Our Story
Edge Music Academy began with a simple question: Can’t this be done a lot better?
Our founder, Jason Thompson, spent years teaching at music schools and working in retail-based lesson programs across the Chicagoland area. From big box music stores to small studios, he saw all kinds of programs,and grew increasingly frustrated. Lessons were often inconsistent. Students were passed from teacher to teacher. Performances felt like afterthoughts. There was no clear path for growth, no real sense of community, and no artistic standard. Something was sorely missing.
He decided it didn’t have to be that way.
In 2021, Jason opened the doors to Edge Music Academy with a vision to create a better kind of music school: one rooted in high standards which provided a structured curriculum and a commitment to artistic integrity. More importantly, Edge would be a place where students of all ages could feel supported, inspired, and part of something bigger than themselves.
From day one, Edge focused on attracting passionate, professional instructors who don’t just teach, but take pride in mentoring and coaching. EMA has developed programs that balance structure with creativity, ensuring that students don’t just learn songs, but gain real musicianship. Our performances are intentionally designed to feel exciting, not forced, and are held at real venues with real audiences.
As we’ve grown, our mission has stayed the same: to build a vibrant musical community where students are challenged, empowered, and celebrated for who they are and how they grow.
Edge Music Academy is more than a lesson studio. It’s a home for musicians who want to learn, connect, and create with purpose.
Welcome to Edge Music Academy.
Not All Music Schools Are the Same
The EMA Difference
Teaching Staff
Edge Music Academy:
Instructors who build real bonds. Every teacher passes a rigorous audition on each instrument they teach. We take great care in choosing educators who are the right fit for our students, focusing on both personality and skill set. Most of our teachers have taught elsewhere previously, and we don’t hire beginners.
Other schools:
Teachers come and go frequently. No audition is required. Hiring manager assumes teacher knows what they are doing.
Curriculum
Edge Music Academy:
Structured programs for every age and instrument, plus plenty of room for student-chosen songs, with curated oversight and designated goals.
Other schools:
No unified plan, random lessons that often do not teach musical foundations.
Performances
Edge Music Academy:
Pro-level shows at real music venues. Variety of performances for all skill levels, with curated oversight and designated goals.
Other schools:
In local churches or at the studio, with no lighting or sound.
Bands / Ensembles
Edge Music Academy:
Balanced, thoughtful band setups. No multiples of instruments.
Other schools:
Chaotic, overcrowded bands (often seven guitarists and five drummers!).
Business Focus
Edge Music Academy:
100% education-focused.
Other schools:
Retail-first (aka “guitar store with lessons”).
Cost Transparency
Edge Music Academy:
Every lesson counts, with makeups offered through a convenient 24/7 student portal.
Other schools:
Seemingly “cheaper,” but often closed for many weeks a year without a makeup lesson.
Scheduling / Tracking
Edge Music Academy:
24/7 student portal, with notes and practice tracking sent each lesson.
Other schools:
You must call to reschedule, and there may be some written homework or notes.
Leadership
Edge Music Academy:
Director-led, with clear educational progress tracking. The Artistic Director and Area Director review assigned homework and curriculum implementation to ensure alignment with standards.
Other schools:
No director, no vision. Each teacher does “their own thing.”
Reviews
Edge Music Academy:
Rave reviews from committed families. See for yourself!
Homer Glen | Naperville
Other schools:
Complaints about structure and teachers changing frequently.
We Give Back
Edge Music Academy:
Our philanthropic arm built and maintains free instrument libraries at multiple public libraries.
Other schools:
Spend their money on advertisements.
How to Choose a Music School
So your child is interested in learning an instrument. This is great news! Music builds all kinds of social skills, helps develop the brain, and provides so many life benefits. Check out this article to learn more.
But how do you know which music school is best for your child’s goals and learning style? Selecting school for music lessons isn’t easy, and here in the Chicago suburbs, there are so many great options that choosing the right music school for your child can be overwhelming. Here are our tips for making sure that you pick the best music school for your child and your family.
#1: In-studio music lessons or home music lessons?
Here in Homer Glen, Naperville, and the surrounding suburbs, you can find music teachers who will come to your home, as well as music schools like Edge Music Academy where your student comes to a fixed brick-and mortar location for their lessons. You may think that students taking music lessons at home would be more focused, but we’ve learned from our time providing in-home music lessons along with our in-studio music lesson options, that students at home tend to be generally more distracted and less focused on their music lesson. Having a designated learning environment outside of the home removes distractions, and provides a sense of something “special” that gives the child a sense of the importance of the lesson, while also making it something fun and special to look forward to. Plus, our academy already has everything you need for your lesson (except your instrument, unless you’re a pianist or drummer, we have keyboards and drums) here on-site, ready to go, less instruction time is wasted setting up music stands, instruments, and more.
#2: What are the Qualifications of Your Lesson Teacher?
We know you may not be a music expert, so we’re happy to share what we know about the importance of various certifications and qualifications that we like to make sure our instructors have before teaching with us, so that wherever you go, you can ensure you know what makes a teacher the best in the business.
At Edge Music Academy, we strive to find music teachers that are highly skilled, and, where possible, have degrees in music from an accredited institution- whether it is a bachelor of arts in music, a bachelor or music education, or a bachelor’s in music performance. We also make sure to carefully audition our teachers on each instrument they will be teaching for us. You’d be surprised to learn that some music schools don’t do this. They take for granted that the teacher is proficient on their instruments, but it’s important to us to formally evaluate our faculty to ensure they have the highest degree of excellence on all instruments they’re teaching. This is especially importance since many of our instructors teach multiple instrument lessons.
#3: How many teachers does the music school have and how often are they there?
We find that the highest quality music schools have teachers that are there multiple days a week. This means that the teachers are committed and provide high-quality education since they don’t have to split their time between multiple academies. Having our teachers on-site and working with us multiple days a week, allows more flexibility in scheduling, should a student need a makeup lesson or rescheduling for some reason. It’s a major red-flag if a school has many teachers who are only in the academy one day a week each. This model leads to uncommitted, low-quality teachers, and means if you need to change your lesson day, you probably will also need to change your teacher. This can cause inconsistencies in your music education.
#4: Does the school have curriculums in place and ensure they are adhered to?
In many music schools, you are simply assigned to a teacher, and then that teacher has total control over what is taught, and how. That’s like sending your kid to public school and letting the teacher teach whatever they want, whenever they want, with no state curriculum or requirements. The best music schools have carefully designed a curriculum and trained their teachers on it. This ensures that students are learning all the important fundamentals of music and how to play their instrument at a high level. However, at Edge Music Academy, not only do we have a standardized curriculum, but we allow our teachers to add their own flair, and pick and arrange songs that students like to play to reinforce this curriculum. We offer a rare “best of both worlds” approach, to set your student up for success but also ensure a personalized experience that makes learning fun and engaging.
#5: Who is the owner/director?
It all starts from the top. Some schools do not have a director at all who oversees curriculum and instruction. In this model teachers can instruct however they want, and are not monitored or held to a particular standard. Some schools do have a director, but they are just a general manager who is more of an overseer of operations – some don’t even have music experience. Generally, having an owner or artistic director with formal music training and experience teaching (along with good business skills) provides a host of benefits to school as a whole. They are dedicated to hiring and auditioning the highest quality faculty members, and creating, modifying, and monitoring the curriculum. They also maintain relationships with community organizations to provide performing opportunities in the community. Check out our artistic director’s bio to learn more about his expertise and knowledge he brings to our EMA community.