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!

We've found a musical home for our 3 year olds! Over the last year, Teacher Rae has taught our…read morefellas note and symbol recognition (they can identify a: quarter note, half note, dotted half note, whole note, quarter rest, crescendo and decrescendo) and have learned how to read them on a staff. They've also learned to identify solfege hand symbols both in and out of "do re mi" order. She uses both repetition and variation that seems helping our fellas learn music more intuitively than letters and numbers. Thank you Teacher Rae and SPAMA for creating a warm, inclusive and fun learning environment. We look forward to seeing our kids grow with your expert nurturing!

The voice and piano teacher here does an excellent job with my child. The song choices spark…read moreinterest and the lessons are fast paced and challenging enough to keep attention. We find the location to be managed well. Scheduling online is easy.

This school has a really cool lobby area that doubles as a music store. They have a great selection…read moreof guitars, basses, drumsets, and accessories. The owner/teacher is a professional musician who is committed to his students, local community, and creating a great learning environment for all levels of skill.

Ernesto is a beloved music teacher and performer. We have enjoyed our experience so far taking…read morelessons with him! World of Music is a music shop in downtown Alhambra which sells high quality instruments and also has 2 large practice rooms for private and group music lessons. Whether you're a beginner or experienced musician, there is something here for everyone who loves music. Adult and child music lessons are available. The cost is reasonable. Free parking is available on Main Street. There is a small lot to the side but must of the spots are reserved for the restaurant in the plaza.

My son has taken a few classes here. He really enjoys them. The instructors are always very…read moreprofessional and inviting.

A truly dedicated venue (as opposed to casual mom n me classes) for learning and appreciating…read moremusic. The overall experience was a step up from other local programs. For children closer to the 3 and a half year old range, in our experience one teacher was a miss (summer 2026)... While enthusiastic (but almost aggressively so), she had a very low threshold/low frustration tolerance if a child got off track in the slightest way. She would promptly single them out and suggest they sit in the "viewing area" (aka time out), effectively shaming the child and their parent by highlighting their inattentiveness etc. She may be a school teacher suitable for older kids, but also had an outdated style of excessively "managing" behavior which is not her domain, so long as the child is not majorly disrupting or in some way hurting others. I would also say she (not surprisingly) would play music too loudly and then claim some children are just more sensitive to noise without openness to her own contribution to the music volume. In sum, way too brusque to be teaching 3.5 year olds! Our care provider (who was herself a former preschool director) made the very same observations about this teacher that I had as a parent. Thank goodness this teacher left for vacation and her substitute was day/night more suitable for younger kids. So the experience can be rather teacher dependent...

This review is an experience event. Thank you Thuy! For granting my wish to have a taste of what it…read morefeels like to play a violin! Mr. Greg is such a people person, especially encouraging to future young musicians. He's teaching method is methodical to achieve preciseness. For instance, the instruments were tuned prior to class and beat maker is pretty much on throughout the class. Toward end of the class, the parent can listen to what was learned from the lesson. I can definitely tell the difference, I am able to make (not so irritated) notes and play some patterns after 1 hour. Highly recommend this friendly environment in this nice community.

My son has been taking lessons at Encore Music for about 3 years. During that time, we've had some…read morereally wonderful teachers, and he has made some progress. However, over time, we felt that he had become a little too comfortable, and his learning had plateaued. We had already been considering making some changes, and a recent experience with the front desk ultimately pushed us to make that decision. Several months ago, I brought up the fact that one of the cameras in the lesson rooms was not working. Unfortunately, instead of the issue being resolved, it has gotten worse. When I brought it up again last week, I found that multiple cameras were now malfunctioning. When I asked about it, the response I received from the front desk was rude and came with an unnecessary attitude. I was essentially told that I was welcome to go into the lesson room with my child. Parents being asked to accompany their children into the lesson room should not be the long-term solution to a problem that has been ongoing for months. If cameras are provided for a reason, they should be functioning, particularly when lessons involve an adult teacher alone in a room with a child. What bothered me the most was not simply that the cameras were not working, but the attitude I received when I raised a concern. The fact that the situation went from one malfunctioning camera months ago to multiple malfunctioning cameras, with no apparent resolution, was concerning enough. Being met with that kind of attitude when I brought up the issue was the final push for me. Feeling comfortable with the environment and knowing that legitimate concerns will be taken seriously is important. This experience made me realize that Encore Music may no longer be the right place for my son.

My 4 yo son has been attending private class with miss YiChen. Very nice and professional, have a…read morelot of patience teaching him. And he has been improving a lot after the first class. Very recommended place for kid of all ages

Love this place for multiple reasons!…read more First the staff are very organized and always willing to help with whatever you need help with. Second, teachers are nice and work well with kids of all ages. Teachers are communicative, professional and extremely knowledgeable. Third, easy and multiple payment methods and easy access to piano books. We highly recommend this place!

If you're looking for a place that nourishes your children's creativity, this is the place. After…read morejust one week at SOR Pasadena, my daughter ramped up her motivation to learn about music 100%. AND this just isn't about music, it's about a community that you can trust -- the instructors & all the staff are just fantastic. I highly recommend getting involved with School of Rock Pasadena in one way or another.

it's fun in a good community, but if you wanna actually learn songs on the drums then I would not…read morerecommend this place. All they teach. You is a high hat and snare for every single song no fills or at this point no other terms just those. And when you ask to actually learn the songs, they just say they can't really teach you it. No matter how much experience you have you're always put with a "band" of literal little kids. I'm talking about ages six through like 10. and it takes you ages to actually move up but if you're looking to just learn a whole lot of nothing, then I totally recommend!

I was waiting at the front of the line for approximately 10 minutes without being acknowledged or…read moreoffered assistance. During that time, another family walked in and was immediately greeted by Mike, who asked how he could help them, even though I had been waiting there first. I found this treatment upsetting and felt overlooked and unfairly treated. I was also concerned to find used N95 masks inside the trumpet case of the instrument we rented, particularly because we had been assured that the trumpet had been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before rental. Finding used items inside the case made me question whether the instrument and case had actually been properly cleaned. Overall, this was a very disappointing experience. Based on what I experienced, I would not recommend or support this business.

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!