YAMS offers lessons in a wide variety of instruments, with teachers that have music degrees and/or SIGNIFICANT professional experience as well as significant teaching experience. In our humble but accurate opinion you won't find a music store in the Macon and middle Georgia area with a better complement of music teachers and lesson opportunities!

We also offer a unique Rent-to-Own program for band and orchestral instruments that is VERY family friendly.

Lessons are offered in just about all the fretted instruments (guitar, bass, dobro, mandolin, etc.), piano, keyboards, percussion, band and orchestra instruments, and even Suzuki violin. Lessons are usually 25-30 minutes, once per week.

Prices are set by the individual teacher, but generally run between $15 and $30 per half-hour lesson. Most students take one lesson per week, though a few motivated students have two lessons each week. Our teachers also seek out low-pressure performing opportunities for their students, because there are a NUMBER of benefits for the students, both musically and developmentally.

These are currently our teachers. Click on the name for more information.

Fretted Instruments, Drums, Band & Orchestral instruments (beginners)
Emmett Young

Voice

Know a voice teacher? We're looking!

Piano & .....
Tom Rule (also Music Technology, Music Theory, & Keyboards)
Wanda Patrick (also beginning Strings)

Kim Leatherwood (Also beginning & intermediate Violin)

Guitar/Bass

Bobby Hall

Lucas Woodgeard

Mandolin

Sydney Rae

Drums / Drumset / Hand percussion
Emily Hall

Woodwinds

Maggie Hollis [flute, woodwinds]

Dana Harris [saxophone]

Violin/Viola

Sydney Rae
Wanda Patrick

Kim Leatherwood

Trumpet / Brass
Evan Jones

Tuba

Tom Rule

WHY take music?
Music is unique among the professions (along with the other performing arts) in that it can be a profession, a sideline, or a hobby. It is something you DO, which is very enjoyable. For many, that is the most enjoyable aspect - that by studying music you are developing a SKILL with which you can create something you and others enjoy. It is also fun and satisfying to know you are better now than you were just a few weeks ago.

Aside from these benefits, the study of music does something to your brain. Statistically, students who participate in an organized music activity (such as a serious school performing group, or who take lessons) score higher on those standardized tests we see everywhere. They also have a greater chance of being able to manipulate information “in their head” - possibly because they have been dealing with an intangible thing (music) in their lessons.

Need some more reasons?

• Music students in general have higher SAT scores - 52 points on the verbal, 37 points on the math sections.
• Making music activates disparate areas of the brain - meaning that musicians can better use the entire brain to solve problems, not just the logical left side or the creative right side.
• Studies in Rhode Island indicate that sequential, skill-building instruction in music can improve student's scores in math and reading.
• Music enhances spatial reasoning skills better than computer instruction - the skills so critical in math, engineering, science, and even chess.
• Music even increases self-esteem and critical thinking skills, and it enhances the abilities so critical in collaborative work.
• Musicians are constantly adjusting decision on tempo, tone, style, rhythm, phrasing, and feeling - training the brain to become incredibly good at organizing and conducting numerous activities at once. Dedicated practice of this orchestration can have a great payoff for lifelong attentional skills, intelligence, and on the ability for self-knowledge and expression.
• Studying music encourages self-discipline and diligence, traits that carry over into intellectual pursuits and that lead to effective study and work habits. An association of music and math has, in fact, long been noted.
• Creating and performing music promotes self-expression and provides self-gratification while giving pleasure to others.
• A research team exploring the link between music and intelligence reported that music training is far superior to computer instruction in dramatically enhancing children's abstract reasoning skills, the skills necessary for learning math and science.
• Secondary students who participated in band or orchestra reported the lowest lifetime and current use of all substances (alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs, etc).
• The US Department of Education lists the arts as subjects that college-bound middle and high school students should take, stating, "Many colleges view participation in the arts and music as a valuable experience that broadens student's understanding and appreciation of the world around them".
• The best engineers and programmers in Silicon Valley are very nearly all musicians.
• Beyond all of that, having the ability to make music just makes life more interesting!

So what are you waiting for?
Contact us now to setup some lessons!

{The above facts were taken from a variety of reliable resources on the web}

Need some more reasons?
Try the Educational CyberPlayGround - Music Makes You Smarter

How long will it take?

That's one of those "It depends" answers! It depends on how much REAL practice the student does (i.e. practicing with brain engaged, not just goofing around). CONSISTENT practice is also a key - playing the instrument every day (even if it's just several 5-minutes-at-a-time sessions).

• Find as many opportunities as you can to play with other people. (The jam sessions at YAMS are great for this!)
• Listen to a LOT of music.
• Learn as much as you can.
• Do a search on the web for "music theory tutorial" or "music theory" and go through those sites. You can also visit Tom Rule's "piano page" for a list he has compiled.