I'm in my 60s. I began taking piano lessons with Susan Parrish before Covid, Zoom, and social…read moredistancing. Piano lessons have changed very little for me. Susan guided me through purchasing a simple USB mic and headphones (Amazon). Lessons are now held using a laptop and Zoom. We can communicate easily using these devices. She sees me and I see her. Though I miss going to her studio, I'm satisfied with the new lessons arrangement. I'm as motivated to learn in my home as I am in her studio. Same lesson - different environment. I can roll with this.

Like many folks in their 50s and 60s, I started playing piano when I was young (4 or 5), took…read morelessons until I was a teenager, played in the school orchestra, and then abandoned studying music when other things became more important. I continued to play on occasion, and have always owned a piano, but it was growing stale for me, because I wasn't learning new techniques or being challenged at all. In my early 50s, I decided it was time for some lessons. Initially, I was looking just for some guidance with new pieces to learn and some technique tune ups. I took a beginning music theory class at a local college, taught by Susan Parrish, decided she would be a good person to try lessons with again, and started what I thought would be a short series of lessons. Susan is what I call a "serious" teacher, someone not only a talented player, but well educated, devoted to teaching piano, and very professional in her approach. I enjoy working with her, and have gained an appreciation for how she works with young student. As I've said numerous times to Susan, I wish I'd had a teacher like her when I was young, because I would have grown up to be a much better musician than I am. Susan is serious about teaching piano, but what works best for me is that she's also committed to helping her student enjoy playing. She encourages me to select and tackle the pieces that I find interesting (and my tastes are all over the place, from Chopin to Pink Floyd), and then helps me to approach learning those pieces with patience and creative techniques. I'm now aware of entire layers of subtlety in playing that I never knew existed before, and how they enrich both my ability to play and my enjoyment of playing. I derive immense satisfaction from sitting down and playing, and look forward to having more time to play in the future. I cannot thank Susan enough for reinvigorating my relationship to playing and enjoying music. I think students of all age will benefit from studying with someone who understands so much about music and is so willing to teach to the individual and being a sense of joy to the endeavor.

World class flute and music teacher. Teaches all manner of flute playing, classical/modern and…read moreperiod flutes, whistles, and more. Deep experience, fun to work with. Fully knowledgeable and supportive, wonderful flute teacher. Plays all over the Bay areas ( SF, Monterey, and other areas) professionally and manages to fit flute lessons into his busy schedule.

I had the pleasure of learning from Steve for about 6 months until I moved out of California. I…read morefound Steve shortly quitting lessons with another private instructor. Right away I could tell Steve was a great pianist. Come to find, he's also a great teacher and person. We discussed goals and he quickly set up a practice regimen to get me on track to learning piano. Even though he specializes in jazz, he is classically trained and will take you through different techniques for whatever style you want. I learned different technical and rhythm exercises, along with all of the foundational skills (theory, scales, chords, etc) and some more advanced stuff (dynamics, rubato, and giving a song "life"). Practice was always fun and Steve always had different approaches for tackling whatever struggles I was having with a specific piece or idea. On top of all of this, Steve is just an all around great guy. Easy to talk to - I benefited just as much from his wisdom and life experience as I did from his piano teaching. If I ever live in the area again I'm definitely contacting him for more lessons. Thanks Steve!!

I have experienced several piano teachers for my children and Steve is the best by far! He is…read morepatient and kind, yet keeps his students on task and maintains high expectations. He is a true musician who performs in a jazz quartet at local venues. Our family has enjoyed the added opportunity of seeing him perform live and watching the musicians in his group interact with each other. Steve's mantra is "music is to be enjoyed." My son has benefited from Steve's skills as a teacher. I would highly recommend him.

Russell provides excellent professional service and is highly knowledgeable and skilled in his…read morecraft. Don't be misled by the negative review by "Kevin S." who asked Russell if you need a "trained ear" to know if a piano is tuned correctly. Really, Kevin ?! Russell tuned Dave Brubeck's pianos -- which speaks to his level of appreciation on the part of piano aficionados as well as families who love their pianos.

Unresponsive and immediately became defensive and suggested I look elsewhere when bringing up…read morequestions about whether he needed a trained ear around to help judge the tuning. Being unfamiliar with the process of tuning a piano, he shooed me away as a potential customer instead of standing behind his work and experience to help educate.

Andrew is truly a gifted drummer and teacher. He is patient, methodical, and his approach to…read morelearning makes a lot of sense for the beginner student. He has a unique gift of being able to break down complex rhythms into bite size pieces, especially for someone like myself who tends to get overwhelmed easily by the bigger picture. He has a vast range of technical skills including but not limited to years of practice and performance doing West African drumming, mbira, drum set, and various percussion styles. His ear for rhythm is second nature and he possesses exquisite taste in regards to his influence. If you are in the market for a drum teacher, Andrew is a true professional possessing the wisdom and experience to assist you on your journey.

Very talented and patient teacher! I found Andrew to be a very well rounded instructor...After…read moreevery lesson I can tell my technique and rhythm has improved exponentially... Also, on a personal note, he happens to be a really nice fella! Highly recommended.

This place was amazing. Really nicely curated collection of instruments and accessories. Friendly…read morestaff, and accessible instruments. Reminded me of Gryphon Stringed Instruments in Palo Alto. Highly recommended for acoustic instruments, ukes, mandos, guitars, oh my!

Beautiful, large music instrument store with lots of character. Tons of variety. Modern, vintage,…read moreguitars, ukuleles, banjos and more.

I have also been one of Martan's piano students for several years. I can tell you that Martan has…read moremany talents. First, he's a busy and in-demand performing musician; various venues, solo, backing, and ensemble settings. So whether you just want to entertain yourself or you want to (or already do) perform for others, he can share a wealth of knowledge regarding performance skills. Second, he's a skilled teacher of music theory and piano technique at every level from beginner to professional. If you're at a beginning level, he'll start you off right with a solid foundation. If you already play, he'll help you progress faster and farther. And you'll always have a clear vision of where you are and where you're going on your musical journey. Third, he's an amazingly-creative musician. He's a master at improvisation, and even better, he can teach you how to improvise also. Not just playing a few licks, but real, meaningful improvisation. It's not just for those "who were born with it". Fourth (and to me most impressive), he's wonderfully gifted at teaching how think of music as a language, in order to express meaning and emotion through your playing. Whether you're improvising or playing written pieces, this is the critical difference between "sounding like everyone else" and finding your own sound.

Zack Olsen is a true treasure to Santa Cruz, offering education as a well-rounded musician,…read moreeducator, technician and historian on a professional scale. Whether rock, funk, or jazz Zack has played on the professional level in these categories and more, and can offer one an extremely worthwhile education on the drum set. Starting from playing in ska band Slow Gherkin, to now playing locally in rock and jazz bands and educating, Zack's versatile career is a reflection of the education and wisdom he can offer you.

Short Review: Don't miss a beat, go to Zack for drum lessons! You won't be disappointed!…read more Long Review: Zack is simply amazing and the best drum teacher I could possibly imagine. First of all, the stuff you really want before the drumming even starts: Zack is punctual and has never been late to a lesson. He's never cancelled on me. He never shows up groggy or like he had a late night gig the night before (and I have early morning lessons) His sound-proofed clean studio is equipped with 2 side-by-side quality drum-sets so he can play along with you or demonstrate new concepts. He also has a computer and access to any music you want to play during your lesson. I should also point out that he is a normal and super nice guy; he's not intimidating and is someone you're happy to sit with for an hour! He is a gifted teacher. He is patient, organized, and a talented drummer in any style of music you want to learn. He allows you to learn what you want, but also mixes in a good amount of rudiments and drumming exercises to practice on your own. He can bring anything down to a basic level so you're feeling progress immediately and constantly. He makes sure your body is aligned and you're holding your sticks correctly. (I'm a brand new drummer, so I started at the very beginning) He writes stuff down and teaches you to read drum sheet music. You would think someone of his ability would be bored out of his skull teaching someone new like me, but honestly, he never seems bored or distracted. He knows everything about drumming and can help recommend drum-sets and accessories. He even came out to my house to help me set up and tune my new drums! Whatever your level of drumming or reasons why you want to learn, Zack can help! I am an empty-nester woman with kids in their 20s-- some good friends in a local all-women band offered me to learn drums and join them knowing I was suffering some PTSD related symptoms after losing my youngest daughter to cancer (playing music is the best therapy!). It's been only 6 months since I picked up my first drumstick and our band just played our 2nd gig this weekend with me as the new drummer. Let me just say that people were blown away at the fact I've only been playing 6 months! I have a long, long way to go, but I would not have had the success I've had without Zack as my teacher. I haven't seen him with kids, but can only imagine how much young kids would enjoy learning from him. You will learn a lot at each lesson if you do your homework and come prepared. Feel lucky if he has a spot for you! I can't recommend Zack highly enough! Drum roll please...