My 6-year-old son took private piano lessons with this teacher for about three months. During that…read moretime, he was always polite, tried his best, and became very excited about piano. He built a routine around the lessons and frequently asked when he would be going back. After one class, the teacher told me that my son was not focused enough. Shortly afterward, she abruptly canceled all future private lessons and suggested he switch to group classes instead. There was no prior discussion, warning, or attempt to adjust teaching strategies for his age. I understand that not every teacher is a good fit for every student. However, I found the sudden termination and lack of communication very upsetting, especially given my son's age and emotional attachment to the lessons and teacher. I'm sharing this so other parents of young children are aware of her approach and can decide if it aligns with what they're looking for in a teacher.

Ms. Chang has been the piano teacher for our two children since they were each 5 years old. She has…read moreincredible patience with teaching young children and the children always looked forward to their piano lessons with her. Her piano studio is very clean, well decorated, comfortable, and has good acoustics. The kids loved how she often would play the duet with them during their lessons and also for recitals. She is an extremely accomplished pianist herself and it shows when she plays even the simplest of songs. We appreciated her emphasis on the importance of theory in addition to playing music. During the height of the pandemic, her ability to transition to virtual learning and keep the kids engaged was truly impressive and when they went back in person for lessons, we appreciated her flexibility with scheduling and diligence with ensuring they were returning to a learning environment that was comfortable and safe. When she conducted her recitals online, they were well organized and her preparation of the kids for the event gave them confidence. Now that the recitals are in person, the experience is even better. The recital piano studio is professional with a beautiful grand piano and has a spacious area for the audience/families to sit. Ms. Chang has a nicely designed program that serves as a wonderful keepsake of the event as well. We highly recommend Ms. Chang. We are thrilled to have found her and consider ourselves fortunate to have had such an accomplished, kind and patient teacher be our children's first piano instructor.

This is an excellent music school. I've studied with a lot of voice teachers over the past 30 years…read moreand have performed in a lot of musical theatre productions across the country. I moved to Chicago and got away from performing and singing while I focused on my corporate day job. I missed the arts. My voice was out of shape. I googled voice lessons near me. Cantabile School of Voice and Piano popped up, so, I reached out. The owner, Erica, is very responsive and organized. She paired me with my first choice voice teacher, Matthew Recio. Matthew is an outstanding teacher. He listens. He challenges me. He communicates very clearly. He's honest with me. He plays piano very well, too. It's been just a few months and I can feel and hear very positive differences in my singing. Lessons are fun and rewarding. I'm impressed. Prices are very reasonable, considering the level of training I'm receiving. The location of the school is convenient. I feel very lucky to have stumbled upon this school. If you're thinking of finding a new music teacher, consider this review a firm push to reach out to Erica. See for yourself if Cantabile School of Voice and Piano is the right choice for you. I'm very happy that I did!

Erica is a wonderful and truly gifted teacher! I decided to start voice lessons as an adult (which…read moreis slightly terrifying), and am so glad I did. I've improved my voice, gained confidence, learned some life lessons, and had a lot of fun along the way. Two things that stand out to me about Erica: (1) She is an EDUCATOR. Erica has a degree in Vocal Performance AND Music Education, and it's very clear she is an expert in both content (voice) and process (learning pedagogy). She is incredibly intentional in her selection and pacing of vocal exercises, concepts, and techniques to ensure they meet me where I'm at as a singer and learner. She encourages open dialogue about the learning process and we make adjustments to meet my learning needs and style along the way. I have confidence that she could teach anyone at any level. (2) She creates the perfect environment and conditions for learning. Singing in front of others is scary for me, but I feel totally comfortable trying new things, making mistakes, asking questions, and expressing how I'm feeling about the learning process with Erica. She makes it fun, interesting, and infuses a lot of joy into our lessons. Very highly recommend Erica and the Cantabile School (I hear the other instructors are fabulous too)!

I can't rave hard enough about Major Keys Studio. I came across Major Keys when I was lsearching…read morefor piano lessons for my girls, and was intrigued by the idea that Major Keys could do piano and voice. In fact, they pretty much let the kids take the lead on what and how they want to learn. This approach won my kids over vs. traditional lessons, and they built up a great relationship with their instructer, Alan. Last summer they took a break from the traditional lessons and worked on a summer project to learn and record a song - one playing guitar and the other piano. Experiencing the end to end process was so exciting for them, and Alan did an amazing job producing the recording. We have since moved from Chicago, but were back in the neighborhood this summer. I asked if there were any activities or camps they wanted to do, and they wanted to work on another project with Alan. So over just 5 lessons, they each learned and recorded a song. After being gone for a year, this has reignited a love for making music in both of my children. Alan and Gwen's passion and talent are contagious. I highly recommend them to anyone (adult or child!)

My 7 year old loves music, and wanted lessons. Her high energy and struggle with sitting still,…read moreespecially when things are boring to her made me reluctant. After sitting with her for two lessons with Gwen, I had ZERO worries. Gwen has a true gift in connecting with her students, keeps them engaged and having fun while learning music. And this is with virtual lessons! Her talent and passion for music and helping others learn music is infectious. My daughter looks forward to her lessons, LOVES to play and practices on her own. We're on our fourth set of sessions and we will not be stopping any time soon. BOTH Gwen and Alan are amazing, talented and incredible teachers in voice, piano, guitar, ukulele and more. I highly recommend them both for your music lesson needs, both locally and remotely. They are AMAZING.

I've been taking piano lessons with Ela for over six months, and I couldn't be happier with the…read moreexperience and results so far. Ela is a highly experienced and skilled pianist and teacher, and the depth of experience really shows in how she teaches. Rather than following rigid routines or textbooks, she customizes each lesson to the student and adapts in real time based on what they need. She consistently believes in me and challenges me at just the right level, which has helped me progress faster than I expected. She places a strong emphasis on relaxed, natural movement and on truly connecting with the music, not just playing the notes. She is very observant, and genuinely listens to your goals, strengths, and areas for growth, then adjusts her teaching accordingly. I feel very lucky for finding her for my first piano learning experience, and I highly recommend her to anyone who is looking for a piano teacher.

i have always wanted to learn to play the piano and am thrilled to have found Ela Kriss. I call her…read moremy "Piano Doctor" because she has been an excellent instructor for me. I am a true beginner, having never played an instrument or read music before starting to work with her. It has been a wonderful experience working with her and I am gaining skills faster than I expected. I feel very fortunate to work with Ela and I look forward to every session.

My 16 year old son visited from NY for their summer jazz intensive, and it was the most incredible…read moreexperience for him! He was challenged with working with the best choreographers, and can't stop talking about it. He really felt like he was part of a family after the first day! He's already looking forward to next summer!!

My girls (now 8 and 4) absolutely LOVE dancing at Gus! They both started a little over a year ago…read moreand have learned so much and have so much fun in class. They like to have their own dance classes at home where they put on their shoes and practice what they learned in class with each other. My older daughter is now a company dancer and is there twice a week. The teachers are wonderful with the little kids and keeping their attention, which I just got to see first hand during parent observation week. I also like that Gus gives back to the community and puts on so many free performances for families and other members of the community throughout the year. They are family owned which you can truly feel in all aspects of their interactions and communication with the children and parents. Highly recommend!

Went to a masterclass for the first time featuring Grammy nominated violinist Desiree Ruhstrat and…read morepianist Jorge F. Osorio. It went longer than I expected. He did a good job but she was great.

My wife and I started to consider music lessons for our six-year old son when we saw all of the…read moreresearch that showed that kids who take music lessons are much more likely to be successful in school and in life. At first we thought that piano or violin might be the what we would start him on, but when our son looked at the various instruments and then heard what the flute sounded like, it was obvious that was going to be his instrument. If you are ever looking for a flute teacher, The New Music School has an amazing instructor in Steve Yepéz. We first met him last year and immediately fell in love with his calm, patient demeanor. Our son immediately took to Mr. Yepéz and has been surprisingly diligent about practicing. And we have already seen what we think may be directly attributable improvements in his school work: an improved sense of focus and better problem solving - traits that the research we had read had suggested might improve with music lesson. Also, the flute played by a six-year old, who is just learning, sounds a lot better than a violin being played badly! LOL All-in-all, if you're looking for a great flute instructor, my family can't recommend Steve Yepéz highly enough

Amazing teachers!!! I worked with Ms. Laura as an adult student with no previous piano experience…read more I learned all the basic techniques and improved finger strengths. I learned to play a couple of classic pieces with her guidance and encouragement. Very passionate, skilled instructors and flexible with scheduling. I highly recommend.

We had a wonderful experience putting our five-year-old into piano classes with Mr. Dan through…read moreSouth Loop Piano Lessons. He was very patient and used fun methods to have my son engage with the process of learning how to read music and play the piano. Overall great company to work with!

Mark is a gifted teacher. I'm coming back to the piano since I have retired. Even though I'm an…read moreolder student, I bring with me many scars from piano teachers at an early age. Mark is helping me undo the damage that was done with his sheer joy of teaching. I have a much better understanding of how to practice to improve all aspects of my playing starting with fingering, timing and hearing my music. I am now playing more with an understanding of how to improve leaving behind the desire to play with no mistakes. I am having more fun at playing the piano knowing I have a steady, gentle hand guiding my path. I highly recommend Mr Valenti if you are serious about the art of playing music. Dr Jeffrey Rouse

It has been exactly three years since my last review. I would like to leave an updated review for…read moreMark. I am a community pharmacist. Since the pandemic started, working as a pharmacist has become a lot more challenging. I am at a high volume store juggling multiple responsibilities and on top of it all, I was also responsible for rolling out COVID testing and also multiple COVID vaccines at my location. I had the blessing of being able to administer vaccines and witnessing my patients in tears of being able to see their grandchildren again. One of my patients told me appreciably, "you are doing God's work". Understandably, I come home exhausted and mostly on the brink of passing out most days. Despite restrictions and added work stress, I chose to continue my lessons with Mark. The great thing about Mark is that his lessons via phone, via Skype or in person are equally world-class. He does not only treats problematic piano playing symptoms, he recognizes them and gives you suggestions on how to cure it. It is really up to you to do the rest of the work. During lessons, he does not gives you the answers to his questions easily, he makes you think hard. My piano playing has improved so much in a short period of time, my friends and my family were blown away at my recent recital. Mark is not only a wonderful piano teacher, he is also an amazing person. He is punctual, responsive and honest. He goes far above and beyond to accommodate my learning knowing the daunting demands of my work during this difficult time. For example, my store was the first to roll out COVID testing in the district, so I have to stay later than expected and will miss my lesson, Mark rescheduled me immediately without hesitation. Even though he is a concert level pianist, he treats me with respect and does what is best for my own musical growth. Thank you so much for everything, Mark.