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Getting Started …
Drum Lessons
The drums are the heartbeat of the band. At Backbeat, you can take drum lessons in Portland from our nationally recognized teachers, including John Lamb. Take private or group lessons to learn to play in a band, learn songs, and put your own personal stamp of the music you play.
Guitar Lessons
Learn to rock out with our Portland guitar lessons, bass guitar lessons, and/or electric guitar lessons one-on-one with one of our professional teachers. Or you can join one of our bands – no prior experience necessary! We will match your skill level with others, so you can rock out right away.
Piano Lessons
Backbeat offers beginner and advanced piano lessons in Beaverton for all ages. For total beginners, we recommend our group classes where students learn the basics in a fun, social environment with kids their own age and skill level.
Voice Lessons
Learn to sing your heart out and to be comfortable with your own sound with singing lessons in Beaverton and Portland. In addition to private lessons, you can also take group lessons to sing with others or join a band!
Rock Band Classes
Playing in bands is a centerpiece of Backbeat Music Academy. We strongly encourage students to connect through music by joining one of our rock bands. We typically teach Rock band lessons (or Pop), but they are structured to student’s interests and skill. We match students of similar ages and experience levels.
Trumpet + Trombone Lessons
Backbeat also offers trumpet and trombone lessons. If you’re in a school band, you can practice the skills you’ll need to succeed, as well as skills to play non-concert band music. Also ask about playing in one of our rock bands!
Ukulele Lessons
Take private ukulele lessons in Portland, or ask about joining one of our bands! No experience is required, only the desire to play and have fun! We will match your skill level to one of our band groups.
Violin + Strings Lessons
Because it so closely sounds like the human voice, the violin is still one of the most popular instruments in world. We offer awesome violin lessons, as well as viola, cello and double bass lessons.
Try Everything Lessons
Ever wanted to try playing everything? Or maybe you just don’t know what instrument you like the best. Either way, this class is for you. Students get a chance to play every instrument (or sing); new musicians can discover what they enjoy most, and more experienced musicians can expand their horizons.
Computer Game Music Composition
To write music for games, students learn how music affects us and how to create those effects themselves. They learn music theory and composition skills and apply them through music composition for games.
What We Do And Why
There’s a mismatch. What students, parents and teachers want from music lessons doesn’t line up. The assumption is that students strive towards mastery, but parents just want them to be happy and successful, and kids just want to explore what it means to make music. Backbeat Music takes advantage of the exploration mode that kids want to create engaging, inquiry-driven lessons designed around what kids want and how they learn that develop a growth mindset and learning skills that develop a growth mindset and the attitude that practice isn’t just time for repetition, it is time to figure out how things work. Playing music is easy … if you know what to do.
At Backbeat Music Academy, we believe that everyone has musical talent. The parts of your brain that enjoy music are the same ones used to create music. Therefore, if you have the drive to play music, then we at Backbeat will help you succeed in our fun and engaging music lessons.
We help students navigate the confusion and intimidation of learning an instrument while providing a framework where students can craft the right balance of structure and freedom to suit their learning styles.
Our teachers guide each student’s discovery of what music means to them while developing the skills to master it. They learn fast, explore the vast world of music, make and play the music they want, and most importantly have fun.
Our Students Will…
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Have Fun. Enjoyment is key for great learning, and great learning makes for great musicians.
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Learn Fast. We empower each student to lead their own learning process by giving them challenges to work through at their own pace. Giving students choice improves self-confidence, as well as demystifying what it takes to learn. The result is a student who can figure out how to best use their time to improve at anything.
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Make the Music They Want to Make. Music is about having fun and being yourself. When given freedom over ones musical path, motivation isn’t an issue. Therefore, we give students that freedom, as well as the guidance to explore styles and genres they may not know about.
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Connect with Others. Music is fundamentally a shared experience. At Backbeat Music Academy, we make it easy for students to play with fellow musicians through band group lessons.
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Learn Great Posture. Great posture matters in all aspects of life; in music, proper posture eases movement, boosts self-esteem, and prevents injuries from repetitive (incorrect) motions. Musicians, like athletes, have to move their best to play their best.
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Learn to Handle Feelings of Intimidation and Confusion. At Backbeat, we teach students to feel free making mistakes, and how mistakes are an integral part of learning. This mindset is also applicable to learning anything, in or outside the music room.