From age 7 to 70+, there is a place for students of all ages and experience levels in the Butler Community Arts School’s private lesson program!

Our trained Teaching Artists composed of Butler students, alumni, and community professionals are passionate educators engaged in creating learning experiences that accomplish their students’ goals. Private lessons take place in Lilly Hall on Butler University’s campus.

Register now for Spring 2025 Private Lessons!

The Policies and Procedures section below lists more information about our lesson program and corresponding logistics. We thank you for taking the time to read through its important details.

NOTE: If you’re interested in percussion or guitar lessons, please email us at BCAS@butler.edu with your weekly availability before you register. Due to limited lesson availability for these instruments, we’ll need to review your weekly schedule before confirming if lessons can be arranged.

Piano (minimum age 5)

Strings (minimum age 5)

Ukulele (minimum age 5)

Percussion (minimum age 7)

Guitar (minimum age 7)

Brass (minimum age 9)

Woodwinds (minimum age 9)

Composition (minimum age 9)

Music Theory (minimum age 9)

Voice (minimum age 12)

These policies are implemented to ensure equitable treatment for all our students, allowing for flexibility while maintaining a clear structure for financial transactions and lesson attendance. We believe in fostering a positive and supportive learning environment, and these policies reflect our commitment to that principle.

For any inquiries or clarification regarding this policy, please contact our office at BCAS@butler.edu or (317) 940-5500.

Registration procedure for new students

• New student registers for lessons.

• Based on the instrument type and scheduling availability, BCAS pairs new student with a teacher.

• BCAS confirms the proposed lesson time with the teacher.

• Once the teacher confirms, BCAS confirms the lesson time with the new student/parent via email.

• Once the new student confirms the lesson time, BCAS sets a start date and sends formal email with specific details about the start of lessons and general program information.

• Lessons begin!

Registration process for returning students

• Returning student registers for lessons and includes the name of their teacher in the registration form.

• BCAS puts the returning student in the teacher’s schedule and notifies the teacher that their student has registered and can begin lessons.

• The teacher will reach out to the student to set up the next lesson.

• Lessons resume!

Account balance, credit, and rollover policy for private lessons

At the Butler Community Arts School, we strive to ensure a transparent and fair policy for our students participating in our programs. Our account balance policy is designed to accommodate changes in scheduling while maintaining fairness and clarity.

Registration and lesson selection:

• Students are required to select the number of lessons they intend to take during each semester at the time of registration.

• A table depicting the number of lessons that can fit based on the remaining weeks in the semester will be provided for easy reference during the registration process (see table below and in registration form).

• A $20 non-refundable registration fee is due at the time of registration. Lessons must be registered for prior to each semester – Fall, Spring, and Summer.

• Only one registration fee is due per family, regardless of the number of students in a family. The registration form automatically charges a $20 registration fee, so it is best to register all students in a family in the same registration form so you do not get charged a fee more than once.

Unfinished lessons:

• Lessons that are not utilized within a semester will not roll over to the next semester.

• If not all lessons that were registered for originally are able to be had by the end of the semester, accounts will be prorated accordingly.

Credit/Refund for overpayment:

• In the event that a student overpays for lessons, the excess amount will be credited to their account or refunded. This credit can be applied to future lessons within the next semester. Credits are valid for one calendar year only. Credits can only be used for the program they were originally registered for.

Tuition

At least one half of tuition is due prior to the start of the first lesson. Tuition is due in full by the following deadlines: Fall—November 1, Spring—April 1, Summer—July 1. Customizable payment plans are available as needed. Please email BCAS@butler.edu to establish a payment plan.

• 30-minute lessons are $26 each

• 45-minute lessons are $38 each

• 60-minute lessons are $50 each

Lesson packages for new and returning students

Allow for one to two business weeks of turn around time between date of registration and the start of lessons. Please note that there is a high volume of registrants around the time that registration opens each semester. Your patience is appreciated!

Returning students may resume lessons with their teachers as soon as they are registered for the new semester.

• Returning student lessons: Upon registration, please connect directly with your lesson teacher to set up your fall lesson time, as the BCAS office will not coordinate lessons for returning students. For returning students, we’re offering 14 lessons for the fall session.

• New student lessons: The BCAS office will coordinate the start of lessons for new students. After the first lesson, scheduling will be arranged directly between the student and their teacher. We’re offering 10 lessons for the fall session for new students.

NOTE: Additional lessons can always be requested via email to BCAS@butler.edu

Lesson attendance and make-up policy:

• At least 24-hours advance notice must be given to the teacher in order to be offered a make-up lesson.

• All lessons missed by the instructor will be made up.

• If less than 24-hour notice of absence is given, the student will be charged for the missed lesson.

• Exceptions to the 24-hour notice policy are: inclement weather, a family emergency, car trouble, or student illness.

• No more than 3 lessons can be missed by a student within the 24-hour cancellation window. Teachers will not be required to make up any lessons beyond those 3 cancellations.

Register for the Butler Youth Jazz Program!

Ages: 12-18

Meeting times: Sundays, 1-3pm from March 23 – April 27, 2025. There will be a concert at the Jazz Kitchen on May 4 from 12-2pm.

Tuition:

• Total Tuition Cost: The cost of this program is $275
• Non-Refundable Deposit: At checkout, a $50 non-refundable deposit is required to reserve your spot. This will be deducted from the tuition cost.
• Remaining Balance: The remaining $225 of tuition is required one week before the program’s start date.

Registration Deadline: March 17, 2025

Course Description: Join the Butler Youth Jazz Program for combos! Students will be split into combos and work with local jazz professionals to hone their skills. This semester’s guest artist is Steven Snyder, Jazz Organist.

Prerequisites: One prior year of experience on your instrument is required.

Placement audition requirements: 

A placement audition is required with your registration. Email your audition video to the instructor, Kent Hickey, via kahicke1@butler.edu

• Prepared Jazz Piece: Choose and perform a jazz piece of your own selection.
  • Guitar and Piano: Your prepared piece should include examples of comping (accompanying) within the performance.
  • Bass: Your prepared piece should include prominent bass lines that showcase your playing.
• Scales (for all instruments except drummers): Prepare and play four scales of your choice, which can include major, chromatic, mixolydian, etc.
• Improvisation: Play an improvisation over a 12-bar Bb blues progression.
• Drummers: Demonstrate your skills with 16 bars each of three different styles:
  • Medium swing
  • Latin/Bossa Nova
  • Rock/Funk

Meet the instructor, Kent Hickey!

Kent Hickey is an in-demand trumpet player and educator based in Indianapolis, IN.  He is currently on faculty at both Butler University and the University of Indianapolis as Adjunct Professor of Jazz Trumpet where he teaches applied lessons and jazz combo. In addition to his university teaching responsibilities, Kent also serves as the Outreach Liaison for the Butler Youth Jazz Program, a component of the Butler Community Arts School. Professionally, Kent freelances in and around Indianapolis and leads two groups of his own, the Hickey-Shanafelt 9ollective and the Kent Hickey Trio. His groups have performed at renowned local and regional venues like the Chatterbox, Merriman’s Playhouse, Blockhouse Bar, Fulton Street Collective (Chicago), Blu Jazz+ (Akron), and the world-famous Jazz Kitchen. Less recently, Kent played trumpet on Royal Caribbean cruise ships the Summers of 2018 and 2019.  Future aspirations include additional teaching at the university level, continuing to freelance professionally, and releasing recordings of original compositions and arrangements. Visit Kent’s website.

The BCAS is a leg of the Camps and Youth Programs department at Butler University. You can view BCAS’s camps, along with other Camps at Butler, with the link below.

It is required that all interested applicants read through the Program Information Guide that includes details on policies, procedures, pricing, and program details. 

Watch the Ballet Intensive Showcase from 2024

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Meet the Artistic Director, Marek Cholewa!

Marek Cholewa, Professor of Dance at Butler University, came from the National Ballet of Panama where he was Assistant Artistic Director/Master Teacher/Répétiteur/Choreographer. He obtained his master’s degree from The Rimsky-Korsakov Music State Conservatory in St. Petersburg (Russia), as Répétiteur/Choreographer in 1982. Prior to this Mr. Cholewa studied at the National School of Ballet in Poznan, Poland. From 1976-’78, he was a Soloist with the National Ballet of Poland where he performed principal roles from XIX and XX century classical ballet repertory. Read more.