Merit School of Music

Totally disappointed after that first music class with my toddler. 45 mins and 2 instruments!?! Class was very babyish; teacher read a book!?! Isn’t this music class!?!

Summary: Merit is third rate in terms of educational quality. It is a poorly run arts institution with average to poor teachers, hacks, and abysmal administrators.
In particular the string department faculty and the chamber music faculty is a joke. But in truth the school suffers from an overall lack of administrative competency as well that comes right from the top. Rank disorganization and miscommunication is the rule here, not the exception.
There are way better programs out there for kids. CYSO comes to mind.
Avoid.

Excellent teachers, excellent programs!

I’m not a student here per se, but I just joined the Chicago Metropolitan Symphony orchestra, a community orchestra that rehearses here. I’m very impressed with the mission of this school, which «provides high-​quality music education to students in metropolitan Chicago. Its primary goals are to help young people achieve their full musical potential, to remove economic barriers to participation, and to stimulate personal and educational growth through music without regard to national origin, race, religious belief, gender or physical handicap.» They relocated to this building after a long life in the Dearborn station.
It’s incredible that such a place exists, as I am a strong believer in the transformative and spiritual process of music making with others, and to provide it to those that would otherwise not have tasted it is one of the greatest acts that I can imagine. I am a music junkie. The teachers listed here are of high caliber and some of the most famous musicians in the world have visited, as witness by the endless rows of signed photographs in the hallways. There is an impressive, smaller-​but-​very-​nice concert hall as well, which makes for an intimate concert experience.