I wanted to home-record a doo-wop song as a gift to my father, singing all the backup parts. Since…read moreI have musical experience (keyboards) I thought it would be easy. Once I started I discovered I was out of my element and my first attempt sounded like crap. So I booked two lessons with Alyssa and that made all the difference. She had specific suggestions and tips that took my project to the next level. That was a lot of bang for the buck, and I'm grateful that Eastside Music and Alyssa were available to me.

I was a piano student at Eastside Music School for nearly 9 months. I joined the music school to…read morefind mentors to hold me accountable and keep me disciplined in my craft. I have never joined a music school before. My teacher at the music school was an incredible mentor. The music school is in the process of soundproofing some of their rooms, and the instructors schedule students back-to-back (which I'm aware is common). I voiced some frustrations when hearing a vocalist overpower the sound in my lesson. I expressed that it was difficult to focus as both me and my instructor were frustrated. I voiced frustrations about losing minutes when students are scheduled back-to-back. I have had minimal encounters with the owner, Alex, but my first impression of him was disappointing as he announced names at the recitals and completely butchered my name, calling me someone else. He responded to my email explaining that there will always be sounds in each room, which I can understand, and offered to speak with the instructor. In return, I asked him to allow for the person before me to have more time to transition out (built into her own lesson). She is new and her parents wanted a summary of the lesson at the end of each lesson. This somehow translated to him that I wanted him to change his entire business model and allow five minute breaks after each student. His solution was to cut my lesson time instead, which when asking for support on how to maximize my own time, felt like a slap in the face. When he asked me if that worked for me, I said no. His response was this: "Ok well. I'm not going to change my business model for you. I offered a compromise and you declined. At this point I think it's best to discontinue your lessons at Eastside Music School. I haven't charged you for May tuition. I won't charge you for yesterday to make up for all the time you didn't receive that you paid for. And I'll take you off the calendar moving forward. Best of luck to you." I immediately went to the music school to speak with him and his response was explaining that he had 300 students and 25 teachers and will not make any accommodations for me. His also stated that my instructor will be gone for two months anyway. As a person in a leadership role, mentoring students to be the best they can be, teaching others the importance of feedback, accountability, and compassion, I am so disappointed with my experience at Eastside Music. In his second response, he dismissed me, minimized my experience, and told me I'm the type of person who would be benefit from private lessons. Despite the mission statement "Find Your Voice," If you chose this school, do not voice any concerns or feedback to the owner unless you have a back up plan for lessons. Talk to the instructor directly. When I approached this, my intent was to feel heard and resolve a conflict that many students are experiencing, which at the time seemed like a simple fix. He took the opportunity to be a leader and mentor of one student that is enrolled at his school to learn and grow...1 of 300 he made clear.. to prioritize his own arrogance and disregard for students he does not know personally. Updating: adding screenshots. The first solution was talking to the instructor (which seemed like a solution I didn't even have the chance to accept since he was so quick to kick me out of the school), the second solution was reducing my time to accommodate the other students, and the third solution was terminating me from the music school.

As a self taught musician and very novice piano player, I couldn't have imagined the impact that…read morethe piano phraseology method would have on my playing ability. In our first hour together I progressed by leaps and bounds. Alex showed me how to conjure an entire orchestral sound from the piano, emphasizing technique that invokes heart centered and meditative qualities. I felt like I walked away from the lesson with some new piano skills as well as medicine for the spirit! Thanks Alex!

Alex takes a holistic approach to music theory, blending concepts, ear training, and technique. He…read moretailors lessons to your ability level, always finding ways to keep them engaging and interesting, regardless of your starting point. After just one lesson, he can identify areas to improve your playing and uses a modern, well-equipped setup to clearly demonstrate techniques and share reference materials. Plus, he's a genuinely funny and wonderful person to learn from! If you're looking to elevate your musical skills and knowledge, I highly recommend taking lessons with Alex!

I started lessons with Jake about 3 months ago. I've been playing guitar for about 20 years, but I…read moream mostly self taught with some pretty bad habits and honestly no sense of rhythm whatsoever. I also wanted to break out of ruts and 'expand horizons' regarding improvisation. The lessons have been fantastic. Jake has tailored perfectly for my skill level. What that means to me is that I'm pushed outside of my own comfort zone, but the goals are obtainable with good practice habits. Jake is very easy to get along with and extremely patient with me regarding the bad habits that I've taught myself. Those habits have been setting in deeply for over 20 years and Jake has been great and helping me recognize what I need to do to break them. If you want to learn guitar or if you know how to play a bit and want to push your abilities, then contact Jake. He's made the whole experience enjoyable for me.

My son has been taking lessons from Jake for about a year. He loves the teaching philosophy and…read morehas improved in both guitar and composition. His skills as a musician and guitar player have improved significantly. Highly recommend Jake.

Joe is an excellent teacher with a positive, upbeat personality. My son loves going to piano…read morelessons with him.

Joe isn't just a proficient musician, he's also a wonderful teacher. He has great empathy and…read moreunderstands people's unique ways of learning. He's friendly, professional, and provides excellent customer service.

Awesome experience with this music school. Organized, honest and…read more very helpful in every way.. Very qualified instructors for students of any age and any skill level.

My daughter has been a proud GAMA student for well over a year now, and while we're incredibly…read morehappy with her progress, we're even more proud of how much she enjoys playing piano and her time with her caring teacher, Ms. Danielle. GAMA's thoughtful and always cheerful manager, Wade, was incredibly thoughtful about the pairing these two fun-loving souls together. Keep up the great work!

I just want to give a big shout out to the Zen Learning Project which is where my teenage son takes…read moretennis lessons from the amazing Travis Fitzgold! They offer not only tennis lessons, but drum and guitar lessons and spiritual guidance as well. Travis is a wonderfully patient teacher and just an all around great guy. My son always comes home from tennis in a better mood than when he left. :) If you and/or your kiddos or someone else you know is looking for lessons in any of these areas, I highly recommend checking them out!

I have personally witnessed Travis as a great musician and teacher.He has a genuine love of music…read morewith a great deal of experience. He is a patient and loving teacher. The love of music will help to drive a teacher to do their best to help each individual enjoy music as much as they do.

Y'all, Femme Rock is INCREDIBLE. If you're nervous or on the fence about checking it out, this is…read moreyour sign to go for it!! I started playing drums in January, only about 8 months ago. I started with the 6-week Beginner Drums course, and this gave me the confidence to sign up for my first showcase, a Go-Go's cover band! We practiced weekly for 8 weeks before the showcase, and it was such a blast. This is a no judgement zone, and every person I have interacted with at Femme Rock (staff and participants) has been just so supportive and excited to be playing, regardless of level. My first showcase was absolutely electric, and it inspired me to keep going - I'm now in my third band! I never thought that my teenage dreams could come true at age 35, but I get to go to band practice every week and rock out with the most amazing women and non-binary folks I have ever met. You can too, come rock with us!!

Femme Rock is my dream come true. I grew up playing in school band but never got to do anything…read morelike this. Finally I'm able to get on a stage in front of friends and strangers alike and sing the songs i love!! I feel like a rockstar. And what a GREAT COMMUNITY of accepting, positive and supportive people. I honestly feel like I've hit the jackpot with Femme Rock -- hands down the coolest thing I've ever done! KARAOKE IS RUINED FOREVER

Behrens Guitar Studio is run by Sean Behrens, a local musician who specializes in teaching…read moreclassical guitar to children using the Suzuki method. My older son (now almost 6) started taking lessons from Sean about two years ago, and my younger son (almost 4) just started lessons a few months ago. Sean is a wonderful teacher, and he has a really special knack for teaching very young children. He is incredibly patient, cheerful but firm, and has an endless bag of tricks for keeping kids engaged in learning guitar. Wooden balancing clowns, Tic-Tac-Tony, dice, plastic dinosaurs, Hot Wheels, stickers - all are pressed into service to sustain interest. I'm seriously impressed by his teaching technique and how he has instilled (some) discipline and focus in my wild boys. Having your child take guitar lessons from Sean entails a significant commitment. Sean wants at least one parent of every student to either already know how to play guitar, or to learn to play guitar alongside the child. He also expects that a parent will work with his or her child in daily practices - both with playing and on music theory. There are two weekly classes required- one private lesson and one group lesson. If your child is already in ballet and Little League and piano and soccer, you probably aren't going to have the time or energy to take on classical guitar with Sean. If you are looking for an excellent, engaging classical guitar teacher for your child, and you have the time to commit to working with your child to learn guitar, look no further than Sean Behrens.

Sean's not just for the kids! While he has an active Suzuki practice he also teaches adult students…read morein a more traditional way. I approached Sean as a mostly self taught amateur adult guitarist about two years ago with the desire to improve my classical musicianship and began a course of study that's lasted to the present day. Over the years I'd reinforced a lot of bad habits in my playing while studying on my own and Sean has been able to help me identify areas to focus on. My playing has improved dramatically during this time and Sean's patience, encouragement, flexibility, and insight have been the key. Sean is an excellent guitarist in many styles with impressive academic credentials in classical performance (he received his Masters studying under Ricardo Iznaola). More importantly, he's a pleasure to work with and has a deep understanding of the obstacles that can hold you back from your best work. I've learned a lot about focused practicing, working through technical challenges, the mechanics of producing good tone, and playing in consort with others... among many other things. If you're looking for a talented classical guitar teacher, I highly recommend Sean Behrens.