About
SOUNDS Academy Programs offer individual lessons, group classes, and one-on-one lessons where students perform on string instruments, woodwind instruments, guitar, and piano. Students receive instrumental instruction in a group setting that includes note reading and fundamentals of instrument performance, and they can also prepare for auditions and high-level performances. The programs include live performances, Instrument Petting Zoos, opportunities to attend concerts, play in a chamber ensemble, take theory classes, and participate in Student Success Planning Workshops.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
• Schedule: School Program classes are bi-weekly, hour-long classes; students in The Collective take theory classes for 6 hours a week.
• Price: Need-based scholarships are provided for those that need financial assistance. There are not many music education programs in Phoenix; specifically in the Southern and Western parts of the valley that provide low-cost and no-cost music education for children.
SOUNDS Academy began work in September of 2014. Its mission is to transform lives by empowering youth through teaching music and character values, with a commitment to reaching underserved communities. SOUNDS Academy has given over 73,000 lessons and classes to students in Arizona, and over 25,000 students have been exposed to musical performance or Instrument Petting Zoos through the Musical Access Program. Over $500,000 in scholarships have been given for students to take lessons and classes so that they can learn how to play instruments, and 100% of the students who graduate from the SOLO Program now attend a college or university to pursue various degrees such as biology, business, and music education.
Instruments are provided to those who cannot afford one. While in the School Program, students receive instruments, music books, and other materials, and while in the SOLO Program, students receive instruments, music books, and other supplementary materials. The Collective consists of 50 hardworking students who exemplify the character values of creativity, leadership, perseverance, resilience, and teamwork, and these students attend concerts, take lessons, play in a chamber ensemble, take theory classes for 6 hours a week, and perform throughout the valley using the community as their stage.
SOUNDS Academy states that it prides itself on providing professional teachers with a high level of education and performance. The leadership team includes Kirk Johnson – Founder, CEO, & Teaching Artist; Matthew Fox – Program Director; and Jaime Perez – Program Assistant. SOUNDS Academy has thrived by creating partnerships with over 40 local businesses, foundations, and organizations including The Arizona Commission on the Arts, The Arizona Community Foundation, Arizona Opera, The Armstrong Family Foundation, The Birthday Club, Phoenix Office of Arts & Culture, The Phoenix Symphony, Valley of the Sun United Way, Valley of the Sun Violins, and Virginia G Piper Charitable Trust. The organization has received recognition including the Out-of-School Time Awards of Excellence, USA Characters Unite Award, ON Media Arts Hero Award, Social Venture Partner Mentor’s Choice Award, Mayor’s Arts Award, and Audience Favorite – Social Innovation.
Parent and student feedback includes statements such as, “I choose to have my sons in SOUNDS Academy because they care. The dedication of the organization is truly heart felt in everything that they do,” and “SOUNDS Academy allows my child to build confidence and discipline in herself and belief in her musical abilities.” One parent, Bonnie Verhoeven, describes SOUNDS Academy as “a great blessing” for her children and notes her 8-year-old’s growing interest in piano lessons with her teacher, Ms. Janie. Students describe their experiences by saying things like, “SOUNDS Academy taught me how to conquer my fears and put myself out there because you never know what you'll learn about yourself,” and “I like SOUNDS Academy because they allow me to learn a lot, teach me how to write my own music, and help prepare me for youth orchestra auditions.”
Last updated January 10, 2026.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
• Schedule: School Program classes are bi-weekly, hour-long classes; students in The Collective take theory classes for 6 hours a week.
• Price: Need-based scholarships are provided for those that need financial assistance. There are not many music education programs in Phoenix; specifically in the Southern and Western parts of the valley that provide low-cost and no-cost music education for children.
SOUNDS Academy began work in September of 2014. Its mission is to transform lives by empowering youth through teaching music and character values, with a commitment to reaching underserved communities. SOUNDS Academy has given over 73,000 lessons and classes to students in Arizona, and over 25,000 students have been exposed to musical performance or Instrument Petting Zoos through the Musical Access Program. Over $500,000 in scholarships have been given for students to take lessons and classes so that they can learn how to play instruments, and 100% of the students who graduate from the SOLO Program now attend a college or university to pursue various degrees such as biology, business, and music education.
Instruments are provided to those who cannot afford one. While in the School Program, students receive instruments, music books, and other materials, and while in the SOLO Program, students receive instruments, music books, and other supplementary materials. The Collective consists of 50 hardworking students who exemplify the character values of creativity, leadership, perseverance, resilience, and teamwork, and these students attend concerts, take lessons, play in a chamber ensemble, take theory classes for 6 hours a week, and perform throughout the valley using the community as their stage.
SOUNDS Academy states that it prides itself on providing professional teachers with a high level of education and performance. The leadership team includes Kirk Johnson – Founder, CEO, & Teaching Artist; Matthew Fox – Program Director; and Jaime Perez – Program Assistant. SOUNDS Academy has thrived by creating partnerships with over 40 local businesses, foundations, and organizations including The Arizona Commission on the Arts, The Arizona Community Foundation, Arizona Opera, The Armstrong Family Foundation, The Birthday Club, Phoenix Office of Arts & Culture, The Phoenix Symphony, Valley of the Sun United Way, Valley of the Sun Violins, and Virginia G Piper Charitable Trust. The organization has received recognition including the Out-of-School Time Awards of Excellence, USA Characters Unite Award, ON Media Arts Hero Award, Social Venture Partner Mentor’s Choice Award, Mayor’s Arts Award, and Audience Favorite – Social Innovation.
Parent and student feedback includes statements such as, “I choose to have my sons in SOUNDS Academy because they care. The dedication of the organization is truly heart felt in everything that they do,” and “SOUNDS Academy allows my child to build confidence and discipline in herself and belief in her musical abilities.” One parent, Bonnie Verhoeven, describes SOUNDS Academy as “a great blessing” for her children and notes her 8-year-old’s growing interest in piano lessons with her teacher, Ms. Janie. Students describe their experiences by saying things like, “SOUNDS Academy taught me how to conquer my fears and put myself out there because you never know what you'll learn about yourself,” and “I like SOUNDS Academy because they allow me to learn a lot, teach me how to write my own music, and help prepare me for youth orchestra auditions.”
Last updated January 10, 2026.
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