I've been taking lessons with Dave for a couple years now and can say he is one of the most gifted…read moreguitar players I've ever seen. He can write out the chords for any song you ask just by listening to it! He can teach you at any level you may be at with guitar playing. Whether it's a complete beginner trying to learn the absolute basics or if you've been playing for a while. I found him to be patient with me on my learning journey and very supportive. He will teach you any song you want to learn and above all else, a great guy!

My teenage son has been Dave's student for about 5 years. He's now a skilled guitarist and really…read moreenjoys playing with Dave. Dave goes the extra mile for his students and is a fantastic teacher!!!!

Just wanted to mention the great experience I've been having at the Fleming School of Music for the…read morepast year. I'm taking guitar and ukulele lessons, and I am really impressed with the quality of instruction. It's one thing to know how to play, but it really is an art to be able to convey this knowledge to others - and it's something they are very good at! I have taken some lessons at a couple other places in the Issaquah/Bellevue area, but for me, what sets the Fleming School of Music apart is that they have the whole package, and don't just provide me with lessons but also teach music theory and composition so I have a complete, well-rounded understanding as I move forward in my music education. The school has a computer lab where I have been able to go in and learn how to create my own music and do my own beat mixing, etc. - super fun! But, my absolute favorite thing is the location itself. The atmosphere is great as it's housed in a charming older building that has been remodeled with a really classy performance hall where their own recitals are conducted. (Since I am an adult, I have elected not to be in the recitals (phew!), but I have gone to a couple to watch the younger students perform, and they are so fun (especially the Holiday recital) and a great way for parents to gauge the progress of their kids!) There are lots of choices in our area for music, but this one gets my vote!

I have had my 6 year old daughter in the program for one trimester now. She is learning the piano…read moreand has really enjoyed the program. This place seems very well rounded... Meaning they have private lessons once a week which is replaced once a month by a group theory class. After a private lesson the kids spend some time on the computer to tune their ear to different beats and tones. To top it all off there is a very nice recital once per trimester to give them a chance to work on public performance. My daughter loves it all. However, my biggest issue with the way things are ran is the lack of parental involvement in the progress towards goals. There isn't anything in place that spells out the goals in the first place. I keep having to ask "where are we?" "What are we currently working on?" How is progress being measured? At this point I feel as though no one is directing my daughter's progress and I have to keep advocating for her which puts me in a very uncomfortable situation. I feel that an educational program should report progress to parents at regular intervals. I would like to see more transperancy as to what she is learning in the computer lab and in theory. I would like the instructor to communicate with me as to my daughter's strengths and weakness. I can not blindly trust in a program it must first earn my trust. So I will give this another trimester and if things don't change we will move on to a different program.

A "Matt Brenna" and a "Randy Parker" sent me fake checks saying they were interested in using my…read moremusic for an "ad campaign". I took these checks to the bank and they said they were fraud. I called Alpine over and over to get ahold of someone and get answers and no one picked up ALL DAY.

George is an excellent violin teacher and has been a joy for our daughter to work with. He's…read morepatient and encouraging and works at a perfect pace for her. We have been lucky to find him!

I took bass lessons from Eric this year and it was great. Eric is a very good teacher. I'm in my…read more50s and always wanted to learn bass, but came in cold. Eric catered to my needs and music preferences. He made it easy to learn quickly. Gave me homework to practice between weekly lessons, which helped my confidence increase quickly. I strongly recommend Eric.

I have been working with Eric for almost two years now. He is very talented and knowledgeable not…read moreto mention patient. He is a great teacher. When I look back to when I first started and the frustrations...and where I am now it is night and day (although I am no Jimmy Paige ...yet). Not only has Eric taught me the techniques - he has provided the encouragement to keep practicing and improving. I also like that we play what I want to play and he guides the process. He makes learning and practicing the guitar fun! I highly recommend.

The passion and individualized care of the owner and staff went above and beyond my expectations!…read moreJust like in Harry Potter, the wand choosing the wizard, as was like the perfect flute picked my son, tee hee! As a newbie to flute care, my son accidentally got the cleaning rag stuck inside the main body of the flute. However, they told us to bring it in and they took it apart and were able to get it back to working order again while I waited. And did not charge an additional fee for that repair!

Erik Nugent at Fluteworks Seattle is my go-to repair tech for my flutes. He is timely and thorough…read more He explains what he's found and what he's done. He goes the extra mile and he's so incredibly pleasant! I purchased a Muramatsu 9K from him during the pandemic and he was great about covid protections. I couldn't ask for a better flute tech .

If you're SERIOUS about your kids playing an instrument, first purchase and read "Nurtured by Love"…read moreby Shiniki Suzuki, and then give director Hsin Chi-Lui a call. This school that teaches Suzuki method violin, cello, piano, flute, string bass and classical guitar, is the best around. Last year their 300 students performed an amazing concert at Benaroya Hall. But the music lessons here transcend learning to play an instrument. They teach beauty, love, virtue, discipline, happiness. Great teachers.... great families. They like kids to start young -- 4 yrs old if possible, but will take older students.

This review is based on both my children having taken lessons in the Suzuki method for over 10…read moreyears from PNSM. My daughter who is 17 will be graduating this year, and my son who is 14 still takes lessons. Both are taught by the amazing Dr. Charles Atwood. Let me just say this will be the best decision and educational investment you will ever make for your children. Both of my kids started at the age of 4 and this really changed their lives and wired their minds for music for the rest of their lives. When we started this journey, we had no ambitions about our kids being concert violinists, we just wanted them to enjoy music and hopefully have it be an enriching part of their lives. Now I can say unequivocally that this program wired both of our children's brains to be magically musically literate. My daughter has taught herself several instruments including Piano and Ukulele, based on the musical literacy she gained from study here. The self esteem and confidence gained from performing for so many years in front of a large audience has also has immeasurable value for both our kids. My daughter was lucky enough to play at both Benaroya and Carnegie hall before she was 17 as part of groups related to her High School and to PNSM. This is an amazing school and it has always been an investment we never doubted once. We hope by reading this you will be encouraged to support this non-profit and take the magical journey we did with your kids . The school also has a wonderful program to help your kids get great violins at reasonable/fair prices. Finally what many might not know is this is the oldest Suzuki school in the US. It is where Suzuki method started on US soil.

Dr. Krentz is an excellent teacher. He is very demanding, but in a logical and humorous way. He…read moreexpects a lot of his students, but is such a great teacher that his students can usually meet his lofty expectations! He really emphasizes building a strong foundation of technique. I consider myself a pretty tough critic, but have to say that my son has made dramatic improvement in a short period with Dr. Krentz.

All we wanted was to get our daughter back into playing the guitar after her former teacher moved…read moreaway a couple years ago. Unfortunately, we didn't even get to the point of having a single lesson with Vision Music Live because of an outrageous and mind-boggling billing dispute. Just two weeks after my initial conversation with Winston McFarlane and before we were even able to schedule a first lesson, I received an email from Vickie Bona, VML's Accountant, stating "We have received your payment in the amount of $195.00" charged to my credit card for two 60-minute lessons that were never even scheduled. Note: Not only does the VML contract say nothing about any policy that would explain this charge, but I honestly don't think I even signed it. I certainly can't find any record of doing so. When I saw the invoice, I assumed it was just an internal mis-communication or clerical error, so I replied back to Vickie asking her to reverse the charge and hold off until we get our daughter's extra-curricular schedule sorted out. I never heard back from her, so I finally wrote to Vickie again last week asking her to reverse the charge. Then Winston called and left a voice-message on my phone, and I called him back. We proceeded to have a heated argument that went nowhere, and he flat-out refused to provide a refund. In the end, I successfully disputed the charge with my credit card company, but I also felt compelled to file a complaint with the State AG and the Better Business Bureau to help others avoid a similar unpleasant experience. Ironically, had Winston simply provided a refund, I'm sure we would have reset and figured out a lesson plan for my daughter, and I would have happily paid him 100x the disputed charge over the course of the next several years. It's a sad conclusion to a bizarre situation.

Winston has been doing a great job with my kids. My initial goal was to get my daughter exposed to…read moremusic, as I was when I was a kid. I wanted a fun instructor who got my daughter interested and excited about music, and Winston has definitely done that. My daughter's interest in guitar has since expanded to other stringed instruments including cello, stand up bass, and electric bass, and she's now heavily involved in her school's orchestra program. Overall, I credit Winston with helping spark her passion in music, which is exactly what I wanted. I've since signed up my son for guitar lessons as well. It's still too early to see if he will engage to the degree that my daughter did, but lessons with Winston have been a positive experience for him nonetheless.