Copyright © 1983-2025 Christopher Burnett (BMI) and Terri Anderson Burnett. All Rights Reserved.
OUR SCHOOL OF MUSIC
The Burnett School of Music was founded in 1983 by working professional musicians. The school was based on the real world experiences of lifelong professional artists who discovered unique methods to codify the complex baseline subject matter required for any person to become a competent musician.
Our lessons and courses are built upon establishing these competencies over a finite period of time. Our experiences include myriad successes working with students of all ages and ability levels.
ALL AGES AND ABILITY LEVELS WELCOME 🎶
We teach students how music actually works from an applied performance perspective and then teach them how to apply the knowledge as performing musicians.
MUSIC IS A LIFE SKILL 🎶
The Burnett School of Music has discovered that most people who study music in school classroom settings never have the opportunity to become truly competent musicians because they are not taught to be one. They are taught to learn tasks; the specific parts to specific songs, and many others simply learn complicated works by rote memorization of specific pieces. While those skills are admirable intellectual feats, they are not what makes a person competent as a musician.
Competent musicians can perform new music as well as they can perform something they have memorized because they can actually read, understand, then act on the language presented to them by the musical score.
MUSIC BUSINESS COACHING 🎶
We’ve discovered that literally everyone has this “super power” if they are willing to invest a few minutes of time each week in learning how to use it. Musical subject matter knowledge is finite. Talent is infinite.
BUILDING COMPETENT MUSICIANS 🎶
Enroll today and change your musical perspective.
PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS
EXCITING NEWS: ENROLL IN OUR IN-PERSON STUDIOS FOR PRIVATE LESSONS. (VISIT TUNE SHOP TO ENROLL)
(coming soon) MORE EXCITING NEWS: OUR INDIVIDUAL LESSONS WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ENROLL IN ONLINE AT THE EPEE EDUCATION PLATFORM. (VISIT OUR COURSES PAGE)
This is a picture of Nick, one of my adult saxophone studio members. He’s inspired by Reggae Music and his goal is to play the tenor saxophone well enough to improvise over the grooves of songs in that particular style. Nick is a very successful businessman and during our initial meeting he impressed me as a lifelong learner.
SAMPLE LESSONS
ALL SCALES MATRIX LESSON: A progressive method in applied learning of all 48 primary scales (major, natural minor, melodic minor, and harmonic minor scales) using the 12 major scales as baseline knowledge. Eliminates weaknesses. IT WORKS.
(coming soon) ^LEARN THIS ONLINE AT EPEE EDUCATION AND CONSULTING
INTERNALIZE MAJOR II-V-I PROGRESSIONS: A progressive method in applied learning of all 12 diatonic ii7 – V7 – I progressions and enclosures on the 3rd and 7th guide tone chord degrees using the 12 major scales as baseline knowledge. Eliminates weaknesses. FREE
CHORD BLOCKS: These worksheets are like interactive “flash cards” to learn four-note root position chord spellings and their three inversions. An essential competency for all musicians but particularly for those who are engaged in the applied study of improvisation. FREE
LEARNING JAZZ SONG FORMS: The 12:30 Combo Repertoire Syllabus is a collection of jazz standards organized by song forms. This lesson effectively focuses applied learning organically on the harmonic and melodic elements of jazz improvisation by combining the learning of actual repertoire. FREE
ii7 – V7 WORKOUTS: Competencies for jazz improvisation are built upon baseline knowledge of major and minor scales. This lesson effectively focuses applied learning organically on the harmonic and melodic elements of jazz improvisation by applying melodic fragments. FREE
GIANT STEPS LESSONS WITH MR. ALAADEEN: I was already a professional musician in my forties when we moved back home to the KC area to live permanently in 2001. I found a jazz master named Ahmad S. Alaadeen to study music and Kansas City jazz history. My lessons were from 2002-2007 at his home on Wednesdays from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Professionals are lifelong learners. FREE MASTER CLASS
COURSE ONE
Title: Building Instrumental Competencies and Eliminating Musical Weaknesses | by Burnett School of Music
- Three Weeks to Mastery of All 12 Major and Natural Minor Scales
- Six Weeks to Mastery of All 12 Melodic and Harmonic Minor Scales
- Nine Weeks to Mastery of All Scales and Scale Harmony in Music
(coming soon) ^LEARN THIS ONLINE AT EPEE EDUCATION AND CONSULTING
COURSE ONE is designed to establish baseline competencies as a performing instrumental musician. This course eliminates weaknesses.
COURSE TWO
Title: Expanding Instrumental Competencies and Building Musical Foundations | by Burnett School of Music
- Three Weeks to Mastery of All 12 Major Scales in Thirds
- Six Weeks to Mastery of All 12 Melodic Minor Scales in Thirds
- Nine Weeks to Mastery of Diatonic Chords in Major and Minor Keys
(coming soon) ^LEARN THIS ONLINE AT EPEE EDUCATION AND CONSULTING
COURSE TWO is designed to expand upon baseline foundations as a performing instrumental musician. This course builds technical skill.
COURSE THREE
Title: Refining Instrumental Competencies and Expanding Musical Foundations | by Burnett School of Music
- Three Weeks to Mastery of Reading Essential Rhythmic Figures
- Six Weeks to Mastery of Common Song Forms in Western Music
- Nine Weeks to Mastery of Hearing Diatonic and Chromatic Intervals
(coming soon) ^LEARN THIS ONLINE AT EPEE EDUCATION AND CONSULTING
COURSE THREE is designed to establish artistic competencies as a performing instrumental musician. Honor band and artist-level study.
COURSE FOUR
Title: Understanding How Melodic Improvisation Works and Utilizing Existing Competencies | by Burnett School of Music
- Three Weeks to Mastery of Essential Major Key Jazz Song Forms
- Six Weeks to Mastery of Essential Minor Key Jazz Song Forms
- Nine Weeks to Mastery of Selected Essential Compositions
FREE DOWNLOAD – Here’s a sampling of related content in this course from our MMEA Clinic: “PLAYING JAZZ USING STUFF YOU ALREADY KNOW”
(coming soon) ^LEARN THIS ONLINE AT EPEE EDUCATION AND CONSULTING
COURSE FOUR is designed to establish baseline competencies as an improvising musician. This course is centered on Jazz studies.
FACULTY
ABOUT US
The Burnett School of Music offers masterclasses and lessons for all ages and abilities. Featuring effective applied music lesson programs and progressive courses, the Burnett School of Music understands that the art of applied instrumental musical performance is most effectively learned and passed along by experienced musicians sharing knowledge with newer players. We do this by successfully using progressive and unique methods to codify complex subject matter.
Terri Anderson Burnett
Flute and Piccolo
Upon graduating from Lake High School, Terri Anderson Burnett attended Bowling Green State University as a music major. Terri’s aptitude scores qualified her to attend the Westpoint Military Academy Preparatory School, but she decided to stay with music by joining the US Army Bands Career Program and served as a Flute and Piccolo Player with the Army’s band at Ansbach, Germany. Since then, she has continued to perform with various ensembles, record professionally, and teach flute and piccolo privately. (website)
Christopher Burnett
Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone.
Composition, Arranging, Finale.
Production Music.
Christopher is an award-winning BMI composer, improviser, alto saxophonist, clarinetist, and flutist who completed a full 22+year career in notable military musical organizations as a performing artist, band leader, and company manager. He has also taught independently and in affiliation with notable music schools since 1983. His students regularly earn scholarships, honors ensemble placements, and achieve the inculcation of musical competencies that realize a lifetime of pure enjoyment. (website)
LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
PROVIDED UPON REQUEST
GALLERY
LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
PROVIDED UPON REQUEST
APPLIED SAMPLES
ELIJIAH: Former clarinet and saxophone student who majors in Pre-Med and minors in Music. A presidential scholar, he’s shown here before an orchestra concert at Benedictine College.
KAROLINA: Former flute student who majored in International Security. Visiting from overseas, where she is waiting to defend her doctoral thesis.
DALLAS: Private jazz studies student. KMEA “All-State Jazz Band” member and Kansas City Area Youth Jazz Fellow who now studies music on scholarship at Pittsburg State (KS).
BEKAH: Advanced “All-State” Clarinet Student takes her “Final Lesson” before heading to the University of Nebraska.
JOSHUA: A recent former jazz alto saxophone student made the renowned top recording and touring large jazz ensemble at Brigham Young University (BYU), ”Synthesis.”
HOUSTON + MORGAN: Two former students and now both Berklee College of Music graduates returned to KC for our annual Spotlight: Charlie Parker celebration to serve as the official Artists In Residence, featured performers, and clinicians.
WILLIE: Here’s our very first student from 1983
who is now the Vocal Music Director and Department Chair
at The Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts in KC.
LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
PROVIDED UPON REQUEST