Armstrong Community Music School

ACMS is an invaluable asset to the Austin community. Not only do they offer fantastic music instruction with some of the best teachers around, but they also give back to those around them. My son has been in Music Together with Mr. Walter since he was one and it is always the highlight of our week. On the occasions when we have had substitute teachers, they have always been top-​notch. ACMS also offers scholarships for students whose families are unable to pay the full rate, and they always have discounted rates for early birds (up to 30%!). Finally, they are genuinely committed to reaching as many children as possible and introducing them to the love of music. If I had experienced this type of musical exposure as a child, I would have regarded music, piano, and band (which I dutifully did) as fun and not just required activities. I am so excited to see my son’s love for music and his musical abilities develop as the years go on, and I am so grateful to ACMS for nurturing his little talents in such a supportive, skilled, and enjoyable environment. Keep up the fantastic work!

A Unilocal review can’t begin to explain the influence Music Together classes from infancy had on my son’s language development. We’ve made up songs for our baby’s daily routine since he was born, but if I stop and think about how many of those songs originated from Music Together… turns out we’re not so original after all! Now he’s one and a half; he’s invented sign language based on gestures he’s seen music teachers do, he uses vocalizations from music class to communicate, and he even sings unprompted!
I would be willing to bet money that there’s no other «Mommy and me”-type class in Austin where the instructors are so adept at using professional performance skills to hold kids’ attention. The Armstrong School is top-​notch!

This place is awesome! My son loves the Music Together and Cantar y Hablar programs, and I can’t say enough wonderful things about the piano lessons I’ve had here. After taking lessons from early childhood through high school, I took a more than decade-​long hiatus from the piano. Needless to say, I was nervous about taking lessons again. But Gordon, my teacher, immediately put me at ease. After only a couple of months, I’m playing music that is significantly more difficult than anything I’ve ever played before, and I’m playing it better than I ever thought I could. Each week, I learn more than I did in years of piano lessons as a child. What’s more – the lessons are fun! I’m blown away. Gordon is awesome! I can’t recommend him and ACMS enough.

My piano lessons at ACMS is a gift to myself. It it 30 minutes every other week that I can enjoy learning something new and most of all learning to play an instrument that I love and have always wanted to play. Rachel, my piano teacher, is the best! She understands my goals and customizes my lessons to them… including my mood. If I need an easy lesson, then that’s what I get. I am learning so much more than I ever thought I would.
I highly recommend music lessons for any adult looking for a little me time.

I have 4 children taking classes at Armstrong. We started when they were located downtown Austin and we have moved with them.
My oldest started with Armstrong with private piano lessons as she was too old at the time for the Mozarts classes. Her first teacher was great – a current jazz pianist playing with a band in town – but he moved out of state and so my daughter got Rachel as her teacher. My daughter also began voice lessons this past year with Carol.
My second did the Little Mozarts curriculum and then moved on to privates, again with the jazz pianist and now with Rachel.
My third did the Little Mozarts program and then started private piano lessons with Cynthia and then violin. She is on her third violin teacher in three years.
My youngest is finishing up his last semester with the Little Mozarts program.
Rachel has been a fantastic teacher for my two older daughters. They are very different in personality and Rachel has managed to adjust her teaching style to their learning styles. I think this is the hallmark of a truly great teacher. My second daughter did pretty well with her first teacher, but she has truly thrived with Rachel as her teacher. Rachel has guided her through practice and made piano something that she enjoyed instead of just a chore that Mom and Dad are making her do. My oldest daughter was given the option of quitting piano at age twelve (we told our kids they only had to take a musical instrument for 5 years) but she enjoyed it so much she has continued and asked to take voice.
Which leads me to Carol as a voice teacher. She and my daughter seem to really have hit it off and I am amazed to hear her sing. Carol is also adaptable and laid back but very good with technique.
My third daughter did so well with the Mozarts program that she was allowed to skip a semester and has had Cynthia as her private teacher for several years now. I can’t imagine a better teacher for her – they seem to be a perfect fit. My daughter plays really well and Cynthia moves her along at a great pace for her. She truly loves piano.
Erin is the main teacher of the Mozarts program and well – I’ve enrolled my 3 children in the program so that speaks for itself. Erin is a great teacher especially for the early childhood years.
The only negative I have had (and it’s not enough to knock off a star) is that with my third daughter’s violin lessons, she is on her 3^rd teacher in 3 years. She started off super excited about starting but that first teacher was not a good match for her and left Armstrong altogether. Her 2^nd teacher was a better match but after a year, that teacher also moved out of state. So she is now with her third teacher – she still enjoys violin but that excitement about the instrument is gone. I think she’s afraid to really like her new teacher. I don’t blame the school – they have no control over teachers moving, but that has been our only negative.
So overall, I think the school is really great. I grew up with piano being a source of stress due to teacher and parental pressure and competitions. It is a thrill to see that my children love making music and loving their teachers. There is no stress and the children are allowed to be children. I think the teachers at Armstrong are excellent at helping their students cultivate a lifelong love for music.

Involved teachers, robust curriculum, exciting kids learning about music. The staff of ACMS are all in when it comes to music education. Programs start with infants and roll right into instrument lessons.
Added a star because even though parking can be tricky, it is not a «star worthy» con.