Monthly Newsletter
Update From Director John Dewey!
Read the latest update from Director John Dewey:
Dear Okemos Music Academy Students and Families,
I want to extend my sincere thanks for making this such a wonderful year of music.
It’s inspiring to see the progress, dedication, and joy each student brings to their lessons every week.
We have a few important announcements and fun opportunities coming up that I want to make sure are on your radar!
First, our 2026 Winter Recitals are just around the corner, and we are so excited to showcase our students’ hard work!
Please mark your calendars and review the times for these special events:
- Dates & Times:
- Friday, January 16th @ 5:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m.
- Saturday, January 17th @ 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m.
- Location: Okemos Community Church, 4734 Okemos Rd.
- Admission: One non-perishable (ex. canned or boxed foods) or monetary donation (cash or check) for the Food Pantry.
- Attire: Performers should please dress nicely.
Remember, our recitals are designed to be fun, short, and sweet, perfect for busy families. We’ll have plenty of staff on hand to help guide first-time performers!
Our recitals are filling up quickly, so make sure you stop by the desk or contact us to get you signed up as soon as possible!
Next, we’re running a fun social media contest through the end of the year! A huge congratulations to our latest winner:
Jamie Harbin!
this month’s winner of the $50 Visa Gift Card!
There is still time to enter the contest for December! Here is how you can enter to win a $50 Visa Gift Card:
- Follow @okemosmusicacademy on Instagram.
- Tag @okemosmusicacademy in a post or story.
- (For private accounts) Screenshot your post/story and send it to us via Direct Message (DM).
The Final Date to Enter is 12/31/2025!
Good luck!
The holidays are a wonderful time to share the magic of music. If you are looking for a gift that truly lasts a lifetime, consider MUSIC LESSONS!
We are currently offering a special promotion: SAVE $66.00 (Free First Lesson, Free Registration). To redeem this offer online, use promo code OKEMOS66.
This offer expires on 12/23/2025.
It’s the perfect time to give the gift of music lessons or finally get signed up for a class you’ve been considering. Spots are filling up quickly, so don’t delay!
Sincerely,
John Dewey
Owner, Okemos Music Academy and Berkley Arts Academy
PLEASE LEAVE US A 5-STAR GOOGLE REVIEW!
OKEMOS MUSIC ACADEMY RECEIVES THE 2025 BEST OF OKEMOS AWARDS!
We are very honored to have received this award and want to thank our Okemos Music Academy families, staff, teachers, and most importantly, our amazing students!
MUSICAL LADDER SYSTEM®
WELCOME NEW STUDENTS!
Please welcome our new students!
Adhyanta K.
Brendon B.
Bailey L.
Logan S.
Eray B.
Erik D.
Lyla H.
Elsie H.
Emma S.
Harishan S.
Madison J.
Kaieley D.
Erik D.
Emma D.
Owen D.
Dale D.
Julianna B.
Ken K.
Alsu M.
Jamie B.
Kaleigh S.
Harper L.
Cheryl D.
Harper L.
Gavin R.
Adriana R.
Ellie P.
Karol G.
Cole D.
Sofia R.
Riley N.
Bear C.
Torin C.
Della K.
Jonas A.
Zai S.
Sofia H.
Mia L.
Welcome and thank you for being a part of Okemos Music Academy!
WHAT OUR STUDENTS ARE SAYING ABOUT THEIR LESSONS!:
“The kids really like Nessia and I have had nothing but positive interactions with her. She’s been great. The kids are brand new to music lessons so it’s slow going but she seems to be very patient and kind.
-Matt Olovson, Okemos, MI 11/8/205
“My son has been loving his lessons with Kayden! They have been a great instructor, and Matthew is really progressing!”
-Patrick Murphy, Okemos, MI 11/2/2025
“So far so good! We are new to the music academy and just had our first lesson. My son, who is in band, signed up for 30 minute lessons once a week. When we arrived it was clean and inviting. When his instructor came, he was thorough and professional. He have me a great run down of what they did and what they will do next week. I especially liked that I could see my son on the camera as I was hearing his muffled playing from the waiting area.”
-Desiree Meisner, Lansing, MI 10/29/2025
“Magnificent. She loves them.”
-Kurt Richardson, East Lansing, MI 10/15/2025
“My son loves taking his piano lessons and looks forward to them every week. Matt is an excellent teacher who is always positive and encouraging. We love the musical ladder system as it gives him checkpoints to work towards.”
-Corie Switalski, Perry, MI 9/26/2025
Thank you to all who have provided us with feedback about your lessons. We appreciate you being a part of our academy!
Is Your Teacher Sold Out?
Many teachers have sold out. If you need a schedule change or would like to be added to a waiting list for a particular teacher, day, or time, please contact any of our office staff team, and they can add you to the waiting list.
VOICE:
Melissa Carter: Tuesday: 1 Spot Left
Shelly Gleason: SOLD OUT
Chauncey Burghart: Saturday: 1 Spot Left
Catharine Harrell: SOLD OUT
Shelby Host: Monday: 1 Spot Left
GUITAR:
Matthew Boivin: Saturday: 5 Spots Left
Jeremy Burton: Saturday: 2 Spots Left
Steve Pinckney: Monday: 4 Spots Left
Jim Pinckney: Thursday: 3 Spots Left
Matt Poirier: Friday: 6 Spots Left
Adam Meinerding: Monday: 1 Spot Left
PIANO:
Finn Williams: Thursday: 1 Spot Left
Ann Bell: Thursday: 2 Spots Left
Min-Shan Tsai: Tuesday: 1 Spot Left
Nessia Brooks: Monday: 2 Spots Left
Kyle Poyma: Tuesday: 1 Spot Left
Susan Froman: Monday: 1 Spot Left
Christian Clark: Friday: 1 Spot Left
DRUMS:
Geoff Lewis: Thursday: 1 Spot Left
Kayden Spring: Saturday: 1 Spot Left
Fred Issac: Wednesday: 2 Spots Left
STRINGS (Violin/Viola):
Geunyoung Kim: Monday: 6 Spots Left
Farangiz Takhirova: Sunday: 2 Spots Left
Peter Kent: Wednesday: 1 Spot Left
WOODWINDS (Saxophone/Clarinet):
Elyor Gofurov: Friday: 2 Spots Left
Joshua Haugen: Saturday: 1 Spot Left
BRASS (Trombone, French Horn, Trumpet):
Joe Schmidt: Wednesday: 2 Spots Left
Upcoming Dates
Christmas Break-CLOSED
Wednesday, December 24th and Thursday, December 25th, 2025
New Year’s Break-CLOSED
Wednesday, December 31st, 2025, and Thursday, January 1st. 2026
Okemos Music Academy 2026 Winter Recitals @ Okemos Community Church
Friday, January 16th and Saturday, January 17th, 2026
Easter-CLOSED
Sunday, April 5th, 2026
IT'S EASY TO TAKE THE FIRST STEP.
IT’S EASY TO TAKE THE FIRST STEP.
Ready to start? You have nothing to lose.
Sign-up is easy and parent-friendly, with helpful staff at the front desk seven days a week to serve you. Because we only offer lessons on a month-to-month basis, there are no large upfront payments, no complicated contracts, no annual material or performance fees, and no semester minimums.
Lessons are first come, first serve, so visit www.LansingMusicLessons.com and select “Register Now”, or contact us today to arrange your first lesson!
Lessons are available seven days a week and are scheduled once a week.
A one-time registration fee of $30 per student (maximum $60 per family) is due only at the time of registration.
Lesson & Office Hours
Mon-Thurs
10:30am – 8:30pm
Fridays
12:30pm – 7:00pm
Saturdays
9:00am – 3:00pm
Sundays
12:00pm – 5:00pm
Okemos Music Academy
(517)664-1110
2220 University Park Dr.
Okemos, MI 48864
