Toronto Bass Teacher

Mike Milligan was my first significant music teacher and he has had a lasting positive impact on my music career. I studied with Mike from 2007-2011 and I started as a beginner. Mike is an excellent teacher, not only because of his open-mindedness and diverse knowledge, but because he is very supportive and encouraging. When we started our lessons together, I had no experience with improvisation, theory or double bass technique, and I'm happy to say that through Mike's dedication as a teacher, I was able to develop upon these areas with proper guidance. As far as teachers go, I am very thankful to have studied with Mike from the get-go and for the amount of time that I did. Fast forward 8 years, and I have gone on to complete my Master's in Music, and I can truly say a big part of my development was thanks to Mike. Highly recommended!

I've been taking lessons (electric bass) from Mike for over a year now and I can't understate how amazing it's been.Mike is very patient and understanding with his students and ensures that he's providing a tailored lesson that aligns with what the student is trying to accomplish, as well as identifying areas for improvement to continue to push and improve their playing.He demonstrates a great balance between learning proper form / technique, theory and developing an ear. As well as learning and transcribing songs. All of these combined create a very engaging lesson that I'm always looking forward to.

Hello, I have been taking lessons with Mike for 6 weeks, as of this review, and I would like to emphasize Mike's commitment to making me a great bass player, as well as a great musician.Mike is a very patient, and soft spoken man. Mike offers gentle correction, with affirming praise.I enjoy our time together and learn much more than bass lessons during our hour.I drive from Port Credit to East York to receive lessons from Mike. This is the proof that I offer to you, the potential student, that lessons with Mike are extremely valuable and a great deal of fun.Plus, Mike has great Bass Chops!

I have been taking lessons with Mike for only a few months, and I have seen incredible progress. His lessons are engaging, and his open-mindedness to all styles of music has expanded my vocabulary immensely. He is also a very patient and understanding teacher, and I look forward to every lesson as part of my week. Thanks Mike!

It is undeniable that Mike is a terrific bass player and musician with a vast knowledge of musical theory and of what happens in the musical scene, here and around the world. When I decided to finally seek formal musical training, I was looking for those things that I deem to be basic, but more importantly, I needed someone who would partner with me to help me improve on the skills that had gaps, and expand on my innate musical talent. Mike is that partner in music with their students. He will partner with you to make you the musician you want to be. His lessons are flexible and adaptative to your needs, and he will provide amazing feedback and communicate his rich observations promptly and in a very digestible way. If you want to become a real bass player and musician, it is a no-brainer: Mike Milligan is your best Toronto Bass Teacher.

I started double bass lessons with Mike Milligan just over 3 years ago. It was my first experience with a stringed instrument. I've been playing the drums for 43 years, so I understand rhythmic concepts, but I was completely lost in terms of melodic concepts, and music theory. It was intimidating to play the double bass - it felt so foreign - every hand and arm muscle and fingertip hurt the next day! The tonal relationships between the notes on the page were also completely foreign to me. Mike was great - taking small steps with me each lesson, so that I became more comfortable with the fundamentals - both the physical mechanics of playing, and the introduction of music theory concepts. The learning has never been dry" or strictly structured.Mike is a great observer - he sees where your struggles are

I've been having lessons with Mike for almost 2 years and he's helped me improve with my bass playing. Mike is very helpful and informative when answering questions and he is knowledge with playing the bass. I'd highly recommend to anyone who needs a bass teacher.

Mike is brilliant, patient, and fun teacher. I've been taking lessons with Mike for four years, starting from almost no musical knowledge. Starting music as an adult can be incredibly stressful but Mike has a gift for patience and teaching in an understandable way that evolves as your understanding does. Mike's teaching style emphasizes musicality and enjoying the process. I always enjoy my lessons and leave feeling challenged as well as having had fun.In addition Mike is a very relaxed, personable and interesting teacher. As a career professional jazz musician he can always relate a cool story about his time on the road or a peek behind the curtain of the Toronto (or Montreal) jazz scene. He's always pushing himself and experimenting with his craft. He's excellent at relating these experiments back to the bass through new practice techniques to keep things fresh. His genuine enthusiasm for music is infectious.I highly recommend studying with him and I hope to continue for years to come.

Mike is a natural teacher with the instinct, expertise and experience to improve your playing and performance at any level. He has a wealth of visual and aural materials and improvises exercises to deal with any problem, however small. He's always accessible and endlessly patient and encouraging. I always come away from a lesson having learned something immediately useful and inspired to keep on getting better.

I have had the pleasure of being Mike’s string bass student for almost 2 years now. It has been an amazing musical journey working with this professional musician, exemplary teacher and musical coach.When I began working with Mike in June 2017, I had never even held a bass. Now, almost 2 years later I have just performed in 2 ensembles (duet and sextet) in the New Horizons Chamber Suites concert. I never dreamed something like this could happen - that I would be standing on stage performing with my bass in front of 100+ people. It was a dream come true. I am so proud of my accomplishment and I have Mike to thank for his unwavering encouragement and support.Musically, Mike has taught me reading bass notation, counting rhythms, correct posture, intonation, and bowing(arco)/plucking (pizz) and stage presentation. He has an extensive knowledge of music genres and I have learned both classical and jazz pieces with him. Mike has a very easy-going, patient, relaxed, encouraging and joyful manner in his teaching. As a retired veteran teacher of 31 years, I know about outstandingteaching and Mike well earns that superlative.I most highly recommend Mike if you are looking for an intelligent, sensitive, gentle music teacher who is very dedicated to his art. Thank you Mike for all you have taught me and I look forward to more musical challenges with you as this senior fantasizes about his first Koerner Hall recital (lol) because he now believes miracles can happen... oh ya, a lot of practice helps too!