About
Arizona School of Music, formerly Kirk's Studio for the Performing Arts, is the Valley's premier studio for musical instruction. We offer two convenient locations in Scottsdale and Desert Ridge. We've been teaching piano, voice, guitar, drums, band and orchestra instruments to students of all ages in private and group environments since 2002.
Our faculty is second to none. We offer performance opportunities that you simply will not find anywhere else. We work with young, first-time beginners all the way through advanced students looking to make a career as a performer or musician.
Our students perform regularly at nursing homes, malls and traditional recitals. One of the highlights of the year is the annual Studio Showcase at a major venue: Ikeda Theater at Mesa Arts Center, Scottsdale Center for the Arts and The Orpheum, to name a few. We have also performed at Cooperstown and US Airways Center (yes, we go back a ways).
One unique feature of our studio is our system for "leveling up." Always wanted to know if your student was actually making progress? Now you will. If you're looking for a private music teacher that is a cut above, you've come to the right place. Contact us today for more information or visit our website for a complete listing of instructors.
There is no greater thrill than to see someone learn something for the first time, work at it, master it and then light up. We work every day to see students light up at the progress they make as they learn to play an instrument or sing.
We're big believers in performance opportunities and have something just about every month for students to participate in.
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
First of all, we want to know what the student would like to accomplish! What are the student's goals and hopes? Auditions? Want to go pro? Just want to see if the kids have an interest? We take the time to get to know each student so that the lessons are especially relevant to that student.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
Our instructors have Bachelor's through Doctoral degrees in their respective instruments. We also have decades of experience having worked with thousands of students.
Most of our students continue to enjoy music throughout their adult lives and many have gone professional or teach as well.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
Yes. Depending on the teacher and location, tuition starts at $120-140/month for a half-hour private lesson every week. Discounts are available to families with more than one student or if a student takes a longer lesson.
The rate for group lessons is $85/month for an hour every week. Groups are kept small, typically no more than six students in a group.
How did you get started teaching?
Kirk started teaching right out of high school after he finished his first stint as the piano player at a dinner theater. That was in 1986. He's been tormenting piano students ever since. : )
What types of students have you worked with?
We've worked with students who are extremely gifted and have gone on to very successful professional careers as musicians. Of course, not every student who walks in the door is the next superstar. We have plenty of kids who participate in lots of other activities. Somehow they manage to learn to play and enjoy music for the long term.
We work with students from 4-94 and have worked with special needs kids as well.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
We offer a wide array of performance opportunities - everything from a huge Showcase with over 1000 in the audience which is like a rock concert at an arena, to playing for just a few residents at the nursing home.
We love seeing students succeed and feel good about their performances.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Unless you're looking to become to the next Horowitz, find a teacher that can teach all styles, not just classical. Make sure the teacher is working with you to set goals and then working towards those goals and measuring your progress.
You also want to find a teacher that makes it fun. Nothing's worse than a bunch of mindless scales.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
What do I really want to be able to do on this instrument?
Can you help me set realistic, measurable goals that will help me accomplish my goals?