Want to learn a new instrument or take your playing to the next level? Western North Carolina has no shortage of both group and private instrumental and vocal lessons for students of all ages and skill levels. Here’s a partial list of instructors to get you started:
• Asheville Music School — Lessons for adults and children. Boasting 400 students and 35 instructors, this school, located in downtown Asheville, offers private and small-group instruction in instruments from piano and guitar to bagpipes and ukulele. Music theory is also taught. The summer programs wrap up with a jazz camp for ages 9-17, held July 27-31. ashevillemusicschool.com
• Music Academy Asheville — Lessons for adults and children. Located in West Asheville, this school offers classes specializing in audio fundamentals, music technology, guitar and musical theater. The school also offers a songwriters’ circle on the last Thursday of every month, which is free and open to the public. musicacademyasheville.com
• Rock Academy — Lessons for adults and children. This school, located in West Asheville, offers two programs: one for students ages 11-17 and another for adults. Each class seats a maximum of 10 students, and focuses on preparing students for stage performances. rockacademync.com
• Joyful Noise Community Music and Arts Center — Lessons for adults and children. Offering classes in Marshall, Weaverville, West Asheville and South Asheville, this school focuses on chamber music, jazz, string ensemble, music theory, campfire guitar and more. Private lessons for violin, cello, banjo, flute and other instruments are available. joyfulnoisecenter.org
• Asheville Music and Art — Lessons for adults and children. Located in West Asheville, this music school offers education in piano, drums, voice, cello, bagpipes and more. ashevillemusicandart.com
• Musician’s Workshop — Lessons for adults and children age 7 and older. Long in business as a music store, Musician’s Workshop also offers instruction in electric, acoustic, classical and bass guitar as well as ukulele, Dobro, drums and more. Lessons are typically 1/2 hour and are taught to one student at a time. musiciansworkshop.com
• Asheville Area Music Together — Lessons for children and parents. Offering singing classes to children as young as 2 weeks old, this school provides a playful approach when it comes to teaching young students rhythmic rhymes, drumming and instrument play, harmony singing and more. Class locations are throughout Asheville. The school also provides a free demo for students to experience the Music Together Big Kids class. ashevilleareamt.yourvirtuoso.com
• Native Ground — Lessons for adults. Taking place in a 1940s-era log cabin, this school offers two September classes in bluegrass banjo, fiddle and mandolin. Each class includes six sessions geared toward students with little to no experience. nativeground.com
• Melody Music Arts — Lessons for adults and children. Providing one-on-one music lessons for students wanting to grow in piano, guitar, clarinet, vocal skills and more, this school offers weekly lessons in-home or in-studio. The school also holds online courses if an instructor for a particular instrument is not in the Asheville area. melodymusicstudios.com
• Academy for the Arts — Lessons for adults and children. With instruction at the First Baptist Church of Asheville, this school offers individual music lessons in bassoon, saxophone, organ, harp, fiddle and more. Fall classes begin on Monday, Aug. 17. afta-fbca.net
• Music lessons with Patrick Lopez — Lessons for adults and children. Local wedding DJ Patrick Lopez offers private instruction in saxophone, flute, piano, sound recording and more. He teaches in-person and via Skype throughout North Carolina. patricklopez.com
• Kindermusik with Yvette — Lessons for children only. With three locations in West Asheville, Arden and Weaverville, this school focuses on teaching newborns and young children music symbols, notes and rhythms. Fall semester begins on Monday, Aug. 24. kindermusikwithyvette.com
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.