July 2025 Newsletter

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Upcoming Workshops

This Month’s Workshop:

Guide to Improvisation
When: Monday, August 4th
Time: 6:30-7:30pm
Where: Bridge MKE

Next Month’s Workshop:

Songwriting: Guide to Chord Patterns
When: Monday, September 8th
Time: 6:30-7:30pm
Where: Bridge MKE

Student of the Month

Delaney is July’s student of the month. She earns this title through sheer hard work. The last two months saw her challenged more than ever and she responded by keeping a good attitude and practicing hard. With work ethic like that, she will go from a good drummer to a great one in no time.

Name: Delaney

Instrument: Drums

Time Spent With Us: 5 Months

Favorite Song Learned So Far: Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne

Dream Song To Play: One Last Kiss by Pink

Favorite Non Music Activity: Playing on my tire swing in my backyard!

Alex's Cool Music Gear of the Month

Looking for a quick way to make your snare drum sound exciting and unique? Just place the Big Fat Snare-Bourine on top of your drum. Its small metal jingles create a lively, tambourine-like sound with every hit. It’s easy to use, perfect for beginners and intermediate drummers, and instantly gives your drum a fresh, fun vibe without any tuning or setup!

Ear Training: 5 Minute Daily Workouts

You don’t need an hour a day to become a better musician—just five minutes of ear training can make a big difference. Think of your ears like a muscle: a little daily workout keeps them sharp and responsive. Start simple. Try singing back random notes from your instrument, matching pitch with your voice. Next, practice recognizing intervals like the distance between a C and a G (a perfect fifth). You can even use free apps like Tenuto or Functional Ear Trainer to quiz yourself on intervals or chords.

The key is consistency. Do one or two focused exercises each day—whether you’re identifying major vs. minor chords, singing a melody by ear, or picking out bass lines from your favorite songs. Over time, your musical intuition will grow stronger, making it easier to play by ear, improvise, and communicate with other musicians. Five minutes a day adds up!

Guitar Tone: A Guide to Effects Pedals

Great guitar tone is more than just your amp settings—it’s about how you shape your sound with effects pedals. Most pedals fall into four main categories: Compression/Distortion, EQ, Modulation, and Delay/Reverb.

1. Compression / Distortion

These pedals shape dynamics and add grit. Compressors even out your playing, while distortion, overdrive, and fuzz boost gain for everything from blues to metal.

Popular picks: Ibanez Tube Screamer, Boss DS-1, MXR Dyna Comp

2. EQ (Equalization)

EQ pedals let you boost or cut frequencies to shape your tone or stand out in a mix.

Go-to pedal: Boss GE-7

3. Modulation

These add movement and depth—like chorus, phaser, or tremolo. They can make your tone swirl, shimmer, or pulse.

Classics include: MXR Phase 90, EHX Small Clone, Boss TR-2

4. Delay / Reverb

Delay repeats your notes like an echo, while reverb adds space and depth. Both are essential for adding atmosphere.

Favorites: Boss DD-7, EHX Holy Grail

Music Theory: Sharps Vs. Flats

Sharps (♯) and flats (♭) are symbols that tell you to raise or lower a note by one half step—but here’s the twist: sometimes they point to the same key! For example, F♯ and G♭ sound exactly the same on a piano, even though they’re written differently depending on the key you’re in. Sharps move a note up one step (like C to C♯), while flats move it down (like E to E♭). Understanding these symbols helps you read music more easily and figure out which notes “belong” in a song. It may seem confusing at first, but sharps and flats are just simple shortcuts that give music its flavor.

Upcoming Music Gigs

This is a quick summary of shows by teachers and students. Make sure you support your fellow musicians. They’d love to see you!

Band Guide:

Sons of Sconnie = Alex (Director/Teacher)

Vintage Notes = Paul (Teacher)

Broken Arrow Band = Jacob (Student)

8/2 – The Umbrella Bar @ Franklin – Sons of Sconnie

8/5 – Saz’s Stage @ Wisconsin State Fair – Sons of Sconnie

8/5 – Oconto Tunes @ Oconto – Broken Arrow Band

8/8 – Iron Ridge Fireman’s Picnic @ Iron Ridge – Sons of Sconnie

8/9 – Williams Bay Corn & Brat @ Williams Bay – Sons of Sconnie

8/13 – Venetian Fest @ Lake Geneva – Sons of Sconnie

8/15 – Konkel Park @ Greenfield – Sons of Sconnie

8/16 – Skinny Dave’s @ Mountain – Broken Arrow Band

8/22 – Manitowoc County Fair @ Manitowoc – Sons of Sconnie

8/22 – Falcon Bowl @ Milwaukee – Broken Arrow Band

8/23 – Bobbyfest @ Brookfield – Sons of Sconnie

8/23 – Kountry Bar @ Appleton – Broken Arrow Band

8/29 – Whitnall Beer Gardent @ Franklin – Vintage Notes

8/30 – Phils Philling Station @ Townsend – Broken Arrow Band

Student Milestones

3 Months
Aaron S.
Anaka G.
Maria C.
Moriah Y.
JJ R.
Robin M.
Cecilia M.

6 Months
Delaney K.
Adriana O.
Parker O.
Cory N.
Stephanie M.
Sheign B.

6 Months
John S.
Kaden W.
Daniel R.
Kuldeep K.
Belle B.
Anthony C.

9 Months
Ken H.
Jim K.

1 Year
Jane C.

18 Months
Henry K.

More News

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"...It’s wonderful that my son has found such a great mentor."

“We’ve been with Alex for almost a year now. Our 11yr old son has loved his weekly guitar lessons and has improved so much in this time. He and Alex have established a really solid bond and it’s wonderful that my son has found such a great mentor. Alex is a talented and enthusiastic teacher, and we whole-heartedly recommend him. Thank you Alex!”

– Jess Weber

"My son has come a long way in just a few months."

“My son has been taking guitar lessons with Alex for a few months now and he loves it! He looks forward to going every week. Alex is fun and engaging. He is very student led and lets my son even choose songs that he wants to learn. He also encourages and pushes him in areas that need improvement. My son has come a long way in just a few months. Awesome teacher, highly recommend!”

– Scott Hoff

"I made the decision to learn to play the guitar from an experienced teacher..."

“Alex has the ability to adjust quickly during a lesson to meet a students needs. if I am not grasping a concept he will change wording, demonstrate or find an example in a song from his extensive memory bank. I made the decision to learn to play the guitar from an experienced teacher rather than try to figure things out for myself. I believe this is a good investment of my time and money..”

– Donna Galik

"Highly recommend."

“Alex is a professional both in playing and teaching. He is able to adapt his teaching style to whatever suites your needs, from beginner to advanced. Highly recommend.”

– Kyle Rasmussen

"...He defines a way to do it all intuitively."

“Alex is an amazing and patient teacher! The greatest part about learning guitar from him is that you don’t even realize how fast your progressing as you move from one song to the next. Unlike a traditional approach of learning notes and chords separately, he defines a way to do it all intuitively.”

– Henry Kosarzycki

"We observe demonstrable progress throughout each school year..."

“Our son has been a student for 3 years now and we keep coming back! Alex is thoroughly invested in our student’s success, and he makes such great resources available for practicing during the week. We observe demonstrable progress throughout each school year – a credit to both regular practicing and Alex’s instruction. Thank you so much!”

– Mark Nimmer

"Engaging, thoughtful about curriculum, and flexible throughout...."

My young children began piano lessons with Robin (Robyn?–apologies!) this past summer, and with every session, I’m increasingly impressed with her teaching skills. She’s engaging, thoughtful about curriculum, and flexible throughout, especially when meeting the pedagogical needs of a 7-yo and a 4-yo in the same session. No easy task! I highly recommend her instruction for a welcoming but challenging journey into piano.

– Leslie McAbee

"Our son enjoys practicing and likes that he gets to choose some of the songs he works on."

“Alex has been teaching our 12-year-old drum lessons for almost a year. It has been a great experience for our son. Alex shares his passion for music in a professional way, and works well with kids. Our son enjoys practicing and likes that he gets to choose some of the songs he works on. Alex is a clear communicator, and he is encouraging as well. I’m looking forward to watching our son grow as a musician under Alex’s guidance!”

– Louise Abramowski

"Our Son Looks Forward To His Lesson Each Week."

“Our 8 year old son started drum lessons with Alex about 6 months ago and he absolutely loves it. Alex is so nice, funny, and has a great way of engaging with the kids. He explains things very clearly and our son looks forward to his lesson each week. And he also likes that he gets to play “cool” songs. Thanks Alex!”

– Stacie Hojnacki

"...I look forward to every lesson..."

“I have two sons that are both talented musicians. As they were growing up they had many good teachers throughout the years. They, and I, were fortunate that way. So when I decided to take the challenge of learning to play an instrument myself I had a pretty good idea of what I’d need to succeed and learn.

I found Milwaukee Music Lessons with a Google search, they were close by and had daytime availability which I preferred. I am very happy that I did. I am working with Robyn and she is an absolutely wonderful teacher. She is a patient encouraging person who has taught me so much in such a short time. She takes time to work things out with me at my beginner level, even though she is an accomplished musician. Not every musician has the ability to work with those who are just starting, but Robyn does and I look forward to every lesson I attend with her. She knows how to get the most out of every session and I look forward to continuing my musical journey with her expert assistance.”

– Dave Skowronek

"Could not be a better investment in myself."

“I’ve been taking lessons with Alex for nearly 3 years and it’s been the best! His lessons are very student-led and he will teach me whatever I want to learn, which keeps me motivated, rather than learning from a structured book. Yet he also pushes me when I need it to make sure I’m improving. Not only is he an extremely talented guitarist, but he has an answer for every question, whether it’s about gear or music theory. Could not be a better investment in myself.“

– Sydney Drosen

"Alex Makes Music Fun Again For Me."

“I’m 53 and wanted to expand my music knowledge and better my guitar playing skills. Alex has been able to not only go at a pace that fits my comprehension, but give me lessons to work on at home so I can work on at my own speed. In 1 month of working with Alex, I’ve been able to write a song, understand what key it’s in and come up with a solo that complements the song. It’s mind blowing how simple he makes it to understand. Alex makes music fun again for me.“

– Ken Hanrahan