LA Music Academy College of Music in Pasadena, Calif., has created LAMA Jams, a music program that serves guitar, bass, drum, vocals, keyboard, brass and woodwind students. Ongoing weekly private lessons coincide with band workshops where students create and perform original music or cover songs. LA Music Academy, founded in 1996 by professional musicians and recording studio greats, is known worldwide for offering a relevant education in a small boutique environment.
“LAMA Jams focuses on private lessons and band workshops. Whether you want to learn rock, pop, hip-hop, funk, R&B, jazz, neo-soul or classical, this is the right program for you,” says Tom Aylesbury, president of LA Music Academy. “Students can opt for lessons, workshops or both. The workshop sessions run for seven weeks followed by a final concert during the eighth. Private lessons are ongoing and taught at the Academy or in your home [an additional charge applies].”
All ages are welcome to join the program; however, Aylesbury says if musicians are 9 years old or younger, they should contact the school to inquire about availability. “Following an assessment, a personalized private instruction program is developed to fit each student’s individual needs and aspirations. Students may choose either 45-minute or one-hour private lessons, in either a one-on-one format or small group setting.” Aylesbury says LA Music Academy’s highly qualified instructors are all professional musicians; most are graduates of the nationally accredited LA Music Academy, which in 2009 began offering Associate of Arts degrees in Music Performance.
Workshop students are placed in bands according to ability. Bands will play cover songs or write original songs in any style. Weekly rehearsals are 45 minutes each, held over the course of seven weeks. At the end of each session, bands will record their songs and perform a concert. Students who are enrolled in the private lessons receive discounted pricing for the band workshops.
In addition to required books, students enrolling in private lessons need to bring the following:
• drummers: sticks and practice pad
• guitarists/bassists: instrument, cable and tuner
• vocalists: a recording device, if desired
• brass and woodwind players: instrument
LA Music Academy will supply drum sets, cymbals, pedals, amps and keyboards.
Private lessons are ongoing year round and monthly payment is due one month in advance. Lessons with student and teacher only are $60 for one hour or $45 for 45 minutes. Lessons at students’ homes are $70 for one hour or $55 for 45 minutes, within a 10-mile radius of Pasadena. Group lessons (which comprise three-to-five students) are $30 per student for one hour. Payment for band workshops is due prior to the start of the session. Each session is $400, but only $325 if the student is already enrolled in private lessons.
For more information, visit www.lamajams.com and www.lamusicacademy.edu. Contact Iris Alba in admissions at 626/568-8850 or [email protected]. LA Music Academy is located at 370 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena, CA 91105.
