Annie B Music Lessons

Annie B Music Lessons

5.0Exceptional(24 reviews)
Offers online services
Offers online services

About

We teach voice, piano, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and bass guitar.

One of the most important things that I keep in mind during every lesson is the ultimate goals of the student in front of me at that moment. At the same time, there are fundamentals and sequences of learning that every student must be taught in order to become the best they can be. There is a very fine balance of these two that must be met at every lesson, and I feel that my sensitivity of this balance is something that makes me stand out as a teacher. My experience playing and singing professionally "out in the real world" as a paid performer for 25+ years is also an asset that many teachers cannot compete with. I take my real-world experience as a performer and make it work for my students no matter what their goals are as a singer/guitarist/keyboardist/songwriter.

I love to inspire people, and show them things they are capable of... things that they didn't think they were capable of before working with me! It's so much fun seeing the joy on a student's face when they accomplish something very cool and amazing with their playing or singing... something they never thought they'd be able to do!


Highlights

Hired 18 times
2 employees
6 years in business
Serves Milwaukee , WI
Offers online services

Payment methods

Credit Card, Cash, Paypal, Zelle

Social media


Specialties

Years experience

No formal training, No formal training; some self-taught experience, 0 – 2 years experience, 2 – 4 years experience, 4+ years of experience

Able to read music

Student can read music, Student cannot read music

Lesson length

60 minutes

Student's age

11 – 13 years old, 14 – 18 years old, 19 – 25 years old, 26 – 45 years old, 46 – 65 years old

Student has instrument

Students who have a piano, Students who have a keyboard

Interested musical styles

Classical, Jazz, Pop, I can make recommendations

Photos and videos


  • Reviews

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    MB

    marie B.

    I loved Annies energy and ability to find a way to adjust to her students. Her knowledge and experience in the music industry is impressive. She made learning fun and instilled me with confidence I was lacking.
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    May 01, 2024

    JC

    jodi C.

    I had my first Christmas solo this year. I hired Annie for a limited amount of lessons. Annie quickly understood how I best learned and was able to use tools, like visualizing a ball bouncing to different heights to match the notes. Her genuine interest in my success along with her positive attitude and professionalism gave me the knowledge and confidence to perform my Christmas solo. Annie is Amazing!! …………… Jodi
    ... Show more
    January 25, 2024

    LW

    lindsay W.

    I hired Annie for my 16 year old daughter who was interested in learning guitar. I am not a musician myself, so this was not an easy task! Wow were we lucky to find Annie! Not only is she an excellent, practicing musician, she is a wonderful teacher who loves her students. My daughter had her first lesson one year ago and is now confident enough to play her favorite music on her own. I couldn’t recommend her more.
    ... Show more
    November 19, 2023

    AF

    Angel F.

    I started taking guitar lessons after I retired. Annie is a phenomenal instructor. She started me out with the fundamentals, and lately, Ive progressed to learning to play lead guitar. I love how patient she is and her great you can do it attitude. I highly recommend Annie!
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    June 24, 2023

    L

    Leo

    I have been taking singing lessons with Annie for almost half a year, and I have nothing but good things to say about her! Firstly, she is not just a singing teacher, she has been a huge support system for me and my confidence. So much of singing is tied to our emotions, and she creates an environment in which I am unafraid to make a mistake, learn, and grow to be my best self. This is so important for students, I cannot stress that enough (for any parents reading). Shes extremely encouraging and thoughtful, which has led me to change things about my life that have made me really happy and excited! In short, our lessons have become a highlight of my week. :)
    Annie also has a lot of great career advice based on her own experience in the field of music. This is a huge plus for me because the field of music can be very intimidating and confusing.
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    January 24, 2023

    NC

    Nate C.

    If you are a beginner musician just starting out, or an advanced musician looking to target specific skills, there is no better place to go than the Milwaukee Music Academy with Annie B! Annie brings a passion, excitement, and energy to teaching music that is unmatched! She is continuously adding new techniques to teaching to make learning more effective, and to make lessons more fun!
    I have been taking voice lessons with Annie for the past six months, and they have been incredible. During that time, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to join a local, regional cover band as a lead guitarist. With the skills, techniques, and confidence I’ve obtained from voice lessons with Annie, I’ve gotten the opportunity to sing lead vocals on multiple songs with the band too! Annie has tailored my lessons to help guide me in my goals with the band as well as my overall musician goals and my vocal technique as a whole.
    I’ve heard much about her story as a musician. Her background in music is one of passion and determination, and it is no surprise that it has grown to the greatness it is today. She has much experience in writing music and live performance too and her real-world experience with music makes her that much better as an instructor. I am lucky to have found Annie, and I believe it would be a mistake to miss out on the opportunity to learn from her!
    ... Show more
    January 09, 2023

    Frequently asked questions

    My goal is to find out what THEIR goals are.  And once we've talked about that, we take a look at their skill level and I give them some realistic expectations about when and how they may be able to reach their goals.  If they don't know exactly what their goals are, then we can talk about why they want to learn how to sing and/or play, and create some goals! And their skill level will always determine where we start, and what the next steps are.  But most of all, we should be having fun during the entire process!

    I've been playing music for over 30 years, and making my living playing music live in front of real audiences for 10+ years, which allows me to bring a very special perspecitive to playing music - - and what it takes to be a "successful musician".  Learning how to play or sing or is ONE thing, but being able to play or sing well and to have success is ANOTHER thing.  My special experience as a successful performing artist will benefit my students in many ways, and I can't wait to share all the knowledge I've gained through this "real-world" experience!

    It depends on the individual student and their desire to reach their goals.  Lessons can be 30 minutes long, 45, 60, or 90 minutes.  They can be once a week, twice a week, or even more.  They can be in a group of 2 or more, or individual lessons.  There are many factors that go into my pricing system, so it's good to explore all the possibilities!

    I didn't realize that I was actually a good teacher when I first started teaching.  So, years ago, I was reluctant to start teaching at all, or get serious about being a teacher and building a teaching business.  Then, when a good friend of mine told me I should really consider taking teaching seriously, I started taking a new perspective on being a teacher.  I used to think, "Those who do something they're really good at don't teach; they're making too much money doing what they do.  And those who aren't really good or really successful, those are the ones who teach... because they're not good enough to do it for a living."  (OF COURSE you know I'm not talking about grammar/academic school teachers... that kind of teacher is a very special teacher who has a very special gift!)

    Then I realized that THE BEST TEACHERS are the ones who "walk the walk" and don't just "talk the talk".  More and more colleges are hiring people from the real-life industry, especially in business schools, because they know how important is it to bring REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE to today's students of any industry.

    So I started getting more serious about looking for students and building my business as a teacher, and lo and behold, I learned that I'm actually a great teacher!

    I guess you can find out for yourself, but that's how my journey started as a teacher... I used to think "I don't know anything about being a teacher... I just sing and play and I can't really explain to others how to do it well.  Either you got it or you don't."

    BUT then I realized the most important thing:  Without MY OWN vocal coaches, and guitar and keyboard teachers, I would not be playing and singing the way I do today.

    So, I'm here today to offer you my teaching services, and I hope you can appreciate how my own journey towards becoming a teacher has made me realize some very important things that I keep in mind during every lesson I teach: I WANT TO INSPIRE!  Because I used to be the STUDENT!  (And I still am today... I STILL learn from those are better than me... as we all should, not matter how great we think we are!)

    But I think about how grateful I am for the teachers I had who taught me some GREAT THINGS that have made me the successful singer/songwriter that I am today.

    And my #1 goal is to make my students feel EXCITED and INSPIRED... because that's how the greatest teachers that I've had made ME feel! 

    There's nothing more wonderful in this life than to trigger inspiration in another person, allowing that other person to discover their own talent & greatness!

    I've had a lot of success teaching both children and adults at various skill levels.  I specialize in beginner students playing guitar or keyboard/piano, and with students at all levels who are looking for vocal lessons.  I also teach music theory, songwriting, and I can help students looking to build their own careers as musicians, as I have real-life experience in these areas!

    Just in the last 2 months, one of my vocal students said to me, "I can't believe I am actually singing these notes... before I started taking lessons with you, I was never able to hit these notes!  Now I can hit them, and with confidence!  I am having so much fun working with you!"  This warmed my heart.  Seeing the joy in this student's face and hearing the sincerity in her voice is THE REASON why I teach.  I strive to achieve this feeling of success in each and every one of my students.

    I would encourage every student to really take the time to find the right teacher FOR YOU.  There's a LOT of teachers out there, and some are better than others, some may not have a Ph.D. in Music, but many are still great mentors and they give inspiration to their students.  Your goal when looking for a teacher is to find a teacher who you believe can INSPIRE you to be great... who will MOTIVATE you to WANT TO PRACTICE, and who will keep you EXCITED about what you're learning, so you feel like you CAN'T WAIT until your next lesson!

    1. Will this teacher care about ME?

    2. Will this teacher be able to teach me what I want to learn?

    3. Will this teacher keep MY GOALS in mind at every lesson?

    4. Will this teacher be able to effectively teach me at MY SKILL LEVEL? (Some teachers prefer to teach only beginners, or only advanced students, etc.)

    5. Is this teacher able to teach me in the STYLE of music that I want to learn? (Some teachers may not be able to teach you how to "belt it out" as a singer, or they may only specialize in a certain genre.)

    The list of questions can go on, but the real thing you want to assess is "Is this teacher right for ME?"

    This means you want to make sure the teacher will be right for you in many areas... will they be able to teach you what YOU want to learn; will they be successful at teaching someone at YOUR skill level and your age range; etc.

    But most importanly, let your gut guide you.  If something "just doesn't feel right", then keep looking.  There are a lot of teachers out there, and some are better teachers than others.  When you believe you've found the teacher that feels like the best "fit" for YOU, then chances are, you're right.  If the teacher turns out to be not right for you, you don't have to commit your entire life of being their student; you don't have to commit for 4 years, like with choosing a college... you commit to them for as long as you like!  Finding the right music teacher/coach for YOU is only something YOU can make the decision about.  Follow your heart!


    Services offered

    Guitar
    Piano
    Singing