Adult Music Lessons
Music Lessons for Adults
Look, we get it. Signing up for adult music lessons can be daunting when you see music academies catering to toddler piano lessons. That’s why at Molly’s Music we do everything we can to ensure that our programs are geared toward the success of our adult students.
Why Take Music Lessons as an Adult?
If you’re a professional musician (or an aspiring one) it goes without saying that you could benefit from regular lessons. It’s important to keep your voice or instrument playing in shape and to continue to build lists of repertoire you’re comfortable auditioning and performing with. But music lessons aren’t just for pros. There are countless proven benefits to starting as an adult, even if you’re starting from the very beginning.
It Keeps Your Brain Healthy
Learning how to play an instrument as an adult, like learning a foreign language, keeps your brain youthful. It’s been known to stave off dementia by keeping you alert for longer, but long before dementia has the possibility of setting in, it keeps you sharper and improves your quality of life.
It Relieves Stress
Now more than ever, you need an outlet for stress relief. When you’re a kid, the right school will give you plenty of time for catharsis and self-expression: creative writing, choir, the school play… The need for that doesn’t just go away as an adult, and yet as an adult, it’s increasingly difficult to carve out time for these outlets. Music lessons are the perfect place to relieve stress and awaken that dormant ability to be artistic.
It Builds Community
Music lessons
How are Adult Music Lesson Different?
There’s nothing like walking into a music lesson as an adult and being assigned material that’s clearly geared toward young kids. Adult music lessons shouldn’t be run the same way children’s music lessons are, and we take that responsibility seriously.
No Kids Music
If you’re signing up for lessons as an adult, chances are, you don’t want to eke your way through a music book with a magical mouse guiding you through the learning process. We only use music books designed for adults and help you work toward music you actually want to be singing or playing.
You Set Your Own Goals
You probably already have in mind something you hope to accomplish through lessons. If you want to join a local rock band or audition for musicals, just let us know, and we promise, we won’t sign you up for that Mozart competition.
Our Teachers Are Working Professionals
Whether you want to learn music as a hobby or make it your career, our teachers are working professionals who can guide you in the right direction. Our staff includes everyone from professional opera singers, to musical theatre and jazz performers, to alt-rock singer-songwriters, and we can pair you with someone who knows the part of the music business you have an eye toward.
Performance opportunities
We have performance opportunities specifically geared toward adults, including our Teen-Adult Showcases, specifically for the more mature crowd. You’ll never find yourself performing after the 8-year-old singing “Castle on a Cloud.”
Visit Us
419 E. 17th Street #204
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
Call Us
(800) 581 – 4609
Message Us
info@mollysmusic.org
A Word from
Our Founder
It’s never too late to start music lessons. Some of my favorite lessons that I teach are with adults, sometimes total beginners who are blown away by their ability to learn to sing after a lifetime of believing they’re tone deaf. Working with professional musicians is always a treat too, of course! No matter how advanced you get, it’s always important to keep your skills sharp—a lot of our music teachers still take lessons of their own!
-Molly Webb
Vocal Myths
Common Vocal Myths
01
Voice teachers only concentrate on producing an operatic sound. I’m interested in pop and rock, so lessons are not for me.
Myth
It is certainly true that some voice teachers concentrate on the classical sound. However, many successfully teach pop, rock, musical theater, R&B, metal (yes, scream-singing is a difficult, but learnable technique) and every other style out there.
02
Belting is bad for you, and it should be avoided at all costs. Singers should only sing in their head voices.
Myth
It is true that belting with poor technique can be damaging, but healthy belting exists. Learning to belt without constriction, by using great breath control and retracting what’s called your false vocal folds, is both healthy and widely used by artists with long careers. First and foremost, it’s important to listen to your body when you sing in any style. Singing should feel comfortable, and you should back off and regroup when you start to feel tension.
03
Children should wait till puberty till they begin voice lessons. Anything earlier than that can damage their voices.
Myth
While children should not work rigorously to extend their range before puberty, kids should absolutely start voice lessons early. Think of it this way: if your child shows interest in singing, she or he will sing, regardless of whether signed up for lessons. Wouldn’t it be better to form good habits and healthy technique early? The Pennsylvania Academy of Otolaryngology has this to say about childhood voice lessons:
“Voice abuse during childhood may lead to problems that persist throughout a lifetime. It is extremely important for children to learn good vocal habits, and for them to avoid voice abuse. This is especially true among children who choose to participate in vocally taxing activities such as singing, acting and cheerleading. Many promising careers and vocal avocations have been ruined by enthusiastic but untrained voice use. For children with vocal interests, age-appropriate training should be started early.”
04
Old dogs can’t learn new tricks. I didn’t start lessons as a kid, and now it’s too late.
Myth
05
I can’t carry a tune. Am I hopeless and tone deaf?
Myth
Only a tiny fraction of the population is actually tone-deaf. There’s a lot of coordination and muscle memory that goes into singing. A lack of visual and auditory feedback makes it even harder to develop this coordination. There’s nothing magical about learning to sing. It’s all about diligence and practice, and almost everyone can learn.
06
I’m a female who can’t sing high. Therefore, I’m an alto.
Myth
Well, your school choir director may have put you with the altos, but it’s waaaay more likely that you’re a soprano who hasn’t learned to access your high notes yet. Being able to hit high notes has much more to do with breath control and learned coordination than it does with voice type.
Our School
Locations, Teachers and Programs
With 3 convenient studio locations, a wide variety of programs and performance opportunities, an in-home and online music lesson option, and a unique team of teachers all over the musical spectrum, we’re confident we can help meet your music lesson needs.
Locations
Irvine Studio 4672 Barranca Parkway, Irvine, CA
Orange Studio 20241 E. Frank Lane, Orange, CA
Our Teachers
Our teachers are what set Molly’s Music apart. They’re an experienced, educated, and dedicated team of musicians.
The Inside Voice
A low-cost voice lesson subscription service primarily based on video exchange, for as low as $11.95/month. As with regular voice lessons, you’ll be paired with your own personal singing teacher you can develop a rapport with over time.
Recitals
Performance opportunities can be as important in your musical development as the lessons themselves. At Molly’s Music we offer at least 6 recitals per year, 3 Kid-Teen ones, 2 Teen-Adult ones, and an Instrumental Only Recital.
