Boulder School Of Music

11/26/08

Nightmare of a studio!

by einekin at Citysearch

I worked for the Boulder School of Music for a while after first moving to Boulder. The owner is a nightmare and the comments you'll read below are completely accurate. There are some good teachers there and you might float along without a problem, however, the owner is malicious and petty. He accused me of stealing and using equipment (provided in the rooms for instruction!) and did not pay me for lessons that had been collected from students. When I quit the nightmare continued with the following comments cut straight from our e-mail correspondence:

"If you do not plan on remitting the payment (of $45 for a lost key!) I will be forced to escalate the schools retrieval method. If that happens it would be unfortunate for you to eventually have to pay upwards of $200 and incur a blemish on your credit reports. Please let me know by Wednesday and thanks. Have a wonderful holiday."

"Boy, I?m glad I didn?t get in trouble for violating the child labor laws when I hired you! Also, I guess you don?t really need that high paying gig at the hotel after all. A little advise?change your medication or up the dosage. Good luck in evolving, you?re going to need it."

Again, these are straight out of the owner's e-mails. So, check out Boulder's other options for studios and I'm sure you'll find what you are looking for.

• Pros: Location
• Cons: The owner and the policies of enrolling in this school

02/23/09

Nice school, friendly environment

by salaweave at Citysearch

My son and daughter have been taking lessons at the Boulder School of Music for over a year now. They enjoy their lessons and have improved dramatically since they began taking lessons there. The teachers try to make lessons fun and the learning environment is very positive and relaxed. There is a very nice waiting area at the school with puzzles and games for the kids to play.

• Pros: excellent teachers!

02/23/09

Great place to learn music

by jeniahwitten at Citysearch

I have had a great experience at the Boulder School of music. My teacher is inspiring and I have improved my piano skills significantly since I began taking classes there. All of the teachers seem very professional and friendly. The school gathers people from all walks of life and offers instruction in many styles of music. The facility is nice, with a comfortable waiting room.

• Pros: relaxing kid friendly atmosphere, great teachers

01/10/09

Very satisfied

by gailstorm at Citysearch

Great school, wonderful teachers, quality music education. That pretty much sums up the Boulder school of music. I love the location and they offer very flexible schedules. I don't understand some of these other posts. My experience has been nothing short of wonderful. Highly recommended!

12/30/08

Good reviews are planted

by anon4now at Citysearch

After I read the pervious reviews, I can tell you my conclusions. I, too, used to work for the Boulder School of Music and was fired on the last day of my 2 week's notice. I had quit because, frankly, I was not getting any income from the place and was not allowed to change my schedule to accomodate school. When I quit, I recieved many insulting emails from the owner, much like the previous reviewer. I also began to hear of outrageous rumors of me threatening him and lashing out. These rumors were so far from the truth, they are funny to anyone who knows me. Here is what I draw from the reviews: yes, there are MANY disgruntled former teachers out there, which should be a big red flag; the good reviews seem planted because they focus so much on the owner and what a great guy he is (when in actuality, the patrons have a relationship with their teacher and the owner is more or less like a registrar. it would meake more sense if the "good" reviews focused on the teachers. That is what makes a school, right?); The comments about the school's atmosphere seem correct to me. It is cramped and oddly located in an office suite. Even if I hadn't been fired under false pretenses, insulted, accused, defamed, and made incredibly uncomfortable, I STILL would not recommend this school. Einekin, I'd love to chat with you. I think we'd have a lot to talk about.

• Pros: Teachers
• Cons: Management

07/02/08

Music you can shake a stick at

by ogghead at Citysearch

I waited to write a review until we'd spent a while at Boulder School of Music. I can only speak knowledgeably about drum and vocal instruction. We've been very pleased with both.

Unless you're truly claustrophobic, the school facilities are not "too small" in any practical sense. Two lessons can happen at the same time, and while all the space is utilized, it in no way impedes playing. I didn't even realize there were any noise restrictions until commentors here complained--we play loud when I'm there. The Pearl Street location is a big plus for me as well--I often buy a CD at Bart's or have a pint at Mountain Sun after I finish practice.

As to "management is mean and stressed out," I can only reply "Ok, if you say so." We've worked closely with Larry and Thalia for a while now, and find them both friendly, professional, and flexible. Larry is a stickler for timely payments and the letter of the contract, so I can see how that could become a source of animosity for some. And I have heard him complain--politely--to students who simply didn't pick up their drumsticks in the past week, and to their parents. He seems to see music lessons as a partnership, and you've got hold up your end of the deal as well. That all clicks with me, but again it's only my perspective.

Please at least take the other comments here with a grain of salt. I hope you'll find Larry as friendly, funny, and full of great music as I have.

Both instructors we work with at Boulder School of Music are deep, passionate, professional musicians who are eager to share their knowledge. I've had private instruction on several instruments for years, and so has my son, and in our experience BSM is a great place with a lot to offer.

• Pros: Location, Many Instrument Types, Expertise

06/28/08

An honest review

by bsminsider at Citysearch

These things are true:

The school does not have enough room

The management can be unpredictable and malicious

The teachers are highly qualified

There are noise restrictions

Parking is a major headache

Prices are high

Contract is inflexible

06/11/08

Fantastic music school

by lifeclimber at Citysearch

Two of my children have been taking lessons at the Boulder School of Music for almost four years. We all love it there! When my third child is of age she'll be going there too. The teachers are all well educated and the atmosphere makes for an enjoyable time while waiting during the lessons. The owner is kind and very professional and accommodates our every need. Yes, he's had some teachers that didn't work out, thus some negative posts. I wouldn't keep bad employees at my business either. Great job Boulder School of Music and keep it up!

11/19/07

People should know before they sign a contract

by longdistancecalls at Citysearch

I left the Boulder School of Music after a very negative interaction with the owner. I would love to say great things about this school, because I think it serves a certain niche and the teachers are pretty great (as far as my experience) but the experience really left me cold and uncomfortable. I just think people should be wary before they sign into anything binding.

• Pros: None to speak of
• Cons: unpredictable

11/19/07

Still working out the kinks

by waterbuff at Citysearch

I used to be a teacher at the Boulder School of Music. I would say that many of the other comments definitely ring true, but I would add that the school is still fairly new and is run single-handedly by one person. I think starting a music school would be very stressful. Sometimes that stress shows up when working with this person. The location is not ideal, and space was certainly a big problem when I was teaching there. That said, I think this school has a lot of heart. It is a good place to go if you are looking to learn how to be in a rock band. It seems to be especially geared toward that kind of music. As for classical music, the fascilities and amenities don't really make the grade. This is probably (and quite understandibly) because of the owner's background with the drum set. The contract is quite a bit more strict than other music schools, like the RMCMA or Parlando, and the atmoshpere not quite as friendly. Having worked there I can honestly say I think I have seen the best and worst of this school, and as a musician I would probably not recommend it, except to those looking to learn drums. The school is set up for drums (except for the noise-restiction issue). As for the other teachers, they are all well-qualified but do seem to turn over often. I would also guess they are somewhat hampered by the space and noise issues. I hope that one day this music school will have its kinks worked out and it can stand equal to Parlando andRMCMA.

• Pros: Good place to learn to drum
• Cons: Negative atmosphere, cramped space, noise restrictions, teacher turn-over, parking