BACH TO BEER! BYOB group piano classes in Chicago December 7, 2012 Hello everyone! Billy and I have known each other for a long time, primarily on account of my alter ego, C-note – the lead singer for Too White Crew, but today’s blog is not about that. He’s letting me take up some bandwidth to tell you about a fresh new business I started in the West Loop… If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to play piano, I’ve just made it as easy, fun and inviting as possible. The Musical U is the first of its kind anywhere – a group piano lesson studio with a state-of-the-art digital piano lab and multi-media learning in a relaxed, BYOB setting. After years of hearing friends talk about how they wished they could play piano, I decided to take a look at why grown ups haven’t done it so I can make sure that The Musical U flattens each of those issues: People want to have fun learning, they don’t want to have to buy an expensive piano and commit to a long-term, expensive private lesson regimen just to try lessons and no adult wants to play through six months of nursery rhymes before getting to say, Elton John or Alicia Keys. So I built a studio that not only addresses these issues, but I’ve also added social and BYOB elements to give it a great sense of, ”We’re all in this together.” The headset communication system allows for two-way communication between the teacher and the students. Plasma TV’s show the teacher’s hand positions or musical scores. It’s also green-friendly, encouraging students to bring iPads to store their lessons, cutting down on paper lessons and books. Each piano even has a USB charging station…and of course a cup holder for your favorite adult beverage. The Adult Piano 101 classes are affordable ($25/class), and each lesson even offers an educational segment on a composer, artist, musical style, genre or some other musical “thing you should know.” I’m also introducing a full curriculum in 2013 including singer/songwriter classes, theory classes, improvisation classes, parent-child classes…and instructional courses in auditioning, microphone technique and stage presence. Don’t own a piano? The Musical U offers inexpensive digital piano rentals so you can practice at home. Basically you can learn to play piano for about the cost of a parking ticket. Online scheduling is available on the website. If you’re looking for a unique holiday gift or a New Year’s Resolution idea, give a gift certificate from www.themusicalu.com. Happy holidays everyone! Come see Too White Crew’s anniversary show January 5th at Joe’s on Weed St! –John Cordogan Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.