While everyone listens to music, only a fraction of people can actually play an instrument.
Whether you’re a total beginner to music or someone hoping to brush up on your old skills, Oak Park has a brick-and-mortar music school for everyone.
School of Rock Oak Park
219 Lake St., Oak Park
(708) 298-0002
schoolofrock.com/locations/oakpark
Since 2013, School of Rock Oak Park has served as one of the area’s biggest and most cherished community music hubs.
Instructing more than 10,000 people of all ages through providing performance-based music education, the school prides itself on fostering both musical proficiency and personal growth for students. A popular after-school destination, School of Rock boasts an emphasis on boosting confidence and social skills for kids while ensuring it’s a place of belonging.
Both group and private lessons are available, with lessons for guitar, bass guitar, drums, keyboard and piano, and singing. Classes range from foundational skills, performance and songwriting, to opportunities for playing in a house band or being featured in an all-star touring group. Adult music programs include one weekly private music lesson and a weekly group rehearsal.
Attending School of Rock means kids and adults will not only be able to fit learning music into their busy schedules, but get to perform at local venues, like FitzGerald’s in Berwyn or a variety of community-based events across the area.
Oak Park String Academy
350 Harrison St., Oak Park
(708) 800-6772
opstringacademy.com
Founded 20 years ago by Oak Park violinist and local mom Meg Lanfear, Oak Park String Academy prides itself as a school offering both conservatory-quality music lessons to area families and where children can develop their character as musicians and people.
The secret to the school’s two-decade success? Its emphasis on the Suzuki method, teaching that every child can learn to play music naturally — just as they learn to speak — through listening, repetition and parental involvement.
Oak Park String Academy highlights the Suzuki Triangle, a parent/teacher/child model where parent participation is necessary for success. At the school, at least one parent (the same parent each time) must be present with their children at lessons. In addition, parents will learn violin basics alongside their child.
Violin lessons start for kids as young as 3, and all students attend both a private and group lesson each week.
Oak Park School of Music
844 Madison St., Oak Park
(708) 622-8147
oakparkmusic.com
For seven years, Oak Park School of Music has focused on training children to be holistic musicians who can perform, compose, and use their voices and bodies to create beautiful music.
Led by founder and director Joann Cho, the school focuses on both collaborative opportunities and independent study through a collection of group classes and numerous performance opportunities throughout the year.
Oak Park School of Music teaches piano, drums, voice, violin, cello, bass and ukulele from PreK through second-grade, adding on bass, viola, clarinet, flute, oboe, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, tuba, guitar, and songwriting and theory for kids fourth grade and up. Children ages 0 through 4 can participate in early-childhood group classes.
Facilities include three teaching studios (each with professional-grade grand pianos), a sound-isolated drum and percussion studio, a keyboard lab for group piano classes, a music technology studio and a recital hall.
Friendly School of Music
6731 Roosevelt Road, Berwyn
(708) 749-1932
friendlymusic.community/music-classes
Directly across Oak Park’s southern border is Friendly School of Music, a nonprofit musical community dedicated to inspiring and developing musicians of all ages (including adults) through its unique instructional approach.
The music school, led by Rob Pierce, features beginner, intermediate and advanced classes taught by professional musicians who guide students at their own pace, with attention tailored to individual music interests. Both private and group lessons are available.
Instrumental class offerings include for guitar, bass, piano, drums/percussion, violin/fiddle, ukulele, banjo, mandolin and voice. In addition, groups are available for guitar and jazz guitar, and composition, theory and songwriting.
Instructors provide personalized lessons for all ages and skill levels taught by experienced musicians with stage and studio experience.
Cappelli Institute of Music
408 Thomas Ave., Forest Park
In the community since 1980, Cappelli Institute of Music relocated this spring from Downtown Oak Park just over the border to Downtown Forest Park.
Led by Jeffrey Cappelli and boasting a roster of renowned music teachers part of Chicagoland’s greater music community, the school offers instruction for students of all ages and abilities, heavily emphasizing musical enjoyment. Music lessons are offered for guitar, harp, piano, viola, violin and voice.
Students are encouraged to learn at their own pace while instructors promote musical proficiency and techniques to relieve anxiety — all while learning the historical context of the music studied to produce stylistic performances.
Unique to the school is its community outreach offering, including recitals at area retirement and nursing homes, and institute-sponsored benefit concerts supporting local medical and charitable causes. Through these offerings, the school aims to promote the benefits of sharing music for people across all walks of life.