Avant-Garde Music

Avant-Garde Music

Avant-Garde Music

Private Music Lessons in the Comfort of your Home

Serving Chicagoland Northshore areas of Glenview, Northbrook, Deerfield, Wilmette, Northfield, Morton Grove, Skokie, Niles, Evanston, Glencoe, Winnetka, Kenilworth, Highland Park and The North Side of Chicago

At Avant-Garde, we believe high quality music education is a gift, enriching lives with creativity, culture and skills beyond music. In-home lessons increases these benefits for you by adding convenience, ease, and more joy all around! 

Book your trial in-home lesson
A young girl student with blonde hair sitting at a piano, smiling at the camera, with music sheets open on the piano's music stand.

Our qualified staff comes to you so your music lessons fit seamlessly into the activities of you and your children’s day- while filling your home with music!

A wooden violin resting on sheet music in the home, on a round wooden table, with a blurred background of a living room that includes a hallway, a rug, a piece of furniture, and wall decor.

Enjoy more Flexibility, Convenience, and Care

With our services, there is no need to rush out of the house to another weekly appointment.

With Avant-Garde coming to your home, you enjoy more flexibility in your schedule and opportunities for individual needs, learning styles, and creativity.

Learn all the details of our individually tailored lessons on our Services page.

Book your trial in-home lesson

Skip the traffic and grab a snack! We love coming your way to promote a low stress music learning experience.  We teach children and adults of all ages.

Two men standing together in a room with a chandelier and a piano, with a group of children and adults in the background.

Explore the in-home lesson advantage

Since our clients are free from the burden of transportation, in-home music lessons encourage consistency and attendance in you or child’s musical routine. With Avant-Garde, parents can provide a meaningful, educational activity for their children without needing to rush out of the house or organize transportation. In home music lessons is the perfect way to enrich you and your child’s busy life with ease.  

Lessons in your home provide learning benefits, too. Some of our clients find their child learns best in their home environment, or they may feel more free to express their creativity in a familiar setting.  Practicing on the same instrument and same place you are taught reinforces memory and stability. Not having to rush to lessons promotes a sense of calm and focus for you or your child, maximizing your learning absorption.

Whether it is physically difficult to leave the house, or you are just tired of fighting Chicago traffic, we offer the flexibility you need so that you can just focus on the music!

Learn more about services
  • A guitar teacher giving a music student a guitar lesson in her home, one holding a guitar. They are focused on the guitar.

    Qualified, Experienced Instructors

    All of our teachers are classically trained with degrees in music, with years of teaching and impressive performance experience.

    Meet our Staff
  • A person sitting cross-legged on a round black leather chair, playing a black acoustic guitar at home. They are wearing a gray t-shirt and blue jeans, with dark hair pinned back.

    Music Lessons

    Our teachers are qualified to teach Piano, Guitar, Violin, Viola, Cello, Voice, Ukulele, Mandolin, Bass Guitar, Drums. Go here to find our yearly schedule, recital information, pricing and more.

    more about lessons
  • Close-up view of the interior of an upright piano for piano tuning with its strings, hammers, and keys visible.

    Piano Tuning

    We offer convenient, in-house piano tuning! Maintain the quality of your piano and contact your teacher to schedule!

    Learn More
  • A black grand piano in a bright living room with two windows, a potted plant, and decorated ceiling in a home.

    Performances

    Enhance your charity event or holiday party with live music- choose from jazz, classical, popular arrangements, or anything within our staff’s expertise!

    Learn more

Testimonials

  • "We have enjoyed the flexibility of in-person and zoom piano lessons. Through Avant-Garde our son has expanded his enjoyment of music starting with piano and now exploring drums and guitar.”

    Eric Deloy

  • “We are very happy to be part of Avant-Garde Music. My son (15 ys old) has been studying piano and guitar with Adam McKinstry for 7 years and he enjoys all his lessons, either in person or on zoom. Adam's teaching skills are very strong and he knows how to interact with children. I love how Avant-garde is open to my son's artistic ideas and encourages him to express his creativity.”

    Oana Spuza

  • “My 17 year old son wanted to get back to the piano lessons he had given up as a kid and we were lucky enough to find Avant-Garde Music. He has learned so much in such a short time and enjoys not only his weekly lessons, but practicing the music he is assigned. Adam McKinstry makes the lessons fun and challenging and has a style that works great with our teen. I couldn't be more impressed with the lessons - both in home and zoom.”

    Leslie Cortopassi

  • “Our daughter has been doing piano lessons with Jieun for 6 years. She has far surpassed my expectations in her skill. Jiieun has high expectations for her students and gets the best out of them.”

    William Choe

  • "My Son got Cello lessons with Charlotte Ullman and it was great. She is so nice and kind. Actually, my son is a special needs kid, but she taught and handled my son very well."

    Sonyoung Lee

  • "Great teachers! Our daughters 7 and 4 have both been taking lessons with Adam and have made great progress! Recommend to anyone looking for lessons for their kids."

    Eric Galicia

  • "Mrs. Jieun Lee has been wonderful with Stefan. She has the perfect balance of being firm and kind, and it really shows in how much he’s improved and how much he now loves playing the piano. He genuinely looks forward to every lesson and that says everything. We’re also so happy with Avant-Garde Music having lessons at home and their great communication make everything so easy. We’re truly happy to be part of Avant-Garde Music."


    Stefania C. Suciu

  • Adam is a fantastic piano teacher. He has taught my 2 children for several years and their development has been substantial.

    Justin Teten

  • We’ve had a wonderful experience with Adam and his team over the past four years. Our children, now ages nine and eight, have truly flourished in their piano skills and developed a genuine love for music. He even encourages them to compose their own songs, which has been amazing to see there strong progress! Adam is patient and disciplined, with a perfect balance of fun and personality in each lesson. He really understands each child’s personality and talents, building on their strengths while helping them grow. We also love the convenience of lessons in our home. It makes everything so easy for our family. We feel very lucky to have him as our children’s piano instructor and highly recommend Adam and his team.

    Tina Kotsionis

  • We are happy with our teacher Mike from Avant-Garde Music. Both of our daughters take piano lessons with him. You can tell he is passionate about what he does. He is patient, encouraging, and cheerful while at the same time providing constructive feedback for both girls to get better in the areas they need to work on.

    Luba Levine

  • We're so glad we found Avant-Garde for music lessons. Laurel balances her strong classical knowledge with a friendly, flexible vibe, and it really worked with our child (who hasn't always clicked with other instructors). Adam is a creative teacher who can teach the fundamentals but also knows how to make the learning fun. We also just like how Avant-Garde conducts itself: the cost is reasonable compared to competitors. We LOVE that they are willing to come to your home (much prefer that to driving to a studio--take advantage of that before it becomes as rare as doctors doing house calls!). They do encourage recitals, but unlike some other schools, I like that they didn't absolutely force it (and after you've done a couple, you really appreciate how friendly, supportive, and professional they are--I think the recitals might even be my child's favorite part of learning music!). Strongly recommended!

    Rahan

  • Avant-Grade Music has a rich set of musicians who have decades of experience with Piano, Violin and other instruments. My kids have been with them for several years and we are very happy with their progress. The teachers are very self-sufficient which is great because that means the parents get to be light-touch! I would highly recommend working with Adam and Eva if your child is ready for an instrument.

    Christina Xu

  • Avante Garde was an awesome experience. I really enjoyed my time with them.

    Lex R

  • 🎹 Avant-Garde Music Company | Chicago, IL Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I’m usually checking out the best local spots and hidden gems around the city, but today the best experience came right to my living room. I have an old upright piano that has seen its fair share of history, and honestly, it was sounding a bit tragic. Enter the tuner from Avant-Garde Music Company. The guy arrived right on time, brought all his gear, and went to work like an absolute surgeon. It’s a fascinating process to watch, especially on an older instrument that needs some extra care. By the time he was done, the transformation was incredible—it went from sounding like a haunted mansion prop to a proper, vibrant instrument. Rich tone, perfect pitch, and it plays like an absolute dream now. If you’re in Chicago and your piano needs some serious love, skip the guesswork and call these guys. Fast, professional, and completely revitalized the space! 🔥

    Igor Jeffe

  • I’ve been taking piano lessons as an adult for a couple of years with Adam. He’s a great teacher and very good at explaining music theory to better understand what you are playing/learning. Highly recommend.

    David Loring

  • Our son has taken piano lessons from Adam for several years now and really enjoys his lessons. The lessons are tailored to what our son is interested in and Adam keeps him engaged and interested in continuing to get better. Adam is also flexible with our son's busy and ever changing schedule of activities. I highly recommend Adam and Avant-Garde Music.

    Brian Fergemann

  • Our daughter has really benefitted from Adam’s instruction. He is very patient, has great skills with n multiple instruments, and has improved our child’s skills and confidence. Would highly recommend Avant Garde!

    Christopher Shannon

  • Adam has given me piano lessons for several years now. He is a patient teacher and I feel I am learning a lot and it is always fun.

    Kerstin Lane

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