FAQs.

Rehearsal Studio

Monday – Thursday: 2pm to 11:00pm
Friday: Closed
Saturday: 11am to 8pm
Sunday: 12pm to 8pm

Please check online availability for actual rehearsal studio openings.

General Rules:

  1. Respect the facility and others within it.
  2. Do not engage in any conduct that others may find offensive or discriminating.
  3. There will be no guests (non-band members) allowed in the room or on the property at any time unless otherwise approved by Madison Music Foundry.
  4. Minors are not allowed to rehearse without the presence of at least one adult.
  5. Madison Music Foundry will inspect rooms prior to, and after rehearsal. You WILL BE held responsible and/or prosecuted to the full extent of the law if any property is defaced, stolen, broken, damaged or otherwise acted upon unlawfully. If a piece of equipment is not working or you need technical assistance – ask for help. If you break something – just tell us.
  6. There will be no illegal drugs used or sold on these premises (including common area and parking lot) at any time. This also includes (but not limited to) minors partaking of alcoholic beverages or any other form of illegal consumption.

Book online here.  We appreciate at least 1 to 2 days notice if possible, but feel free to book whenever you get the urge to practice.  Booking price includes a $10 non-refundable booking fee.

Booking price includes a $10 non-refundable booking fee. Cancellations with 48 hours notice will receive a full refund minus the booking fee. Cancellations with less than 48 hours notice are non-refundable.

Each person attending must check in at the office upon arrival.

Please DO NOT go into other studios to grab equipment. If you are in need of assistance, please ask in the office.

Please put the studio back to the way it was when you arrived. If you rearrange the drums, please put them back together. Wrap up cables, clean up your garbage and make sure you have all of your belongings.

Please keep your rehearsals within the times that you have reserved. You are expected to be completely out of the room (with your gear) at the time your reservation is finished. If you need to reserve more time please inquire with the office.

Never take the speaker cables off of the guitar or bass amps. If someone turns on a tube amplifier and there is no speaker cable connected, it will blow out the amp and you will be responsible for the repairs (which could be anywhere between $200-$800+)

Beverages are allowed in the studios but spilled beverages will incur a $10 charge per spill to cover cleaning costs. If you spill please tell someone in the office so we can take care of it right away.

Do not set beverages on amps.

Keep your studio door closed tightly at all times whenever you are playing, even when setting up / warming up.

Free WiFi is broadcasted throughout the building.

Band rehearsal studios include a drum set, bass amp, 2 guitar amps, PA system, 3 vocal mics (with stands/cables), 2 music stands, and a keyboard. You are welcome to bring any of your own equipment to replace or augment ours, for example if you need more than 3 mics or more than 2 music stands, you will need to bring these items. Guitarists & bassists should bring their own instrument cables.

Drum sets include a single-bass kick pedal, ride cymbal/stand, hi-hat cymbals/stand, 2 extra cymbal stands, and adjustable throne.  Crash cymbals are not included for bands but can be rented for $5/pair.

The equipment listed below is available throughout our band rehearsal studios.  We cannot guarantee an exact piece of gear for rehearsals, as some of the items like drums and bass amps are designated to certain studios, and sometimes gear is off-site for maintenance.  With that said, we will do our best to accommodate requests.

We do not rent gear for off-site events, however Full Compass has an excellent rental program:  https://www.fullcompass.com/rentals/rentals.php

GUITAR AMPS

  • Mesa Boogie Single Rectifier: 50 watt guitar amp
  • Mesa Boogie F50: 50 watt guitar amp
  • Mesa Boogie F100: 100 watt guitar amp
  • Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier Trem-o-verb: 100 watt guitar amp
  • Fender Band Master (black face): 40 watt guitar amp
  • 2 Blackstar HT Club 50 MkII 50 watt guitar amp
  • Ampeg VH-140c: 140 watt solid state guitar amp
  • Peavey 5150: 120 watt tube guitar amp (original block letter series)
  • Peavy Classic 50: 50 watt combo amp (2×12″ speakers)
  • 7 speaker cabinets (4×12″): 2-Mesa, 2-Marshall, 2-Peavey, 1-Soldano

BASS AMPS

  • Ampeg SVT II: 350 watt tube bass amp
  • Ampeg B2-RE: 450 watt solid state bass amp
  • Ampeg B1-RE: 300 watt solid state bass amp
  • Mesa Boogie Subway D800: 800 watt bass amp
  • 2 Gallien-Krueger Backline 600: 300 watt solid state bass amp
  • 1 Ampeg 8×10″ bass cabinet
  • 2 Ampeg HE 4×10″ bass cabinets
  • 1 Ampeg HLF 4×10″ bass cabinet

DRUM SETS

  • 5 piece Mapex Mars Series
  • 5 piece Yamaha Stage Custom Drum Set – Birch
  • 5 piece Yamaha Stage Custom Drum Set – Maple
  • 5 piece Yamaha Stage Custom Drum Set – Birch

KEYBOARDS

  • Yamaha P-115 Digital pianos

PA SYSTEMS

  • Yamaha and Peavy 8 channel powered mixers, JBL, Yamaha and Electro-Voice speakers, Sure SM58 microphones

Solo Rehearsal Studios are for ONE person only.  If you have two or more people, you’ll need to book one of our Band Rehearsal Studios. 

Solo Studios include a digital piano and 1 music stand.  We do not include guitar amps for solo studios.

Solo Drum Studios include a full drum kit and 1 music stand.  We do not provide a sound system, so if you want to play along with music you will need to bring your own headphones.

The drum kits in our Solo Drum Studios are standard 5-piece “rock” kits (kick drum, 2 rack toms, 1 floor tom, 1 snare drum) and include a single-bass kick pedal, ride cymbal/stand, 2 crash cymbals/stands, hi-hat cymbals/stand.  We do not provide double-bass kick pedals.

Drum sticks are not included but we sell them in the office.

Lessons

Lessons cost $40 per half-hour session and include opportunities to participate in a number of other events for free or at a discount. Events include Student Jams, Recitals, and a number of workshops, some of which utilize our professional recording studio, Blast House Studios.

The first lesson is a trial lesson and payment ($40) for this single lesson is due at the time of the lesson. If you continue beyond the first lesson, then lessons are paid for via monthly tuition. All payments are made directly to your instructor.

Lessons occur once per week, at the same time each and every week (no exceptions). We find a time that works for you and reserve that weekly time slot exclusively for you. We offer lessons Monday through Thursday and Saturday / Sunday (schedules vary by instructor). We do not provide “every other week” lessons. We do not offer flexible scheduling to accommodate irregular work schedules or travel for work.

All lessons take place exclusively at our facility near the intersection of the Beltline Highway and Fish Hatchery Road (2818 Index Road, Fitchburg, WI). Click here for map.

We have students ranging in age from 5 to 80+ years old, but each of our instructors has their own minimum age requirement for students.

We recognize the importance of collaborating with other musicians, and we offer frequent group activities for our students (workshops, classes, student jams, etc). However, we do not offer group instrument lessons because the single most effective way to learn an instrument is in a private, one on one setting with one student and one instructor.

We only offer one-on-one lessons (one student with one instructor), but depending on the schedules we are sometimes able to find two different instructors with the same open time for your convenience. If you want the same instructor, we can sometimes find an hour long block of time for back to back lessons for 2 family members.

Students should bring their own instrument for lessons (we provide pianos, drum sets and guitar/bass amps). We do not rent instruments. Contact us if you would like help finding a good place to shop for instruments. We will get you pointed in the right direction.

If you can’t attend a lesson, you must contact your instructor directly (do not contact the office).

The short answer is yes. However, every instructor has their own policy, so you should discuss it with them. Here are a few reasons why we think it’s important to pay for every lesson:

  1. Part of what your paying for is your time slot. Your instructor is saving that spot for you whether or not you attend.
  2. Sometimes instructors are willing to do makeups if their schedule allows, but schedules are typically very full.
  3. There’s a good chance you’ll be more motivated to attend if you’re paying for it.
  4. Instructors are earning a living by teaching. It’s a struggle for so many musicians to get by. We and they greatly appreciate your understanding that their time is valuable.

No.  While a gift certificate for music lessons is a thoughtful gesture, we cannot guarantee that the recipient will find a lesson time that suits their schedule.

Therefore, we recommend considering an alternative approach: offering to cover the cost of someone’s music education once they have found a lesson time that works for them. This ensures that your generous gift can be put to use effectively.

To hear about scheduling options and get started, the first step is to sign up online.  We look forward to hearing from you!

Workshops

It depends on the workshop, but generally ranges from $325-$375. The makeup of each workshop is different. For example Rock Workshop includes a recording session so it costs more. For all workshops tuition includes all rehearsals with an instructor, all gear provided (students bring their own instruments), and the gig at a local music venue.

Yes. In our enrollment form, there is an opportunity to request financial assistance. If you have any questions, contact education@madisonmusicfoundry.com.

Yes! We have many students participate in multiple sessions. You do still need to re-enroll though. There’s a place on the application where you can indicate your past participation.

We provide whatever equipment is needed for each workshop. This can include amps, mics, PA system, drums, and keyboards. Students are expected to provide their own instruments.

The number of bands that we can put together entirely depends on the applicants we get for that session. We work to match the right instrumentation along with ability, age, and musical interests of the members. Sometimes we don’t have the right makeup (i.e. too many drummers or not enough bass players), and so sometimes we don’t have a band for everyone who applies. We do try everything we can to create as many bands as possible while also ensuring that participants have a quality experience.

Sometimes we don’t accept students because of ability. Each workshop requires students to have some level of knowledge of their instrument and the style of music (see the auditions section of each workshop). If this is the case, we will notify you of the reason and give you constructive feedback on what to work on in order to participate in the future.

Absolutely! You can always apply no matter what happened the past round.

Yes. You get everything back that you paid.

If this happens, we’ll refund everything except for your application fee.

Classes

This depends on the program. If you need to bring anything special, you’ll be notified. If you have any questions, contact education@madisonmusicfoundry.com.

Cancellation policies vary per class. However the following guideline generally holds true of most of our classes:

Last day to cancel – Every class has a specific date after which tuition will not be refunded. This is because of the preparations we have to make for the class to occur. It’s generally about 10 days before the first class. All dates are listed on the Madison Music Foundry Events.

Payment must be received within 7 days of submitting the enrollment form. Failure to pay in 7 days will result in being removed from the class.

Every class has a minimum enrollment that we must meet. If we fail to meet the minimum enrollment, you will be notified that the class is canceled and will receive a full refund. We will notify you of a cancellation no later than three days before the class is scheduled to begin.

Yes! We are always looking for ideas. Please stop by the front office or send an email to education@madisonmusicfoundry.com.

Photo & Video Release

This applies to you only if you are filling out a form in which you are agreeing to the Photo and Video Release. If you would like to opt out of this release, please email us at education@madisonmusicfoundry.com.

Looking for the Photo and Video Release form? You can find it here.

PHOTO AND VIDEO RELEASE
I hereby give my consent for Madison Music Foundry, LLC (MMF) and Blast House Studios (BHS) to use the photograph, video and likeness of the person or artist listed to be used in its publications, including its website. I release MMF and BHS from any expectation of confidentiality for the undersigned and attest that I am the person listed, the parent or legal guardian of any minors listed, or the official representative of the artist.

This photo and video release form will remain in effect until:
1) You notify us in writing or by email (education@madisonmusicfoundry.com) to cancel it (which will apply to all events occurring after we receive your notification); OR
2) In the event that the person listed is a minor, when that student turns 18.