Wow, this place is a hidden gem. Actually, it's not hidden at all as it's right out front with a…read morebig storefront on very visible Oakton St but passing through this area quite frequently, it is hidden from the mind when not thinking of stringed instruments. We came here to see if we could salvage my daughter's 30 year old violin for a grand-darling who plans to start up next year. We were greeted by Ben Arnett, one of the talented violin makers here. He looked it over and provided a detailed and very reasonable sounding quote to restring it, rehair the bow, and do some other optional work to further improve the quality. Overall, the instrument was in quite fine shape we were told. It was a very nice and fun visit and more than we hoped for. As many of the reviews state, we were treated very courteously and very professionally and Ben had a knowledgeable ear for our needs and any concerns (we were only looking for minimal fix-ups and he nicely provided that along with various options and considerations). So, we went with a minimal scope for now of a restring ($35) and a bow rehair for $76. Other scope of about $280 can be done to the full size violin when it fits the little one in a few years. They have a great culture here and I can believe that they value and respect every customer whether you're a total novice or a professional musician. Ben even gave us a personal tour of the shop when I mentioned what a cool place this was. I had no idea the shop was as large, and that they work on many stringed instruments (cellos, violas, and guitars) and not just violins, and that they also build violins from scratch here. Also interestingly, they have a performance room with a capacity of about 60 and have cozy and intimate concerts maybe once per month (admission fee of about $25) and it's a BYOB event. The concerts sound wonderful and we will try to attend one one day. Many of the staff are graduates of the Chicago School of Violin Making (one of only 3 such schools in the entire country!) just down the street on Oakton St and are like a family. We came in on a Saturday and it was a busy place with musicians and instruments visiting in a steady stream. Another interesting side note for our visit is that Ben actually found my name in their customer records. I did not even know or remember that we were customers but back in 1995, we apparently rented a student violin from them for my daughter. We only lived 1/2 mile from this store for 14 years from 1982 - 1995. Great business with a long history and with great staff and I highly recommend!

We had a wonderful visit to Seman Violins. We were purchasing our son's first violin. Noah was…read moreextremely helpful and helped us find lots of options in our price range. We had previously rented a violin with Seman Violins, which was also a great experience.

My daughter is starting violin lessons and the music school she is attending recommended William…read moreHarris Lee for a rental. They are so nice here! I called ahead to make an appointment. And they had a cooking ready for my daughter to try. Kristine helped us and she was so thorough. Helped my daughter familiarize herself with the instrument, taught her the dos and don'ts and walked us through all the terms of the rental. Their rental prices are so reasonable. I highly recommend this place!

The folks at the William Harris Lee location on Michigan Ave are some of the most welcoming and…read moreexpert luthiers I've ever encountered. On a recent trip to Chicago, I arranged a short-term rental in order to experience the city's lively Irish music scene. The violin they provided was one of the best I've ever played--a responsive, booming 4/4 violin with a rich, resonant tone. Everyone at the seisiún loved it! Moreover, I arrived on a slow day with no appointments, so they graciously allowed me to run through some jigs and reels in their beautiful music room overlooking Grant Park, a memorable highlight from my trip. Classical musicians and folkies alike will find everything they need here. Greet instruments and great people--I look forward to using their services again in the future.

Just started taking lessons with Eric today, so far so good :) My hopes with these lessons are to…read morehave a firm grasp of the theory behind what I've learned to play by ear.

I would highly recommend Eric's studio for any level guitar player. He teaches you how to 'see'…read morethe scales and arpeggios in ways that make them come to life in music. I have taken lessons before and never got 1/10th of what I have learned from Eric. Very relaxed atmosphere and a great place to talk about and experience jazz and blues in all their forms.

Jed has been a wonderful teacher to me throughout the 6 months I have been learning bass. As a…read morebeginner, he has been patient, kind and encouraging during this process. I have seen a lot of improvements in my playing and would recommend him to anyone that wants to learn bass guitar.

I get so much junk email asking me to apply as a teacher to teach with Piano Power. But when I did…read morejust that, Piano Power made me drive to the suburbs, show up to a student's house to teach a sample lesson for free, and then they ghosted me. Piano Power is a big old red flag from my perspective as a longtime piano teacher. I would never expect anyone to do free labor for me and then ghost them. I'll beat your tuition you pay to Piano Power if you switch to taking lessons with me! Say no to corporate piano lessons. XOXO

We have been working with Piano Power since the beginning of the school year (Sept 2021) and I can…read moreconfidently and honestly highly recommend them for music lessons. My son is 7 and wanted to play guitar over piano. I talked to Abraham (the founder of Piano Power who is absolutely fantastic, experienced, authentic and transparent) and he told me that it's typically easier to begin with piano for a variety of reasons - but, he understood and wanted to meet Luke's interest inane enthusiasm for guitar and made it happen. Luke's teacher Gabe is amazing and is beyond anything we expected. Gabe is patient, kind, flexible in terms of how to meet Luke's needs at each lesson, and most importantly, a fantastic teacher. He and Luke have such a trusting and caring relationship, and he really understands him. Luke is always excited for his lessons which has been one of the best parts of our experience with Gabe - I was worried he would burn out after a few lessons, but he is always excited for his Monday lesson! Lastly, I can't tell you how awesome and easy it is to work with the admin team - the scheduler, the finance team, and Abraham is always available to talk via phone or email. They all respond quickly and actually answer your questions in a helpful way, and to me you can't put a price tag on that. Highly recommend Piano Power - so happy we found them!

Location is cool, teachers very excellent. We have piano lessons and recommend for everyone. Guitar…read moreteacher also very good man.

We've been taking lessons with Jennifer since January: my 4 -year-old, my 7-year-old, and me. She…read moreteaches all three of us on the same evening, and meets each of us exactly where we are. She's kind, patient, and respectful with the kids, and just as encouraging with an adult beginner. What I believe is a differentiator that we really appreciate is what we're learning beyond playing. Alongside technique and performance, we've learned about how the piano works, music theory, and even composing our own pieces. It's made us more curious and creative about music, not just better at practicing. Both of my children have started playing songs that are familiar to them; it's really cool to see them connect with the music, gravitate to the piano to play and sing songs that they love, and feel pride in what they're learning. In addition to being an amazing teacher, Jennifer has been excellent with communication and is punctual, organized, and flexible with our family's schedule. We've all learned so much this year, and we'd recommend her without hesitation.

Jennifer is an excellent piano teacher to my teenager. She balances push and patience, and meets…read morestudents where they are as who they are. The learning & growth has been lovely to see & hear. Highly recommend.

Excellent service from a most knowledgeable source. Recommend for bass clarinet tune up!read more

I trust all my clarinet adjustments and repairs to Rick Sayre. He is excellent! I highly recommend…read morehim.