Testimonials

Dr. Brenda Lang had a tremendous impact on me! Her energy, joy and passion spill out in everything she does, and she brought those into the practice room every time. I met her when I was extremely inexperienced and had little knowledge or control over my voice. She helped me learn how to use my voice, strengthen it and care for it in ways that have helped me have a career in music for 14 years now. She was and has continued to be a great encourager to me. Still to this day the greatest thing I tell people about Brenda is that she didn’t try to change who I was as a vocalist. She listened to me, got to know & showed appreciation for my style, and then helped me get better at what I do and how I do it.

I began studying with Dr. Lang after I finished my master’s degree in voice performance. Brenda was exactly the teacher I needed. She has helped fill the gaps in my technique. I have experienced an incredible amount of growth in the months she has been my teacher. Together, we have worked to discover the most honest version of my voice. Not only has she helped me with singing, but Brenda also has helped me professionally as I navigate the crazy life of a musician. Her advice has been invaluable, and her genuine care for her students makes singing for her a delight. Her technical philosophy puts singers’ health and longevity first making her an excellent teacher for young, developing voices.

We have been thrilled with the instruction our son has received from Joel at CMA. His skill development and confidence in his guitar playing has grown tremendously over the past two years. Highly recommend the guitar program!

When I first began music lessons with Dr. Brenda Lang, I was horribly insecure and I had little natural musical ability. There was something about Dr. Lang’s spirit and genuine adoration for music that was contagious, and forced me to never give up on my goals. That motivation pushed me through hours and hours of practice and hard work. Because of her, I improved immensely, I gained confidence in my vocal ability, I learned how to truly come alive on stage, and she ultimately helped me to complete my Bachelor of Music Degree at Cincinnati Christian University. I would not be where I am today without her. She will help you grow more than you ever thought possible. I will cherish every lesson I’ve had with Brenda in my heart forever, and I will always love her dearly as my teacher and mentor.

Our son started violin when he was in 1st grade. Now a 6th grader, we are amazed by his progress and dedication to his violin. We appreciate what Greg, Claire and the rest of the Suzuki Strings Department has done with our son, Jake. We hope he continues to strive as he goes through the various books in the program.

“I love the feeling I have leaving a guitar lesson with Max Gise, positive, upbeat, and I can’t wait to get home and practice. As a working adult student, practice time can be a challenge after working ten hour days, yet when I get started and get that feeling again, I remember why I love the guitar!”

“Joel Greenberg is a great teacher. His desire for perfection in rhythm and his focus on practical techniques in guitar lessons helped me to become a proficient player. His teaching methods allow me to progress on my own and work stuff out for myself. Joel embraces the idea of teaching the student how to learn on his own and progress which helps him/her to explore their own interests while becoming a better player.”

Dr. Lang is an incredibly talented crafter of the human voice. She is proficient at polishing even the most trained voices into professional-sounding vocalists, but is also adept at refining “diamond-in-the-rough” voices by investing deeply into each vocalist on an individual basis to discover the pedagogical methods that work best for each unique voice (and her storehouse of methods is rarely emptied). She is very capable of training a wide range of vocal styles, but above all will make sure that each of her students is singing safely, and will maintain their voice for a lifetime.

You have to know how much the piano lessons at Cincinnati Music Academy have meant to me, and how amazing the program is that you’ve put together. I truly look forward to class every week and get so much inspiration from the soirees as well. My husband had a blast at the potluck. You are an amazing teacher and it’s because of how you teach and your personality that I love the classes so much!!!!

“Ben has ignited our son’s interest and enthusiasm for playing the acoustic guitar!  Ben’s skillful teaching and ability to relate to his students has helped our son steadily progress in his playing ability.  As a parent, I feel that, more importantly, Ben has been an outstanding role model to our adolescent son who looks up to him tremendously.”

My 2 sons have been Suzuki violin students at CMA since 2009. The classes are perfectly suited to them as young students and the teachers are encouraging, caring and skilled. We have been happy as part of the CMA family and made many friends amongst the other families here.

“I’ve been studying jazz guitar lessons with Joel Greenberg for about a year and a half. Jazz guitar has been a personal goal of mine for many years. There have been many obstacles along the way, one of them being a focused, knowledgeable and resource-rich instructor. Joel has helped me overcome this obstacle.

The never ending study of jazz guitar can be rife with pitfalls and hurdles. Joel, having been a student himself, understands these issues and has offered personal experience, guidance and resources. His consistent, patient approach helps keep me focused on the fundamentals of jazz guitar that will help me meet my goals. In addition Joel is an experience player (not just a teacher) and brings that important perspective to the learning process.

Learning the guitar for, many, can be a delicate balance. Too much information and the student simply overloads. Not enough “push” and the student can lose interest. I feel that Joel has an awareness of these issues and, again, it has helped keep me motivated.

In about a year I have progressed from barely able to play in the jazz idiom to playing in an adult jazz combo. I’m still challenged in my studies – but I am in the process of achieving my goals.”

The past 4 years at CMA’s Cincinnati Suzuki Academy has been great for my son. It has enhanced his fine motor skills, improved his musicality and love for music, and promoted self-discipline.

My child continues to be inspired at CMA and I enjoy watching her grow her violin skills.

CMA Suzuki Strings has really been a very positive and wonderful experience for my son. He is on his fourth year and I have seen him grow so much. I cannot say enough of the positive and charismatic teachers the program is blessed to have.

Greg Noland’s violin lessons are very fun. There are many unique skills that attract the young kids to study with him. Even though my son is only 5 years old, he loves his violin lessons very much!

Over the past 6 years, the amazing Suzuki violin instructors have taken my shy 5 year-old and transformed her into a focused, confident, accomplished 11-year-old violin player. Of all the things I’ve done, I’m most proud of giving her the gift of music.

I was introduced to Paul McCready at a really important time in my life. I had trained at a pre-professional level in ballet for my entire childhood, but by high school, I was starting to also dabble in school theatre. After being cast as a lead in the school musical, I realized that music was hugely important to me; I wanted to SING and dance for a living. I needed to play a fast game of catch-up in vocal technique to prepare for my college auditions, and that is where Paul came in. After taking voice lessons with Paul, I was able to hold my own in all my auditions, and I knew I could actually call myself a SINGER (a huge step for someone who had spent her life dancing silently onstage). Not only did I get into all my dream colleges, but I have enjoyed a successful Broadway career, as well. I cannot thank Paul enough for helping me find my voice and pursue my dreams!

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“Amy Immerman is the ultimate piano professional teacher. Even though I bungled through my lack of being able to keep up, I now  have the inspiration to catch up with the basics.  Keep up the good work.”

“Joel Greenberg is one of the most influential people in my life, whether he realizes it or not.  By taking guitar lessons from him, he gave me the basis for an entire career in music, which I am currently pursuing.  Joel teaches every lesson with enthusiasm, which in turn made me even more excited.  Joel has prepared me to play in any style and genre of music imaginable.  Joel made me a versatile player by encouraging my strengths and working on my weaknesses in each lesson.  Joel is a very well-rounded guitarist, which allows the student to choose many different musical paths. “

I’ve been in voice lessons for twelve years. I’m a singer/songwriter working on developing my career in the music industry. I started working with Dave three years ago and what first drew me in was his expertise in several different styles of singing. My background in singing is classical but I sing a lot of pop music. When I compare Dave to the other vocal coaches I’ve had, I’ve learned more in three years with him than all the years combined in vocal lessons with other coaches. I’ve learned many new techniques with Dave. Whenever I come into a lesson with a challenging piece or vocal issue, I’m always confident he’ll know exactly how to help me make my vocal performance exemplary, and he has never failed me. I’ve grown as a singer and artist since the first lesson with Dave and I’m so grateful to have started working with him. I recorded every lesson with Dave and the difference in my voice from the first day with him and now is amazing to hear. I highly recommend him as a vocal coach!”

As an “older” guitar player, but always a learner, I wanted to take guitar lessons to learn Travis-style fingerpicking. I soon found that Joel has just what I need in a guitar teacher – someone with the right blend of technical skills and experience, but also a guy who has a love of music along with the heart and soul to make the connection, and for me that also includes the patience and attention to me and my individual needs. And something I look forward to – occasionally we even take a few minutes and talk about music and some things we have in common – again, I’m always a learner – a love of musicians and especially jazz guitar players – think Kenny Poole! What I’m saying here is freely spoken and from the heart. So I’m learning fingerpicking, and I’m learning some music theory, and my live is better! I wouldn’t want any guitar teacher other than Joel. Give him a try and I know you’ll agree.

“I thought Nicholas’s interest would fade after a few lesson like with most kids, not so. He loves Bejamin and his teaching methods. After every guitar lesson Nicholas talks about how good Benjamin is at teaching him and how well he knows how to play the guitar. He genuinely cares about hs students and what they are into even if it is not about guitar lesson.”

“I’ll start by saying that I will be forever grateful and indebted to Paul McCready. I began voice lessons with Paul in 1994 and I still consider myself his student – 20 years later. Paul not only trained my voice so that I could get scholarships at many famous conservatories, but he gave me the tools I use on a daily basis to be a professional singer, performer, and person. I have performed with the best of Broadway, have made a career as a recording artist, and my voice has NEVER let me down because of the techniques I have learned and depend on. I swore for years that I was his only student because that’s the way he made me feel. He pushed me very hard over the years and I am so glad that he did. Paul taught more than just “voice lessons.” He taught me discipline, work ethic, all while being the most encouraging and supportive teacher I’ve ever had. If you are lucky enough to study with Paul, I beg you to take full advantage of it. You won’t find better. Anywhere.”

“It was fun to participate in Amy Immerman’s chords class.  The camaraderie made it a relaxed atmosphere.  Now I am able to recognize, name and develop chords.  That was my goal.  I will understand the music which I have played.  Thank you!”

We are thrilled to have someone as accomplished as Benjamin working with Sophia, our 8-year old daughter in guitar lessons at Cincinnati Music Academy.  He’s always positive and fun. Sophia says, “he’s the best teacher, ever!!!”

“Nancy has taught our daughter guitar lessons for about 2 ½ years and the progress under Nancy’s tutelage has wildly exceeded our initial expectations. We feel incredibly fortunate to have Nancy in our musical lives.”

“We came to Cincinnati Music Academy very naive and behind the eight ball. Our son was well into his senior year when he decided he wanted to pursue music at the college level. He had a ton of exposure to music, but very little and very sporadic exposure to formal music training. Luke interviewed several schools and his gut led him to CMA. And we are so glad it did.

Joel Greenberg has met with Luke weekly to prepare him for college level auditions. Knowing Joel’s experience with this process has given Luke the assurance that he is on the right track. It has not been an easy transition for Luke, but Joel has been very patient. He has been honest, while still letting Luke know what he was doing right, and pushing him to give more. Now, Luke is on a perfect trajectory to be prepared for his auditions.

As parents, working with Joel has been ideal. His lesson notes are clear and well detailed. He has been more than available to both Luke and us outside of his lesson tome for any additional questions or concerns we may have. In addition, billing, rescheduling and communication have been well streamlined and flawless.

It has truly been a pleasure working with CMA and Joel.”

From an email to David Urbon:

Hey David!

It’s Jordanne  C. I am going to be home for the month of May and I was wondering if I could take a couple of lessons from you again just to get a refresher and to see you again. I have been taking lessons from Kim Wood Sandusky (Beyonce’s singing teacher) and I must say you did way more for me than she has. My number is (xxx)-xxx-xxxx, text or call me or email me back if you have time or availability for May. I will work around your schedule so just let me know!

Thank you so much for everything you have done for me, I really appreciate it.

“Mondays are my favorite day of the week because I get to come to piano class!”

“I don’t know how to fully express in a short email the impact you had on Jack’s (musical) education…You were his favorite teacher of all time; you were the type of tough instructor that pushed him to practice and learn new, more difficult material (Jack usually disliked “tough” instructors) but, somehow, he loved you! You were not just an instructor — you were his mentor, his friend, and his big brother all rolled-up into one! I would encourage any budding guitar player to take lessons from you at CMA; you’re one in a million!”

“Joel Greenberg’s patience and professional approach, to narrowing down the areas our son needed to improve upon in guitar lessons, prepared him for college auditions. We were thrilled when our son was accepted into the commercial guitar/music program at a premier university.”

“I’ve been taking guitar lessons at Cincinnati Music Academy for just over three years. As my ability has grown, so has my appreciation for music and for those who play it well. Joel Greenberg is a patient and skilled teacher who also happens to be a really gifted musician. I’ve had the privilege of seeing him play live. I left that show thinking to myself, ‘I really need to practice more.’ Joel makes me want to play guitar and keep getting better. That, to me, is why people take music lessons.”

“Joel Greenberg’s professional experience provides a groundwork which enables him to individualize lessons for each of his students. He nurtured our son’s talent and helped him achieve his musical goals. In addition, he provided tremendous wisdom, and was an excellent mentor for our son as he was considering his collegiate aspirations. Joel’s dedication to his students extends beyond their musical success, into their overall success in life.”

“Joel Greenberg is an outstanding musician, teacher and mentor. We love that he taught our son how to read actual music (most guitar teachers only work with tabs), and we have been incredibly impressed with his knowledge of and experience in so many different genres of guitar – everything from metal to jazz, folk, and even classical. Joel does a fantastic job prepping students for auditions as well. Perhaps the best thing about him, though, is the fact that he constantly challenges our son to broaden his musical horizons in both genre and level of difficulty. The growth we have seen in our son’s musical abilities under Joel’s watch has been tremendous!”

“I couldn’t have asked for a better experience with CMA through Joel Greenberg. He provided me with a particular set of very applicable musical skills and knowledge that I could then utilize to learn larger styles and approaches, which enabled my playing abilities to expand quickly. His teaching style makes the guitar very accessible even to children and young adults. I can earnestly say that I not only learned from Joel, but was also able to play with him. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience every week.”

“Joel Greenberg has been working with me for over a year, and though I am not what one might consider a “serious guitar student”, I very much appreciate Joel’s teaching methods. He can show me any style of guitar playing in which I am interested……from Travis picking to blues to pop strumming…….and has even displayed some jazz and classical techniques here-and-there. Joel listens to what I am interested in learning, gives me good feedback on my fingering and string/play, and offers constructive criticism to help me improve. I look forward to my Monday lesson as one of the more fun parts of my week!”

“Max Gise’s passion for the guitar is matched by his incredible enthusiasm for his students. Not only did he patiently guide me through the beginner phase, but as I gained confidence and acquired skill, Max championed me as a songwriter, performer and full-fledged musician.”

“I so enjoyed my time at CMA each week learning how to play the guitar with Joel Greenberg. I truly treasured these lessons & gradually as the weeks went on I definitely felt more comfortable with my guitar. (Soon enough I noticed a difference in my playing.) I recommend anyone interested in playing the guitar & making music to take lessons with Joel. I had a lovely experience!”

“Amy Immerman, I just wanted to thank you for today’s lesson. I was feeling kind of low when I came to class and left with a much better attitude.  Thanks for brightening my day with music!”

“Amy Immerman does so much to make the piano journey so very special.”

“David was my first voice lessons teacher I ever studied with. He instills confidence and he helps bring out the bigger voice you probably have hiding somewhere inside of you. David helped me prepare for my first actual audition outside of my own high school. I got the part!”

“Benjamin Thomas is a kind, encouraging and knowledgeable gutiar teacher. He is a true professional and relates to all ages. I’ve learned so much in just a few months!”