Monthly Newsletter
Update From Director John Dewey!
Read the latest update from Director John Dewey:
Dear Okemos Music Academy Students and Families,
As we head into Spring, the energy at the academy is reaching a high note! We have a lot of exciting news to share, from summer planning to celebrating our students’ recent wins!
If you’re looking for a way to get your kids off their devices this summer, we have the perfect solution! Put a musical instrument or microphone in their hands and sign them up for music lessons!
Our 25 professional instructors are ready to help you or your children dive into piano, guitar, voice, drums, violin, and more.
New registrations SAVE $25 with a FREE lesson book and bag (and that includes extending your lesson time!), and enter to win a FREE month of lessons ($144 value!)
Expires 5/31/2026
A huge congratulations to Reece, the official winner of our “Guess the Number of Skittles” contest!
Reece’s guess of 1,589 was incredibly close to the actual count of 1,637 Skittles.
Reece is now the proud owner of the entire jar and we hope you enjoy the sugar rush!
Our annual Spirit Week is just around the corner, running from Monday, April 13th through Sunday, April 19th.
We want to see your school pride!
- How to join: Wear something with your school name or logo on it to your lesson.
- The Perks: Everyone who enters the drawing at the front desk gets a gift bag with goodies.
- The Grand Prize: One lucky winner will walk away with a $50 VISA Gift Card!
Finally, it is time to prepare for the spotlight!
Our Spring Recitals are scheduled for Friday, June 19th and Saturday, June 20th at the Okemos Community Church.
These recitals are designed to be "short and sweet," making them a perfect, low-stress environment for our many first-time performers.
Recital Times:
- Friday, June 19th: 5:00 PM, 6:00 PM, and 7:00 PM
- Saturday, June 20th: 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:00 PM, and 1:00 PM
Admission: Admission is one non-perishable food item or a monetary donation to the local foodbank.
Whether you’re stopping by the front desk to drop off a guess or picking up an instrument for the first time, we are so grateful you’re part of our musical family.
We look forward to another year of making noise, making memories, and making music together.
We can’t wait to see what you’ll play next!
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!
Ian C.
Emily C.
Michelle C.
Avi W.
Samantha G.
Wendy L.
John B.
Nick N.
Vaibhav P.
Lexie M.
Khalil A.
Ellie M.
Haleigh A.
Jennasee H.
Liam J.
Isaac J.
Isla B.
Freyja B.
Macy W.
Anya K.
John B.
Ethan W.
Fatima K.
Yegan N.
Vallavi V.
Avin J.
Rishaan B.
Dessa G.
Mattie H.
Teddy H.
Audrey H.
Gannon C.
William S.
Michelle C.
Benjamin T.
Madeleine S.
Ivy N.
Reese N.
Vallavi V.
Riley Ha.
Blaine Se.
Leilani St.
Roger B.
Ellis P.
Anderson H.
Welcome and thank you for being a part of Okemos Music Academy!
WHAT OUR STUDENTS ARE SAYING ABOUT THEIR LESSONS!:
“Tuesdays are my favorite day!”
-Beth Lawrence, East Lansing, MI 3/29/2026
“Great, she loves it! Thanks for checking in!”
-Carrie Krupp-Merchant, East Lansing, MI 3/28/2026
“They are going well. She is very happy!”
-Nicole Guerrero, Okemos, MI 2/28/2026
“Overall, we are very happy. Shelby is so patient and understanding when working with the boys. She’s found a good balance of knowing when they need to be pushed and knowing when they need more encouragement.”
-Katie Chubb, Diamondale, MI 2/25/2026
““First lesson was great! Love Melissa’s energy! :))”
-Jennasee Hollingsworth, Williamston, MI 2/18/2026
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: Thursday: 1 Spot Left
Shelly Gleason: SOLD OUT
Chauncey Burghart: Saturday: 3 Spots Left
Catharine Harrell: SOLD OUT
Shelby Host: Monday: SOLD OUT
GUITAR:
Jeremy Burton: Wednesday: 3 Spots Left
Steve Pinckney: Monday: 2 Spots Left
Jim Pinckney: Thursday: 3 Spots Left
Matt Poirier: Friday: 3 Spots Left
Adam Meinerding: Monday: 1 Spot Left
PIANO:
Chip Hazelwood: Thursday: 5 Spots Left
Finn Williams: Friday: 2 Spots Left
Ann Bell: SOLD OUT
Min-Shan Tsai: Monday: 1 Spot Left
Kyle Poyma: Tuesday: 1 Spot Left
Susan Froman: SOLD OUT
Christian Clark: Friday: 2 Spots Left
DRUMS:
Geoff Lewis: Thursday: 1 Spot Left
Kayden Spring: Sunday: 1 Spot Left
Fred Issac: Wednesday: 2 Spots Left
STRINGS (Violin/Viola):
Peter Kent: Wednesday: 1 Spot Left
Lyudmila Gofurova: Thursday: 2 Spots Left
Min-Han Tsai: Tuesday: 2 Spots Left
WOODWINDS (Saxophone/Clarinet):
Elyor Gofurov: Friday: 2 Spots Left
Joshua Haugen: Saturday: 1 Spot Left
Lewis Vaden: Tuesday: 1 Spot Left
BRASS (Trombone, French Horn, Trumpet):
Joe Schmidt: Wednesday: 1 Spot Left
Upcoming Dates
Memorial Day-CLOSED
Monday, May 25th, 2026
Okemos Music Academy Spring 2026 Recitals at Okemos Community Church
Friday, June 19th @ 5:00, 6:00, and 7:00 pm
and
Saturday, June 20th @ 10:00 am, 11:00 am, 12:00 pm, and 1:00 pm
Independence Day-CLOSED
Saturday, July 4th, 2026
Labor Day-CLOSED
Monday, September 7th, 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
