“The Kepley Studio has been a second home to me for the past 8 years and never have I once felt unwelcome or uncared for. Because of Angela, not only have I developed high level musical skills, but a passion for high level music as well. Lessons with Angela have instilled determination, an unstoppable work ethic, and discipline. These qualities give me success in not only music, but school and life in general.
My time at the Studio has given me so many incredible opportunities like a college master class from world renowned marimbists, clinics with amazing professors, participation in local gigs, and PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE!! Percussion ensemble through the studio is such a unique experience that I would not trade for the world. The quality of music AND the quality of people is incredible. I’ve gained so many wonderful friends from the activity that inspire me and encourage me. At the Kepley Studio, ensemble is an undeniable family.
Through Angela’s dedicated and personal instruction I have been able to achieve so many fantastic things. I’ve consistently placed in ILMEA, won highly competitive competitions, accompanied various soloists/musicals, and successfully auditioned into selective groups. Angela genuinely cares about making you the best musician you can be and helps you realize your full potential. I am overwhelmingly thankful for all of the time I’ve gotten to spend as Angela’s student and firmly believe that she is the best teacher in the whole world.”
~Percussionist and Pianist, age 16
“My son has been attending Kepley Studios for 4 1/2yrs years. Under Angela’s direction, his growth as a percussionist – from beginner to advanced student – has been incredible. Angela is an extremely talented, creative and dedicated instructor and performer. A serious professional, she expects her students to master the basics, instills in them professionalism and respect, challenges them to strive for perfection. A creative performer, Angela encourages them to explore outside the box and take musical risks.
The Kepley Studio is more than just a place to take percussion or piano lessons. Over the years, Angela has fostered a sense of community, where her students feel comfortable expressing their individual personalities, while joining together in strong, tight-knit unique ensembles.”
~Parent of percussionist
“We can highly recommend Kepley Studios/Angela Kepley as a gifted percussion teacher for your children. Our child’s 8 year experience of taking lessons, camps, and performing in ensembles at Kepley Studios has been life changing. Angela is passionate about music and her enthusiasm, patience and energetic teaching techniques enable her to coax the best efforts out of her students. We have witnessed many of her high school students playing college level pieces which leads us to believe she is one of the best percussion teachers in our state (our child would say in the world!). Angela’s expertise allows her to address many technical and performance aspects and she has the skill set to fine tune performances that have enabled our daughter to make ILMEA multiple times and place at or near the top of her music competitions. The studio connected us with many outside opportunities ranging from participation in the annual Illinois Day of Percussion, world drumming, theatre and other performances, as well as a college level master class. We are confident our daughter received the rigorous music education she needs to get her into an impressive university as a music major.
This community is extremely fortunate to have a well-respected percussion teacher of her caliber in our area. As parents, each solo or ensemble performance felt like we were unwrapping an incredible gift as we watched our own and all the students in the studio continue to unlock their musical talents. We are especially pleased that we are able to afford this caliber of teaching as studio prices are very reasonable. Considering the growth you will undoubtedly see, she is worth every penny. We are tremendously grateful for having the opportunity to work with Angela over the past 8 years and experience the joy that music has brought to our family. We are happy to discuss our daughter’s experience with you.”
~Parent of percussionist and pianist
“Working and playing with Angela Kepley for 4 years (and counting) have been great years playing percussion. In those 4 years we had many ensembles, including the holiday ensemble and the summer ensemble. We get to play holiday music in the holiday ensemble composed by Angela Kepley or other famous composers. Also during those 4 years I got to play rudiments, snare drum, and drum set. Thanks to Angela I am a great percussionist for my age.”
~Percussionist, age 10
“Working and studying music with Angela Kepley for 9 years (and counting) has provided me with a completely new insight. Angela is an extremely talented musician playing an uncountable amount of instruments ranging from piano and percussion, with which I’ve had personal experience with, to other random knick knacks she’s created into instruments. Not only has she educated me with music, but also given me advice with my own accomplishments. Learning music with Angela has honestly been a once in a lifetime experience. She has a very unique way of teaching and providing her students with different opportunities to enhance our musical knowledge. Lessons are once a week, available at multiple lengths. She organizes yearly recitals in which the students are always prepared to perform. One of the most enjoyable and fun performances, for me personally, are the ensemble concerts. A larger group of students play a piece together all with different parts, collaborating to create the song. I became Angela’s student in third grade, playing piano but with the note names written in. Within the first few weeks, I was reading notes by myself and playing music. We’ve gotten extremely close over the years, and I know I can always come to her for help on whatever I need. I don’t think many of her students realize how lucky we are to have her as a teacher. She’s made an enormous impact on my life. I can’t wait to play her music when she becomes a famous composer! I look forward to my continuing studies. You can’t go wrong with Angela, it’s an honor to be one of her students.”
~Pianist and Percussionist, age 16