Sage Music School 44-02 23rd Street, Queens, NY 11101

"I started three years ago with zero knowledge of singing, unsure if I could even learn as an adult. Discovering Sage Music and Christina Christofi was a game-changer. Christina's warm, professional, and patient approach immediately eased my nerves. From the basics of chest and head voice to finding my range, Christina guided me every step of the way. Her dedication to ensuring correctness in vocal exercises stands out, yet she does it with kindness, fostering a safe space where mistakes are embraced without judgment. In three years, I've learned two songs and expanded my comfort zone to embrace higher notes with a head voice – something I really didn't think could happen, but she believed in me. Christina's teaching style is not about moving through lessons for the sake of time; she genuinely cares about her students' success and creates an environment where one can learn and grow without embarrassment. While performing on stage isn't my goal (for now, who knows what the future brings), Christina has inspired me to set new targets. In 2024, I'm goig to work with her to record and and share me singing a song on Instagram – a testament to the confidence and skills she has helped me develop. Beyond being an excellent teacher, Christina is a remarkable and professional performer with a beautiful voice. I feel fortunate to have her as my guide on this musical journey and wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone, regardless of age, who aspires to learn how to sing."

"I began online guitar lessons with Ben as a beginner 6 months ago, and my experience so far has been great on so many levels. In addition to being an extremely skilled guitar player, Ben is a knowledgeable, patient, flexible, and friendly teacher. He provides insightful tips on technique, and if I am struggling with something in particular, he knows exactly what to suggest to make things easier— something I find very valuable. The Sage music team really cares about their students and frequently asks about ways to improve. The online lesson platform has ended up being very convenient and works surprisingly well— I’ve never had an issue with it. Ben takes detailed notes throughout each lesson, which are all saved for reference and can be accessed at any point. This is one of my favorite features. Six months ago, I could barely play a single chord on guitar, and now I am playing chord progressions, learning theory, and have begun writing my own simple melodies on guitar— a feat I could have never dreamed of without the help of Ben and Sage Music School."

"My 10 year old son has been with Sage since early in the pandemic, first taking piano lessons with Jacob and now voice with Paul and we absolutely could not be happier! They truly know how to work with, inspire, and teach children. Initially I was hesitant about online instruction and if it would be effective, but that was put to rest after the first lesson. It's a well oiled machine and it felt as if he was sitting in the same room. The great progress we've seen is thanks to the perfect blend of instruction, constructive criticism, patience, and time spent getting to know my son to understand how he learns best. His voice has improved tremendously and his confidence has grown with each lesson. As a mom, I really appreciate the seamless experience and support that Sage offers. From flexible scheduling, periodic check-ins to see how it's going and to learn if there's any room for improvement, and just the general level of professionalism from everyone there. We're thrilled to be part of the Sage family."

"I'm extremely grateful for my time at Sage Music with Jacob Silver. Sage itself is a wonderful music school. I started taking lessons in person at the Queens location. When the pandemic hit, Sage made a smooth transition to online learning. I didn't feel like I missed a beat with my lessons. Their online infrastructure has only grown since then, and they've worked to make the experience more enjoyable and streamlined. Online learning might seem impossible with something like learning an instrument. But Sage makes it work, and they make it work well. My teacher, Jacob, helped me explore music in ways I wasn't even imagining when first starting at Sage. He always wanted to make sure that I was getting the most out of my lessons and worked to cater each lesson to what best suited my needs. We worked on technique, music theory, composition, and a lot more. Jacob was always patient and friendly as we worked through material. I'm grateful for the wealth of knowledge he shared with me weekly. I have a much larger appreciation for piano playing and, more importantly, music thanks to him."

"Can hardly believe it's already been 1 year since I started taking guitar lessons in Sage Music, and I can say all the progress, support and benefits that the Sage Music and the awesome faculty has provided me with can be scarcely overstated. With a goal to become an approachable art teacher to my own group of students, break a stereotypical view that I have towards myself(not-born-for-music) due to all the trouble I've gone through with all the musical instruments I tried in the past and develop a life-long hobby/profession, I discovered Sage Music to help me with my great mission. As a fresh new beginner with zero guitar experience who was in need of a professional's guidance, every lesson and session I took since day 1, I've witnessed and experienced my instructor's(Matt Kaplan) professionalism, passion and willingness to do the best for his students in every way possible. No matter how stuck and discouraged you maybe, Sage Music will be there for you and will help you and they will succeed. When you are packed with overwhelming passion to learn and/or get musical therapy to soothe, spice up yourself and your life style and step up to a new level but not sure where to seek the right people, Sage Music is the one for you. -Fred Lee-"