June 2025 Newsletter

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Upcoming Workshops

This Month’s Workshop:

Rhythm & Groove Training
When: Monday, July 7th
Time: 6:30-7:30pm
Where: Bridge MKE

Next Month’s Workshop:

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

Student of the Month

Jason is June’s student of the month. Jason gets the award because of his willingness to continuously challenge himself with songs beyond his skill level. Despite this, he takes a systematic approach in a way that is healthy and promotes growth. The work is hard, but it will be worth it. Great job Jason!

Name: Jason

Instrument: Guitar

Time With Us: 3 Months

Favorite Song Learned So Far: “Blind and Frozen” by Beast in Black

Dream Song To Play: “Playing God” by Polyphia (In Progress!)

Favorite Non Music Activity: Spending time with my family.

Meet Our Newest Teachers!​

Peter Gauthier (Go-T-A) teaches piano and percussion. He has a degree in Music Composition and Technology from UW-Milwaukee, where he also studied with top percussion teachers and worked as a music theory tutor. Peter has been playing piano for nearly 20 years and now teaches full-time in Milwaukee Public Schools. He also writes music for movies and documentaries.

Reece Decorah teaches guitar and piano. He is studying jazz guitar at Milwaukee Area Technical College, where he’s also taken classes in audio engineering and piano. Reece has experience playing lead guitar and singing in his band, Crash House, and has skills in songwriting and music production. He studied music and music history at UW-Milwaukee before focusing on performance.

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!

Instrument Spotlight: Dynamics in Drumming - Playing Soft vs. Loud

Good drumming isn’t just about playing fast or hitting hard. It’s also about using dynamics—how soft or loud you play—to make your music more exciting and expressive. Dynamics help you tell a story with your drums.

When playing softly, you can use ghost notes. These are very quiet drum hits that add rhythm without overpowering the music. Ghost notes help the groove feel smooth and interesting. For louder playing, use accents. Accents are stronger drum hits that stand out and add energy to your beats.

To practice dynamics, try playing simple beats while changing between soft and loud hits. Practice starting quiet and slowly getting louder, or starting loud and then playing softer. Using dynamics makes your drumming sound musical and professional. Keep practicing, and you’ll soon be able to control your volume and intensity easily!

Jamming 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Improvisation in Blues and Rock

Learning to jam and improvise music can be fun and exciting! Improvising means making up music on the spot. It might sound tricky, but you can do it by following some easy steps.

First, listen closely to blues and rock songs you enjoy. Notice how musicians take turns playing solos and try to copy some of their ideas. Great musicians like Jimi Hendrix (guitar), John Bonham (drums), Freddie Mercury (voice), and Ray Charles (piano) can give you lots of inspiration. Pay attention to their rhythms, melodies, and the feeling they put into their music.

Next, practice simple musical patterns or scales on your instrument. Guitarists and piano players can learn the blues scale—it’s perfect for making cool solos. Drummers can practice different rhythms like shuffle beats or rock grooves, and also add interesting drum fills or crashes to keep things exciting. Singers can experiment with changing rhythms, adding vocal runs, or using a powerful, emotional voice to make their melodies stand out.

To be more creative, start with simple musical phrases and then add your own twist. Try changing the rhythm, speed, or order of notes. You can also use feelings or stories as inspiration. If you feel happy, try playing something upbeat and energetic. If you feel sad, try slower, more expressive melodies.

When you feel ready, play or sing along with a backing track or friends. Don’t worry about mistakes—every great musician makes them! The key to improvising is relaxing and having fun. Keep practicing, listening, and playing, and you’ll soon feel confident and creative when jamming with others.

Music Theory: Basic Note Types Explained

Understanding basic note types helps you read and play music more easily. Here’s a quick guide:

  • Whole Note: Looks like an empty oval. It gets four beats (counts slowly: 1-2-3-4).
  • Half Note: Looks like an empty oval with a stem. It gets two beats (counts: 1-2).
  • Quarter Note: A filled-in oval with a stem. It gets one beat (counts: 1).
  • Eighth Note: Looks like a quarter note but has a little flag on the stem. It gets half a beat (counts quickly: “1 and”).
  • Sixteenth Note: Looks like an eighth note but has two flags. It gets a quarter of a beat (counts quickly: “1 e and a”).

Upcoming Music Gigs

This section promotes not just teacher music shows but also student shows as well!

Band Guide:

Sons of Sconnie = Alex (Director/Teacher)

Vintage Notes = Paul (Teacher)

Broken Arrow Band = Jacob (Student)

7/3 – Kimberly Festival Foods Fireworks @ Kimberly – Broken Arrow Band
7/4 – Flick’s Resort @ Rhinelander – Sons of Sconnie
7/5 – Whisky D’s @ Two Rivers – Broken Arrow Band
7/5 – Lake Geneva Yacht Club @ Lake Geneva – Sons of Sconnie
7/10 – Harley Davidson Museum @ Milwaukee – Sons of Sconnie
7/12 – Schmidty’s Bar & Grille @ Brookfield – Sons of Sconnie
7/18 – Salmon-A-Rama @ Racine – Sons of Sconnie
7/18 – Lakewood Mardi Gras @ Lakewood – Broken Arrow Band
7/19 – PaperFest @ Kimberly – Broken Arrow Band
7/23 – The Truck Yard at The Tariton @ Green Bay – Broken Arrow Band
7/25 – St. John’s Family Fest @ Greenfiled – Sons of Sconnie
7/26 – Washington County Fair @ West Bend – Sons of Sconnie
7/27 – The Flagstone @ Appleton – Broken Arrow Band
7/31 – WI State Fair @ Saz’s Highlife – Sons of Sconnie
8/1 – Whitnall Beer Garden @ Franklin – Vintage Notes
8/2 – The Umbrella Bar @ Franklin – Sons of Sconnie
8/5 – WI State Fair @ Saz’s Highlife – Sons of Sconnie
8/5 – Oconto Tunes @ Oconto – Broken Arrow Band

Student Milestones

3 Months
Jason L.
Bill C.
Dulay T.

9 Months
Elowen H.
Joelle S.
Garrett R.
Nolen S.

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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

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– 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

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– 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

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“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

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“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