We are thrilled to announce that Arwen Wei just won 1st Place at the Bonn Grand Prize International Competition & was invited to perform in Bonn, Germany. She also won 2nd Place at the Charleston International Music competition.
Arwen began her musical journey in our Harmony Road program and continued with private lessons with the late Dr. Alexander. She currently studies with Dr. Ilias.
Congratulations Arwen! Your outstanding accomplishments make us immensely proud!
Are you looking to start guitar lessons and don’t know which guitar to purchase? Here are some thoughtful recommendations from our talented, longtime guitar teachers, Larry.
Buying the 'right' first guitar for a beginner is important to that person's (beginner's) initial success. No matter how much the guitar costs, if it is too difficult to play because e.g., the strings are too high off the fretboard, the nut or the bridge is too high, the strings are too heavy a gauge, etc. then the student won't have a fair chance of learning the guitar. The guitar needs to be 'setup' properly from the beginning for the best chance of student success...the guitar needs to be playable!
>Buying without first seeing/playing/inspecting the guitar is risky. Check the instrument out, 'hands on', don't buy sight unseen if possible.
>If a relative or friend gives/loans you a guitar and it needs a simple 'setup' including new strings, a guitar tech can do that for around $60.
> If buying at a store, ask the salesperson to make sure the strings are set close to the fretboard and there is no string buzz as each string is fretted and played from one fret to another ascending up the neck. Also, if possible, ask them to check the guitar's intonation (it's a very quick/simple process) because a guitar with bad intonation will never be able to be tuned (always out of tune).
Inexpensive Acoustic Guitar Options
1. Yamaha steel string: starting at around $230
2. Yamaha steel string ¾ size: around $160
3. Yamaha classical: starting at around $250
4. Yamaha ½ and ¾ size classical: around $140
5. Fender steel string: starting at around $230
6. Fender steel string ¾ size: around $180
7. Take it up another level and get a Martin steel string for $500 and above.
Inexpensive Electric Guitar Options
1. Ibanez Gio: starting at around $200
2. Squier: starting at $190
(The price for electric guitar is for the guitar only, does not include amp and accessories.)
Coming from a little research and my experience as a teacher and player, I hope this proves helpful to interested students and parents.
This month, we are featuring some of our recent graduates, each with a unique journey and bright future in music & beyond. Click their names to discover their stories and where they are headed next.
Claire Spence studied piano for 16 years (3 in Harmony Road & 13 w/Dr. Alexander). Headed to Yale University.
“I have been a student at the New Mozart School of Music for as long as I can remember. I am so grateful to all of the teachers and staff who in many ways have watched me grow up… I am so thankful to my parents for connecting me to this musical world and to New Mozart for giving me the foundation to truly become a musician.“
Alisha Bernatzki studied piano, voice, & songwriting for 6 years (w/Teacher Robbie). Headed to The New School in New York.
“I really appreciate coming to New Mozart and finding teachers I could really connect with. My piano teacher, Robbie, was an amazing teacher. He really helped me discover my sound and taught me everything I know about music theory. I played only classical piano for about 5 years before I met him and he introduced me to another side of music which opened my eyes to the understanding and listening of music to another level.”
Caleb Chen studied voice, piano, & songwriting for 2 years (w/Teacher Maria & Paul). Headed to New York University.
Miguel Estrada studied piano for 5 years (w/Teacher Patrick). Headed to Saint Marys College.
“Teacher Patrick is one of the most passionate and musically knowledgeable people I have ever met. He has helped me to appreciate not only the piano but so many various genres of music. A lesson from Teacher Patrick is like taking an audio tour of the Music Hall of Fame. Rock, Reggaeton, Funk, Country, he knows it all and has made music so fun for me.”
Margaret Donald voice for 2 years (w/Teacher Diane). Headed to New York University
“My experience with New Mozart has been nothing but enjoyable. Teacher Diane is always upbeat and helpful. The staff are kind and welcoming.”
Sophie Wu studied piano & violin for 10 years (w/Teacher Ella & Ai Min). Headed to UC Berkeley
“Thanks to private lessons at New Mozart, I can play things I actually enjoy playing. Thank you for providing me a decade worth of musical experience!”
Listen to Alisha’s original song “Lament” here.
Meet Alisha, a gifted singer/songwriter & pianist. We were mesmerized the first time we heard her sing at our recital and saw her continue to make strides in her music study with Teacher Robbie. She will be attending The New School in New York this fall. We are so proud of her.
What instrument did you study at New Mozart and for how long? I studied few instruments at New Mozart for 6 years and my main focus was piano.
Which high school did you attend? I graduated from Paly (Palo Alto Senior High School)
What are you doing next? I am going to The New School for economics and planning to dabble in jazz and fashion.
Tell us about your experience of learning music at New Mozart and how it has impacted your life. I would say I really appreciate coming to New Mozart and finding teachers I could really connect with. My piano teacher, Robbie, was an excellent teacher. He really helped me discover my sound and taught me everything I know about music theory. I played only classical piano for about 5 years before I met him and he introduced me to another side of music which opened my eyes to the understanding and listening of music to another level.
We are so proud of our graduate Caleb Chan. He is a talented singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist. Check out his instagram here and you will know what we mean.
You can watch his newly released music video below.
Caleb studied piano with Teacher Paul and voice and songwriting with Teacher Maria. He will be attending NYU’s Clive Davis Recorded Music to pursue his career in music.
Meet Miguel Estrada a talented jazz and pop pianist as well as a club athlete of waterpolo and soccer. He studied with Teacher Patrick for 5 years. He will continue his music study at New Mozart with Teacher Patrick remotely.
What instrument did you study at New Mozart? Piano & electric piano
Which high school did you attend? Woodside High School
What are you doing next? I will be taking a gap year for 2023-2024 and will be attending Saint Marys College for the fall of 2024. For my gap year I plan to continue playing water polo and studying with Teacher Patrick.
Tell us about your experience of learning music at New Mozart and how it has impacted your life. Thank you Teacher Patrick, thank you Teacher Patrick!! Teacher Patrick is one of the most passionate and musically knowledgeable people I have ever met. He has helped me to appreciate not only the piano but so many various genres of music. A lesson from Teacher Patrick is like taking an audio tour of the Music Hall of Fame. Rock, Reggaeton, Funk, Country, he knows it all and has made music so fun for me. I really appreciate my time with him. I'm so thankful for how he has helped me appreciate music even more.
Meet Margaret Donald, an actress and singer with extraordinary talent and dedication. We are thrilled that she was accepted into her 1st choice program and college, NYU’s Tisch Shool of the Arts.
What instrument did you study at New Mozart and for how long? Voice, Soprano, for 2 years with Teacher Diane
Which high school did you attend? Menlo-Atherton High School
What are you doing next? I will be attending NYU in the Tisch School of the Arts program. I will be receiving my BFA in acting and I will be in the Atlantic Studio!
Tell us about your experience of learning music at New Mozart and how it has impacted your life. My experience with New Mozart has been nothing but enjoyable. Teacher Diane is always upbeat and helpful. The staff are kind and welcoming. I have enjoyed progressing as a singer and as a performer through recitals and weekly lessons!
We can’t believe time flew by so quickly! Sophie’s family came to our office inquiring about lessons over ten years ago and never looked back. We are so proud of all she has accomplished musically as well as academically. She has been participating in the CM program throughout her years at New Mozart and finished the Level 8 Certificate of Merit with State Honors and distinction. She will be attending UC Berkeley this fall. Sophie’s brother and sister are also continuing to follow in the footsteps of their sister taking lessons in piano, violin and cello.
What instrument did you study at New Mozart and for how long? I studied the piano and the violin; I started the violin in third grade but to be truthful, I don't remember when I started the piano since it's been so long.
What high school did you graduate from? Henry M. Gunn High School.
What are you doing next? I am going to UC Berkeley.
Tell us about your experience of learning music at New Mozart and how it has impacted your life. It was a great experience although I feel like I should have practiced more towards the end of my high school years. My teachers were luckily nice and cool about it. Thanks to private lessons at New Mozart, I could actually motivate myself to play things I actually enjoy playing.
Thank you for providing me a decade worth of musical experience at this school!