Well… we have lots of snow on the ground and getting anywhere will be a pain in the butt for students who need to drive.

If you’re lesson was canceled, all you need to do is reschedule another appointment online or wait till next week when we will hopefully have less snow.

The roads are still icy so we are officially closed for a snowday on THURSDAY!

Many of our teachers are having trouble making it in.

If you don’t have a subaru or all wheel drive then its pretty tricky to drive at the moment, be safe!

There is a lot of snow on the roads at the school.
Many of our teachers are having trouble making it in.
If its bad here its even worse further outside the city – so we are officially closed for a snow day on WED.
Stay home, stay warm, practice and make lots of snow people!

As planned on our holiday calendar, we are closed for January 16th (MLK Day).
Enjoy the snow! If you need help rescheduling, just email us and we’ll get back to you ASAP.

We are planning on being open for the rest of the week.
If we cancel lessons because of the weather, we will alert you via email and phone.
If you can not make it to your lesson this week due to weather, please call us ASAP @ 206-407-9610.

This is a picture taken in Capitol Hill this weekend. Someone has turned the Jimi Hendrix statue into a giant snowman… either that or Jack from Jack in the box has been taking music lessons!

Ryan and Pearl Django will be performing at Jazz Alley January 3rd through Sunday. Joining them will be the fabulous jazz guitarist Martin Taylor as the band’s special guest. Martin is truly and amazing musician and it’ll be a great show so come on out and see it for yourself.

Here’s Martin and Pearl Django taping a live radio spot at KPLU’s downtown studios last year. Listen for them this year Wednesday and Thursday playing on KUOW.

We just received an award from ThumbTack for being ranked #1 on thumbtack for most popular lessons in Seattle!

We’ll keep working hard to improve our facilities, learning new teaching methods and giving out the best prizes for students who practice!

Frank “Sugar Chile Robinson” really knows how to pound on that piano! His feet don’t even touch the ground..pretty adorable, but he means business! He’s so awesomely talented at such a young age!

Make Music and Enjoy It!

Learning the Violin is challenging but can be done in a fun and lighthearted way.  It has been said over the years that the violin has a sound most like the human voice and so when you have learned to play it well, it’s sound can be a wonderful way to express emotion and bring beauty into the world.  She wants lessons to be fun and interesting for each student, regardless of age or ability.  She is classically trained, but loves to play folk, modern and experimental music as well.

A Northwest Musician

Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Begin Scarseth started playing the violin at the age of five with her mom and sister.  She graduated from Pacific Lutheran University with a Bachelor of Music Arts in 2004.  She is an avid performer of classical and contemporary music.  Begin currently plays with the Tacoma Symphony Orchestra.  She is also the Assistant-Concertmaster for the Seattle Rock Orchestra and is a member of two string quartets, Serendipity strings and Quartet evolution.

A Very Fun and Vibrant Teacher!

Having formed her own private teaching studios, Begin has a wealth of experience helping students develop a love and feel the joy of making music.  Each week she visits many of the Seattle schools and helps music teachers and students in elementary, middle, and high school levels.  She has also helped bring the joy of music to children with ADHD, Autism, and hearing loss.  We are very excited to have such an accomplished performer and educator join out staff.

Active Professional Musician!

It’s all music, all the time for Begin who plays with four groups; two orchestras and two quartets, but only after helping bring music to kids all over Seattle!  Now that’s keeping busy!

Naomi is a very talented young piano student at Off the Wall.
She recently redecorated her binder. Here is a picture:

*This was not a paid endorsement for Piano Lessons. However, Naomi might have received some candy from Off the Wall at one point in time…

She’s Got Rhythm

Bridgid Roney has been an active leader in the Seattle performing arts community since she was appointed to be the student director of Seattle Preparatory School’s Music Ministry Choir as a high school sophomore. She soon was accepted to Cornish College of the Arts, where after four years of dedicated focus on band leadership and vocal jazz performance, she graduated with a Bachelors of Music in 2009.

She’s Got Music

Since then, she has enjoyed teaching private vocal lessons for Seattle Prep students, being a substitute teacher at Music Works Northwest in Bellevue, and leading a voice class and instrumental ensemble of 8-13 year olds at Day Jams, a summer rock ‘n roll day camp. Bridgid has performed in lead and supportive singing roles in dozens of jazz, rock and hip hop venues all over the Pacific Northwest and recently started Seattle’s first original and spontaneous vocal jam, Vocalize It.

Who Could Ask for Anything More?

You may have also heard her on the radio, singing a jingle for Taco Bell!

Check out her beautiful voice below!

We just finished up our 3rd and final session of Rock Band Camp for the summer. Students learned to play new instruments, work with an ensemble, record their music, and design a band name and album cover.

We delivered the high-quality instruction we’re known for through private coachings during the day and a high teacher to student ratio. We look forward to working with more budding rock stars next summer!

Please let us know if your child would like to be involved and we’ll be sure to send you more information in the spring.

Youtube is awesome!

Amazing cello cover of the song Smooth Criminal by Michael Jackson.

It’s not quite a marimba they built out in a forest, but how it makes its sound is similar. In this awesome Japanese commercial, a rolling ball plays Johann Sebastian Bach’s Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring.

Off the Wall’s first rock-band camp was a huge success and we’re looking forward to more this summer! Our new band, The Underwater Trees, performed songs by Green Day, Coldplay and an original tune titled “I’m a Zombie.” Their debut music video will be available for viewing soon.

We delivered the high-quality instruction we’re known for through private coachings during the day and a high teacher to student ratio, and look forward to working with more budding rock stars.

Please let us know if your child would like to be involved. Camp sessions run for 1 week (M-F) from 9am to 2pm.

Click here for video!

Electrodes are often used to help people with muscle problems.  This video shows us that when placed on a person’s arm, they can move your fingers in certain ways, potentially helping you learn hand positions for stringed instruments (violin, viola, cello, bass), or even getting the rhythm down.  Buuuut, I’m not so sure this is the best way to learn…  listen to the last thing in the video.  Haha!

Leonard Solomon created a Bellowphone in the 1980’s, but here’s one of his newer inventions… the incredible, astounding, mind-blowingly majestic Oomphalapompatronium contraption!  Does this remind anyone else of Belle’s creative father in Beauty and the Beast?

This extremely talented (and rather unusual) cellist/singer/songwriter, Ashia Grzesik, went to school for music at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, WA!  Ashia took classical voice and cello lessons, even played with professional symphonies, before she went to perform in the theatrical, cabaret style with Cirque du Soleil in Vegas.

Off the Wall School of Music loves learning and teaching fun music like this!  Yes, even silly songs can help you learn how to play the piano.

We all feel lazy sometimes. Maybe you’re having a day when you don’t want to practice but you know you should. What are you supposed to do when you feel unmotivated to do anything? Zenhabits talks about some great ways that you can keep at it and accomplish your goals! Just click the link below and read the 16 ways you can get motivated again.

16 Ways to Get Motivated

Now what are some ways you can apply this to your practicing? If you’re feeling like you can’t find the time, try and set aside a small amount of time every day and build on that time slowly to get a routine going. Also if there’s a specific song you want to learn, but you’re finding a section to be especially hard. Just work on that section, but don’t forget the rest of the song either!

Try to think of other ways you can make practicing fun and exciting.

Now go practice!

Taught to play piano, sing and harmonize at an early age, Patrick Fitzgerald began working the live music venues of the Philadelphia area while in high school. Famous for hauling his 400lb Hammond Organ to every gig, he quickly became a fixture on Friday nights at the local rock and blues clubs.

Serious Eduction:

Patrick attended the Berklee College of Music to gain a broader perspective on music and hone his skills. After majoring in piano performance at Berklee, he returned to Philadelphia to study composition at the University of the Arts, before being lured away to Brooklyn where he worked as a touring and recording musician.

Patrick loves teaching lessons at Off the Wall that are substantive but really fun.

Favorite Bands:

According to his iTunes Play Counter, The Roots, Steely Dan and The Who are tied for Patrick’s favorite bands.

The first rock gig Patrick ever played was at the Gryphon Cafe in Wayne, PA.