San Marino Music Center is a wonderful and welcoming place. We've been to both SMMC locations…read more(Mission and Huntington), the staff are very friendly and both facilities are nice and clean. My son Sebastian started taking piano lessons at the Huntington location back in September 2023 with Mrs. Sisilia (owner). First, we enrolled him in the "Tiny Finger Piano" group program for 5-6yo, which Sebastian really enjoyed and HIGHLY RECOMMEND as an introduction to piano for little ones. When he completed the program with Mrs. Sisilia, he started private piano lessons with Dr. Melody Lin and currently with Ms. Alexandra Engen. Both teachers are amazing and I can tell Sebastian has learned and improved so much! Thank you to all the SMMC staff and Mrs. Sisilia.

We have been taking our son to San Marino Music Center for piano lessons since he was 5 years old…read more Now 15, he has become quite an impressive pianist and budding music composer! I do not exaggerate to say that we owe it all to the kind, caring people at the San Marino Music Center. They are always quick to answer the phone and friendly when helping us with any of our needs. Our son has now been studying with Dr. Cameron for several years. He is always kind and constructive in his feedback, and something we love is that in addition to teaching our son out of the many piano books they have available he is also open to helping our son learn songs that our son wants to learn for fun! I will note for first time visitors that the Mission location is the main location and the Huntington location is more of a satellite location for lessons. So, for your first visit, I recommend going to the Mission location. I simply can't recommend the San Marino Music Center highly enough. Owners John and Sisillia are lovely people who not only care about running a top-notch music school, but they genuinely care about the people who come into their business and the community it is based in. They have done so many wonderful things for the community over the years, and what was so meaningful to us was that when our son premiered two of his compositions with a musical group in Pasadena they and Dr. Cameron all came out to show their support. So amazing!

My family has been coming to Encore for a few years. First at a local church, and now at their…read moreFair Oaks location. We started with piano for my oldest, then we included my youngest, then me... and we've added violin, and now cello. 5 lessons a week! We weren't a "music family", but Victor & Daniel have helped us to become a music family. So much joy. Absolutely worth exploring.

Encore is a great music school, with a wonderful staff and amazing instructors. Maddy, the main…read moreadmin staff, is always very friendly, professional, and attentive to our needs and accommodations. Couldn't recommend this place enough.

My daughter has been studying piano with Mr. Armin at the San Marino Music Center since she was…read morefour years old, now over three years. Mr. Armin is a wonderful teacher, treating young children with exceptional patience and kindness. My daughter thoroughly enjoys her piano lessons, and each week, mastering one or two pieces instills in her a sense of accomplishment and confidence. The center also hosts recitals, providing opportunities for students to showcase their talents in front of a supportive audience. John and Sisilia, the owners, are a fantastic couple who exude a genuine passion for music and wholeheartedly support musical education. I highly recommend this music center to anyone interested in nurturing their musical talents.

My children have been taking piano lessons here since they were in kindergarten with a number of…read moreexcellent teachers over the years. They make it easy for families with multiple children to juggle multiple lessons and schedule make-up lessons. My kids aren't naturally gifted in music but recently my youngest played "Amazing Grace" while our family sang along and it was amazing (and a grace!) to see how far he has come. Both kids have learned a lot about themselves and the importance of practice and perseverance especially when pieces might be hard for them... not just piano lessons, life lessons!

Came here to buy a black folder for choral music after being referred by the Pasadena Conservatory…read more I called in advance to ask if they had any in stock and staff were prompt and professional in picking up to answer my request. Good variety of inventory from what I could see. Found out later my mom buys all her violin + piano sheet music here. It's tucked inside a strip mall off an out-of -the-way portion of Foothill. Would have loved to have seen this store in Old Town, but the current location is very convenient for quick in-and-out errands - and a short distance from the Conservatory. If I need to use something for music practice, I hate to buy online without knowing if it will work for me or not. Brick and mortar music stores like this are essential, and I'm glad Bertrands is so close by!

Very friendly and quick service. As soon as I stepped in to fix my daughter rented instrument, I…read moregot warm welcoming atmosphere and got the job done quickly Thank you all especially Gerard and Iris

We love PMA! My older son who is 11 has had Sam as his drum teacher for the last few years and…read morereally loves him. Sam strikes a nice balance between being approachable and easygoing, but also knowing how to challenge and motivate my son. My younger 9 year old son just switched to Gabriel for piano because his previous teacher cut back her hours. As a pianist myself, I really appreciate how Gabriel breaks down how to practice a song to make it easier to learn. He also takes into account my son's interest when choosing a song. We strongly recommend PMA!

I love this music academy. My child has enjoyed learning here for two years. His drum teacher,…read moreArdumn is very young and full of energy. His saxonphone teacher,Elyse is very patient and good at communications.Under their guidance my boy has made rapid progress in his study.

My daughter has had such a wonderful experience learning piano with Ms. Elisa. She is incredibly…read morepatient, encouraging, and professional in every lesson. She knows how to make learning both structured and enjoyable, which has really helped build confidence and interest in music. What I appreciate most is her ability to adapt her teaching style to the student's pace while still maintaining high standards. She explains concepts clearly, pays attention to technique and musicality, and creates a very positive learning environment. It's clear that she truly cares about her students' progress and growth. I highly recommend her to anyone looking for a skilled, kind, and dedicated piano teacher!

I moved to the area 6 months ago and I am so glad that I found Miss Elisa! She is an amazing piano…read moreteacher and my daughter loves taking lessons with her. Highly recommended!

I do not recommend this business for its expertise or its business practices. I requested a viola…read morerental per instructions from my son's school. The instrument we were given was determined by the music program's director and assistant to be, instead, a violin. I obtained a third opinion at Encore Music, and was informed by the teacher there as well that the instrument we had been given is (i.e., was strung as) a violin. I brought it back today for a refund of pro-rated rental fee (from what I had paid upfront). Note that I asked the assistant at the store to identify the instrument for me before telling him the problem; he identified it as a violin. When I explained the reason for the return, he then said that it is a viola, and brought it to the proprietor, who insisted that it was a viola all along. I insisted on the return, but they did not refund me the tax I pre-paid, and also charged me for a full 3 months' payment instead of the 2.5 months it has been. Overall, this has been a frustrating waste of time and money. There are many other options for instrument rentals in the area and I recommend you use a different one.

They fixed my sons trombone it had been getting stuck for a long time but now it works greatread more

I took weekly lessons from Hillary for a year remotely. She's great! She was always well organized…read moreand quick to respond to any questions I had outside of lessons. I was always impressed by how she managed to hear any mistakes I made playing a piece over Zoom. She did a great job of balancing adding new material to keep things interesting with focusing on specific pieces as needed. I suspect that starting piano as an adult has unique challenges; Hillary got me off to a great start and helped me to really embrace the instrument.

I can't say enough good things about the top-tier piano instruction my son has received over the…read morepast five years. The level of detail and rigor in every lesson is remarkable - scales, sight-reading, and challenging repertoire are all taught with such precision. My son's technique and musicality have skyrocketed, allowing him to confidently tackle advanced pieces that many students his age haven't even heard of. What really sets this studio apart is the blend of professional expertise with genuine warmth and encouragement. If you're looking for serious, high-level piano education, Hillary is the person to study with.

Tonight, the second interlude of seasonal series, Pedagogues and Protégés by Nikolai…read moreRimsky-Korsakov was performed at the Barrett hall. Nothing short of mismerising performance. The sound and the vibe echoed throughout the hall was riveting to the bone. The duet by Mariné Ter-Kazaryan (soprano), and Gayane Simonyan (piano) was so surreal. The harmony between the two throughout the performance was seamless and truly a memorable event to be part of. This performance hall and venue is so unique and in par with the top performing halls elsewhere. The creator of the program is non other than Melissa Froehlich, the Director of Development at the center who meticulously produced tonight's flawless performance.

We really liked the Young Musicians Group Classes at Pasadena Conservatory of Music when my…read moredaughter started her trial lesson around 2. There are a lot of movement, getting to know rhythm, and exposure to music. It was a fun parent & me class too.

Great place to send your kids (or your adults! :) for lessons. Easy payment system and good choice…read moreof teachers who are both knowledgeable and skilled, patient and great working with kids. Prices are definitely reasonable. Nice facility in a good area with lots of stuff around - movie theater, grocery store, etc. so you can drop your child off and get some shopping in! Also great because they have special workshops for adults and programs for the young ones, preschool age. Would definitely recommend. Side note: One reviewer mentioned the hassle of the prepayment system. I understand how this could be frustrating, but the reason this is done is so the teachers get paid on time, don't have people skipping out on lessons or payments, etc. It's a more professional system, therefore brings in more professional teachers, and you get quality lessons. It's like any other school - you pay ahead and have your class/lesson scheduled for that day every week. You can't expect to get your money back if you miss a class because you have something else to do. I've never had a problem rescheduling a lesson for another day, and they try to accommodate you as much as they can. Sorry the reviewer had a bad experience, but this hasn't been my experience at all! I've chatted with a couple parents/students in the waiting room and they've enjoyed their time here as well, so take that for what it's worth.

This is not a business that operates with honesty and integrity. My family had a very bad…read moreexperience during a trial class we paid for. We wrote a bad review here on yelp, so the business reached out to us and asked how they can help. They initially offered to re-take the class, but I did not want to waste my time. So i asked for a refund. They agreed. What I am realizing now, since I have not seen any credits on my account, is that the refund will only be given in exchange of the review being taken down. It's too bad, any business owner who thinks about future and about customer service would have refunded the charge immediately just because they know they screwed up. The many interruptions my kids had during their private lesson was reason enough for them to issue a refund. Very disappointed!