Programs ~ fall & spring 14-week semesters

Six instrument families. One school.

Every student at Your Business starts with a 30-minute placement listen. From there we map a path — private lessons, group class, or a blend — and pair you with one of our 22 teaching artists. Tuition below assumes a 14-week semester.

Piano.

Our most popular track and our deepest faculty. We teach a broad path — classical foundations from a Suzuki-influenced method, modern lead-sheet reading, and improv games that make practice feel like play. Beginners start at the keyboard with two hands by week three.

BeginnerIntermediateAdvancedPre-college
P

Tuition ~ per 14-week semester

FormatRate
Private lesson, 30 min weekly$680
Private lesson, 45 min weekly$960
Private lesson, 60 min weekly$1,240
Group class, up to 4 students, 60 min$420
Age range5 — 18

What you'll learn

  • Two-hand independence and reading both clefs by end of beginner year
  • A working repertoire of 20+ pieces across classical, jazz, and pop
  • Lead-sheet literacy ~ chord symbols, voicings, and accompaniment
  • Performance practice through quarterly studio classes and recitals
  • Theory and ear training woven into every lesson, not bolted on

Lead teachers

Maya Reyes
SF Conservatory grad. Plays jazz trio at Black Cat. Teaches ages 7+.
Daniel Park
Suzuki-trained. 11 years on faculty. Beginners and pre-college.
Hana Saito
Composes for film. Loves working with kids on improv and lead-sheets.

Guitar.

Three guitars under one roof — acoustic steel-string, electric, and nylon-string classical. Beginners can borrow a school instrument for the first semester. Most students leave year one playing five complete songs they chose themselves.

BeginnerIntermediateAdvancedPre-college
G

Tuition ~ per 14-week semester

FormatRate
Private lesson, 30 min weekly$640
Private lesson, 45 min weekly$910
Private lesson, 60 min weekly$1,180
Group class, up to 5 students, 60 min$390
Age range7 — 18

What you'll learn

  • Open chords, barre chords, and a working strumming vocabulary
  • Reading tab plus the basics of standard notation in first position
  • Five complete songs each semester, picked together with the teacher
  • Fingerpicking, hybrid picking, and intro to lead playing
  • Optional electric path with amp basics, pedals, and a band rehearsal block

Lead teachers

Felix Romano
Classical guitarist. Plays Villa-Lobos like he wrote it himself.
Jules Tate
Indie songwriter. Tours the West Coast every summer with their band.

Voice.

We treat the voice like the instrument it is — built on breath, support, and slow, kind warm-ups. Three style tracks: classical and art song, musical theater, and contemporary R&B/pop. Adolescent voice change is handled by faculty trained for it.

BeginnerIntermediateAdvancedPre-college
V

Tuition ~ per 14-week semester

FormatRate
Private lesson, 30 min weekly$680
Private lesson, 45 min weekly$960
Private lesson, 60 min weekly$1,240
Choir/ensemble, 75 min weekly$330
Age range8 — 18

What you'll learn

  • Breath support, alignment, and a daily warm-up you'll actually use
  • Healthy belt and head voice ~ no shortcuts, no damage
  • Repertoire across classical, theater, and pop, picked to fit your voice
  • Audition prep ~ headshots, sides, sight-reading, the whole package
  • Songwriting and arranging for students who want to write their own

Lead teachers

Sasha Bell
Berklee. Casts & coaches at Berkeley Playhouse. Theater specialist.
Renee Walker
R&B vocalist. Recorded with three Grammy-nominated producers.
Owen Davis
Classical baritone. Specializes in voice change for boys 11-15.

Drums & percussion.

Two paths under one program ~ drum kit and hand percussion. Kit students cover rock, funk, and Afro-Cuban grooves. Hand percussion explores congas, djembe, cajon, and frame drums. Both build the same foundation: rudiments, time, and listening.

BeginnerIntermediateAdvancedPre-college
D

Tuition ~ per 14-week semester

FormatRate
Private lesson, 30 min weekly$680
Private lesson, 45 min weekly$960
Private lesson, 60 min weekly$1,240
Group rhythm lab, 75 min weekly$410
Age range6 — 18

What you'll learn

  • The 40 essential rudiments, broken into bite-size weekly chunks
  • Time-keeping with a click and without, across multiple feels
  • Reading drum charts and writing your own grooves from scratch
  • Listening assignments tied to each week's groove or pattern
  • Band rehearsal every other week with guitar, bass, and keys students

Lead teachers

Devonte Carter
Tours with a Bay funk trio. Specializes in the kit, ages 9+.
Pilar Mendez
Afro-Cuban specialist. Hand percussion and rhythm lab lead.

Strings.

Violin, viola, cello, and upright bass. Suzuki method for early starters and a more traditional path for older beginners. Your Business runs two strings ensembles each semester — a fiddle group and a chamber quartet program for advanced students.

BeginnerIntermediateAdvancedPre-college
R

Tuition ~ per 14-week semester

FormatRate
Private lesson, 30 min weekly$700
Private lesson, 45 min weekly$985
Private lesson, 60 min weekly$1,270
Strings ensemble, 75 min weekly$340
Age range5 — 18

What you'll learn

  • Bow hold, posture, and tone production from week one ~ no rushing
  • A full first-year repertoire of folk, fiddle, and classical pieces
  • Reading in your clef, plus shifts into second and third position
  • Ensemble skills ~ tuning to the group, blending, listening across parts
  • Optional fiddle track for students drawn to bluegrass and Celtic styles

Lead teachers

Iris Wen
Suzuki-certified violinist. Leads our beginner strings program.
Linh Tran
Cellist. Plays with the Oakland Symphony. Chamber quartet lead.
Marco Diaz
Upright and electric bass. Jazz and Latin specialist.

Brass.

Trumpet, trombone, French horn, and the school's loaner instruments make brass possible for any family that's curious. Best paired with our jazz combo and ska/salsa ensembles for students who want to gig, not just rehearse.

BeginnerIntermediateAdvancedPre-college
B

Tuition ~ per 14-week semester

FormatRate
Private lesson, 30 min weekly$640
Private lesson, 45 min weekly$910
Private lesson, 60 min weekly$1,180
Brass ensemble, 75 min weekly$330
Age range9 — 18

What you'll learn

  • Embouchure, breath support, and a sustainable daily practice routine
  • Range development and clean articulation across two octaves and beyond
  • A core repertoire from classical etudes to Lee Morgan jazz heads
  • Improv basics ~ blues form, modal soloing, listening and transcribing
  • Ensemble rep ~ ska, salsa, big band, and small-group jazz combo

Lead teachers

Toby Hayes
Trumpet. Plays in the East Bay Big Band. Jazz combo coach.
Aki Suzuki
Trombone. Tours with a 12-piece ska orchestra. Loves beginners.
Add to any program

Optional add-ons.

Round out your weekly lesson with one of these — each one runs as a small group and meets weekly during the semester.

Ensembles

Six rotating groups including the Junior Strings, the Salsa Combo, the Vocal Quintet, the Jazz Trio, and two rock bands. Auditioned each semester.

+ $330 per semester

Theory class

A 45-minute weekly group built around real songs and real scores ~ ear training, sight-reading, and composition. Three levels offered.

+ $260 per semester

Recital prep

Four-week intensive in the month before each recital. Run-throughs, performance psychology, and a private coaching session.

+ $190 per semester

Ready to start ~ today?

Book a free 30-minute placement listen, no commitment. We'll recommend a teacher and a program based on what we hear.

Schedule a trial lesson