Amir School of Music

"Setar and Daf for Amir and Nasrin The setar is a woman weeping. Under the musician’s fingers, the strings find a thousand sorrows. Listen for the one which is yours. The music gives the woman a courtyard with a fountain and an olive tree. She walks there, back and forth, as the notes embroider her clothes. She doesn’t want her sorrow to go away. She holds her sorrow in beauty. She wants to remember. Ascensions in the music begin from here. The daf keeps her heartbeat. Sorrow softens into longing. Daf and setar are held close to the chest, it is notes from her heart that we hear. Embroidered with sound, our intricate hearts make this music, becoming who we are."

"Amir is an incredibly talented teacher. His knowledge of Persian and other forms of Middle Eastern music is unprecedented. In addition, he is extremely kind and always meets me, as the student, where I am able to show up. I am able to learn at my own pace but I am also pushed just enough to always make some progress with each lesson. Amir is also very skilled with the online format and consistently professional in every way. I am not a fan of online learning, but he has made it very fun and entertaining. He is always resourceful and trying new things to enhance our lessons. Highly, highly recommend this teacher."

"Since the very first online class that I took with Amir, I have been totally impressed by his effective teaching skills, mastery of both Western and Middle Eastern music, his innovate approach and constant attention to his students. His classes are dynamic, interesting, diverse and accessible. He carefully selects his teaching material to match the skill levels of the class. Every session is recorded and shared with his students to compliment their study material. Learning music is a life-long undertaking that can present many challenges along the way. Amir has the musical knowledge and skills, at the highest levels, complemented with a very effective teaching methodology that helps to make this journey both easier and enjoyable for his students. He embraces technology to share his talent for inspiring and benefiting many people. Amir is also a very nice person with a contagious smile and excellent personal and professional manners. I am honored to know Amir as a mentor, music partner and friend."

"I have taken lessons with Amir for almost two years and have been very satisfied. In fact, I think he is one of the best teachers I have ever had for the following reasons. Amir is very well organized and systematic in his approach. He is patient and clear in his instructions. His knowledge of Middle Eastern music is deep and extensive. As a teacher, he knows exactly the balance between encouragement and letting me know where I can improve. While he is very well organized and clear, he is also a very intuitive and creative person. He encouraged me to explore my own creativity so that I started composing poems and reciting them along with my drumming. Furthermore, he has created a beautiful community of music lovers and practitioners and organizes regular concerts and venues for his students to showcase their work."

"I've been taking drum classes with Amir once a week for more than a year now. Last summer his ad caught my eye and I decided to register for a 4 week session. After one year, every week I'm looking forward to my weekly class. With his positive and creative approach to teaching, I feel that I'm improving my reading and playing skill, my knowledge of music theory, and the connection between culture and music. In fact, Amir creates a community of students who care about and support one another. Most importantly, his lesson plans are clear and he is always prepared with his teaching materials. As a novice musician, I was concerned about a teacher being able to meet me on my level. Despite his great depth of musical knowledge, Amir has always met me where I am at and I never felt like I didn’t know anything in the class. He is an excellent instructor."