Perry's Music Center
The home of great playing guitars!
Experience Speaks for Itself
Over the past 32 years and through the enrichment of literally thousands of students, Perry's Music has earned it's reputation as the area's premium spot for lessons. Perry's offers 16 teachers and has lessons 7 days a week, bringing in approximately 300 students plus each week. Lessons are given from experienced, practicing teachers for Guitar, Bass, Piano, Drums, and Voice. These private lessons last 30 minutes each, once a week, at a set time slot agreed upon by the student and teacher. Prices range from $80.00 to $88.00 a month (all lessons paid monthly). We teach all levels, all ages, and all styles of music. Call 1-630-833-3276 to schedule today!
Teachers
JACK: GUITAR/BASS/COMPOSITION
Jack is at the forefront of Chicagoland guitar education. With over 29 years of experience and over 85,000 lessons under his belt, he has completely revolutionized the image of the storefront guitar instructor. Many former students have gone on to teaching careers themselves, at Perry’s and at nearly every other area music store utilizing his well known guitar method. One of the most challenging teachers imaginable, Jack combines humor with a rigorous discipline to instill an organized and intellectual thought process within individuals. Going much further than just the notes, Jack uses pattern recognition, memory techniques, motor memory refinement and left-right brain dichotomies to get students to release their innate talents, not just on guitar, but in life. Students emerge with confidence, an unending intellectual curiosity, and a healthy cynicism, and are able to take creative and unorthodox approaches to problems, to think "outside the box." Many long-time students, having mastered the instrument, continue to come for the constant challenges that are presented to their thinking by Jack, a supreme motivator. Lessons are by request or reference only.
Check out Disarm: Jack's Award Winning Movie on YouTube:
(Rated R for language)
Below is a long list of production and community experience ranging from film and music, to community development and volunteer work with children that refect a wide array of experience:
Experience:
Film:
Lead: "Rock & Roll Punk" -1998
Writer/Director: "The Takers" -2001
Writer/Director: "Incident at Tortuga" -2004
Writer/Director: "Disarm" -2007
Shown in the Chicago Underground Film Festival
Writer/Director: "Snowblind" -2008
Musical:
Instrumental Guitar
"Open the Doors" – Jack Hammond Group"A Fatal Beauty" – Jack Hammond Group
"Erratta Stigmatta" – Tools of Ignorance
"Opii" – Tools of Ignorance
Guitar and Vocals
"Rock and Roll Punk Original Soundtrack" – The Outpatients
(with Karl Alvarez and Bob Rising)
Vocals
Vocalist with Bricks Hit House
Sound Engineer
Recorded bands such as Trouble, Macabre, and Material Issue
Countless live sound experiences
Business:
Owned and Designed 4 Recording Studios
Owner-Operator, Fatal Beauty Recording Studios, Lombard IL (1980-1990)
Owner-Operator, Fatal Beauty 2 Recording Studios, Glendale Heights IL
Bar Manager, Wine Steward, Terrace Restaurant
Community
President(and Coach)-Glenside Baseball Little League
President-Downtown Lombard Unlimited
President-Reskin (Glendale Heights) PTA
President- Cambria VII Homeowners Association (current)
Founding Vice-President- Dupage Theatre Preservation
Director- Lombard Chamber of Commerce
HAWK: GUITAR/BASS/PIANO
Hawk began his musical career at the tender age of 7 taking piano lessons; he soon felt a need to expand his musical interests and went on to pursue Clarinet. From there he moved on to Guitar in its multiple forms both electrical and classical studying with greats such as Paul Henry, a brilliant student of Andre Segovia. He attended GIT to round out his curriculum, studying with Paul Gilbert, Bruce Boulliet of Racer X, T.J. Helmrich of Quid Pro Quo, Les Wise and Joe Di Orio before attending Roosevelt University to pursue his masters degree. There he studied with world renowned genius David Schrader on pipe organ and Harpsichord to fulfill his interest and obsession with Baroque and Renaissance counterpoint. While there, he took 4 years of formal violin training and still found time to study jazz guitar with Greg Shearer, Frank Dawson, and Flamenco with the renowned guitarist Hector Fernandez. Further personal studies include bass guitar with Rick Schowalter of Sumo Fame, Chapman Stick with Frank Jollife, and finally, acoustic tapping with Preston Reed.
Check out Hawk shredding on YouTube:
Hawk's Sweeping Tutorial:
Shredding Insanity (Multi-Finger Tapping):
Hawk Tapping Bach:
Professional Recording Experience Studio Media – Transgressor Phil Bonnet – Energy Vampires Tone Zone – Fire Storm – Produced by Denny Novak Air Waves – Imperial Rage – Impulse Records Alpha Studios – Septer – Impulse Records Soto Sound – Classical and Flamenco Pieces
MIKE SEMERAU: DRUMS
Mike Semerau, owner of "Chicago’s #1 Drum Lessons", has been teaching for over 13 years and playing for 28 years. With a full schedule of 100 students per week and always looking for more, Mike offers a unique teaching program. Mike’s Video Drum Lesson Program allows students to take their lesson home each week on a professional video on which they can review the lesson taught and check their work. Mike teaches all styles, reading, soloing, double bass, songs, timing, drum separation, etc. He also has commercials on TV and was just recently on CLTV news for his video program. He is endorsed by Trick Drums, DW Drums, Jackson Drums, Quik Stix, Hart Electronic Drums, and ProMark. Visit his site at http://www.chicagodrumlessons.com/
JIM KRAUS - "J J ALAN": GUITAR/BASS
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Jim (aka J J Alan) has played guitar for over 30 years. Styles include Classic Rock, Pop Metal, County, Blues, New Age, and Jazz. Happy to teach any and all ages. Remember, you're never too old or too young to play an instrument. It will bring years of enjoyment and can help in many other areas of learning. Jim is also a Tone Guru. He is our resident guitar and amp tech and can help you find that perfect guitar tone.
Check out some rough cuts from Jim's new solo album "Plantlife." Find out more about J.J. Alan and "Plantlife" at http://www.jjalan.com/
JOHN SELDEN: GUITAR
Having been a student, manager, and friend of the store for most of his life, John is the perfect example of a Perry's success story. Having come up through the ranks, he is now a successful guitar instructor and the Education Director of Perry's Music Center. Teaching people of all ages, John's patient teaching style has the perfect combination of theory and fun. Learn to play your favorite songs and understand the fundamentals of music theory. A student of philosophy and music, John’s goal is to help his students flourish both in music and in life. John has experience in all styles of music and musical application.
Experience includes:
- Electronic music production
- Theater sound design for Victory Garderns and the Irish Repetory Theater Company
- Radio show production
- Sound recording
- Local band experience
- and much more...
TIM JONES: GUITAR/BASS
Tim is an accomplished instrumentalist from a musical family who has played for and recorded with several groups in and around the Chicagoland area. Since his early 20’s Tim’s original bands have toured through the Midwest. Tim has been playing music since age 5, starting with piano, later spending several years playing trombone, and finally finding his way to guitar and bass. Tim currently works as a guitar and bass teacher in South Elgin and Villa Park, Illinois, where he has taught well over 200 students. Tim has a friendly, energetic teaching style, calling himself an "edu-trainer" and believes his success as a teacher correlates to the success of his students. Tim plays weekly for church on Sunday mornings. He has volunteered several times as a pit musician for musicals and plays, run open mics for several suburban venues, and worked for a sound production company. Tim has studied with Dr. Rich Armandi and Dr. Ken Paoli at the College of DuPace. Since then, Tim has earned a Bachelor's of Fine Arts degree from Elmhurst College, where he studied under Dr. Ken Haebich and became an Illinois State Certified Teacher in the Arts nearing endorsements in music, science, and social studies and has also been inducted into Lambda Sigma Psi Music Honor Society.
MATT RICHTER: GUITAR
Matt Richter has been a student at Perry's Music for nearly 7 years and has about 1 year of teaching experience under his belt. Matt is the perfect teacher for beginning/intermediate students of all ages. So remember to ask for Matt, it's a definately a fun and educational musical experience. Also, check out Matt's band, Phoenix Down.