Promethean Studios

contact for price

Zip code

Student age

Lesson length

Musical style

Sorry this pro can’t do your job, but we know other pros who can.

Check them out

Introduction: Promethean Studios offers music lessons for guitar, piano, voice, bass, sax, flute, oboe, ukulele, mandolin, songwriting, and composition. We offer bands (you get to play in a band) and music seminars (you get to learn about music and your instrument) for students and non-students. Mark Black also provides awesome live music and party entertainment at small to large venues. These performances are an amazing mix of styles, classic rock to classic jazz to R&B to modern pop and country - and as Mark is a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, there's never a dull moment, or one you won't love. Mark Black is a 5 star rated teacher and has taught well over 2500 students privately. He’s been teaching here in Plano and Richardson since 1994. Half of our students are adults and ½ are children and teens. If you don’t have time for the drive, we also offer wonderful live, online lessons. Your lessons will be customized to your goals, your music, your abilities, and your personality. You’re going to love your lessons and save years of wasted effort. Strange to say, most teachers don’t actually believe you can learn to play or sing well, even though they’re teaching you. Mark believes 99.9% of students can make music better than they ever imagined. We think loving your lessons is crucial to learning, so we want them to be a source of fun and excitement, for ALL students. At the same time, if you’re looking to excel in music, maybe even make music your life, or nail an audition or get into music school, this is definitely the place for you. Mark attended Loyola University in New Orleans as a double major in oboe performance and music composition/theory. He was a member of the Loyola Orchestra, Loyola Jazz Band, Loyola Chorale, and the Loyola Band, as well as in various woodwind quintets. He traveled for a year with the contemporary Christian music group Majesty, has led worship for over 30 years, and spent 14 years as a music director of various churches. He studied privately with Fred Korman, Dr. Pat McCarty, Helen Erb, Dr. William Horne, Michael Carubba, Dr. Thomas West, and others, and has performed in rock, pop, classical, Christian, and jazz ensembles and as a soloist in hundreds of performances. He’s taught hundreds of music seminars and worship seminars. His musical skills include professional performance in guitar, voice, sax, piano, keyboards, bass, flute, oboe, and other instruments, as well as professional composition, arranging, and orchestration. Promethean Studios: Have fun. Be awesome.TM

Overview

Hired 24 times

Background checked

30 years in business

Payment methods

Ask this pro about their preferred payment method.

Featured Projects

35 photos

Specialties

Musical style

, ,

Reviews

Customers rated this pro highly for professionalism, work quality, and responsiveness.

Exceptional 5.0

11 reviews

100%

Maria G.

Feb 1, 2013

I've been taking lessons at Promethean Studios for over a year. Having played the piano for several years during my childhood, I'd been away from it for close to 15 years, prior to resuming lessons late in 2011. I can say that I am thoroughly pleased with my experience thus far. My instructor (and studio owner) Mark Black, is very knowledgable and competent, and a highly-skilled instructor. My knowledge of music theory has grown exponentially and my playing abilities have strengthened. Mr. Black's methods allow for a student to learn and implement what has been learn, all while playing music the student enjoys--be it classical, country, rock, jazz, or any other genre. I would highly recommend Promethean Studios to anyone.

Craig C.

Nov 15, 2013

I was a 56 year old man that finally decided to learn to play an instrument instead of spending my life wishing I could play an instrument. Being a product of the 70s, Id always had a desire play a bass guitar in a rock and roll band. I feel very fortunate to have stumbled upon Mark Black and Promethean Studios. From the beginning, my desire has been to learn how to play music not just become a human jukebox. Under Marks guidance for the last year and a half, I feel I am achieving that goal. Even though I know I have hardly scratched the surface of the musical universe, I was able to quickly hold my own with a band of experienced grey beards I play with regularly. Mark has proven to me he is an experienced teacher with a solid approach to teaching music that fits my needs. Mark also has a dry wit that keeps each lesson interesting. I would definitely recommend Mark to anyone with a serious interest in learning music.

Forrest T.

Nov 16, 2013

Best in the area ; hands down!

George B.

Feb 12, 2013

I am an adult student and have taken guitar lessons on and off with various guitar teachers for the past 12 years. I have been working with Mark for the past year. I have learned more in 1 year with Mark than I have over the past 5 years with other instructors. Mark pushes you to learn (in a friendly way) all aspects of music (theory, technique, ear training, etc). His lessons make you think. I also appreciate that Mark tailors my lessons to my specific personality type and challenges me to get better at each lesson.

Joseph M.

Feb 14, 2013

Mark is an extremely talented musician and exceptionally gifted instructor. He is patient, but still motivates his students to progress in their craft. He encourages his students to step out of their comfort zones with semi-annual recitals in order to make them better musicians. The lessons are entertaining and you go away every week feeling motivated to perform your best even when you are practicing at home all by yourself.

Credentials

Background Check

Mark Black

FAQs

What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
We offer $50 off the first month of lessons for Thumbtack customers. Price-wise we're not trying to be the cheapest, we're trying to be the best value. That means I'm doing my best to help you learn as quickly and efficiently as possible, so you save years in proceeding to your goal. Doctors, politicians, and grocery stores aren't the same, and neither are music teachers. It matters a lot who teaches you.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
See above. In addition, I've been teaching professionally since 1988 and have many former and current students who are teachers and professional musicians themselves. When I think of how different my lessons are now from how I taught 30 years ago, it's amazing. I've learned so much about how different people learn and play, how they hear and relate to music, what kinds of music interest them, how they should work on that music.
What types of customers have you worked with?
Men, women, kids, teens, adults, old folks, rich, poor, middle class, good ones, bad ones, happy ones, mean ones, quick learners, slow learners, big-brained, big-hearted, steady on people, firecracker people, professional musicians, music teachers (some with their doctorates), casual learners, people auditioning for music school, people preparing their album, people preparing for UIL/all-region/chair test/auditions/musicals/dinner theatre/school talent shows. Judges, Doctors, tool-pushers, unemployed, IT professionals. Lots of people