I came over with my guitar, which was extremely out of tune due to complex problems. I had just…read morereplaced the strings myself and did basic tuning with no improvement. I showed the guy at the store exactly what the problem was. I left the guitar with him. A few weeks later, I was told that the "guitar was ready". I came over, plugged my guitar in, and saw zero improvement. I showed the guy that the problem persisted, and he asked to try again to fix it. A few weeks later, once again my guitar was 'ready.' I tested the guitar again with no improvement. The guy explained that there was nothing he could do. It didn't prevent him from charging me!! What a crook!!! This guy is a complete scam! BEWARE

Huge scammers! They over price their instruments then artificially cut the price. When I realized…read morehow bad he ripped me off I went back to see if I could get a refund and he said it's not policy despite no attempt to make this know on a receipt or postings in the shop. I'm all for supporting small businesses but it makes it hard when they are so willing to scam you.

Question...........Do you have vocal lessons? ubein@yahoo.com…read more I have a 9 year old granddaughter who is anxious for vocal lessons. Do you teach vocal or can recommend someone who can in Santa Cruz?

I have been taking piano lessons for a little over a year with Diana Brown through Santa Cruz Music…read moreAcademy. I'm in my thirties and had often thought I missed the boat by not studying piano earlier in life. But, I've been feeling extremely happy with the progress (starting as a complete beginner) that we've made over this time so I thought I'd post a review. Diana has a structured but flexible teaching style that has helped me to efficiently develop a well-rounded set of skills. We've focused on learning scales / arpeggios, proper technique, and building a repertoire - sometimes we delve a little further into theory or even some vocal lessons here and there. I've found that she goes above and beyond in tailoring the pace and content of the curriculum to her individual students. I would absolutely recommend Diana as a teacher without hesitation to anyone hoping to start learning piano!

Thomas Musical Instruments is quality and great value. Great service and knowledge. I would…read morereccomend them for service and rebuilds

I highly recommend John with Thomas Musical Instruments. He fixed my son's trumpet in less than…read more24 hours and was reasonably cost.

I have two elementary aged children who have been taking piano lessons from Beau for a few years…read more Wow, I cant believe the progress they've made! They enjoy seeing him every week and always come out with smiles on their faces. Beau is easy going while also attentive and understanding of where the kids are at and what they need. He keeps them moving at a good pace and gives them a nice balance of progression through their leveled books, in addition to fun options in regards to songs that they get to pick out themselves. He is an incredible musician himself and truly wants every student to succeed, but more importantly, he wants them to find their own love & passion for music. I also appreciate that he's been helpful & flexible with our ever-changing schedules. I'd definitely recommend Beau for any age of learners. My kids and my step dad have all benefitted from his expertise!

Beau is the best piano teacher around! He has taught my daughter for years and she is playing…read moreamazingly. She looks forward to her lessons more and more every week!

I brought in a used violin, after purchasing it with no prior experience. Wasn't sure what I needed…read moreto do before playing with it. The young lady was very helpful - no sales pressure. But I bought a couple of accessories anyways because she made the experience pleasant. Would definitely go back with any music related needs.

Just bought a ukelele from here to keep practicing as a beginner, they have good intro/beginner…read morepieces up to more expensive and studier pieces. The range I saw was from sale items at 49.99 up to 200+, they have a good, moderate amount of choices at each level, with different brands and accompanying acessories! My ukelele is a soprano, a great beginner ukelele I was practicing with, got it for $75 with tax and a carrying bag included in my purchase, if I remember correctly, tag price was $69.99 I did ask if there was something similar to a brand/type of ukelele I started my practice with but I was then getting sold onto the more expensive pieces that I didn't have experience with and didn't ask for so that was a miss for me. Wish I got more of a relevant recommendation but the workers were sweet, they let us browse by ourselves for a good amount of time before stepping in (which good for me because I needed time to think, compare, and browse). When we went, there were a handful of other customers inside the store, it's located in a small shopping center but the store is bigger inside than it appears on the outside. The parking situation was just okay, not bad, could use a tad bit more space, we went ~1p the parking lot was full minus 2-3 spots but I noticed cars came and went from the time we got there until we left so it seems like there's a couple spots free at any given time due to the traffic coming in and out for small errands. Lots of instruments and accessories to be found inside and the workers seem to be happy to help find what is needed! Pretty well organized inside to find what you need on your own though, I was able to find the ukeleles quickly.

John is a great teacher and an incredible resource for theory. I've been taking lessons from him…read morefor about 6 months now and my playing has improved immensely. He's easy to work with and has been playing forever. Highly recommend.

From the owner: Many satisfied students since 1993. Performance Coach…read moreSongwriting Teacher Composition Teacher

We love Musical Me! Teacher Keeva and Mrs. Elizabeth are so warm, fun, and show they genuinely love…read morewhat they do. Music class is the highlight of our week. They create such a welcoming, no-pressure environment where every child can participate in their own way. We see a huge boost in my daughter's confidence and social skills as the weeks go by. It's been a great place for us to meet new people and make new friends. The music is also fantastic. So catchy in fact, that I'm humming it all week. This program is well organized and so thoughtfully run. If you're on the fence about signing up-do it!

Soon after our daughter was born, friends began mentioning Music Together as a good baby activity…read more However in between naps and feeding, we didn't have a consistent schedule until she was about 6 months old. Music Together offers a free trial class, so we tried that first. My daughter appeared comfortable as soon as we entered the classroom- she was looking around, babbling, and playing with the welcome drum in the middle of the room. We did the trial class with Teacher Jenn and then signed up for summer classes with Teacher Elizabeth. Both teachers were energetic, patient, and welcoming. The class provides CDs and a song book each semester, so you can listen to the music at home or in the car. They also have an app you can use to download the songs. The song book has the lyrics as well as sheet music. The class always begins with a hello song and ends with a closing song. The rest of the songs vary depending on the semester/instrument focus. Teachers provide a variety of props: scarves, tambourines, egg shakers, etc. Any dirty/wet props go into the dirty bin to be disinfected. Parents- be prepared to move and get a mini workout! You will be lifting baby, rocking baby, and holding baby while dancing in a circle and across the room :D It's best if both you and baby wear comfortable clothes that you can move around in. They also ask that you remove your shoes when you enter the room. A few notes: -They offer the program in many South Bay cities. You can go through the city's park and recreation center to find the schedule. I saw classes in Saratoga, Los Gatos, Santa Cruz, and Cupertino -It's $120 for the summer session (6 classes) and $50 for the lab fee -Each class is scheduled for 45 minutes -A lot of the caregivers and babies have been attending for a number of semesters, so there is a nice parent & baby community -They have baby only classes for under 8 months, and mixed age classes for 0-5 years old. The website explains that by being exposed to children of other ages, your child will learn differently than if he/she was in a class with same-aged children

As a mandolin player, I wasn't sure how helpful a lesson would be with someone who doesn't actually…read moreplay mandolin but I had heard such great things from fellow musicians about Colin I had to give it a try. I'm really glad I did! Colin is an excellent music teacher who explains music theory in a clear, practical way that immediately applies to your instrument. He quickly helped me see keys and scales differently and gave me tools to approach improvisation with much more confidence. I was honestly surprised by how much progress I made so quickly. If you're looking for help with music theory, improvisation, or just becoming a more versatile musician, I highly recommend taking lessons with Colin.

If you're looking for a music teacher who makes students feel comfortable and excited to play,…read moreColin is fantastic. My son can be a bit shy, but Colin's friendly and patient approach immediately put him at ease. Miles was up and playing something he recognized in just one lesson, which was way faster than I expected! Colin explains things clearly and gives great technique tips. My son left the lesson genuinely excited about playing. We're so grateful we found such a great teacher.

My kids went to SCLC many summers and Malika and her team have been absolutely amazing. They are so…read morecaring, and attentive to the kids...they were my daughter's favorite camp and she couldn't wait to see them again each year. I can highly recommend Santa Cruz Learning Center!!

Locals, teaching locals! Thank you for always going above and beyond for the our children.read more

Zack Olsen is a true treasure to Santa Cruz, offering education as a well-rounded musician,…read moreeducator, technician and historian on a professional scale. Whether rock, funk, or jazz Zack has played on the professional level in these categories and more, and can offer one an extremely worthwhile education on the drum set. Starting from playing in ska band Slow Gherkin, to now playing locally in rock and jazz bands and educating, Zack's versatile career is a reflection of the education and wisdom he can offer you.

Short Review: Don't miss a beat, go to Zack for drum lessons! You won't be disappointed!…read more Long Review: Zack is simply amazing and the best drum teacher I could possibly imagine. First of all, the stuff you really want before the drumming even starts: Zack is punctual and has never been late to a lesson. He's never cancelled on me. He never shows up groggy or like he had a late night gig the night before (and I have early morning lessons) His sound-proofed clean studio is equipped with 2 side-by-side quality drum-sets so he can play along with you or demonstrate new concepts. He also has a computer and access to any music you want to play during your lesson. I should also point out that he is a normal and super nice guy; he's not intimidating and is someone you're happy to sit with for an hour! He is a gifted teacher. He is patient, organized, and a talented drummer in any style of music you want to learn. He allows you to learn what you want, but also mixes in a good amount of rudiments and drumming exercises to practice on your own. He can bring anything down to a basic level so you're feeling progress immediately and constantly. He makes sure your body is aligned and you're holding your sticks correctly. (I'm a brand new drummer, so I started at the very beginning) He writes stuff down and teaches you to read drum sheet music. You would think someone of his ability would be bored out of his skull teaching someone new like me, but honestly, he never seems bored or distracted. He knows everything about drumming and can help recommend drum-sets and accessories. He even came out to my house to help me set up and tune my new drums! Whatever your level of drumming or reasons why you want to learn, Zack can help! I am an empty-nester woman with kids in their 20s-- some good friends in a local all-women band offered me to learn drums and join them knowing I was suffering some PTSD related symptoms after losing my youngest daughter to cancer (playing music is the best therapy!). It's been only 6 months since I picked up my first drumstick and our band just played our 2nd gig this weekend with me as the new drummer. Let me just say that people were blown away at the fact I've only been playing 6 months! I have a long, long way to go, but I would not have had the success I've had without Zack as my teacher. I haven't seen him with kids, but can only imagine how much young kids would enjoy learning from him. You will learn a lot at each lesson if you do your homework and come prepared. Feel lucky if he has a spot for you! I can't recommend Zack highly enough! Drum roll please...