Testimonials

Watching (and listening!) to Rex work with my two sons over the last few years has been truly amazing. He has an engaging personality that keeps them interested and willing to push themselves. He is very positive and develops a great rapport with them. The boys have made more progress that I realized was possible in such a short time and he has made, I believe, lifelong musicians out of them.

- Jon F. (Parent)

My 5th grader has been taking clarinet lessons from Rex for almost a year.  She looks forward to these weekly sessions and is learning a lot from Rex.  As a parent, when your child is happy to learn, and the teacher motivates and gently guides her with patience and kindness along with positive reinforcement; then that's a value beyond measure!!  Thank you, Rex!

-Sarah G. (Parent)

Rex is a multi-instrumentalist with incredible depth of knowledge in many musical genres.  My son began sax lessons w/ Rex about a year ago. Our transition to virtual was seamless and I am so grateful my son had those lessons to look forward to when school closed. Rex is so patient, encouraging and friendly. I appreciate how organized he is as far as scheduling, timeliness and lesson notes. My son truly enjoys his sessions w/ Rex and has progressed so much since starting. So grateful to have him in our lives! 

- Minta Spencer (Parent)

How lucky we were to have met Rex Amend over a year ago through our school's music program!  My son, suddenly was practicing Clarinet without ever being asked! "What's going on? I asked.  "Mr A asked me to do it."  Soon after, my son asked us for private lessons with Rex! 

Frankly, I would have never known how great a teacher Rex is if it hadn't been for the virus.

Before COVID, My wife or I would drop our son off and he would go in a soundproof booth at the music studio.  Still, he was always excited for the next class, and was always practicing.  When COVID hit, Rex immediately switched to online Facetime lessons, which were and are still surprisingly effective.

Now, I was listening in on his lessons as I was working from home right next to him.  I was amazed at Rex's ear. My son would play an F, and Rex would say "should have been an F sharp.” Over Facetime!  You gotta be kidding me! I am listening to this, and I can't hear ANY difference, but Rex does. What a great ear he has!

I told him it's like a foreign language to me! Yes, it is, he said.  He teaches it very, very well. You can't go wrong with Rex as your teacher!!

Henry C. (Parent)

Rex has been an amazing teacher. He has helped me learn from the very beginning how to play the saxophone. Rex is upbeat and super knowledgeable and very fun to take lessons with. He keeps lessons interesting!

-Erik S. (Student)

As a parent, I can say it’s an absolute joy to work with Rex. He’s extremely organized, communicative and supports my child’s learning in a way that keeps dedicated to his own musical development. We have been with Rex for three years and just signed up our middle son to learn flute with Rex. We couldn’t be happier that he is becoming our family music teacher!

-Monica M. (Parent)

My son’s weekly lesson with Rex is the one activity that he never complains about. Rex is personable and positive and makes my son feel positive about his abilities, while still holding him accountable. Rex even pulls all of this off remotely, no problem!

-Lauren S. (Parent)

Mr. Amend has been teaching my 8th grader daughter on the Clarinet since she was in 5th grade.  He is a well organized teacher who can motivate the kids and tailor his teaching methods to build on the student's strength.  His system for mastering technique is very well laid out so the students always know what the next level of progression is.  He communicates clearly with the students and the parents alike and is flexible to work around schedules.  

-Linh T. (Parent)

Zusan has been Rex‘s student for three years. He loves learning saxophone very much. His enthusiasm becoming more higher. He likes to play saxophone with Rex and enjoys the performance in the school band. Rex is fantastic！

-Grace W. (Parent)

"I started lessons with Rex around 4 years ago, and I will not hesitate to say that they've paid off! He is such an amazing teacher for many, many reasons. During both in-person and online lessons, he is able to maximize lesson time efficiently as well as providing valuable knowledge about music that has helped me SO much over the years. He is very dedicated and passionate about his work! You can really see that in his concise lesson plans and organized scale sheets. I would highly recommend him!!"

Marisa T. (Student)

Cameron has enjoyed his private lessons with Rex for over three years now. He’s learned a great deal which is reflected in his playing. Rex is patient, professional, and always encouraging. We’re grateful for his services!  

Lisa Graziano (Parent)

Rex is a gifted teacher. My children had played the clarinet and flute for two years. He was able to quickly evaluate their strengths and areas to work on. He provides excellent, specific feedback with genuine positive reinforcement. His instruction is well rounded, including technique, music theory, sight-reading, and song playing. Rex has my highest recommendation.

-Mary Jo H.  (Parent) 

Thank you so much for taking on Kate as a flute student for a mere two months.  I saw incredible progress in her ability.  She really did start at knowing nothing and before I knew it she was playing and loving it.  Thanks for your enthusiasm - I know it made lessons interesting for her.  She looked forward to learning and was good about practicing - following your directions as they were given.  I am especially grateful for your talent and willingness to share that with others.  I feel like that is the epitome of a good teacher - wanting to share what you know and doing it with enthusiasm.

-Michelle E.  (Parent) 

“Rex Amend is a fantastic musician and rehearsal technician. Students learn so much more than just notes on the page under his direction. He's instinctive, efficient, and exciting!”

-Vince Womack, Band Director at Foshay Learning Academy, Los Angeles, CA

“Rex communicated well with students and related to them spectacularly.  As a result, students were encouraged to continue striving to grow in their development as musicians and were typically exposed or remind of strategies, technologies (new and old), and tools that would assist them in that endeavor.  It was clear on numerous occasions that Mr. Amend had a clear idea of what he wanted to accomplish and a plan of how to achieve the goal he had in mind.”

-Jerrid Washburn, Band Director, Green River High School, Green River, WY

“I had the good fortune to see Rex work with the Los Angeles Youth Jazz Ensemble this year and I was very impressed with his methods, knowledge, and “Bandside Manner.”  He is a clear and concise director and is able to give good input to all the sections.  I’ve worked with many musicians and educators in my many years in both professional and educational settings, and I am happy to say that, despite being young, Rex displays maturity and understanding of the medium well beyond his years.”

-Dan Radlauer, Freelance Composer and Music Educator, Los Angeles, CA

“As a supplemental instructor for my music history class, Rex proved to be responsible, engaged with each student, and genuinely interested in their progress towards the goals of the class.  As a saxophonist, Rex is an exciting and engaging performer whose talent belies his age.  I would be hard pressed to cite another student I have known in the field over the past 20 years who compares with Rex.”

-Katrina Zook, Professor of Voice, University of Wyoming