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.

Josh is an amazing instructor. From the start we felt comfortable with Josh and his positive…read moreteaching style. He does private lessons and his fees are very reasonable. He's great at working with students at their own pace and helping them to develop the specific skills needed to play an instrument. Professional, motivating and patient! You will not be disappointed!

My daughter absolutely loves her group classes at Songbird Rising Suzuki School! The teachers are…read moreall so wonderful and highly skilled. One thing she really likes is that the teachers offer a lot of guidance on style and the way the piece of music should be played. I, as a parent, really appreciate how responsive the owners and teachers are to any questions we have and also how welcoming they are. The sense of community that Songbird Rising Suzuki School offers is so important to our family and we are thankful to be part of it!

High quality violin instruction!…read more We take lessons with Ms. Laura. She's an excellent teacher and knows when to push and when to use games or movement to keep students engaged. The school has great communication with parents, very organized scheduling, and easy payment options. They have regular informal performances in Hyde Park for students to get experience playing in public. If you're looking for child-friendly suzuki violin lessons, this is one of the best schools in town!

CW came recommended by a friend who is a formally educated musician. We are in our second year of…read moreprivate piano lessons for my now 7yo son and the experience has been very good. This is a place that takes music instruction seriously -- in addition to the lessons there is a weekly music theory lesson and a regular schedule of recitals and musicianship tests. Not being a music person myself, I was a bit concerned at the outset that this might be overkill, but in reality it has served our kiddo quite well and the progress both in his playing and his theoretical understanding is apparent and exciting to watch. I've also used them beginner adult lessons myself (now that I have a piano, why not?). On that side of things they have proven both helpful and highly flexible with respect to the fact that my availability for practice is not what I wish it could be. I've recommended CW to a number of fellow parents looking for lessons and wouldn't hesitate to do so again.

Looking for a piano school for your kid? Now that you are grown up - decided to take up piano?…read more This is a great place. Full disclosure - Both my daughters took piano here. It is a fairly large studio - I just looked it up and they now have about a dozen piano teachers - plus some guitar and a cello teacher. There are maybe 10 or so rooms and when there are several lessons going on - it is great to sit in the lobby and listen to all the beautiful music wafting out. Chances to perform at recitals and competitions are available. They also have master classes with really great pianists - from universities and these are for dedicated students at all levels. A great school. There are enough teachers that you will certainly find one to suit you. They have a theory lab for beginner students. The large parking lot makes for easy parking.

We've had our daughter here for a couple of months now and her progress starting from scratch…read morereally shows. Adam is a talented player and great teacher who is very patient. We have been thoroughly impressed since our daughter has struggled to commit to other activities in the past. she really seems to enjoy her time at the school and playing guitar in general. highly recommend this school for anybody looking!

Chris Stone is a wonderful teacher. He is cheerful, kind and patient, and most importantly, has…read morewhat it takes to teach a child how to play classical guitar. He has taught my daughter for about two years now. She started from scratch, using a 3/4 sized guitar and has now graduated to a full-sized one. She plays so well that she can probably busk for pocket money. Chris is now also teaching my son, who while still a beginner, is making very good progress. We rented a guitar when my daughter first started. Rental of a 3/4-sized guitar (from Rock 'n Roll Rentals) was very affordable at only $6/month. We ended up purchasing it as it was more cost effective in the end, with two children using it one year after another. A nice bonus at Childbloom is that siblings are only charged half the price for lessons.

I took several months of lessons from gfire, and it was so good. I'm completely untrained as a…read moresinger, and I worked with her to learn a technique that taught me to sing in pitch, which is a ton harder than it looks. She taught me how to break down a song into individual, practicable pieces that I can really master. I have used these techniques outside of my work with her and they really work. Gfire is patient and has a great sense of humor, is professional and punctual, and patient. A great teacher.

Gfire has been great. I sit in on my granddaughter's lessons on FaceTime. I am so impressed with…read moreher gentle and firm approach. She guides her clearly and makes sure she understands before progressing. Thank you so much!

Robbie Harris is an excellent teacher for guitar. I am a bit older than the average student and he…read moregives me the technical knowledge and also ensures I can play songs in the genres that i am interested in. Great teacher, guitarist.

Max Mayson-Cleary has been such a wonderful teacher and has really helped to introduce my son to…read morethe bass guitar. The school is so well-run and it is so easy to manage lessons. Max is the best!

Angelo is an amazing teacher and person. He is positive, engaging and extremely talented. Our 9…read moreyear old tried two teachers before two sets of friends recommended Angelo. He challenges our daughter but makes sure to keep things fun. He encourages her to explore songs she enjoys to help stay her motivated. We would recommend Angelo to anyone!

Both of my boys have taken lessons with Angelo, and it has been an amazing musical journey for…read morethem. Angelo's teaching style is unique in that he encourages his students to tackle advanced songs which accelerates their skills. He introduces the students to diverse music to sharpen their ear. He's also a working jazz musician in the Austin music scene which is inspiring!