our philosophy

Many students of ours come to us from other instructors, having spent months or even years learning songs, but lacking the fundamental skills to play their instrument. Our instructors eschew the "song of the week" and "what style is popular today" approaches, and provide students with the essentials necessary to adopt any style or learn any song they like.

Lesson plans for beginners start with a focus on good fundamentals, such as hand positioning, scales, and some basic theory. Instrument care and practice techniques are also covered. As the student advances, instruction is tailored for individual students in a manner that allows them to overcome challenges particular to them, and teaching them good musicianship as well as just having fun.

lesson details

What We Teach
» piano
» violin
» guitar
» bass
» fiddle
» banjo
» dobro
» drums
» mandolin

Lesson Times
Lessons are taught at Morrison Brothers Monday through Friday from 10am to 7pm, and Saturday 10am to 6pm. Please contact us for specific time slot availability.

Rates
Lessons are taught on a monthly basis, and cost $80 - $90 per month for four weekly 30-minute lessons (unless otherwise noted).

How to Apply
If you're interested in lessons, please call us at (601) 956-0135 and leave a message for our lesson coordinator, Chris Derrick, and he'll return your call as soon as possible. Please let us know what instrument you're interested in learning, if you're a beginner or an experienced player, and if the lesson is for a child or adult.

our instructors

Chris Derrick

Chris Derrick is Morrison Brothers Music's lesson coordinator, and a guitar instructor as well. A certified teacher, Chris created our lesson curriculum, an approach to teaching music that integrates performance, reading music, ear training, and music theory. "Our job as teachers," Chris says, "is to get a student to the point where they don't need a teacher any more," a notion that guides him and all our instructors. Chris's experience as a musician is quite involved; performing professionally since the age of 16, Chris has played guitar, piano, and trumpet, and performed with Three Days Gone, The Electric Company, and Blind Dog Otis, on whose eponymous album Chris performed.

Annette Joe

A practitioner of the Robert Pace piano method, Annette Joe is our most experienced instructor with decades of experience teaching piano. A graduate of Mississippi University for Women with a degree in piano performance, Miss Joe has served as President of the MS Music Teachers Association, as a Fellow of the National Music Teachers Association, and is a certified clinician with the International Piano Foundation. Miss Joe teaches people music "so they can have it in their lives forever". Her curriculum includes performance, music theory, improvisation, and transposing.

Ruth Riley

Ruth Riley is a graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England, where she studied both piano and violin. Her professional career includes performances with the Ulster Orchestra of Northern Ireland, service as the Associate Principle for the National Symphony of South Africa, performances with the Radio and Television Orchestra of Dublin, and playing a studio musician for a variety of television and record label projects. A private music instructor for over 30 years, Ruth's repertoire encompasses symphonic music, opera, ballet, and film soundtracks.

Barry Leach

In high school Barry Leach had two passions, guitar and sports. After playing guitar in the Southern Jazz Band his future as one of the south's premier guitarists was clear. Leach became a mainstay in the Los Angeles music scene after graduating USM, then returned to Mississippi and formed the Big House Trio. After gigging with Raphael Semmes, Leach started the wildly successful soul group, The Vamps, who released two albums and have become a Jackson metro favorite. In 2004, Barry released a stunning solo guitar album, demonstrating as much technical acumen as it does heart, called Stepfingers. Barry has been a guitar instructor for 10 years, and currently teaches advanced guitar and jazz technique.

Jason McIlwaine

"You can play guitar when you're 80; you can't play football." Such is Jason McIlwaine's advice to those deciding between music lessons and sports. Currently, he can be heard with the Lizz Stroud Band, who recorded a CD in 2007 and is currently planning a second.

Self-taught since the age of 11, Jason has played with a number of local bands, and was recruited to teach in 2000. His approach stresses education in more than just playing popular hits -- reading, theory, exercises, and technique for all styles -- though he will indulge students in their quest to perfect a favorite lick. An architect by day, Jason teaches weekdays from 3:30 until 7:00 pm.

Doug Thomas

Doug Thomas began playing drums at the age of 6, and taught himself every style he could dream of before becoming a mainstay of Jackson's music scene. After studying under top instructors from around the country, including jazz legend Alvin Fielder, Thomas expanded his repertoire and performed with some of Jackson's greatest names, such as Jerry Puckett , Raphael Semmes, and legendary jazz guitarist Skeets McWilliams. Doug's lesson plan for beginners moves from learning the rudiments into a gradual mastery of the drumset.

Stephen Wells

Guitar, bass, and dobro instructor Stephen Wells is a veteran of the Natchez music scene. Starting at the early age of 14, Wells has accumulated over 40 years of performing and recording experiences with various local and national acts, including Jedi Clampett and Ace Cannon, and can currently be heard with Jackson-area outfit Hot Cats. An instructor for 7 years, Wells's approach to teaching guitar focuses on strong fundamentals, reading, and some theory, providing students with the tools they need to learn and pay any song or style they desire.

Nick Smith

With more than 46 years of performing and recording experience, including a stint with renowned fiddler Kenny Baker, Nick Smith has been a Morrison Brothers instructor for 6 years, teaching guitar, mandolin, banjo, and fiddle. His curriculum stresses strong performance fundamentals integrated with ear training and sight-reading. Nick teaches students of all ages and experience.

Eric Kluksdahl

Coming soon.