I attended Jon's music class with my 4-year-old for about six months or so, and it was such a…read morewonderful experience for both of us. Jon is kind, fun and weird in the most delightful way. He exudes enthusiasm and positivity. He also has a clear gift for making music fun and accessible for young kids. He uses little toy doggies, dinos, and action figures to teach musical concepts like how "D the dog lives inside the two black notes". I also remember him getting into this weird story arc about how a monster was trying to eat him and the kids needed to play the right note to save him. Jon brought in a variety of real instruments for the kids to explore during class -- electric guitar, a mini cello, some woodwinds, and more. This is in addition to the many instruments that are in class every week. The drum set was definitely my kid's fave. Jon was thoughtful about including every child in the activities and he had a gentle way of encouraging the shyer kids to participate without pressuring them. He'd end each class with a dance party and a call and response: "I am so proud of you!" and the kids would respond "That's me!" After class, Jon would play with the kids out on the playground, and they would laugh and laugh and chase Jon around and then get chased around by him. My son absolutely adored him to the point where he would incessantly wrap himself around one of Jon's legs when they were playing.. It's not often you get to see someone doing a thing that seems so perfectly tailored to their deepest selves, but that is definitely the vibe you get watching Jon at Jon's School of Music. It is a great time playing music with a great guy. Highly recommend :)

I have noticed that class since I started taking my LO to Totland. My LO was showing signs of…read morecuriosity every time he was doing his class. However, I must say that those parents who want to take their children to his class, you need to make sure your LO follow John's instructions. I have noticed that John has good chemistry with bigger kids, since I saw him many times playing with them after class. If your kid is extrovert, energetic, social and good at following instructions, his could be a nice place for your child.I have been in the child care field for two decades taking babies and toddlers to private class in music, sports and even art classes and I have never experienced a teacher who had less empathy specially for those who does not have similar personality like him. I am pretty sure that he doesn't know how to work with smaller children: how can you make a baby or toddler follow instructions if this is a phase when they want to be free to explore and LEARN? This was my experience, one day my LO and I were in Totland as usual and John came to us and invited us to go to his class for a trial. I did t ask and he offered his trial class. The first thing he asked was that my LO pick musical instrument. She picked one and started to play it for a few secs and then he asked her to change the musical instrument (thing that my LO didn't want to do because she was 2.5 and was very curious about the instrument in that moment and didn't want to change). It has not passed even 30 secs and my LO got very upset and he "invited" us to leave the class!! Can you imagine that? You got invited and after even 30 secs you had to leave?? I was very disappointed and frustrated. I left the room hearing him saying: " I am sorry, you have to leave" . I was so confused, how a teacher I'm up you and your little to enjoy his music class and then ask you to leave in 30 secs. It didn't make sense to me.I am not saying that he is not a good teacher but he does not know how to approach to LO or toddlers. I must say that John is better with bigger kids (probably kindergarten and up) in my 20 years experience in child care, I have never saw a lack of empathy in a teacher and that situation happened to my own little one broke my heart! Just be aware ! If you think your child can follow instructions and be straight the whole class go for it. But if not, please don't do it , because John doesn'tt know how to manage the situation and your kid might have a bad impression with music classes. He must be a good musician but that day show me a ZERO knowledge of child development. If he reads this, please take some ChDevelop classes... urgently! Not all adults have the same chemistry with all children's ages! And every child is different and different way to learn, each one has their own pace.

I have been taking piano lessons with Ernie for a few years now and I'd highly recommend him as a…read moreteacher, especially if you are beginning to learn an instrument in adulthood as I have. He's very knowledgable, insightful, and most importantly, a very supportive and friendly instructor. He's also full of stories from a life lived in music and has a helpful anecdote for every occasion. Ernie is always reliable and punctual about lesson dates and times but always understanding if I need to reschedule, given the proper notice in accordance with his posted policies. I look forward to continuing my lessons with Ernie and I'm grateful for his instruction.

I have known Ernie for about 5 years. His passion is music and he is very talented! When I hear…read moreErnie play, I get goose bumps. He knows how to hit the notes that create emotion. I like his music a lot. Ernie shares his talent with people of all ages. He teaches piano, guitar, flute and clarinet. He also helps people learn composition and arranging. It is never to late to learn a musical instrument! And with Ernie as a teacher, you will have a lot of fun too!

Ellen is talented, patient and fun! I never would have thought that I'd enjoy piano lessons so…read moremuch. You will look forward to your next lesson. Thanks Ellen.

I'd been playing piano off and on for a long time, but I hadn't taken private lessons in many…read moreyears. After I retired and had more time to practice, I wanted to take lessons again. I specifically wanted to work on my jazz playing. I'd heard Ellen play a number of times over the years and was impressed by how well she plays jazz as well as many other musical styles. When I started lessons with her, I was very pleased by how quickly Ellen assessed my skills and knowledge. She is a gifted teacher and has been able to seamlessly tailor her instructional approach to me and what I want to learn. I am very happy that Ellen does not use a 'one size fits all' teaching approach! (I've unfortunately encountered that in the past.) Soon after I began lessons with Ellen, an opportunity came up to take the vocal duo I'm in to the next level. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Ellen also does vocal coaching and helps vocal and instrumental groups enhance the arrangements they've developed. I'm thrilled that one teacher can help me with all my disparate musical interests and endeavors, and that it's no problem for Ellen to roll with it when I want to do a 180 and switch to something totally different from what we were last working on. I am grateful to have found such a flexible and student-centered teacher!

I'm a professional vocalist and I've had the pleasure of working with Michael for about 2 decades…read morenow. His knowledge of all things music is as deep as his insights on arrangements I've asked him to comment on, as intricate as his mind-blowing compositions, his quirks as endearing as any musical genius'!

I am a current student studying piano with Michael. I really appreciated his emphasis on basics…read more(e.g. breathe, removing tension in the body, posture, and even how to set up the piano bench). He also doesn't just teach piano playing but also the broader music education: composers / pianists to listen to, music theory, etc. One caveat is that expect the pace of learning to be a bit slower compared to other teachers potentially but I think it's a worthwhile tradeoff to build solid foundations.

Fiat Music has been serving Pinole for a very long time. I remember their old location in the same…read morelocation. Fiat has been in Pinole since Lucky was there and with Traders Joe it is still in business. I never took lesson at Fiat but I have gotten piano music sheets and information on piano. The woman that owns Fiat is very nice. Fiat Music Co serving Pinole for a long time and is a historic landmark.

I really love this shop. It is all the history of the valleys music in one small spot. However, the…read moreparking is terrible for the whole shopping center, and while the hours of the store are fantastic, they need to get a better organization system for returning instruments that have been worked on. They did fantastic work on my guitar and for a good price, but I had to go three times after my guitar had been fixed, and even then they could not find the receipt to give me information on how much it was (even though I had my copy of the receipt), and at least once they refused to return my guitar, even though I could see it behind the counter only because they could not find the receipt. I wish nothing but the best for the store and I will definitely be back because of its fantastic service for instruments and lessons for music enthusiasts. I just wish they had a better organizational system for the tickets.

I've been a long time student of Rebecca's and highly recommend her for anyone who wants to learn…read morepiano. She is very skilled at assessing and correcting technical difficulties and is equally talented in teaching expressive technique. In addition she fosters a warm and supportive community by hosting regular workshops where her students meet to perform for one another.

She is a great teacher but only takes advanced adults but her videos online are great tooread more

I started lessons with Kevin about 20 months ago with literally zero guitar knowledge, and I'm so…read moreglad I did. His teaching style is grounded and patient, and the structure is basically "as much as you want," which keeps things moving without feeling rigid or intimidating. I came in hoping to learn rhythm guitar, a bit of theory, and some fingerpicking, and he's done a great job balancing foundational skills with songs that are actually fun (and that I'm excited to practice). I've made a ton of progress with rhythm guitar - I can learn and play most songs pretty easily now, and can play with other people too, which was a huge goal. Fingerpicking has been slower for me, but I'm finally making steady progress there too. Kevin tailors lessons to my taste in music and pace, gives clear practice goals, and uses helpful tools like metronome work and written notes. It still blows my mind how he can tab out basically any song on the spot and make it approachable for my skill level. He's also personable, punctual, and scheduling is always easy. I'd recommend him to anyone wanting to learn or refine their guitar skills, especially adult beginners!

I've been taking lessons with Kevin for close to a year now and have found him to be an exceptional…read moreteacher. He creates a super supportive environment that encourages growth and creativity. I also find him intuitive on where you need to go next in your journey. In my time with Kevin , my skills and growth with the guitar has increased . He's the best best!

Sam is the third harmonica teacher I've had in the Bay Area, and easily the best. He's one of the…read morerare musicians that has both a strong understaning of music theory and a knack for teaching. As a harmonica player it's been difficult to find teachers that have many years of teaching experience and a love of the harmonica. Sam has both. His lessons are tailored to the student and he finds a balance between having high expectations and being understanding if you don't quite meet them. He is also an exceedingly nice guy and with countless interesting tidbits to share about the history of music that somehow make the lessons challenging yet approachable and engrossing. Sam is also a piano player and teacher, and some of my favorite moments during our lessons have been when he plays the piano and asks me to create something as I play along with him; as someone new to music that creative process is endlessly fun and enriching. Sam is a dedicated teacher and I'm glad I found him!

I've been going to Sam for harmonica lessons for a couple of years now. He is a wonderful teacher…read morewhose ability to combine edification and tongue in cheek humor is rarely matched. It doesn't matter if you can't read music, he will guide you through the steps and teach you to whatever ability you wish to achieve. It doesn't matter if you are tone deaf, he will just turn on the radio to drown you out. It doesn't matter if you don't show up for the lesson, he will still charge you unless you bring a doctor's note. Sam is a wonderful teacher, and you should take a lesson or two if you want to become even just a little more proficient in piano, harmonica or even the penny whistle.