My 8 y/o daughter has been taking piano lessons from J. Shelby for about 9 months now. It has been a wonderful experience for her. She has learned so much in a short amount of time. She is playing and writing some of her own songs now. J. Shelby is a wonderful teacher with a fun and gentle approach. He is encouraging but does not push too much-which is just the right balance to keep kids engaged. My daughter looks forward to her lessons and practices on her own at home. Due to J. Shelby's approach, she does not see it as a chore or burden. Instead finds it fun and enjoyable. I am not sure she would have made this much progress or found so much joy if not for her instructor. I highly recommend J. Shelby as a music teacher. Also the space is warm, cozy, and comfortable while waiting during your child's lesson. read more

My daughter has been taking drum lessons from Jeff Campitelli at 851 Music Studio in Benicia California the last 10 months and never played before. Here she is performing for her guests at her own grad party. read more

Met Jeff the other day.. I purchased a mint Crate 212 tube amp from him. a Great music store and professional teachers..!! A fantastic music studio in the heart of Benicia..!! Thank you!! read more

J Shelby is a great music teacher. In only 4 months he has taught my 7 year old granddaughter to play well. He teaches all the basics from the foundation of knowledge, history, and an imagination that captures a child. And he knows how to teach with repetition, clarity, and attention. The best I've seen in my many decades as a musician. read more

Great school and very private. My son learned to play guitar from this school. The location is not the most convenient but worth the drive. read more

My daughter started violin with Aina Davis four years ago. I cannot stress how important it is to have a good teacher. Aina has an eye for fine details and you want a teacher with that quality along with passion for the instrument. If you are looking for a violin teacher for yourself or your child Aina is a teacher you can trus read more

As an adult learner, I have thoroughly enjoyed taking piano lessons with J Shelby the past 4-5 years.He is a patient and encouraging teacher and inspires through his passion for music. Although J is well versed in all genres of music our lessons have focused on Jazz which has opened a whole new world for me. Highly recommend lessons from J. read more

Great drum teacher for our son - Jeff cares about his students and teaches from his great experience, touring with all sorts of bands all over the world. Caring teacher in a great venue in historic arsenal area. read more

Great place! I take guitar with Jay and have always had a welcoming and terrific experience. Great location and environment. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for lessons as they offer piano, voice and many other types. Two thumbs up. read more

My son can't say enough about what a wonderful teacher J. Shelby is. J. has been teaching Dave guitar since he was 5, almost 8 years ago! We have followed J. from location to location in Benicia, but we were really impressed by the professional studio that he has now on Grant Street! J. goes out of his way to help his students stay motivated and really find out what they want to learn. Dave has gone from acoustic, to electric and now classical acoustic guitar with J. J. has helped him with his band, having sessions with Dave and his friends to help them improve their performance. J. is not just a teacher, he is a friend to my son, someone he really respects, but feels comfortable talking to. Dave is often motivated by J.'s obvious passion for his music and the pleasure he takes in playing guitar. Benicia is blessed to have such a wonderful teacher in our town. Thanks for everything J. read more

Teacher J at 851 Music Studio has taught my 6 year old how to play the piano with confidence and joy. My son went from dreading piano practice to asking to practice at home after we found Teacher J. I love watching my son create his own music and get excited when he comes to class and laughs and learns with Teacher J. It is in the easy going and fun nature Teacher J brings to each class that has helped my son gain confidence and appreciates music now. Teacher J is not only a great musician, but he is an excellent teacher because he is patient, fun, and listens well to his students. read more

Took guitar lessons with J., who is a seriously nice dude and a good teacher. I learned a lot from him and improved dramatically. I did stop after a while because his music style wasn't quite what I was looking for -- plus, I was really hoping to tie into the local band scene and J. wasn't really into that. But working with him inspired me to keep improving. I don't hesitate to recommend him to others. read more

After taking six years of lessons from J, I still can't think of a bad thing to say about 851 Music Studio. J is knowledgeable and experienced. He is a talented musician and a lifelong student, not someone who casually plays guitar and decided to teach a few lessons. He has taught for many years, and he knows what works and what doesn't. It is nice to learn from someone who truly knows what he's talking about. And with such a wide spectrum of knowledge and experience, J is able to teach many different styles, so students can learn what they want to learn. J is not only knowledgeable, but he delivers that knowledge well. J is great at providing examples and metaphors that make even difficult topics easy to relate to. With a friendly personality and a quirky sense of humor, J makes learning music fun and interesting. J loves what he does. He loves music, and he loves teaching. When I'm in my weekly lesson, I get the impression that I'm not the only one who wants to be there. And obviously, learning is much better when you're taught by someone who actually wants to teach you. J's passion for music is contagious and truly inspires self-motivation. Though I have only taken lessons from J, I can say that my experiences with the other teachers at 851 have been great as well. They are warm and welcoming, and they frequently greet me by name when I walk in. 851 Music Studio is also constantly improving. 851 has added several computers, and now doubles as a multimedia center where students can learn and record. If you can't tell...I'm a pretty big fan. read more

What a great place to learn to play any instrument! I'm so impressed with this studio and highly recommend it. Excellent teachers. Very high quality. read more

I am playing an old Jimmy Reed blues song called "Little Rain" as the big ten year storm descends on Northern California. The song fits the weather nicely. I just learned this song two days ago with my guitar instructor, J. Shelby. By the end of the session we were playing it together and I left the studio very happy, and very aware that I have learned a great deal from J. in a relatively short time. I wanted to stop and write this review because I realized that I could not have learned this song so quickly or played it so well nine months ago, which is when I began taking lessons at 851 Music Studio. I started taking lessons from J. Shelby to learn a few things, thinking this would be temporary - a few lessons to get into it again. J. has really changed the way I think about guitar, and we have just scratched the surface. I enjoy playing so much more since I started taking lessons. He taught me the basics that enabled me to learn "Little Rain" so quickly, and I think I will be learning from J. for a long time. I love coming to the studio - it has abundant resources - and there are "extra" group lessons on Tuesday evenings included with the tuition. J. Shelby not only teaches me to play songs on the guitar, he teaches music - not just the how, but the why. My friends are duly impressed with my playing, which is nice, but you really can't put a price on the personal satisfaction. If you ever find a great teacher at some point in your life, you are lucky and blessed. I can't recommend 851 Music Studio enough. It is a really cool place, with a really cool vibe, and great things happen there. Benicia is better for it - and if you don't live in town, it would be worth the drive. I know they also teach drums and piano, so check it out. The first lesson is free. read more

851 Music Studio is wonderful! J Shelby is just what you want in a music teacher. He is knowledgeable and patient. He is simply a good teacher. J tailors his lessons to each student. He is pleasant to study with and is always full of good music history that helps students understand music, not just play it. I highly recommend 851 Music for parents who want to give music to their children and for people of any age who want to learn music in a fun and supportive environment. read more