About
Downingtown Music Academy offers music lessons, voice and singing lessons, music theory lessons, composition and songwriting lessons, and instrument lessons including piano, guitar, and ukulele. The program also includes workshops, individual auditions, community performances, recitals, open house activities, community events, and biannual conferences.
• Ages: 4–18 years old
• Schedule: Includes a six-month vocal course
Downingtown Music Academy started in 2013 and opened its first physical location in 2020, and has been helping students achieve their musical goals for the past 10 years. The studio has been voted the best in Downingtown three years in a row since 2019, has won awards on Thumbtack and Alignable for 2020 best Downingtown business out of 900 businesses on the site, and won the Best of Mainline 2021. Its qualifications list includes Westminster Choir College Magna Cum Laude 2011, Drexel University MA in Music Therapy 2013, Downingtown Music Teacher of the Year 2019 and 2020, Best Business Owner Alignable of Downingtown 2020, and Best of Mainline 2021.
The director and founder is Rosalind Hayes, who completed an undergraduate degree in voice performance from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ, graduating from the honors program with a minor in psychology, Summa Cum Laude. She completed a graduate degree in Music Therapy from Drexel University in 2013 and graduated with honors, completed both a master’s and bachelor’s thesis on the transfer effects of learning a musical instrument, has performed at the Kimmel Center and Carnegie Hall, and completed a six-month vocal course for Tonara, a seven-figure international music learning company and app. Additional instructors include multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter and educator Jason Mannheimer, who studied Music Education and Performance at Bucks County Community College and Montgomery County Community College, has over 30 years of professional teaching and performing experience, over 20 years’ experience playing guitar, bass, and drums, 14 years of teaching bass, 5 years of teaching drums, 3 years of teaching ukulele, and has taught ages 4 and up in private and group settings. Instructor Kevin Guttilla is a professional piano teacher, certified Music Together instructor, and board-eligible music therapist who holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy from West Chester University. Instructor Hannah Fleury earned her bachelor’s degree in Music Education with a concentration in Clarinet and taught for four years in public elementary schools.
Downingtown Music Academy states that it is committed to the growth of every musician, young and old, beginner and pro, and that a positive, creative, student-oriented approach drives student success in lessons, workshops, individual auditions, and community performances. The program states that it is committed to creating a culture that emphasizes community, convenience, and collaboration among students, and that its holistic approach to lessons incorporates recitals, community performances, personalized lesson experiences, and a method for monitoring and motivating students to practice at home.
The program offers online and in-person music lessons, with lessons centered on communication, collaboration, and community, and lessons tailored to individual goals. Teachers are all background-checked and use imaginative play for younger students, motivation systems for practice, practice charts and rewards for young students, and a dedicated app, Practice Space, to help track progress and resources. The program holds biannual recitals, open house activities, workshops, community events, and biannual conferences to discuss goals and progress. Scheduling is supported by the Funnel Boss app, makeup days are available at the end of each month, and lessons are described as flexible to accommodate budget and schedule. The program offers online lessons with engaging activities and consultation to set up devices, and has the ability to teach students internationally. A six-month vocal course from the studio is used on the multi-million dollar music app Tonara.
Downingtown Music Academy has performed throughout the community and partnered with other businesses, including the annual Halloween Boo Bash at Kerr Park, fall performances with Highland Orchards, and the national anthem with the Wilmington Blue Rocks. The studio organizes community events and has led participation in many Chester County-based community performances, including workshops, master classes, non-profit concerts, music festivals, and farmers markets.
One parent reported that their son has been enjoying piano lessons with Ms. Rosalind and noted that the studio offers online lessons, which worked well for their family. Another parent reported that their daughter began ukulele lessons with Rosalind at age 7 with no prior music experience, and that the lessons have been fun and engaging and that their daughter looks forward to them.
Last updated July 13, 2026.
• Ages: 4–18 years old
• Schedule: Includes a six-month vocal course
Downingtown Music Academy started in 2013 and opened its first physical location in 2020, and has been helping students achieve their musical goals for the past 10 years. The studio has been voted the best in Downingtown three years in a row since 2019, has won awards on Thumbtack and Alignable for 2020 best Downingtown business out of 900 businesses on the site, and won the Best of Mainline 2021. Its qualifications list includes Westminster Choir College Magna Cum Laude 2011, Drexel University MA in Music Therapy 2013, Downingtown Music Teacher of the Year 2019 and 2020, Best Business Owner Alignable of Downingtown 2020, and Best of Mainline 2021.
The director and founder is Rosalind Hayes, who completed an undergraduate degree in voice performance from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ, graduating from the honors program with a minor in psychology, Summa Cum Laude. She completed a graduate degree in Music Therapy from Drexel University in 2013 and graduated with honors, completed both a master’s and bachelor’s thesis on the transfer effects of learning a musical instrument, has performed at the Kimmel Center and Carnegie Hall, and completed a six-month vocal course for Tonara, a seven-figure international music learning company and app. Additional instructors include multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter and educator Jason Mannheimer, who studied Music Education and Performance at Bucks County Community College and Montgomery County Community College, has over 30 years of professional teaching and performing experience, over 20 years’ experience playing guitar, bass, and drums, 14 years of teaching bass, 5 years of teaching drums, 3 years of teaching ukulele, and has taught ages 4 and up in private and group settings. Instructor Kevin Guttilla is a professional piano teacher, certified Music Together instructor, and board-eligible music therapist who holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy from West Chester University. Instructor Hannah Fleury earned her bachelor’s degree in Music Education with a concentration in Clarinet and taught for four years in public elementary schools.
Downingtown Music Academy states that it is committed to the growth of every musician, young and old, beginner and pro, and that a positive, creative, student-oriented approach drives student success in lessons, workshops, individual auditions, and community performances. The program states that it is committed to creating a culture that emphasizes community, convenience, and collaboration among students, and that its holistic approach to lessons incorporates recitals, community performances, personalized lesson experiences, and a method for monitoring and motivating students to practice at home.
The program offers online and in-person music lessons, with lessons centered on communication, collaboration, and community, and lessons tailored to individual goals. Teachers are all background-checked and use imaginative play for younger students, motivation systems for practice, practice charts and rewards for young students, and a dedicated app, Practice Space, to help track progress and resources. The program holds biannual recitals, open house activities, workshops, community events, and biannual conferences to discuss goals and progress. Scheduling is supported by the Funnel Boss app, makeup days are available at the end of each month, and lessons are described as flexible to accommodate budget and schedule. The program offers online lessons with engaging activities and consultation to set up devices, and has the ability to teach students internationally. A six-month vocal course from the studio is used on the multi-million dollar music app Tonara.
Downingtown Music Academy has performed throughout the community and partnered with other businesses, including the annual Halloween Boo Bash at Kerr Park, fall performances with Highland Orchards, and the national anthem with the Wilmington Blue Rocks. The studio organizes community events and has led participation in many Chester County-based community performances, including workshops, master classes, non-profit concerts, music festivals, and farmers markets.
One parent reported that their son has been enjoying piano lessons with Ms. Rosalind and noted that the studio offers online lessons, which worked well for their family. Another parent reported that their daughter began ukulele lessons with Rosalind at age 7 with no prior music experience, and that the lessons have been fun and engaging and that their daughter looks forward to them.
Last updated July 13, 2026.
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