He provided entertainment for our Son's Bar Mitzvah and did a great job. He sent over an MC (Matt)…read moreand a DJ (Paul) and everyone had a fantastic time. I recommend them highly

Joel is great to work with and he really shines as an MC. He has so much experience with leading…read moreparties for adolescents and that is likely not a skill you find around every corner! He made my daughter's party so fun and meaningful back in 2023, and we are hiring him and his team again to do the party for my son this summer!

I went to Starving Musician (Santa Clara) in search of an electric drum amplifier and an Epiphone…read moreSheraton. I was in luck this day as I found both a brand new e-drum amplifier and a used Sheraton at fair prices. Looking the guitar over I noticed the nut for the instrument jack was loose and asked that it be tightened prior to purchasing. On a semi-hollow & hollow body guitars this can be a tedious task, hence why I asked for assistance. The guitar tech, Dimitri, stopped what he was doing and went above and beyond my expectations to remedy the problem. It was not a quick fix and he kept me updated throughout the process. Starving Musician is my first stop when looking for music gear. They have been around as long as I can remember and offer the best trade-in value for your used gear. Always a great experience.

Honestly, pretty disappointing experience at Starving Musician. I rented a drum kit here, and the…read moreguy who initially helped me was super awesome! Super friendly, professional, and actually gave a damn about customer service. I can't remember his name, but he usually works around the drum repair section and has facial hair. Not sure if he's a manager, but dude definitely deserves to be one. Now, returning the kit? Whole different story. I walked in and asked this older white dude with long curly hair, who was just standing behind the counter (he might be the manager) chatting with another employee, if they had a cart I could borrow to unload the drums. His response? He didn't see one. Seriously, bro? You work here and don't know if you have a cart? Smh Like, y'all rent out entire drum kits. You KNOW customers have a ton of heavy equipment to haul in and out. The guy who originally rented it to me understood that and was kind enough to help. Meanwhile, these dudes couldn't even be bothered to hold the damn door. Some random guy outside had to help me instead. Imagine getting better customer service from someone who doesn't even work there lol And here's the kicker: eventually, someone behind the counter brought out a cart. So apparently, they DID have one after all. Go figure. Look, I'm not asking for VIP treatment. Just some basic common sense and decent customer service. It's really not that complicated. My advice? If you're renting anything here, find the guy with facial hair in the drum section. That dude deserves recognition. Now that I think about it I should have given him a tip I feel bad abiut it. As for the older white curly-haired guy behind the counter? I'd avoid dealing with him. Dude acted like helping a paying customer was some kind of personal inconvenience. Great first impression, absolutely trash return experience

Chris played at our corporate reception at the San Francisco Mint on June 23, 2026. He did a…read morewonderful job of entertaining our crowd, who are typically more focused on networking, and changing the vibe from daytime sessions to a fun evening event. We were thrilled by his selection of songs as well - he played a song that was highly requested by my coworker and it made her night. While he was playing, an attendee let me know he recognized Chris from a wedding he played and said having Chris at our event was a sign of great taste! This is truly a great compliment to receive and a testament to Chris's talents. Could not recommend more!

Chris J. Nicklin was absolutely amazing! The music was on point all night, and he knew exactly how…read moreto keep the energy going and everyone enjoying themselves. On top of being a fantastic DJ, he's also a super nice guy and a pleasure to work with. If you're looking for a DJ who brings great music, a great vibe, and a wonderful personality, I highly recommend Chris J. Nicklin!

Dan was absolutely fantastic! We hired him to play sax at a winery event, and he was a huge hit. He…read moreroamed throughout the event while playing, interacted naturally with the crowd, and brought so much energy to the atmosphere. Everyone loved him, and we heard tons of great feedback from guests. He was also wonderful to work with and made everything easy on our end. I'd absolutely recommend Dan and look forward to working with him again!

My husband and I hired Nova Jazz as a quartet for our wedding in spring of 2026 and they were…read morewonderful to work with! Easy to communicate and plan with and their performance really elevated our reception. We let them know what kind of vibe and tempo we liked ahead of time and they did the rest choosing songs to play for the reception to keep things upbeat without being overpowering. Daniel checked in with us at various points throughout the night to ensure the vibes were right and if we needed any adjustments. Nova Jazz also was able to play a special request song outside of their listed repertoire for our first dance which we really appreciated and was very special for us. We'd recommend them for weddings and any other special events when you want extra pizzazz!

If you are learning guitar, or maybe just looking to advance your playing to the next level, look…read moreno further! I bought a guitar right before COVID and really wanted to learn it right (not just from YouTube and IG). Jerry had the highest reviews on Yelp, so I signed up. We do sessions once a week and it's been an AMAZING journey. What I expected it so get better and better at guitar. What I didn't expect (as a trumpet music major back in college, I thought I knew it all) was to deeply learn about music. Jerry is well respected Bay Area musician and has played for decades in amazing band as well as releasing his own album and has a YouTube channel. His grasp of technical guitar playing and music history is crazy (check out his YouTube videos!) While journeying through rhythm, rock, funk and jazz guitar; rock and blues solos, Jerry showed me that what I've learned about music is missing a ton. The progression of our lessons is to learn artists and their history, some theory, and step-by-step how to play influential pieces starting with the early days of blues and rock and roll and who influenced who and why (fascinating stuff!) As a result I've learned a TON of great songs (way too many to list here) from Blues: BB King to Jimi; Rock, Pop and Heavy Metal from Zeppelin to Clapton; Jazz from Charlie Christian to Pat Metheny; Modern music like Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift, Black Crowes, Pink, Ariana Grande; we've even hit up J-pop and K-pop! It's been 3 years now and going strong. Jerry has instilled in me a sense of curiosity about what makes music sound great and why some of the best music in history came from the 60's to 90s (he even wrote a book about it). Jerry has taught so much about the guitar and music in general. Every day is a journey.

I took both bass guitar and guitar lessons from Jerry in high school, and I will always consider…read morethose lessons to be one of the most fun things that I did during my otherwise studious and extremely nerdy teenage years. As his student, you will discover very quickly that Jerry is not only passionate about teaching guitar, but also about teaching music. This goes beyond just teaching music theory (which he doesn't skimp on, by the way, thank you Jerry!). I always loved hearing him talk about the backstory of each song I learned to play; not just the what, but the how and the why - the lifeblood of music itself. His teaching curriculum is very structured and intentional but never feels restrictive or impersonal, probably because Jerry as a person is very chill and relaxed, and you will immediately want to be friends with him. If you are looking for a guitar/bass teacher who is not only insanely talented but also has a true gift for teaching and makes lessons fun and exciting, look no further, because Jerry is your man!

I love Deepti as a person and love her singing. I hire her for my Daughter Birthday party. She…read morecalled me to make sure all details ..she was on time. My Kids and friends love her the way she sang ..on the Top she sang old songs too which made my mother happy too . Thank You

Kathy is a fantastic teacher. She prepared me for many…read moreauditions, and most importantly, the one for entering the Master of Music in Vocal Performance, where I am now finishing my master's. She will guide and teach you to have a healthy technique and a complete connection with your body and emphasize the approach to the text that is so important for a singer. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced singer, she will be great for you.

My association with Kathy is almost a decade long! She first taught my daughter when she was in…read morehigh School and then my son through his high school years. She is thorough and methodical in her approach and able to harness an individual's talent and interest and channel it into something quite extraordinary. Kathy cares about her students and her knowledge and passion for music is apparent from the first time you connect with her. She took the time to understand the goals and aspirations of both my children and always coached and provided thoughtful and actionable feedback to help them improve their vocal range, tone, control and technique. She is an inspiring teacher who genuinely cares about her students and goes the extra mile to support and encourage her students. During the four years under her training for classical vocals and musical theater, my son matured from a young child to a bass-baritone, performing regularly at school and external events. He's now a sophomore in college and is continuing to take voice lessons there and is also a part of the University choir. More recently, my daughter, now 24 years old - who took lessons from her as a high student (and is now graduated from college and an adult) - began taking voice lessons from Kathy again for the past year and it's been a pure joy to know that she is in good hands. My daughter is currently in Berlin, Germany, but Kathy has made the time to help her with her lessons at a time that is convenient and effective for both to have meaningful lessons even though they are separated by thousands of miles and nine hours apart! I am sure when my daughter decides to go back for her Masters, she will continue her vocal journey and be a vibrant participant in the music community of whichever University she joins. The greatest gift she has given to my children is the love for music and performance for which I am most grateful. I highly recommend Kathy Ludowise to anyone who is seeking a vocal coach - no matter what level of previous experience. Her talent, passion and knowledge makes Kathy a wonderful vocal instructor who truly cares about her students and their goals. You'll be in good hands with her.

My kid's first piano class starts from here. I didn't expect group lessons would be great, but the…read morefact tells my kid loves the piano class so much. MS Liz is a teacher for my kid's class. She is very nice and professional. She always teaches basic keyboard knowledge using a story. It helps a lot for little kids to remember it. There're a lot of fun and activities in the class. It has never been a boring class. I just signed up next session for my kid, because he really enjoys piano classes here. This is definitely a place he wants to go.

We have been attending piano classes since December 2021. Our first session was a group class which…read moreis an excellent interactive introductory for toddlers/young children. We have continued with weekly classes. It is expensive. However, well worth it. We love Mr. Victor who is passionate about music, has superb patience with my 5 year olds and is never upset that we don't practice at home. We will continue to attend classes as long as possible.

Christian is great to work with. He and his band [played a…read morespecial event for me an about 80 of my closest friends. They absolutely killed it. The music was perfect, and set a great tone for the evening. Christian is professional and easy to deal with. He took great care to make sure all the details were covered, without needing me to point him or direct him anything. Totally great experience. I will absolutely hire him again.

Christian Pepin exceeded my expectations. The professionalism and experience was shown in the great…read morepresentation in the activity in which he was hired. His exquisite and talented way of playing those instruments showed the quality of musician that Christian Pepin is. He truly left us wanting to continue listening more. We will definitely hire him again. I recommend that you won't regret it.

Looking into learning an instrument for yourself and/or your kids? Then check out Avloni Academy of…read moreMusic located in the beautiful and peaceful city of Saratoga! I started taking piano lesson with Marianna, a lovely lady who is cheerful and energetic! She is a talented and well-educated piano soloist and accompaniment. As a teacher, she is caring and know what it takes to guide students in the right direction to give them the utmost music education possible! Music is challenging in general, but Marianna makes every single lesson fun while productive. I am blessed to have her as my teacher! A few months of piano lesson, I learned of Avloni Academy of Music and decided to take violin lessons at the school. There, I met Mr. Alex who was once part of an orchestra performing in multiple countries in Europe. While having many years of experiences as a performer, Mr. Alex also specialized in educating students. While I could only take a few lessons with Mr. Alex until my work schedule changed, I can say Mr. Alex is a great teacher with a very calm and compose personality. He cares for his students and want to grow them, so if you want to learn violin, Mr. Alex is certainly the one! Did I not mention the couple owner of the school yet? How can we not include them in the review! Teachers and school location are important factors, but we cannot forget the folks that run the show! I'd like to give a shout-out to Kin and Tina, the couple who owns the school, a huge applause for their dedication and swift responses to students' needs and wants! So, give them a ring for any musical education, either for you or your child!

Ms Tina is a fantastic teacher. She started with our daughter when she was 6 and her playing has…read moreexceeded our expectations. Tina will push her students to get better but also make sure they are comfortable and enjoying their experience. Our daughter will often sit at the piano and just play for fun. Very good combination of playing and reading notes/technical as well. Ms Tina played a lot to inspire students to feel and understand music better.