Review #856 2025-028…read more This is an old review drafted just before COVID-19 lockdown & forgot to finish my thoughts. My daughter, going through her Jack of all trades & master of none at the time, was thinking of trying an instrument: violin or piano. We didn't have the space for a piano but could do a keyboard, & was debating over the violin. I did a search & found Bravo! Music School; the school had a roster of 15 teachers with a wide variety of instruments, including guzheng (古筝), a Chinese plucked zither. I spoke with Melissa, the receptionist & owner's daughter, who suggested my almost 4 YO might be interested in their weekly Saturday Pre-K music class (can't remember the exact name), teaching music fundamentals & games with parent participation. I think it either 5 or 6 weeks? Parents & children play instruments, games, dance, etc. I also purchased an intro lesson & waited until H was ready for the intro; the instrument wasn't specified as long as we made a reservation & the teacher was available. M had a good ol' time in class with toddlers more or less his age. His musicality was a tad off, but he loved the music that he was making. One time when we were waiting for class to start, Teacher Michael was showing my LO alternative ways to drum (table, box, magazines) & he made beats happen... M was nodding & shaking along. It was soooooo cute! Then COVID-19 happened, followed by a lockdown. M missed out on possible drumming lessons & grew out of this interest by the time we felt comfortable going out. We never tried that violin intro & when H started middle school, she signed up for band (playing the flute) & I had forgotten about the paid intro lesson. Fast forward 4 years later, I was going through my drafts & saw BMS bookmarked & rough drafted that I contacted the school & asked to redeem lesson. Melissa no longer works at the school, & Jihi (assuming she's the current receptionist) couldn't find my 2019 deposit receipt. It took a couple of back & forth calls/texts before it was located & added back to their system because we're not active/regulars. We booked a 30-min. flute lesson with Teacher Colleen on 11/20/23; at this time, H was in 8th grade & has been a flutist for 2+ years. It no longer sounds like noise, but music, though the transitions are noticeable & not fluid. I'm hoping with some pointers, she can improve her skills & discover her passion for playing. She does enjoy the concerts & occasional competitions with the perk of playing/marching at an amusement park, then staying the day for play. Teacher Colleen was warm & welcoming, allowing me to sit-in on the lesson. The private room was tight & being in that proximity to their flutes was a bit much for my ears, but I get a personal view of the music school's lesson, techniques, & teacher's personality. Colleen is skilled in directing & instructing H, working on her tempo & musicality, as well as providing immediate feedback for her to improve on the next measure. I would have loved for H to continue with private lessons (reasonable rates: $356.96/8 lessons: $46/lesson - 3% discount) but she wasn't committed to learning/improving her skills; I later found out she was only interested in band for their extracurricular activities. Bravo! Music School teaches piano, violin, guitar/ukulele, vocals, drumset, guzheng, & band instruments. Through The Strings Connection, on-site rental & sale of violin family instruments are offered; the rental program is ideal for younger students that might not be ready for a commitment or trading up to larger sized instruments. Contact Cordi/The Strings Connection at 310-377-0803 for more info. Lessons are offered onsite or online at an introductory rate for the 1st lesson, & the same options are available for private lessons that are independently created by each teacher for every student. General Policy & Payment/Scheduling: When signing policy, you're also granting any video, audio, or photos taken by The School may be used in their marketing efforts. $50 cash/credit card deposit per family to guarantee lesson appointment times; deposit is refunded at the final lesson. Teacher Substitution: The School will either provide a substitute or reschedule the lesson. If you're looking to introduce music & specialized lessons for your child, I recommend Bravo! Music School to provide the musical education that you're seeking.

It was such a treat to try a guitar lesson here at Bravo! My daughter wanted to continue learning…read morethe guitar since playing for about 2 years. She connected well with the teacher here. The teacher was knowledgable, patient and engaged and provided feedback tips. We tried a few places in around the South Bay and she only wanted to come back here to Bravo :). Thank you and we look forward being a student here!

Johnny was the man! He tuned up my mandolin and provided the best service. What an awesome…read moreexperience.

Eric helped us with renting a violin! Super easy process. I posted pictures of the rental…read moreagreement. The space is newly built out and beautiful. Also they have a wide variety of music lessons

I just recently had one of my guitars worked on here. Prices are very reasonable. They have been at…read morethis location for 20 years. I like this place. Nice selection of guitars, amps, pedals and such.

I've have nothing but good experiences at harbor music. Scott's very nice and the service is great.read more

This was sad, I really wanted to take vocal lessons from them but the experience in onboarding was…read morelow vibrational and lousy in customer service. I was rescheduled several times and when I came In there was No warm welcome and she didn't even confirm my name when I went for my trial session. The instructor was nice but super limited availability and i didn't really go over much technique in the trial compared to the last vocal training I had before. We also didn't get started until about 12 min into the trial lesson which was a paid 30 min session. My honest feedback is that there should be a quick client phone call to go over details and keep background and getting to know each other to a quick 3 min elevator pitch introduction because that took up paid time. I squeezed my hope for a positive interaction with reception when we finished and the lady in front hardly gave eye contact and wasn't naturally kind or welcoming. She scrambled to get me onboarded after I prompted her to get me signed up and she grazed over fees like I already knew everything even though we never went over any details about the academy. ( I did not ) Music is a fine art, I guess I was expecting to be ushered into the process with a little inspiration... the investment didn't feel worth it for me. The next day I read some of the reviews and the responses to them and was really turned off by what I saw. Honestly the 2nd star is only because it would have been really nice to work with Liz and Summer was nice on the phone when I spoke to her, but the energy was so heavy and dense in the onboarding process it really rubbed me the wrong way and I couldn't see myself coming to take lessons for the next 6 months.

We received a reply from the office informing us that per their policy, last-month deposits are…read morenon-refundable, but they ultimately agreed to issue a refund, which we appreciate. That said, we believe the situation could have been handled more thoughtfully. Busy families may not always recall every policy detail over time, so a simple, clear reminder at the time we gave notice could have made a meaningful difference. It would have allowed us to apply the deposit toward our final month and saved everyone the trouble of issuing a refund after the fact. We're grateful the matter was ultimately resolved, just disappointed in the amount of time and effort it took to get there. Updating rating to 3 stars to reflect our appreciation for the teachers and instruction, while also being honest about our frustration with the communication missteps upon our departure, and the lack of clarity around the last-month deposit.

What a fun place to visit. I enjoyed my interaction with the owner, Cordi who has a passion for…read moremusic. I came here to sell a violin on consignment and found myself chatting with Cordi about all things music, she was a pleasure to interact with. If you are looking for an instrument - ANY instrument, they will be happy to help you find it. NOT a high pressure store, just a place that wants to pair a musician with an instrument. As mentioned, this is a great location for buying consignment instruments, in particular those with strings. They have a wonderful price range, which will appeal to beginning musicians and even professionals, The Strings Connection has something for everyone and Cordi will certainly be happy to assist you with your search - don't hesitate to call for more details.

Cordi! Is the best violin teacher ever! She taught me violin at a very young age and helped me get…read moreaccepted into the San Louis Obispo Orchestra. I no longer play the violin however what Cordi taught me has allowed me to help my daughter with her piano practice and will stick with me forever. Warning you won't want to take lessons with anyone else once you have a lesson with Cordi!

James and Elizabeth are wonderful folks and I'd highly recommend working with them. I can tell…read morethey have a genuine passion for what they do and appreciate them being in the community and giving our kids an opportunity to learn music. Thanks for all that you do

Super awesome place for lessons. Signed my son up for guitar lessons with Miguel. Super nice guy…read moreseems lime a good knowledgeable teacher. Price is good and its 5 minutes from my house. A+all the way

I've bought two instruments from Palos Verdes Music House (a ukulele bass and a baritone ukulele)…read moreand have been very pleased with both. Jon the owner is friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. Living in Long Beach there are other music stores clcoser to me but it is well worth the drive to shop here. I might even start coming here for lessons soon. I would highly recommend this store to my musician friends especially over the big corporate stores. You gotta help the mom and pop stores out and this is a good one.

This place is SO friendly and helpful! Jon is GREAT...he and his staff were so helpful with a…read morecello rental for my daughter. We were so grateful to find a place on the hill to help us out. Thanks, PVMH!!!!

Love Ms. Asuka. So glad we found her. She is very organized, which makes my life as a mother so…read moremuch easier. My kid has been taking lessons for 3 months now and she loooves it! We had trial lessons elsewhere and noticed a big difference in Ms Asuka's approach, like another reviewer noted a great balance between fun and discipline. Her explanations are clear and easy to understand for my 6 year old. She keeps the lessons interesting and keeps my kid interested in practicing every week. I definitely notice the progress every week. Still too early for the recital experience but look forward to it.

From the owner: Pianocademy is dedicated to offering high-quality piano lessons to students of all ages and levels…read morein a fun and supportive environment. We believe that a foundation in classical music truly helps students acquire the necessary skills to play any kind of music. The classical repertoire includes a broad range of styles and we carefully choose pieces that will not only pique a student's interest but also encourage the development of their skills. We also believe in the importance of sharing music with each other. In addition to individualized private lessons, students are offered several performance opportunities in monthly workshops/masterclasses and annual recital.