Kevin is the man! I've been going to Kevin for about a year and I could not be happier that I found…read morehim. He takes a genuine interest in the growth and development of his students and truly can help anyone with anything at any level. Kevin also does a great job at relating things back to music theory so you learn beyond the song you are working on - you learn guitar. As a beginner, I have appreciated Kevin's patience and way of breaking things down into an easy and digestible way that leaves you confident and motivated to go home and practice at the end of the lesson.

Kevin is an excellent guitar instructor from the basics up. I've learned so much from him through…read moreour lessons, particularly when it comes to playing using better form, scales & arpeggios, and going back to basics as way to scale up one's playing ability. He's a pleasure to work with and truly a teacher at heart. I would recommend him for players of any age level or ability as a foundational start to becoming a stronger guitarist.

Surya is amazing in so many different ways. Not only is a great musician but his patience as a…read moreteacher is beyond my comprehension. Our 7 year old son started by learning drums 1.5 years ago and fell in love. After about 8 months, Surya suggested adding piano and it has been a grand success. He has made learning rhythm, reading music and playing both instruments so much fun. Now my very shy 5 year old who has started singing lessons with Surya and it has been so delightful to see her blossom both in her ability to understand pitch and notes but more importantly in her willingness to take risk and her confidence in herself. Surya has just made her so comfortable, even in virtual classes during SIP, that she looks forward to her lesson and giggles and jumps up and down with excitement as her lesson starts. She's excited to sing to him and with him and we never imagined they would have such lovely a relationship. We feel so lucky to have found Surya and are so grateful to how much he cares about our kids. He has instilled in them a love for music that is priceless.

Surya is a great teacher! I'm in my mid-thirties, and learning drumming for the first time. Surya…read moreis very patient with me. He is able to meet me exactly where I'm at, and then help me take one step further. He always finds just the right rhythm and pace for me to feel challenged but not frustrated. After every session, I feel empowered and excited about learning more. I go home with a few simple things to practice that feel manageable. Surya also includes some deeper aspects of drumming. I'm a yoga teacher and somatic therapist. I appreciate the way Surya invites me to feel the rhythm in my body: feeling the bass in my legs and trunk, the mid-tones in my torso, the higher tones in my upper chest and head, for example. I'm learning to sing and drum at the same time, and he always has great activities to break it down and make it feel possible. Overall, I highly recommend Surya for drum lessons of all types!

Fiat Music has been serving Pinole for a very long time. I remember their old location in the same…read morelocation. Fiat has been in Pinole since Lucky was there and with Traders Joe it is still in business. I never took lesson at Fiat but I have gotten piano music sheets and information on piano. The woman that owns Fiat is very nice. Fiat Music Co serving Pinole for a long time and is a historic landmark.

I really love this shop. It is all the history of the valleys music in one small spot. However, the…read moreparking is terrible for the whole shopping center, and while the hours of the store are fantastic, they need to get a better organization system for returning instruments that have been worked on. They did fantastic work on my guitar and for a good price, but I had to go three times after my guitar had been fixed, and even then they could not find the receipt to give me information on how much it was (even though I had my copy of the receipt), and at least once they refused to return my guitar, even though I could see it behind the counter only because they could not find the receipt. I wish nothing but the best for the store and I will definitely be back because of its fantastic service for instruments and lessons for music enthusiasts. I just wish they had a better organizational system for the tickets.

I'm a professional vocalist and I've had the pleasure of working with Michael for about 2 decades…read morenow. His knowledge of all things music is as deep as his insights on arrangements I've asked him to comment on, as intricate as his mind-blowing compositions, his quirks as endearing as any musical genius'!

I am a current student studying piano with Michael. I really appreciated his emphasis on basics…read more(e.g. breathe, removing tension in the body, posture, and even how to set up the piano bench). He also doesn't just teach piano playing but also the broader music education: composers / pianists to listen to, music theory, etc. One caveat is that expect the pace of learning to be a bit slower compared to other teachers potentially but I think it's a worthwhile tradeoff to build solid foundations.

I have been taking piano lessons with Ernie for a few years now and I'd highly recommend him as a…read moreteacher, especially if you are beginning to learn an instrument in adulthood as I have. He's very knowledgable, insightful, and most importantly, a very supportive and friendly instructor. He's also full of stories from a life lived in music and has a helpful anecdote for every occasion. Ernie is always reliable and punctual about lesson dates and times but always understanding if I need to reschedule, given the proper notice in accordance with his posted policies. I look forward to continuing my lessons with Ernie and I'm grateful for his instruction.

I have known Ernie for about 5 years. His passion is music and he is very talented! When I hear…read moreErnie play, I get goose bumps. He knows how to hit the notes that create emotion. I like his music a lot. Ernie shares his talent with people of all ages. He teaches piano, guitar, flute and clarinet. He also helps people learn composition and arranging. It is never to late to learn a musical instrument! And with Ernie as a teacher, you will have a lot of fun too!

My 4 1/2 year old son (Mason) has been taking weekly lessons from Dylan for a few months now. Dylan…read moreis incredibly patient, treats Mason with respect and humor, and has been super thoughtful about coming up with creative ways to teach such a young kid. Mason has committed about 20 chords to memory and has even started to play along (poorly, mind you ) while we sing kids' songs together. It has been a lot of fun to watch Dylan and Mason working together; I would definitely recommend him for anybody looking for a thoughtful and extremely talented guitar teacher. Mason's review: "Dylan is a GREAT guitar teacher - I learned chords! And he has bunnies that look cool and are black."

Updating to say that now both my 10.5YO son and I each take lessons with Dylan twice/week, and I…read morestill have only the best things to say about him. He's very patient, and adapts to the individual student while still emphasizing music theory and technique. My son focuses on electric guitar and bass, while I'm obsessed with acoustic.

I have been taking piano lessons with Laura Ponti at Albany Music School for the last 2-3months…read more Lessons are offered to both kids and adults from beginner to intermediate skill levels. If you are looking to take piano lessons, I highly recommend Laura. She is kind, patient, passionate and dedicated to teaching you how to play the piano the right way. This is a nice music school. It's not too big or too small. They have 5 rooms for lessons and they offer a variety of lessons with musical instruments including the piano, violin, drum, voice, and guitar. Both Lina (owner) and Judy (receptionist) run the school quite well and they are organized and professional. The only problem is that this studio doesnt have adequate insulation, which feels even hotter than it is (especially during the heat wave we are going through). I hope the building managers take this seriously and get the problem fixed soon. I recommend dressing light and drinking lots of water to stay hydrated. I highly recommend Albany Music School. Great piano teacher and staff.

YAY!!!!!!!!!!! I finally did it!!!! I finally started…read moreplaying the piano...and you know what...I LOVE IT!!!!!! I've passed this place several times since it's in my neighborhood and I kept saying I have to call, I have to call. Finally I did :) The place is located in an upstairs studio. Very nice place and well lite. There are 3 piano rooms and a nice waiting area :) I take private lessons w/Lina who is such a cutie pie. Since this is my first time taking lessons she is soooooo helpful and very pleasant. She goes over everything with you and reassures you :) I love her!!!!! The monthly fee to attend the school is $240. That includes the private lessons, the materials and they opportunity to come in any time and practice and listen to others. They also have other lessons available. I know for sure when I go, there's this little boy who plays the violin. He's really good too :)

Great music shop right on San Pablo. Parking on the street out front. My dad needed a screw…read morereplaced on his bass and wanted new strings. The guitar repair person doesn't work on Saturdays but we were able to get it checked in and took a tour around the store. Nice selection of guitars, ukuleles, guitar straps, amps. Everything seemed reasonably priced considering this isn't a mega chain or Amazon. Knowledgable staff.

Friendly service and professional - they modified my son's guitar - great local business!read more