MTS Studios

Aug 2019

My son started learning music with Jesse - he was referred by another friend of his who has been with MTS for a while. I love Jesse's approach to teaching music. He is so passionate and invested in kids and what they learn. I have been to various other places for the kids lessons and they are mostly interested in clocking their time. Whereas Jesse is committed in making sure kids learn. He allows them to be creative so while they are learning they are also trying to find their own style in music. I am so glad we found him.

Jul 2019

Music lessons with Jesse have been a great experience for our son who might not otherwise have stuck with lessons or an instrument. Our son started with drums as he was musically inclined but had some challenges with fine motor issues. Jesse was quick to get him listening to and playing songs that he liked, so that he was not only doing exercises and drills. A year later, Jesse encouraged our son to join with 2 other elementary school students in a rock band and soon our kid was also singing lead vocals and eventually started picking up keyboard/ synth and now bass. Jesse is great at motivating and inspiring even tweens with otherwise short attention spans. The rock band training is much more versatile than just learning how to play a predetermined set of songs. The band has been learning to set up their equipment, pick up songs by ear and starting to improv and write their own music. Melissa helped the kids to design a group logo and poster. The kids pick the songs, decide who is playing what part, how songs fit into a set list and have even played a few outside “gigs” without any help or supervision from Jesse. The kids sound great... Like really great. No dumbed down songs here... they are doing the real music from Green Day, Panic! at the Disco, Muse, Fall Out Boy, and some older classics (well, old to the kids). Both Jesse and Melissa have extensive backgrounds in education (Melissa even worked in after school enrichment at my daughter’s school) and have a very thoughtful didactic process. I can see how differently Jesse even approaches what he is teaching my son and his bandmates as he tailors it to their individual personalities and interests. Meanwhile, I’m blown away by how much music theory my now middle schooler knows... whether transposing songs to fit his vocal range or discussing themes in the songs he sings at school or other camps. Beyond individual and band lessons, Jesse has been running a few summer camps where kids are put together in a band, pick a few songs (and maybe writing a new one!) and work on them all week culminating in a show on Friday complete with lights and effects. It’s a great introduction to playing in a band for the newer students, and trying out working with new musicians and styles of music for the more established kids.

Jun 2019

Kind, accommodating, and professional. My kids are having a great experience learning piano and guitar.