In 2024, owner Rebecca Bogardus accepted a position teaching instrumental music at Cambridge Public Schools. The first several years in any teaching position are difficult, and so the studio closed to allow her to focus first on her family and secondarily on her school position and church service work. It is possible that several years into the position she will be able to reopen her studio, but a definite reopening date can't be decided on now.

Yes! Although we don't yet have a storefront, we carry most items a robust music program would need to purchase, including popular method books like Essential Elements and Traditions of Excellence. We can offer special deals to local schools and even offer free same- or next-day delivery to McCook, Southwest, and Cambridge schools for in-stock items. If we don't carry it, let us know you're interested and we'll be sure to get it in stock! We have a great collection of popular sheet music in addition to our digital collection of arrangements and compositions. Need a reed or set of strings in a hurry? We've got you covered! Contact us for more information about school discounts (or really any question you have) or visit our store page to see what's in stock.

Yes! We have a very small number of instruments for sale/rent. Any instruments our store owns have been thoroughly checked for playability and run through a maintenance check. Cost of instruments varies, but we can typically sell anything in stock for much cheaper than you can find elsewhere, because we search out well-made used instruments and get them in top playing condition instead of buying new instruments every time. Rentals are $22 a month until you have paid the total cost of the instrument, at which point it is yours to keep (no interest, no added fees - just keep paying until you've paid off the total!). During the life of the rental, regular maintenance is provided by our shop for free. Contact us now to find your instrument or check out our instrument page! We specialize in flutes and child-sized acoustic guitars, but often have other instruments as well. If we don't have the instrument you need in stock, we can usually obtain it through one of our partners, but it will be subject to a different rental agreement depending on our partner's requirements, and will most likely be a new instrument with a new-instrument price tag.

There's no need to break the bank, but you should also make sure to get an instrument that will play easily and stay in tune easily for your child, in addition to making sure it is sized well for them. Studio Bogardus does offer rental programs for any instruments we have in stock, and we ensure that they are all quality instruments in good condition. Here are a few tips for beginner instruments - contact me if you are considering buying a step-up instrument and would like some help: Piano - you can often find pianos for good prices on local classified pages. Make sure to examine it carefully before buying, and be careful moving it or hire movers. Any sign of rodents is an automatic deal-breaker. Best of all, ask a piano technician to check it over for you before buying (you can find piano technicians in our Music Teacher Directory). Once it is in your house, let it acclimate for a couple of weeks and then have a piano technician come tune it and do any needed maintenance or repairs. If your child is small, you may want to invest in a pedal extender so they can sit correctly even when using the pedals. If you want a brand new piano, contact me for more information. Digital piano - pianos and digital pianos often feel very different. They are NOT the same instrument, but if an acoustic piano is not an option for you there are digital keyboards that are close enough to be adequate for practice purposes. Any digital 'piano' used for practice should have 88 full-sized weighted keys, with a pedal and a good stand. Make sure that you also have a piano bench or something that will get your student to the right height compared to the keys. If you would like specific brand recommendations, contact me. Guitar - there are many excellent guitar brands on the market. Make sure that you get the appropriate size. If your child is small, find a 1/2 size guitar. If they are a little older/bigger (usually about 9), 3/4 should work. By the teenage years, a full-sized guitar is usually fine unless they are especially petite. Choose either nylon strings or steel strings - nylon is easier on the hands and common in folk and classical music, steel gets a brighter sound and is used more for rock. A classical guitar is a nylon-string guitar with a wider neck than a folk guitar. If you're looking for an electric guitar, I'll refer you on to an expert on those as I don't play them! Avoid buying a cheap guitar online or from a big-box store; those usually will not stay in tune at all and often have other serious issues. Invest in a case to protect the guitar. Keep a stool around to put under your left foot, or buy a guitar footstool. I have several brands I recommend - contact me if you'd like a list or if you want to ask if a specific brand is reputable, or if you'd like to see my current inventory. Flute - When buying a flute, have a flute teacher look it over if at all possible before buying. Do not buy a flute online unless it is from a reputable dealer and brand. Please stay away from any flute that is colored or is less than $150. I have never seen a flute priced that low that didn't need repair or didn't break within a few months - and often those cheap flutes are made of such poor quality materials that repair technicians refuse to work on them because they will break again soon. Specifically, avoid flutes sold in big box stores. I am happy to look over any flute my students are considering before they buy it. Used flutes are often great value as long as they are in good condition, and it may be possible to get a Yamaha (one of the best student-model flutes) for under $400, where they would usually cost $800+ new. Contact me if you would like a list of specific brands I recommend, or to see my current inventory. Up through about age 10, most students will need a curved headjoint or waveline flute. Some younger students may benefit from starting with a fife, which generally costs very little and is almost impossible to break, and then moving to the flute after about a year.

For an up-to-date list of our rates, visit our policies page.

The private studio is currently closed, but may re-open in the future on a very limited basis, with priority given to flute, then guitar, then piano students. If you are not a current student, please contact me to be placed on my waiting list. If you are accepted into the studio, I will schedule your lessons directly with you.

We have often held group classes, but the studio is currently closed. Please contact me to be placed on a waiting list if you would like to learn about future group classes.