Thank you for visiting The Music Cafe web site! We are excited to share all the features and events going on here at The Music Cafe!

Katie Gunderson - Midnight Magic Guitar Raffle Winner!

Congrats to Katie Gunderson, winner of the 2018 Midnight Magic guitar raffle!! Pictured are (L-R) Terry Blessing, Katie Gunderson, and Dave Dohearty.



Midnight Magic 2018!

Don't miss out on a chance to win this gorgeous Washburn Maverick BT2 guitar! This is our 4th Annual Midnight Magic Guitar Raffle and was painted by the very talented Terry Blessing and assembled by guitar teacher, Dave Dohearty. Tickets are available at The Music Cafe for $5.00 ea. or 3 for $10.00. All proceeds are donated to Mukwonago Fine Arts Boosters, MFAB and we will match what is sold in tickets. The drawing will take place the evening of Saturday, December 1st. So join us in kicking off the Holiday Season in style with festive fun and great music! We would LOVE for you to join us, but the winner does not have to be present!









Mukwonago's Midnight Magic 2018!

9:00 - 11:30 - Music Cafe Students
1:00 - PVMS Jazz Choir, Dir. Jenny Peterson
1:15 - 3:15 - Rock Shop of Mukwonago, Dir. Mike Murphy
1:15 - Pretty Odd
1:45 - Milwaukee Postal Service
2:00 - Sonic Dreams
2:40 - 5 Play
6:00 - PVMS - Vocal Performance, Dir. Lori Wildeman
7:00 - MHS Jazz Combo, Dir. Emma Angoli
7:30 - Dale Wimer's String Ensemble
8:00 - MHS Vocal Jazz Group, Dir. Charlotte Kolby
8:15 - Jon Blessing Jazz/Funk Band

Music Cafe welcomes teacher Emma McAlister



Emma McAlister earned a Bachelor of Music Performance from UW Whitewater and a Masters in Music Education with an emphasis in Suzuki Talent Education from UW Stevens Point. She has registered Suzuki Association of the Americas training for Violin Unit 1-8. She has extensive experience teaching private violin lessons, group classes, and coaching orchestra sectionals. At UW Whitewater she had the privilege of being concertmaster of the UW Whitewater Symphony and the Chamber Orchestra. While at UW Stevens Point she was assistant concertmaster of the UW Stevens Point Symphony. She enjoys working with students of all ages.

View Emma's Resume.

Music Cafe welcomes teacher Lindsay Patterson



Lindsay Patterson teaches a wide variety of students and levels. Previous teaching experience includes private instructor for students ranging in ages from 3-60's and beyond with levels from beginner to early advanced. Her main passion is her private teaching studio with dedicated students ranging from beginners to advanced, 4 years old to retirees. Her Master's Degree in Cello Pedagogy along with Suzuki Cello Certifications have given her the tools to help instruct all students, helping to adapt to each students' specific learning needs.

View Lindsay's Resume.

Closed 4th of July week

The Music Cafe will be closed the week of July 4th (June 30th through the 6th). Let us know if you have any questions or concerns, or if we may help in any way.

Simply the Best 2017



The Music Cafe won Simply the Best 2017 for Music Lessons and Music Instruments!!

Music Cafe welcomes teacher Brittany Pfaff

Brittany has a Bachelor of Arts in Music/Liberal Studies Minor and Post Baccalaureate Teacher Certification. Her teaching philosophy is "Any student has the ability to succeed. It is my job as their teacher to set the expectations higher than the student may think they can achieve at first. Whether or not the student actually achieves the expectation at face value is not what is important. The journey to achieve the expectation is how the student truly discovers their ability. It is my job to guide them through that process."

View Brittany's Resume.

Music Cafe welcomes teacher Jon Blessing



Jon has served as a studio musician as well as a gigging musician for the past 4 years, and in that time has not only performed countless times but also gained a reputation in the music scene. By performing in numerous bands, musical pits, and orchestras, Jon has refined not only the way he plays but also the way that he teaches. “No matter what, there’s more to learn- the trick is to keep an open mind on what to learn next.”

Philosophy: Jon believes in teaching beginning to intermediate students of all ages the fundamentals of music so that they may grow to not only appreciate the art, but to also fulfill their wants as musicians. Whether they’re trying to find a new hobby, or get into the rush of the limelight, Jon tries to teach students “what they want to learn” while still guiding them through the proper principles of music. Students are encouraged to meet their musical goals through their style(s) of choice, and still have fun along the journey. “Music will be with you your whole life, you may as well take the time to enjoy it.” Specializing in Classical/upright, Jazz, Rock, Funk-fusion, and Rockabilly while teaching the art of improvisation… All ages welcome!

Midnight Magic 2017!

Mark your calendars to join us at The Music Cafe for Midnight Magic on Saturday, December 2nd! Amazing local musicians sharing their talents with us from 9:30 a.m. throughout the evening! Let's kick off the holiday season in style starting with our Music Cafe students, Mukwonago Rock Shop Bands, PVMS Jazz Ensemble, MHS Jazz Combo, White Knuckles, Mac Weast, Mark & Lindsey, and MHS Vocal Quartet! We can barely contain our excitement!



You know you want this GORGEOUS guitar!!! Designed and painted by 2017 MHS graduate, Emily Shaffer, built by guitar teacher extraordinaire, Dave Dohearty, and clear coat donated by Fleury Auto Body. Tickets NOW on sale at The Music Cafe for a chance to WIN!! Tickets are $5.00 each or 3 for $10.00! 100% of proceeds will be donated to MFAB, which benefits the arts in Mukwonago! Drawing will take place the evening of Midnight Magic, Saturday, December 2nd. We would LOVE for you to join us, but the winner does not have to be present!

Music Cafe welcomes back teacher Holly Brown



The finest teaching encourages a love of music. Music students, regardless of their age or degree of accomplishment, can establish a never-ending cycle of fulfillment. What greater reward can there be than to know that you have influenced your pupils' progress, and that you have helped them to grow through a language which ultimately affects everything they do.

Teaching is my passion. Nearly all new students are referral based because of my enthusiasm and unique approach to teaching. I take a patient, positive, and encouraging approach to learning the art, and especially the enjoyment of piano playing. The study of music is a truly rewarding and enriching experience that will remain with your child all his or her life. My goal is to provide each student with a well-rounded piano education in a positive and fun environment. It is my belief that every student can succeed musically, and that parental encouragement and involvement is a large factor in that success.

•Piano, technic and theory for all ages and levels offered (Ages 5+)
•Adult Beginner Lessons
•Lessons are held in a relaxed atmosphere and each lesson is designed especially for the individual
•Piano Teacher since 1999
•Member of Wisconsin Chapter MTNA (Music Teachers National Association)

View Holly's Website.

Midnight Magic Guitar Raffle!!


Mukwonago Fall Fest 2016!



Join us September 24 10am-4pm rain or shine! We are also having a one day only sale: buy a guitar at full price, get 50% off an amp!!

FALL FEST MUSIC LINEUP

9:15-11:00 – MUSIC CAFÉ STUDENTS

John Knurr: approximately 3-5 minutes per performance – 55 min.
1. Emily E. – flute
2. Sydney & John duet – tenor sax/trombone
3. Noah F. – trumpet solo
4. Joanna G. –tuba solo
5. Noah F., Joanna G., & John K.
6. Jim N. and Joanna G. , 2 songs
7. Hannah S. – clarinet
8. Zachary K. – alto sax
9. Peyton – French Horn, oboe, trumpet
10. Taylor O. – Flute or sax
11. McKenna – alto sax

10:10-10:22 approx.:
Carol Alms: Ella Norling, Joseph Loeffler Bell, Nolan Campbell – 12 min.

10:25-10:30 approx.: MacKenzie Wiley: Justin Almandie – Piano – 5 min.

10:30-10:45 approx.: Mike Campbell: 3 students – 15 min.

10:45-10:50 approx.: Craig F: Eliot F. – guitar – 5 min.

10:50-11:00 approx.: Kelly Kuhl: James – Guitar and vocal – 10 min.

11:10-12:30 – ROCK SHOP BANDS

12:40 – 1:40 – SERGIO CASTILLEJO

2:00 – 2:45 – CARDBOARD BACHS

3:30-4:30 – KETTLE MORAINE BLUES BAND

Closed 4th of July week

The Music Cafe will be closed Monday July 4th July 9th. Let us know if you have any questions or concerns, or if we may help in any way.

Mukwonago's Midnight Magic!



December 5th, from 11:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m

Win a beautiful hand-made electric guitar by Dave Dohearty and hand-painted by Jesse Goodden and 4 free lessons!! Raffle tickets are $8.00 each, with all proceeds being donated to the Mukwonago Food Pantry. The winning ticket will be drawn the evening of Midnight Magic, December 5th!! Only 200 tickets will be sold!! 262-378-4641 amy@themusiccafe.com



We will have live music from 11-9pm, including The Music Cafe student performances, Mukwonago High School Jazz Band, Park View Middle School band students directed by Jenny Peterson, Rock Shop of Mukwonago Bands directed by Mike Murphy. Please join us for festive holiday fun, frolic, and fabulous music!!

Mukwonago's Midnight Magic 2015!

THE MUSIC CAFE – Mukwonago's Midnight Magic lineup
11:00 - 1pm The Music Cafe students
2:00 - 2:30 Park View Middle School Band Students, directed by Jenny Peterson
3:00 - 3:30 Mukwonago High School Jazz Combo
5:00 - 7:00 Rock Shop Bands, directed by Mike Murphy:
Little Red (country and classic rock)
Bullit (hard rock)
Nightmare Cinema (hard rock)
Brian Radway
7:10 - 7:45 Savana Schraeder, Singer/Guitarist
8:00 - 9:00 The Kingfishers, Classic Rock Band

Mukwonago Fall Fest September 26 10-5!

The Music Cafe is hosting the Mukwonago Fall Fest on September 26 from 10 to 5 with live music performances in front of our store. Among the performers will be The Music Cafe students, Mukwonago High School Jazz Band students, directed by Emma Angoli, Mukwonago High School String Ensemble, directed by Dale Wimer, Sergio Castillejo, 6 Rock Shop Bands, directed by Mike Murphy, Savana Schraeder, The Kingfishers, and Press Play. Don't forget to mark your calendars!

Music Cafe welcomes new teacher Mackenzie Wiley

Mackenzie is a graduate of UW Whitewater with a Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. She is a Piano Academy teacher, and has taught both private and group lessons for both piano and violin. She performs as a former fellow with the Lake Geneva Symphony Orchestra. She has served on the executive board of NafME, Delta Omicron, and ASTA. She has worked with the UW Whitewater High School Honors Orchestra, Wisconsin State Solo and Ensemble, and UW Whitewater Young Musician's Day. Mackenzie has had a lifelong love of music and enjoys sharing that with her students. She prefers to tailor her lessons to each individual student based upon interests and learning styles. View Mackenzie's Resume.

Simply the Best 2015



The Music Cafe won Simply the Best 2015 for Music Lessons and Music Instruments!!

Music Cafe's Kelly Kuhl performing in Milwaukee Symphony Chorus



Simply the Best Award 2014

The Music Cafe has won the Simply the Best Award 2014 for Best Lesson Studios and Best Instrument Sales!



Music Cafe welcomes new teacher Dale Wimer

Dale has been teaching orchestra within the Mukwonago School District for four years. He is the Pit Orchestra Director for the musicals at the Mukwonago High School and is also the Tri-M Music Honors Society’s advisor. Dale is a founding member of the Echelon String Quartet, which performs regularly in the Wisconsin and Illinois area and can also be found in Branson Missouri every summer. He has also been a music director at the UW-Whitewater String Camp and has coached small ensembles for the Chamber Music Retreat held at UW-Whitewater. Dale has been a guest performer for the Palmyra/Eagle Community Band as well as the Grace Notes Orchestra. His philosophy of teaching is to enhance the lives of students and the community through music and music performance. He will teach the foundations necessary to enable students to be individualized learners through improvisation and other techniques that will enhance their lives through music.
https://www.facebook.com/echelonstringquartet
https://soundcloud.com/echelon-string-quartet

WAMI 2014 Best Drummer Award

The Music Cafe's amazing percussion teacher, Alan Arber has been nominated for the WAMI 2014 Best Drummer award. Winners will be announced April 27th.

WAMI 2014 People's Choice Music Teacher

Craig Friemoth has also been nominated for WAMI 2014 People's Choice Music Teacher of the Year award. Results will be announced April 17th.

Guitar teacher, Craig Friemoth of the Wisconsin Guitar Academy, has been recognized in several SE Wisconsin publications for his exceptional teaching skills and unique approach to his craft. An article featuring Craig's exceptional teaching approach and success was published March 27th in the Mukwonago Times, as well as 11 other publications. Click Here

A current student's mother also wrote an article about her son's experience as Craig's student that was published in 2013: Click Here

Sign up for Rock Shop this Fall.

Music In The Park, August 3rd!!




It is August 3rd at Indian Head Park in Mukwonago. Rock Shop Bands from 2 to 6 and Hoi Polloi from 6 to 9. Kay's Dance Academy dancers will be dancing before the Rock Shop Bands perform. Free inflatable jumping for kids 6 and under. Mukwonago Band Boosters are running concessions, and Pop's Kettle Corn will be there as well. Special thanks to all our sponsors! Oh, did we mention this event is FREE?!! So bring your lawn chairs, blankets and enjoy a musical summer day with us!



White House Lease to Learn

The Music Cafe works with White House of Music for instrument rentals. White House of Music has been proudly serving the needs of school bands and orchestras in Southeast Wisconsin for over 60 years. School music directors trust us to provide quality instruments to all of their students, which we do by only renting the best in student-line instruments from director-approved brands. Parents can lease these instruments with confidence, knowing that White House of Music's professional repair staff carefully cleans and checks every rental instrument for superior playability before it is rented.

Please click HERE for information from White House's website.

Music Cafe welcomes new teacher Allison Hertweck

Allison's primary instrument is viola. She is currently playing viola in the Beliot Janesville Symphony Orchestra, Kettle Moraine Symphony Orchestra, Watertown Area Chamber Orchestra, Lake Country Orchestra and the Waukesha Choral Union Orchestra. She also plays string bass in the Oconomowoc Legion Band. Allison taught Orchestra and Band at Hartford Union High School for the last two years and subbed in the Mukwonago School District for two years prior.

Music Cafe Teachers nominated for Wami Awards



Craig Friemoth was just nominated for a WAMI (Wisconsin Area Music Industry) award for Peoples Choice Music Teacher of the Year in the SouthEast Region!
Alan Arber has been nominated for the 2013 WAMI Best Drummer Award! Congratulations!!

Wish I Were My Son’s Guitar Teacher
By Claudia Felske - Read the full article here

Not just because that would mean I would be really good at guitar (musicality being something I’m sorely lacking).Not just because it would be a major ego stroke, knowing that a year and a half ago, my son couldn’t play a note and now he sounds like this.

Not just because I would be teaching him something I know will deeply enrich his learning, his appreciation of beauty, creation, and (dare I suggest) life itself.

The real reason I wish I were my son’s guitar teacher is that it would mean I have arrived as a master educator; it would mean I have achieved what I’ve been trying to achieve in the classroom for 19 years; it might even mean we as educators may be close to bottling the elixir we have been trying to concoct for the past two centuries, namely effective, creative, authentic, self-directed learning.

Allow me to explain.


Performance and recording opportunities are part of his instruction

Backtrack to my son’s first guitar lesson. When Eliot came home that first day, I was a bit surprised he hadn’t been taught what a scale was, or the parts of a guitar; instead, he had learned how to play “Smoke on the Water” on one string. We heard a lot of “Smoke on the Water” that week; it sounded to Eliot and it sounded to us like we had a 9-year-old rock star living in our house. Instead of learning a basic scale, he had been given the belief that he can create music, that he is a musician. That was lesson one.

Fast forward a year and a half to Christmas Morning this year when Eliot gave me the best gift a mother (who also happens to be a teacher) could receive. In the past, he’d given me a myriad of gifts: painted vases, home-made cards, crocheted bookmarks. I’d always looked forwarded to unwrapping his original creations. This time, though, there was nothing to unwrap.

“Mom, are you ready?” he asked, running into the room with my iPad in hand. I watched as he plugged it into the stereo and started playing my favorite song. Okay, cool, but where’s my present, right? What I quickly discovered was that he had uploaded my favorite dance song into Garage Band, and then added original guitar parts that he’d created, recorded, and remixed into the song.

“So you’re playing the guitar parts?” my husband asked (I was smiling too big to talk). “Well, kind of…there are no guitar parts. I made them up and put them where I thought they’d sound good.’

He wasn’t watching me for my reaction (as ordinarily is the case when I open his presents). He was tapping, concentrating, the gears were moving, “I’m a tad off here,” he’d add…or “wait, wait here it is.”The next day, he called me upstairs as he was practicing, and I was taken behind the scenes. He asked me to pick a song. I chose the most over-played song of 2012: “Gangnam Style” (sorry, that’s how I roll). Then, he listened, listened some more, struck a few notes over and over and then a scale, and then, spent the rest of the song improvising over the melody.


Elliot at play

He explained to me that Craig (his guitar teacher) taught him to listen a song and locate its “root note.” “Play it like the worst bass player in the world,” Eliot quoted Craig, emphasizing the need to test out the root note over and over to make sure it’s right. Then, match it to a major or minor pentatonic scale and “it’ll all sound good cause it’s based on the root note.” It made sense to Eliot, and it made sense to me. “Then, you can have fun with it, adding cool stuff, riffs, frets, bending notes, trilling,” Eliot explained while demonstrating each.

After years of declaring to Eliot that “this is the best present anyone ever made for me” and meaning it every time, this year when I said it, I meant it with an authenticity that transcended my role as a parent and entered that as an educator. What Eliot had done in addition to customizing a Christmas gift he knew I’d love was demonstrate ALL levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy, the gold standard for higher level learning.


Benjamin Bloom’s (Revised) Taxonomy of Learning

He was remembering notes and scales, understanding how they work together to create a melody, but then he was operating at a much higher level: applying a concept his teacher had taught him: analyzing the song, listening for the root note; evaluating which it was and which pentatonic scale should be applied; and then, creating and performing improvisational solo parts. What’s more, there was no teacher in the room; he had internalized the process, all levels of it, becoming his own teacher in a new situation, with a new song. And then evaluating his own performance afterwards. Basically, an educator’s dream come true.

And right now, as I write this, he’s upstairs doing the same to ACDC’s “T.N.T.” – not my favorite song, not my favorite genre, but his process is music to my ears. He’s beginning to read the world as music. When we’re eating dinner and he hears a “cool riff” in a song, he runs upstairs to try to replicate it. Clearly the much larger gift here was the one Eliot received from his phenomenal guitar teacher.

And so, aside from my best Christmas gift to date, I’m left with a slew of questions as an educator: How can we do this on a larger scale? How can we get our students to run upstairs (not because of the homework we assigned, but out of sheer excitement) to apply what we’ve taught them? Is this just a moment in time orchestrated by a gifted teacher with a motivated student in a small group setting, or are there generalizable truths here we can extract and sprinkle into classrooms across the country?

Should the Gates Foundation be visiting Wisconsin Guitar Academy in Mukwonago, Wisconsin? Should Craig Friemoth be giving a TED Talk on the power of improvisational music and learning?

Whatever the case, this gift has me feeling grateful and has me thinking...

The Music Cafe building has now moved! Our new address is 105 Fox Street, on the square in the old Box Office video location.

We are ready for Band instrument rentals! Please click the link below for details on Band and Orchestra Instrument Rentals.
Band and Orchestra Instrument Rentals

Please click the link below for details on the Mukwonago Area Chamber of Commerce's upcoming events.
Mukwonago Area Chamber of Commerce - Upcoming Events

Support The Music Cafe provides great support whether you need assistance in the purchase of your first instrument or to set you up with the perfect music teacher for your preferred style of learning.

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