DRUMS AND GUITAR LESSONS

Studio Raven is now open and accepting students. Studio Raven is a full recording studio and music school located in the countryside near the PPL Wildlife refuge in Washingtonville, PA. We are a Non Traditional music school. Classes are always one on one, we teach you how to accomplish your musical goals and customize lessons for you. Within your first lesson, you will be playing in a live atmosphere with other musicians in ROCK BAND TRAINING. You won’t find this at any music store. You’ll be able to play with your favorite bands, songs, or style. Learn to play by ear, not just notes on a page. Each lesson is very different, not the same boring time signatures. You’ll learn from active touring musicians, learn tips and secrets we use on the road. Not only will you be learning how to play your instrument, you’ll be learning how to play with other musicians. Learn the art of creating, writing, and forming songs on your own. Learn the anatomy of your instrument, get education on how to buy and outfit your gear from people who play music for a living, not from a hobbyist or a music store trying to sell you things you don’t need.

ROCK BAND TRAINING

Dave plays both guitar and drums at a professional touring level. Weather your learning drums or guitar, you will be playing with Dave at the same time. Rock Band Training was developed by Dave to help musicians hone their stage skills in a real time environment. Dave explains in a recent interview:

“Everyone’s a rockstar in their well lit bedrooms, with no distractions, being able to see everything your doing. It’s very easy to maintain focus that way. But it’s not reality. As a musician, you’ll be on stage in the back dark, lights flashing, spinning, turning, different colors, fog machines, on high stage over looking a crowd, etc. So why not get used to that right away? If it’s seen as a normal occurrence, it won’t be such a shock during your first performance. I’ve seen so many people, who I know can play, walk on stage and be thrown off by the lights and the atmosphere, and perform terribly. They usually quit within a week. So I’ve created a Live Rock Band Training system that forces the student to deal with these distractions immediately. It helps the student play by feel, by your senses, not just your eyes.. As I steal a quote from ‘Star Wars’, “Your eyes will deceive you, don’t trust them”. When you sight read to play music, your limited by what you see. But if you learn to play by feeling…There is no limitations and you will be able to do anything.”

“Within a few lessons, I turn off all the lights, thrown on Gobos, Par Cans, Strobes, Lasers, Fog Machines, and Wash Lights and get the student playing, while I play along with them. I personally don’t practice myself without a full stage lighting package on me, even when I’m alone. It’s a training tool for your art. Firefighters don’t train without water, police don’t train with rubber bands. So why would a musician train without lights, a stage, and other musicians?”

CLINICS

Be a part of Music Clinics; Clinics on Songwriting, Singing, Guest Musician Interviews, Tour Managing, Home Recording, Musical Networking, and much more. The Clinics are free for all those enrolled and their families and friends. There is no charge for Clinics. Clinics is our way of helping you continue your music skill, appreciation, and techniques. Even if the clinics don’t apply to your instrument, we encourage you to come. Any musical education will help you become a better musician (Especially when it’s free). This year we will have several artist who have toured with major bands all over the world. These guests will talk with you about touring, performing, and tips on how to improve.

STUDENTS

Ages of students range between 5 years old to 65, and everything in between. You’re never to old or to young to learn to play music. Children do get treated differently than adults. If you’re an adult, do not look at this as a child’s music school. Some of the best students are those over 25. You’ll be able to have a beer and relax while you’re learning something you always wanted to do. You won’t be sitting in a rigid classroom with a notebook learning to read music. We will customize the class for you and YOUR goals, not ours.

STUDENT SAFETY

Dave is CPR and first aid certified to ensure safety to all students and their families and friends while at the studio. Although not required, Dave has all the criminal background checks done on a regular basis to ensure you comfort when he works with your children. The background checks are the same checks that the PA board of education requires for school teachers and they are available to all students and their parents. They are posted in the Studio as well. We will teach your student good habits and techniques so that no injuries should occur during regular practicing.

BE A PART OF THE LESSON

Studio Raven encourages friends and family to come to lessons with the student. The Studio has 20 foot ceilings, and no wall division. You will be able to watch the entire lesson and see what your child is learning and Dave will show you proper practice habits so you can make sure your child is practicing the right way at home so they accomplish their goals the fastest way possible. You will not have to go to a music store, drop your child off and wait in the car for 30 minutes. That kind of setup is more of an inconvenience than it is worthwhile. This way you can interact, enjoy seeing the progress and have fun yourself. Music can be a huge bonding experience between family members, and we at Studio Raven strive to create something with you that lasts a lifetime.

ACCOMIDATIONS

We have a full bar (For Those 21 and Over), all drinks are by donation. (Please see the Alcohol Terms and Conditions at the bottom of this page) We have tables, and a lounge area with a TV, couches, reading material, and FREE wireless internet connections for those who would like to surf the web with their laptops during the lesson. During the summers, the studio fully opens up and you can enjoy the breeze inside and out. The studio sits on a 14 acre country setting surrounded by PPL’s wildlife refuge. The outside of the studio is fenced off for even more privacy and we have grills and beach chairs supplied for you. Getting a tan while you wait on your students lesson is not a rare occurrence. We offer everything we can to make your lessons relaxing, fun, entertaining, and enjoyable as possible. And we will only get better.

LESSON LOGISTICS

Lessons run anywhere from 30-45 minutes. Each lesson is only $20.00. Please try not to be late, as one late student usually will back up the rest of the day. We have new parking in the rear of the studio. If you have to miss a lesson, please call ahead of time. We are very realistic. You will not lose your spot if you miss a lesson or two. We consider that rude. That’s why we do not ask for 3 lesson payments up front. Other places do that and if you miss, you also lose your money. That will not happen to you. This should be something you enjoy, not something you get upset over. Studio Raven will never take money that we haven’t earned.

THE GEAR

You will learn on the most advanced drum set in the industry. The TD20 from Roland is a kit endorsed by Travis Barker, Neil Peart, Thomas Lange, and many other world renowned drummers. The TD20 will be amped up and it has over 900 different sounds in the ECM. The kit will sound anywhere from Heavy Metal to Jazz to Reggae to Techno. It has everything to suite your needs of your style of music. We have 5 different guitar amps on stage with over 2,000 different effects for the guitar. We supply fender electric guitars and takamine acoustic guitars. We can play any I-pod, I-phone, MP3 Player, CD, and any other music device through the sound system to help you breakdown and learn your favorite songs.