Note-worthy Experiences Music Studio, Sudbury Massachusetts: Testimonials

TESTIMONIALS

Two months ago, my daughter started piano lessons with Dan Pappas. On the first day, Dan arrived at our house and immediately my daughter felt comfortable working with Dan. My daughter is a rambunctious six-year old. Since the lessons are at home, my daughter can become easily distracted by her surroundings. Dan is very patient. He finds a proper balance of learning and having fun. Now that we are doing lessons remotely, we are doing two shorter meetings a week. This has helped increase my daughter’s engagement. Overall, the lesson quality remains great. As a family, we appreciate Dan’s flexibility. We have had to move lessons around to accommodate our schedules. Dan has always been very flexible. Despite the chaos (both from a rambunctious six-year old and current life changes), my daughter has progressed rapidly and really enjoys playing the piano.
Finally, I asked my daughter why she likes Dan. She said that Dan is nice and is patient. He lets me learn at my own pace.

- Ryan from Natick

As someone who picked up the violin as an adult, I had some doubts about working with a teacher - I was particularly concerned about how well lessons would be tailored to an older student. But Kun has done an excellent job of both being patient with my development, and also still making lessons engaging. She takes the time to not only focus on the fundamentals of each new piece, but also to highlight the important stylistic elements of the music. Each piece isn't just a sheet of notes to be played, but rather a song to be enjoyed. Kun is always happy to answer my questions and is very easy to communicate with. That has especially become important lately as everyone made the move to online classes - I've been able to continue my lessons without missing a beat. It has been a joy to learn with Kun.

-Allen from Framingham

Tim Flores is working with our 9-year-old son & 11-year-old daughter. He jumped right in as a substitute instructor in a seamless way; quickly understanding & responding to their learning styles, personalities, levels, engaging them, challenging them & quickly guiding their growth. He has a kind, positive vibe as he provides a fun, focused lesson. He often adds an extra little element to keep them engaged & learning such as duets, learning how to give (& receive) constructive feedback from each other, listening activities about classical composers. He teaches them to appreciate where they are & get excited about what is next. He is super organized & follows up each lesson with a lesson plan that is extremely helpful for the my kids (& parents too) to navigate exactly what to work on & how to go about it. Tim clearly cares about his students and helping them both progress and find the joy of music! We are so appreciative that he is working with our children!

- Laurie from Wellesley

I want to express our appreciation for our virtual guitar lessons with Yaman. He goes above and beyond in ensuring that my children are able to get the most out of their lessons, despite the fact that he isn’t there in person. He makes videos for the kids with clear explanations during the week so that they can practice parts of their songs with added instruction. He continues to be as upbeat and encouraging as ever. It is such a pleasure to be able to continue these lessons and it gives us a sense of normalcy during very abnormal times!

-Kristin from Sudbury

I'm surprised how well the technology worked--not just from a logistical point of view, but for delivering a very constructive lesson. I didn't have doubts about your ability to teach, but I thought perhaps on our end it wouldn't feel "real." But it certainly did! I found that my son was more focused than he sometimes is. But I don't know if that was because the lesson was online, or it was just one of his better days in terms of paying attention.

-Jeanette from Framingham

Amy is the perfect teacher for us--8-year-old and 40-year-old first time piano students. She understands that children and adults learn differently and switches easily between teaching styles and techniques for each of us. She gently helps us work on "problem areas" (keep those wrists up!) and inspires us to improve our skills and perhaps most importantly, love music. Amy is flexible, attentive and encouraging. We love Amy!

-Liz from Framingham

Anna is terrific and she is a saint with my son who is on the spectrum. He had a couple tough days recently and she is patient and knows how much to give him in terms of new education vs allowing time for him to enjoy playing piano in his own way. We are so lucky to have her!

-Alicia from Charlestown

My daughter is thoroughly enjoying flute lessons with Sho. She is so proud of herself for the progress she's made so far, thanks to Sho for helping her with initial challenges in making a good sound and reaching the more difficult notes. Sho is a very enthusiastic instructor and is very sensitive to the way in which his students learn. He is always trying to think of new and creative ways in which to convey musical concepts and technique. Claire always looks forward to the next lesson with Sho!

-Christine from Sudbury

Photo Credit: Stuart Beeby Photography

My son has really enjoyed his piano lessons with Bryce. Bryce does a great job engaging with his students and encouraging them to push out of their comfort zone. He has also made it fun and motivating by introducing different genres of music from Start Wars, to Holiday Music, to Bach. It has also been good for my son to have a male teacher; he really looks up to him and wants to do better!

-JoAnn from Sudbury

Tristan has been working with our 11 year old son for several months now and he is a phenomenal teacher! From day one, I could tell Tristan was a true professional. Tristan is teaching our son important technical skills, but more importantly, inspiring a love of music. Since working with Tristan, our son has been listening to and enjoying different types of music more than ever. He is practicing every day, by choice. He has also started to write his own music with the help of Tristan. We love seeing our son's passion for the guitar blossom, thanks to Tristan's help!

- Krista from Sudbury

We are very pleased with our teacher Tara Chambers. We have seen concrete improvement in both our children after beginning with Tara. She has really made them want to practice and improve so we are very content with her and look forward to seeing our children grow their music skills.

-Patricia from Sudbury

My daughter has been taking piano lessons for 6 years and saxophone lessons for 3 years. She recently became interested in jazz music. She started taking jazz lessons with Matt Savage a few months ago. We have been amazed at his knowledge, preparation, and enthusiasm at every lesson. My daughter especially enjoys learning improv techniques on piano and saxophone from him. He is truly a phenomenal musician and instructor and we are thrilled to have him teaching our daughter!

-Nicole from Norfolk

My 16-year-old son Anthony has been receiving horn lessons from Julia for about 8 months. Julia has a friendly and welcoming personality that has made Anthony feel very comfortable working with her from the start. Both my wife and I have remarked that we not only like the way that she interacts while working with him but also that her teaching style is made up of a wonderful balance of high expectations and support. In the short amount of time that he has worked with her, we have seen an improvement in his ability to tackle more challenging pieces. This has been a very positive experience for our son and he is looking forward to continuing his lessons with her.

-Andrew from Hudson

We have had a very positive experience with Note-worthy Experiences. Our teacher, Alicia, has been amazing at figuring out ways to work with both my boys. My sons have autism but are very different with one another. Alicia is able to adapt her lessons to meet their needs and respond to however they are feeling on a particular day. She found that one boy will stay at the piano if he can improvise songs about sea animals. The other boy will sometimes sing with her and is gradually warming up to playing the keyboard. She has been very patient with his need to move around.

- Erica from Holliston

Daniel is one of the kindest, most patient and talented musicians I’ve met. His experience as a pianist and cellist, combined with his background in music theory and history, enables Daniel to provide kids with a well-rounded musical education. My kids love working with Daniel, partially because he chooses repertoire based on each child’s individual interests, often using upcoming song choice as a motivator to learn. My kids have also enjoyed attending a number of Daniel’s workshops, from conducting to composition to advanced music theory. And as if all that weren’t enough, my kids love knowing that their teacher plays as a cellist up on stage with the world-renowned Boston Pops!

-Marc from Sudbury

Photo Credit: Stuart Beeby Photography

Kailey Zercher is so great, and my daughter loves her. She is patient and kind and fun, and knows how to capture what my daughter is interested in and channel that into her lessons. We feel very thankful for her and to have found your company!

-Kathleen from Acton

Garrett has been teaching Piano to my three kids for the last four months. My kids love working with him and are making great progress. He's able to relate to them and make it fun. All three of them are more willing to practice and they also talk about their favorite songs.

-Praveena from Hopkinton

Renee and her team of instructors are top notch, wonderful with children, inspiring and clearly love what they do!

-Mandy from Sudbury

My daughter loves her teacher Sarah Mitchell. I highly recommend Sarah. She is a perfect match for young girls, a role model. She is patient and kind. Just what Cathryn needs.

- Amrita from Sudbury

We have been really happy with Noteworthy Experiences of Sudbury. They have sent both piano and viola teachers to our home, and both have been excellent. Renee Bordner, the owner, is a pleasure to work with, and very good at matching personalities to attain the best possible experience.

- Sarah from Sudbury

When I had the good fortune of moving into a house with a piano already there, I took that as a sign that my son, Charlie, should start learning how to play. I spoke with a few friends with music backgrounds and they all said that, at 4 years of age, he was too young and would not get much out of the experience. I went against popular advice, enrolled him at Noteworthy Experiences, and I am so happy I did. Almost 2 years after starting at Noteworthy Experiences, my son has developed a solid foundation in music, from being able to read the grand staff to interpreting musical notation. He is learning about the great composers. Just the other day he told me, "Mom, this sounds like Beethoven" and it was. I delight in watching him play, with both hands moving independently of each other and think of all the brain development involved in being able to interpret what he sees on the paper and translate that into music. Then there is the additional pleasure of spending some time together each day, working on something we both value. Not to say that practice is always easy, but it is so so worth it to see the look of accomplishment on his face when he masters something he has found challenging. And, that sense of achievement is something he can take with him through all aspects of his life.

I believe that Ms. Renee Bordner has a special talent for working with children, because Charlie is not what one would classify as "easy going". If he does not want to do something, that is that. However he is happy to practice piano because Ms. Renee is gifted in making it fun. Lesson time each week is a highlight. I love to see the interaction they have. She embraces technology as a teaching tool, which speaks to my son in this tech laden environment. I have had to tell him on more than one occasion that he had to stop practicing because it was time to get ready for bed.

I wholeheartedly recommend Noteworthy Experiences to anyone interested in having their children learn piano, or for themselves.

- Ellen from Wellesley

Yusuke has been a wonderful guitar teacher for my teen daughter. His clear expertise, patience, and friendly manner make him a perfect match. He listens to her preferences and works with her to play songs that fit her style. Although she has only been playing for a few months, my daughter looks forward to her lessons, enjoys practicing, and is making great progress. We highly recommend Yusuke to anyone looking for a first guitar teacher!

-Jessica from Sudbury

Our 14-year-old son started taking trumpet lessons from Cassie a little over six months ago. His improvement was immediate, and he has really enjoyed the lessons. Cassie covers a tremendous amount of ground in each lesson and has worked effectively with our son on musicality and phrasing, dynamic contrast, rhythm/counting, articulation, tone, breath support, intonation - pretty much everything. She also regularly alerts our son to opportunities to grow as a trumpet player outside of school and lessons. She's enthusiastic, direct, efficient, and encouraging. She's been great.

- Jeff from Cambridge

Miss Nina has been very good with my son. Miss Nina has a very beautiful voice and we enjoyed listening to her live voice when she was coming to our home for face to face lessons. She is very attentive and fun for my son to follow and learn from. We are very fortunate to have her teach Ethan at his current stage of his musical ability. Looking forward to keep on collaborating with her to improve my sons' ukulele skills and singing capabilities too. We would like to recommend Miss Nina to other families who are interested in exposing their children to musing.

-Juliana from Sudbury

Giving a shout out to Renee Helmke Bordner and her wonderful Noteworthy instructors! We've transitioned to FaceTime lessons and it's working out great. It's added a much needed structure to a non-stop quarantining day. Great time for music lessons while kids have time on their hands!

-Judy from Sudbury

Alicia is an excellent and intuitive piano teacher. Not only does she have musical knowledge but also, and more importantly, the ability to keep very young children engaged. Her behavior management skills, enthusiasm and general kindness has enabled both my five and two year olds to fall in love with music. We are thrilled she is our teacher and we look forward to lessons each week.

-Katherine from Newton

Photo Credit: Stuart Beeby Photography

We are so pleased with Carly. Not only is she super talented and experienced, she is an effective communicator. I was so impressed with how quickly Sophie was able to master simple songs on the clarinet just a few weeks after first picking up the instrument and only after a couple lessons with Carly. We look forward to continued musical progress with Carly!

-Christine from Sudbury

We could not be more pleased with Anna and your organization- we have done lessons with two other instructors (who were quite experienced) and Anna is the best! She’s really dedicated and obviously talented in instruction as well as music. What a find!! Thank you!

-Alicia from Charlestown

Joel does a great job working on the basics as well as allowing my daughter to be creative and work on her ‘own’ music. It’s a perfect match for her.

-Tiffany from Sudbury

Photo Credit: Stuart Beeby Photography

Adam Mujica is so patient with my son and allows him his own creative moments so he learns in a way that is comfortable to him. We have been really happy with the lessons so far!

-A mom from Newton

We happened to meet Daniel while he was a music director at our church a few years ago. Right away after meeting him and hearing him play piano, I knew he needed to teach my daughter! We were looking for someone like him to teach and inspire her all along! He challenges her with repertoire, teaches her valuable practice techniques, and also relates to her on a personal level. There hasn't been one lesson that she hasn't looked forward to even when lessons have been at 7am or 8pm! Daniel always comes in with a smile and ready to teach a thorough, challenging lesson. She has progressed so much since starting with him and he has introduced her to various opportunities to further her musical education. In addition to his teaching ability, he is a kind, compassionate, and genuine person. Our whole family loves Daniel!

-Nicole from Norfolk

Photo Credit: Stuart Beeby Photography

Seba is a wonderful teacher for my son and a super nice guy. He finds Seba engaging , very comfortable to be with and enjoys the lessons very much. My son feels he teaches him more than notes, rhythm, fundamentals and so much more. He looks forward to his weekly lessons and is very impressed with Seba as he is super talented!

-Linda from Sudbury

Our daughters, Layla (age 8) and Elise (age 6) began voice lessons with Jessica a short time ago. They were both immediately at ease with her gentle manner and easygoing personality. Jessica incorporates the girls' music choices along with her own as she guides them through voice exercises and in song. The girls each accomplish a lot in their individual 30-minute lessons. We have heard improvement in their voices and look forward to more growth in the future.

-Jackie from Framingham

I would like to recognize Johnny for his outstanding teaching. My son was new to the cello last summer and Johnny has been wonderful. He is kind, patient, and instructs very well. At one point when my son felt a bit frustrated, Johnny adjusted his approach and my son responded very well. Someone who can pivot quickly and find a new and successful approach is a sign of a great teacher! We truly appreciate his dedication!

-Carole from Concord

Renee is incredibly knowledgeable about both piano instruction and teaching more broadly. Renee understands what is developmentally appropriate and is preparing my daughter for more advanced skills when she will be ready by having a systematic approach from the beginning. She knows how to motivate and focus young children and has made piano lessons productive and fun for my daughter. Renee has routines that make the lesson flow from start to finish and my daughter knows exactly what to expect each week. She also has expectations that my daughter practice and be a responsible student which I appreciate.

- Stephanie, Phd. Graduate Studies of Education at Harvard University

I absolutely love taking classes with Renee. As an adult student looking to learn how to play a brand new instrument, I was definitely nervous about starting this journey. Would this teacher be nice, would I be able to do it, would I feel embarrassed or judged if it wasn’t easy for me? All of this trepidation vanished shortly upon meeting Renee. Her expertise and her own love of the piano were immediately apparent, but of equal importance to me, so was her kindness. Here is a lady who is not just a fantastic piano player –she is a fantastic teacher as well. As someone who has previously taken flute, voice, and guitar lessons, as well as watched the kids I nanny for take piano lessons, I know that this is not always the case. I have been taking lessons with Renee for about a year now. Through any of the ups and downs, I have continually felt her nonjudgmental support. Always encouraging, Renee seems to have found the perfect balance between being too easy and too hard. Instead, she is challenging, while being constantly open for questions and thankfully maintaining a sense of humor. She is full of resources, whether those are magazine articles, piano apps, new music, or coming up with ideas for tackling whatever I’m having trouble playing. Renee is genuinely interested in her students, she makes learning to play the piano be both an obtainable goal and an adventure, and I am truly grateful to have found her as my piano teacher. I would recommend her to anyone with piano-playing dreams, both young and old!

- Laura, current adult student

It is with great pleasure that I write this letter of recommendation on behalf of Renee Bordner. My daughter took piano lessons with Renee for about three years. The progress that she made during her time with Renee as a teacher far exceeded any expectations I had and demonstrated to me what a wonderful teacher she is. Not only did my daughter grow as a piano player she gained more confidence in herself. Playing and practicing the piano was not a chore but rather an activity she performed happily and voluntarily. Renee was able to impart her enthusiasm and love of playing the piano onto my daughter. Renee is not only friendly and patient, but also is good at gauging her students' level of knowledge and ability. Her commitment to her students is evident. I highly recommend Renee as a piano teacher.

- Laura

Noteworthy doesn't only offer amazing and friendly music teachers who provide excellent tutoring in the comfort of your home. Being part of the Noteworthy experience is like being part of the family. They go the extra mile and really give back, with fun, family events throughout the year. Our 8 year old son has really engaged in his piano lessons since we started with Noteworthy last year. Thank you! You guys are great. 5* all the way.

- Parent of one of Daniel Dickson's students

The personal attention you get from the folks over at Note-worthy are second to none of the private arts studios in the area. Renee Bordner is very pleasant to work with.

- Tim from Osmun Music

Photo credit: Stuart Beeby Photography

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