We hired Puget Sound Strings to play a private event in our backyard for 30 friends this summer…read more Despite horrible traffic that day, the musicians arrived promptly and in great spirits. However, as most of our friends were delayed, the quartet was very flexible and gave us extra time to accommodate them. We designed a more interactive experience for our friends, and the musicians were delightful, entertaining, and "read the room" very well in regards to the music selection. Their musicality and showmanship were outstanding. We look forward to continuing the tradition next year!

Puget Sound Strings provided a string trio for my husband and I's wedding ceremony and cocktail…read morehour in July 2019. I regret it's taken me so long to write this review! The string trio was simply, AMAZING. They truly made our wedding ceremony unique and helped bring our vision into reality. My guests were raving about that portion of our ceremony and cocktail hour - they were so impressed and enjoyed the music! It was Rebecca who we communicated mostly with through email prior to the wedding day. Let me just say, she made the communication and booking process so easy. Their repertoire was definitely impressive and we had a lot to chose of pieces to from. There were 3 specific songs we wanted for our ceremony (Bittersweet Symphony, Here Comes the Sun, & Stand by Me) and I was thrilled to find out they were able to play for us! I also want to thank Rebecca for helping us decide on a song for our bridal party to walk out to after the ceremony. We wanted something a little more upbeat, but still elegant at the same time. She helped us decide on Viva La Vida - the PERFECT ending! Overall, we were so happy with our decision to have Puget Sound Strings play at our wedding. The booking process was so easy, the string trio came and did an amazing job and everything was just executed so professionally! It truly made our wedding extra special - I had no idea how magical the write music would make the most important part of our day. If you're thinking of booking PSS for your big day or event, DO IT! I assure you, you will not regret it! :)

Note: this review only applies to the professionalism of Emerald City, not the actual DJ…read moreexperience. It started off fine with Dan from EC. I currently don't live in Seattle, but my wedding will be in Seattle. So I spoke with Dan over the phone, we even did a Skype session to discuss what musics I like, what uplightings I wanted, everything was going fine. I was ready to move forward with Dan, so we scheduled an on-site visit. Because I am from out of town, we made the appointment two months before the actual visit. Then a week before the appointment, I emailed Dan to confirm, and he said no problem. Guess what, the NIGHT before the appointment, after 10pm, I got an email from Dan's brother, saying Dan just realized he has another "engagement" at the same time slot the next day and couldn't make the appointment. Now here comes my complaints: First of all, if an appointment was made two months in advance, you work your schedule around it. I was only in town for two days to visit friends and family, and I made sure I stuck to my appointment, why can't you?! It'd be different if you have a family emergency, then I'd understand. But noooo, he had "another engagement". I was completely speechless when I read the email. Speaking of the email, here comes my second complaint--show some respect to a prospect customer, at least CALL, APOLOGIZE, and say you can't make it to an appointment you made two months before. Not only didn't Dan have the respect and decency to personally call me, he even asked his brother to EMAIL. I wish I could copy and paste the email here, but I assure you that the email was not apologetic at all. It was just a normal email, stating Dan couldn't make it to my appointment the next day because he has another engagement. Third and lastly, even after the fact, Dan didn't make an attempt to reach out to me, to again, APOLOGIZE. Sure I am just one bride and will only get married once, but I have a wedding planner and I make sure she will never recommend such unprofessional services to any of her other brides. Not to mention I have enough younger friends in Seattle who will eventually get married. In summary, again, this review only applies to their professionalism. But ask yourself, if you are a bride, do you want to hire someone that's flaky? I think not.

Dan was an exceptional DJ at our wedding! He brought his wife along to man the photobooth (which…read morewe HIGHLY recommend... so much fun!) and they were great! Dan played exactly the music we wanted, and was open to the reasonable requests from all our guests! The volume was perfect, and he was very professional throughout the entire event. He was such a good sport... our wedding was all outside and it POURED. Being a DJ, I'm sure that's one of the worst things that can happen, with all of the expensive equipment, etc. No complaints from him, though. I'm more than glad that we hired him :)

Very good selection of instruments, gorgeous store, knowledgeable staff--and incredible repair…read moreteam. Highly recommended on all counts.

The Kennelly Keys Music on 196th Street Southwest in Lynnwood was our second go-to Kennelly Keys…read morewhen I was growing up. We were required in elementary school to take part in the school band or orchestra for 5th grade with 6th grade optional (I took part both full academic years: 2002 to 2004), so with an older sibling and me, my parents were looking for reliable music stores. There was a Kennelly Keys close to the house, as well as this Kennelly Keys, that we habitually frequented. This was our destination for questions needing further answering and products not available closer to the house. Workers were friendly and the store well organized. When choosing my musical instrument for band, I decided I wanted to play the alto saxophone. My parents were okay with my choice so long as it was not as pricey as my sister's cello. On one of our visits to this location, the store was having a big sale on used instruments and they had a working alto saxophone available for a good deal. So, I got my first alto saxophone that day. I used it for both years and held on to it for a while before eventually parting with it. It worked well and served its purpose reliably.

All we can say is WOW! Otto is the absolute best. Not only did he make our wedding a real party,…read morebut the lighting he provided was unbelievable. Otto definitely kept the party going and we had ZERO technical issues between the music, microphones, and lighting, which I feel is somewhat rare at big weddings. We also hired a saxophone player and Otto literally timed the lighting to go with the saxophone player's performance during dinner, it was spectacular. We are so appreciative for Otto helping us make our wedding a night to remember!

DJ justin performed at the Next Level Burger grand opening in Ballard and I had a blast! Might not…read morehave lasted through the 90 min wait for the free burger without him. I regularly go to raves and he's definitely better than some of them :0 Transitions were very impressive AND he took some song requests! He made waiting in the cold on a random saturday morning for 1.5hrs pretty fun.

If you want to be able to pick up a guitar and confidently turn the music in your head into…read morereality, Pascal will get you there. He has the experience, skill, and patience to tailor each of his lessons to provide meaningful and rewarding progress towards your musical goals and, in my case, beyond what I thought I was capable of. I started playing guitar as an adult, and had little idea of what I wanted to get out of the hobby. After years of sporadically learning pieces of songs from online lessons, I came around to the conclusion that I enjoyed guitar enough to take it more seriously. Initially, structured online lessons yield great results, but I quickly started hitting skill plateaus that forced me to move in a different direction to feel like I was making progress. After diversions into music theory, gear acquisition, and some in-person instruction, my interest in guitar was stronger than ever, but I just wasn't getting that much better at playing the thing. Then I found Pascal's website and thought he sounded like someone I should reach out to. The first lesson I had with Pascal completely changed my view of what I could get out of guitar in such a positive way. Biased by my previous experiences learning other instruments, I went in thinking that learning could either be structured and chore-like, or relaxed and fun, but unproductive. I was wrong. Pascal immediately put me on a track that was both structured and personal, and made me enjoy playing so much more. I wish I had hours every day to devote to practicing, but I struggle to find even minutes most days. Even with that constraint, the progress was immediately tangible. One of Pascal's greatest strengths is explaining why he's teaching something and laying out realistic expectations for progression. I became much more aware of the small increments of progress I was making and my basic skills improved dramatically. As lessons progressed, the connections between the lessons became more and more clear. The fretboard transitioned from being intimidating to comfortable, and the fear of getting "lost" started going away. At no point did I have to sit down and memorize anything to get to that place; it happened naturally with the lessons. I waited to write a review for a couple years because I wanted my recommendation to be credible for someone like me: a person whose interest in playing guitar has exceeded their skill and is looking for a teacher to bridge that gap. If that sounds like you, I wholeheartedly recommend reaching out to Pascal!

Magic touch and outstanding teaching skills!…read more Before meeting Pascal, I had taken a few lessons with a teacher back in California. The comparison was night and day! Pascal's level of professionalism and organization are superb... not to mention his guitar skills. I've been working with Pascal for over a year now and I am THRILLED with the progress I have made. Pascal creates a safe environment and always offers me a challenge. Lessons are clearly tailored to the unique needs/interests of each client. Not to mention, his level of patience is that of a saint. I've never felt rushed or judged, even when I show up with little practice time put in current material. (Those days are usually reserved for theory). It is uncommon to meet people with the level of passion and dedication Pascal has cultivated for himself. While Pascal is an expert at all topics guitar related... he is also a wonderful coach and friend. He always finds ways to keep me engaged in the material. Pascal is full of positive vibes and passion, being in his presence is always uplifting! On a personal note, I appreciate the balance guitar has brought to my life. Working in technology, I spend lots of my time in high-stress environments and staring at a screen. Unplugging my monitor and plugging into my guitar truly does wonders for the soul in providing a healthy and expressive outlet. It doesn't matter what level of player you are... show up... be patient with yourself and trust in Pascal. You will not be disappointed!