Testimonials
- After begging for a guitar for months and we finally got our son, Carter, one for Christmas but he hadn’t played a note on it until his first lesson with Matt. We got Matt’s name from a trusted friend. Her two sons had been working with Matt for several years and were loving their experience.
Knowing my son was new to the instrument, Matt made him feel comfortable and took it slowly. Carter can be shy but Matt was encouraging. As he progressed, Matt continued to encourage and challenge him to try new tempos and just have fun with it.
Since working with Matt, Carter has continued to improve and loves playing. He even uses the music reading skills he learned from Matt to figure out new songs to play on his own. Getting Carter to practice is not a chore because he looks forward to his lessons.
Matt’s the perfect instructor for someone who wants to learn to play but has no experience because he doesn’t judge or push too hard. He is organized with his lessons but makes them fun. I know Carter will have a lifetime of loving music because of what he’s learned from his time working with Matt.
Jackie & Michael Terribile, Manlius, NY
- Matt has been teaching our children piano and guitar for almost five years now. He started with our oldest, and ended up teaching all four of our kids. I especially appreciate that Matt varies his lessons to tailor them to the child's interest and ability. My oldest daughter gravitates towards a classical piano performance, while my son loves to play by ear and improvise. Matt even manages to keep my squirrely nine-year old learning! Through their lessons, the kids have attained a solid background in music theory and appreciation that has stood them good stead in their school band lessons.
My husband works long hours with his construction business, and I work from home. It is an amazing time savings to have Matt come to our house, rather than having to drive them somewhere and wait through their lessons. I highly recommend Matt to anyone (child or adult) that wants to increase their musicality!Clover White
- I am pleased to write this letter of reference for Mr. Matthew Sokolic. My daughter currently takes lessons in percussion with Matt. I base my reference on our weekly interactions with Matt and my observations of my daughter's progress under his tutelage. Having been a college professor for faculty development, I value and recognize effective teaching. As a parent, I have had experience with my children's music teachers over the years in a variety of venues.
Without question, Matt stands out as most distinctive, possessing those qualities and abilities which exemplify superb teaching. He has a gift for communicating at whatever level the student can understand. He is versatile in approach and is thereby able to find the particular approach which works best for the student as an individual. Matt brings to every lesson enthusiasm and professional expertise. Under his careful instruction. my daughter has made tremendous progress while developing an even greater understanding of and love for music. She is especially grateful for his encouragement and supervision which made it possible for her to participate in the Onondaga All County Band.
Throughout my years as a professor, I've encountered few individuals who are as intelligent, talented and dedicated as Matt. Equally important though, is knowing that Matt is a professional who is a truly good human being. He is thoughtful, caring, reliable and honest. He uses his talent and instills trust and inspires self-confidence and motivation. He has a gift for drawing out the very best in a student. Matt is one of those rare individuals who can bring knowledge, skill and soul together to enable the special power of music to enrich one's life. Without reservation, I recommend Matt as an outstanding musician and instructor.Krystine Batcho, Ph.D. Professer Le Moyne College
- Matt Sokolic has been teaching our boys Joshua and David, for the past two years. I first heard about his skills as a teacher from a former patient of mine. I have repaid the gesture by recommending him to several families I have known.
Matt reminds me of one of my favorite teachers I had when I studied piano 30 years ago. He's congenial, youthful, "cool" (according to my boys), and very devoted to music. He knows what it's like to enjoy and have fun playing music and he passes this enthusiasm to his students. One doesn't get the sense of the old-fashioned, dour disciplinarian at all. Last year, Joshua was into James Bond 007 and told Matt how he enjoyed the famous 007 musical theme.Matt brought over a modified and challenging version of the score the following week and Josh has been working on it since, Dave, the younger child, had trouble sitting still for more than 10 minutes at a time at first. Matt took his youthful energy totally in stride and now Dave loves his piano playing and sits still and practices for up to 30 minutes at a time.
We are very confident in recommending this young and talented musician/teacher to any family. He will inspire your children to enjoy and learn the piano.Marc Safran, DD
- I am delighted to write a letter of recommendation for Matthew Sokolic, who has been the piano teacher for my two children: Samuel Greene and Rachel Greene. Matthew is an engaging instructor who motivates the children to play well technically as well as to appreciate and understand musical composition and theory. I have seen enormous growth in their appreciation for music and their willingness to take their music lessons seriously. While they are by far, not perfect students, they are eager to attend their weekly lessons and always leave the sessions with a smile and determination to improve.
Since Matthew is also a professional musician, in addition to being an instructor, the children understand that his commitment to music is genuine. He is a very patient instructor who can also be very challenging, yet realistic in his expectations of their accomplishments. I am very pleased with their musical development and intend to employ Matthew as their instructor for as long as he is available to offer lessons. I have very high praise for his abilities as an instructor, and feel very fortunate that my children are learning from him. I recommend him wholeheartedly and without any reservations.Deborah J. Monahan, Ph.D. Associate Professor Syracuse Univerity
- Matt has been a fantastic guitar teacher for my daughter for the past 5 months. He has worked around our schedule, coming to our home for weekly lessons and also being flexible with online lessons when needed. He does a great job meeting our daughter at her level. He teaches at a good pace, helping her make good progress week to week. I would highly recommend him to anyone considering taking guitar lessons!
Katie Perry, Domestic Engineer
- Matt is a great piano teacher. He has been teaching our son for a couple years now, and the progress he has made is wonderful. Matt has the perfect patience and demeanor to work with children. He is extremely knowledgeable and I truly feel my son is learning from the best.
Nicole Mastrangelo
- Matt Sokolic came to us via a recommendation from a neighbor a couple of years ago. We are pleased to welcome Matt into our home weekly. Matt has been amazing. He brings a strong foundation of music knowledge. Though he does use some functional materials to guide sessions, his focus is really more on an individual plan of learning. He has been great with my kids and we are pleased with the progress and learning experience. There have been many days in which I am truly in admiration of his patience. I would strongly recommend Matt to anyone looking for music lessons.
David Mastrangelo
- Matt has been teaching my two sons for about three years. One takes piano and one takes guitar. In their words he is kind, funny, and focused. In our words he keeps them on task and helps them to not only learn notes but experience music. He is a great teacher and my whole family highly recommends him!
Catherine Dziedzic
- Matt has been teaching guitar to our 8-year-old daughter, Norah for two years now and we couldn’t be happier. He ordinarily comes to our home which is a huge time saver but the virtual lessons have worked very well too. He also has been extremely flexible with scheduling which is a giant plus for our chaotic household. During the lessons, Matt is extremely upbeat, positive and has a good rapport with Norah. He is very patient and tailors his lessons to her interests and progress. His influence makes her want to practice and work hard and her enthusiasm for music has grown over time. She looks forward to her lesson each week and is eager to continue to learn more. We are very grateful to him and recommend him highly to anyone wanting to take music lessons.
Jen Kallinicos - Mom of three, Pathologists’ Assistant
- Matt has been our daughter’s music instructor for over 3 years. He instructs her in piano and ukulele. I appreciate his ability to adapt to her learning style and explore her creativity. Besides traditional from the book training, he incorporates freestyle improvisation. Also he has encouraged her to write her own songs on piano and ukulele. It is a bonus that he comes to our home which is one less place I have to go. I highly recommend him.
Angela Gitner, Doctor of Physical Therapy
- When our legally blind child requested to learn guitar, we had some reservations on her ability and being able to find someone with a comfort level towards a child with special needs. Matt was a recommendation from our neighbor. When I was told he did in home instruction, I immediately contacted him. He did not hesitate to say he would give lessons a try which was a welcome change from other instructors I had contacted. A year later, our 13 year old can play multiple songs, her confidence has grown, and she always looks forward to her lessons. Matt's patience, flexibility, kindness, and dedication towards our daughter and this teaching opportunity has proven to be a positive experience. We highly recommend Matt.
Dr. Mark & Lori Maxon
- Matt has been giving my son private drum lessons for almost two years. I have gotten to know him during that time. Matt is an accomplished musician who is proficient on a variety of musical instruments, He is very knowledgeable regarding the technical aspects of playing an instrument and also has a true appreciation of the aesthetics of instrumental music.
Matt has certain personal qualities that are essential in order to become an effective, successful instructor, something Matt has definitely accomplished He is patient and tolerant. He has excellent communication and interpersonal skills. He has exceptional abilities in both the performing and the instructional arenas. He is personable, dependable and will live up to any expectations. Based on my observations of and experiences with Matt, I give him a very enthusiastic recommendation.Janet D. Callahan
- I have made many observations about Mr. Sokolic and his teaching methods. I have also had the opportunity to hear him play professionally. I can only use superlatives! My children look forward to his coming to work with them. They seem to enjoy the lessons and their growing proficiency. He has a great deal of experience as a performer and a teacher. He is gentle, patient and kind, but has expectations and gives them feedback. He expects them to practice and tells them so. Our family has been very satisfied and I would recommend Mr. Sokolic without reservation. He is a dedicated teacher and clearly gives a lot of himself to his pupils.
Joyce S. Garber, M.D.
- Matt is a reliable, easygoing and patient teacher. My kids all learned a lot from him. He kept lessons simple and engaging. It was easy to set up lesson times/schedules and I loved that he came to our home to teach.
Laurie Myhil
- Working with Matt gave me the foundations for percussion that helped carry me as a musician. To this day, I still can see his influence on my musical style and preferences.
Graham Myhill
- Matthew Sokolic has taught my daughter for 9 years. He first taught her to play piano when she was around 7 years old and then after several years she decided she wanted to take guitar lessons. Matt was a great teacher for both instruments and adjusted his teaching to her age level, skills and interest. I personally feel since Matthew not only has an educational background in music, but also plays for the public, he brings a multifaceted skill set for teaching. Not only did he teach my daughter to play instruments but also incorporated some music theory. The many years my daughter has taken lessons with Matthew is a testament to our satisfaction and to her ongoing enjoyment of his teaching. Over the years I have not only seen her abilities to play her instruments grow but her general understanding of music as well. I believe his teaching also helped my daughter excel in school music classes, chorus and orchestra as my daughter would remark on how easy learning the music was as compared to her friends. I highly recommend Matthew to anyone seeking lessons.
Chris Tanchak Director, Adult Day Health Services | Loretto Daybreak Syracuse
- Matt has been our son's piano instructor for 8 years. He came highly recommend from another family. He comes to our home every week. Our son is 12 years old and has a touch of ADHD. Matt is always so patient with our son. He is extremely flexible, honest and reliable. He has formed a connection with our son. He engages him to want to learn more. He is highly intelligent with every form of music and many instruments. He instills confidence and motivation in our son. Our son can now play Beethoven, Bach, Mozart and so much more. We love having Matt teach our son. We can offer only the highest recommendation for Matt!
Lon Todd Frocione, President of Deli-Boy Tiffany Roberts, Fashion Merchandising Manager/HR Manager.