Friends
Music is better together. Sharing it, performing it, making friends along the way — that's what builds a lifelong love of music. Kids in small groups progress faster and enjoy it on a deeper level.
Glenview, IL · North Shore Chicago
Start your Musical Adventure.
Twelve Tone Music School in Glenview, IL teaches music lessons for all ages — built around amazing teachers, real performances, and the three things that make people fall in love with music: friends, motivation, and fun.
Why It Works
Making music an adventure
When kids learn music with friends, something special happens. They push each other, cheer each other on, and show up — because showing up means being part of something. At Twelve Tone, students don't just learn an instrument. They learn how to listen, how to lead, and how to make something great together.
- PianoLearn more
- GuitarLearn more
- UkuleleLearn more
- DrumsLearn more
- VocalsLearn more
- BassLearn more
- BandsLearn more
Motivation
Learning music has hard moments. Twelve Tone meets kids there with real wins for real effort — prizes at home, prizes at the studio. That's how we get kids over the hump and into the part of music they'll love forever.
Fun
Friends and motivation only matter if music itself feels like fun. We built Twelve Tone around what kids actually love — short wins, real songs they want to play, and group energy that makes practice feel like hanging out.
The Twelve Tone Difference
Three things, working together.
Testimonials
What People Are Saying.
Both of my kids love their teachers. We cannot say enough great things about Sandy. She has really inspired our daughter to love to play and practice. The night and day difference in our son's playing after joining a jam class is incredible.
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Erin
Twelve Tone Parent
I think private lessons are boring. I like my labs class. It's so fun to work with my teacher and jam. Guitar lab is just fun and I like going.
J
John
Twelve Tone Student
The labs program truly helped Declan, he wouldn't practice and was uninterested in playing until we found Twelve Tone — it's a night and day difference and now he makes sure we never miss a class!
J
Jasmine
Twelve Tone Parent
Programs we offer
Programs
From age 4 to adult, there's a Twelve Tone path for everyone. First shakers, first chords, first band, first stage — every step runs on the same engine: friends, motivation, and fun.
Free trial lesson
Try Us Free
Book a free trial class on the house. Walk in, meet a teacher, play around — see if Twelve Tone is the right fit before you commit to anything.
Book My Free Trial- No credit card
- No commitment
- Cancel anytime
Got questions?
Frequently asked questions
Everything parents ask before their first trial lesson at Twelve Tone Music School in Glenview.
- Twelve Tone Music School in Glenview offers music programs starting at age 4 through the teen years. Little Tones (ages 4–5) introduces young students to rhythm, pitch, and hands-on instrument exploration. Piano Lab begins at age 6. Private Lessons are available from age 5 across piano, guitar, drums, voice, and bass. Band placements start at age 8. There is a Twelve Tone path for every age.
- Piano Lab is the Twelve Tone group-class format: four kids at four school-provided keyboards, taught by a working professional pianist. Students at the same level share a session — same songs, same stage of development — and learn by playing alongside each other rather than alone with a teacher. This mirrors how real musicians work: in bands, in ensembles, feeding off each other. Piano Lab is the only Lab program Twelve Tone currently runs, and most Piano Lab students progress faster than students in traditional private lessons.
- Twelve Tone Music School was designed from the ground up to fix the three reasons kids quit music lessons: practicing alone is boring, progress feels invisible, and the songs don't connect to music they care about. The Labs model puts students in small groups with peers at their level. The curriculum is built around real songs, real prizes for real effort, and real performance opportunities on Twelve Tone's own stage. The result is a school where kids look forward to lessons rather than dreading them.
- No instrument is required to start at Twelve Tone. Trial lessons and the first weeks of any Lab program use school instruments. Twelve Tone's instructors will recommend the right instrument for your child based on their age, program, and progress — and guide you through what to buy and when, so you don't spend money on the wrong thing before you know it's a fit.
- Twelve Tone offers a free trial class for whatever program you'd like to try — Little Tones, Piano Lab, Private Lessons, or Rock Band. The trial runs the full normal class length and matches the real format, so your child gets the actual Twelve Tone experience, not a watered-down sampler. No credit card required, no commitment. Choose a time from the live schedule, bring your child in, and if it's the right fit, enrolling takes about five minutes.
- Twelve Tone Music School is at 1742 Glenview Road, Glenview, IL 60025 — on the North Shore of Chicago. The school is open Monday through Thursday from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Saturday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, and Sunday from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Free parking is available on-site. Twelve Tone is a short drive from Wilmette, Winnetka, Northbrook, Northfield, Glencoe, Deerfield, and surrounding North Shore communities.
- Yes. Twelve Tone has its own dedicated performance stage on-site — making it the only music school on the North Shore with an in-house stage for student performances. Students perform more frequently than at any school that relies on external venues. Performances happen throughout the year across all programs, giving students regular experience playing for a real audience in a supportive environment. Band students also perform at local venues as they advance.
- Twelve Tone was founded by John Lonergan, who previously built Big Blue Swim School into one of the fastest-growing youth enrichment franchises in the United States. After selling Big Blue, John turned his attention to music education — applying the same learning-science framework that made Big Blue work to an industry he believed was fundamentally broken. Twelve Tone opened in Glenview, IL with a single principle: music lessons should work, and kids should actually enjoy them.
Still have questions? Call us at 847-961-7101 — we're happy to help.
The Twelve Tone Difference
Built by parents.Taught by pros.
John Lonergan built Big Blue Swim School into one of America's fastest-growing youth enrichment franchises before turning his attention to music. Twelve Tone is the result.
Students served
1,000+
Every one started with a free trial lesson.
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How it works →Our instructors
Amazing Teachers
Our instructors aren't just talented musicians, they're gifted teachers who know how to make kids fall in love with music.
Meet the team →Our space
Dedicated Stage
Twelve Tone Music School is the only music school on Chicago's North Shore with its own in-house performance stage. Students perform live every term — not once a year.
See upcoming events →
From the blog
Latest articles
Tips for parents, practice ideas for kids, and stories from the studio.
- 7 min read
Why We Built Our Own Performance Stage at Twelve Tone
Inside the only North Shore music school with its own dedicated performance stage — why Twelve Tone built it, how often kids perform, and what families get.
Read article - 6 min read
What Happens in a Little Tones Class at Twelve Tone
Inside a Twelve Tone Little Tones class in Glenview — what 4 and 5 year olds actually do in 45 minutes, why the group format works, and what comes next.
Read article - 7 min read
What Age Should Kids Start Piano Lessons? An Honest Answer
When should kids start piano lessons? Twelve Tone Music School in Glenview gives an honest age-by-age answer with readiness signs, what to do, and when to wait.
Read article
