 45-minute lessons since additional time will be necessary to teach these skills. Assignments for developing music reading and piano skills may also be included in daily practice at home.
Our instructors’ goal is to provide each student with a healthy vocal technique that will serve as a solid foundation for a lifetime of successful singing. Voice lessons teach breathing, phonation, resonance, versatility, diction and musicianship. Within this structure the student will learn to know his/her own voice and how to produce beautiful sound with ease and freedom. The choice of repertoire will largely depend on the student’s voice and personal preferences and may include many styles such as musical theatre, art song, opera, jazz, blues, folk and country. Repertoire that is deemed unhealthy for the voice will not be allowed. Unhealthy vocal habits can be extremely difficult to break and can cause severe damage. Our instructors want students to enjoy music making through song and progress toward a healthy voice concurrently.
Parents are always welcome to sit in on their child’s voice lessons, provided that the student feels comfortable and it does not distract from the instruction. Parents who do not sit in on lessons may communicate with the instructor regarding their child’s progress at any time. If there are concerns or questions on the part of the instructor or the parent, open communication is encouraged.
Students and parents interested in lessons at Kansas City School of Music must meet with the instructor in a private interview before lessons begin. This interview gives the students and parents a chance to ask questions and experience interaction with the teacher. It also gives the teacher the opportunity to listen to transfer students, and determine the best place to begin for their first lesson.
An 88-key digital piano with fully weighted keys is acceptable for the first year of private piano instruction.
