Emery is currently teaching our 13-year-old son acoustic guitar, and he is phenomenal. He is warm,…read morefriendly, encouraging and an amazing teacher and musician. Emery lets our son choose the songs he wants to learn (while supplying helpful suggestions and feedback on the choices), and he then uses each song to teach and reinforce skills and technique. Incorporating fundamentals in this way keeps our son engaged and excited. It is always a delight to hear the two of them playing together--Emery is instilling a deep love of music and a sense of accomplishment and confidence in our son that is so valuable at this age. Emery is a wonderful teacher and a truly kind soul.

Emery has been teaching our son guitar for over a year, and -- simply put -- he is FANTASTIC. Emery…read moreis both a very talented musician and a natural-born teacher. His method with our ninth grade son is to let him pick the song which he wants to learn on guitar and then use it as a vehicle for teaching technique and music theory. This pedagogy seems to be working very well since our son (1) loves to practice the guitar (since it is always a song of his choosing) and (2) has significantly grown in his musicianship since his time with Emery. As a teacher, Emery blends his Oberlin College Conservatory training with an innate ability to connect with young people. I think you would be hard-pressed to find a better guitar teacher than Emery. He has our 100% endorsement.

Highly recommended for both adults and kids. My daughter had such an amazing experience with Jason…read more He is a jaw-droppingly talented professional drummer, a skilled and patient teacher, and a wonderful, down-to-earth human being. Jason didn't just teach my 9-year-old daughter how to play drums, he exposed her to new musical genres and both classic and contemporary songs. I can't stress enough how great he is with kids; he really knows how to make the lessons fun and tailor the experience to individual students and their interests.

I'm going to echo previous reviews as I find them completely accurate…read more I've been taking lessons with Jason for about 6 months now. I'm in my late thirties and have no previous experience with music. I had been wanting to learn to play the drums for a while, but the idea of starting from nothing at this age was daunting. I couldn't be happier that I reached out to Jason. He's really good at what he does. Each lesson plan is well thought out and engaging. He does a great job of explaining the exercises and how they fit into the macroscopic viewpoint of drumming. Jason's an amazing drummer and a kind, genuine human being. He creates a great environment that provides for a safe space to learn, all while challenging you to grow. I highly recommend Jason if you're looking for an instructor. I trust his process and always look forward to the next lesson.

I recently decided to come back to playing guitar and really wanted to build up again with some…read moresolid theory and technique rather than just half-learning my way back and lacking a firm foundation. I decided I should probably find a guitar instructor in the area. I couldn't ask for more in a guitar teacher. Jacob is as enthused as it gets. I don't think it's possible to leave a session without being pumped up to go home and start practicing. He's very good at communicating and has a lot of energy. He's super knowledgable about all kinds of genres of music. He's very organized and creates a clear plan for making sure you get the most out of your lessons, practice, and even casual listening. That's not to say he isn't flexible, he definitely is and it's refreshing that he can play all different kinds of music, including metal and post-hardcore punk which I think is kind of hard to find in a lot of instructors. He even emails you all your materials and takes videos for you. If you ever start struggling between sessions you can just text him and he gets back to you fast with a video, text, email, whatever it takes. He really cares about his students. His studio is clean, professional, and enthused. I love it. I've never had trouble parking. You are able to sign up for lessons via his website. He has an easy cancellation policy. Water or coffee and a restroom.

Nothing short of the BEST!!…read more The first day I sent Jacob a message explaining how I had no musical experience whatsoever, but wanted to learn how to play acoustic guitar, he enthusiastically guided me in picking up a guitar and set up a lesson that would work with my schedule. Our very first lesson, and every lesson after, I've always been greeted with a warm smile as well a cup of coffee which allowed us to catch up quickly on the week and jump right into our lesson. Jacob has always made it a priority to teach songs that I like(HUGE BONUS) which makes our weekly sessions so much more fun (After my second lesson, I was already playing one song confidently) Jacob is very patient and always available!! He's quick to encourage and let you know to call him if you ever struggle with a portion of the lesson, yet at the same time he will challenge you and incorporate your creativity into various songs you play. I highly recommend Jacob to anyone looking for a fun, challenging, patient and interactive instructor!

We had a pretty terrible experience at Bandworks but I didn't want to trash the program because…read morethere are some great people associated with it. That said, my kid just told me that their instructor once said to them - in front of all the kids - "I'm certain you have a learning plan." My kid denied it (they, in fact, did not) and the instructor continued to insist that they did. Who the hell talks this way to a child in this day and age, in front of their peers?! It was humiliating for my kid and extremely insensitive of the instructor. I could follow up with a list of messed up things this instructor said or did along the way, but this one put me over the edge and really just sums up why we now steer clear.

My son first attended a BandWorks summer program in 2007 (age 8). He was in the Intro class and got…read moreto play drums, guitar, sing, and generally get the full band experience. He liked it so much we signed up for the next year and he really focused in on drumming. Loved drumming so much he got a private instructor and took drumming for quite some time after that. Then life got in the way for a few years and now we've returned....and it's the daughter who's doing the workshop sessions now! Came in for the September 2012 session and was put in a band with 3 boys and had to learn how to negotiate want she wanted. Great experience in self-empowerment for a 7th grade girl. She, too, loves drumming. She played one song on drums, and the other songs on keyboards and vocals. She had kicked and screamed about not wanting to do vocals before joining (just got out of 6 years of chorus and literally did not want to open her mouth again) but the instructor convinced her to give it a try and the boys were supportive and she actually loved it. To hear my daughter sing a Red Hot Chili Peppers song and love doing it, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven LOL. Anyway, she's back for this session....decided to bring in her girlfriends.....and now is giggin' in an all-girl band as the drummer. What I've always loved about BandWorks is their ability to work with whatever your nutty schedule may be, and whatever level you are as a musician, and whatever your musical taste is, to create the right experience for you in your band.

Feeling grateful to write a review for David! My daughter is 9 years old and has never taken a…read morevoice or guitar lesson until we found David. My goal in finding a teacher was someone patient and kind, as focusing can be tricky for my sweet girl. David is beyond amazing! He could literally work with someone of the youngest age to the oldest. He is so personable, warm, creative, funny and definitely meets my daughter where she is at. Watching them has inspired me to take guitar lessons, which I never dreamed! David is the coolest person to be able to hang with and to be able to learn from is something special. His voice is beautiful and so impressed by his passion to teach! You Rock David!!! 10 STARS!!!

David is the real deal a genuinely great person. a very talented musician I have seen him in…read moreconcert several times with both his Bostyx band as well as Rock Stars & stripes his latest concert tour. which is both a visual and musical masterpiece. His commitment to helping the community he lives in is remarkable he donates his time to help where he is needed and supports charity in the communities he plays in. his vocals are awesome and his guitar skills are off the chart. if you are looking for music lessons this is your guy. he is so talented and so nice and very easy to talk to as a mentor for young people myself I know David would be a great teacher and anyone who works with him would benefit from his teaching. plus how cool would it be to be taught by someone who toured with BOSTON. if your looking for a great teacher and mentor this is the man to see.

Andrew is an amazing drummer and a great teacher. He is patient, funny and able to see what you…read moreneed and then explain to you clearly what you need to work on to improve your drumming skills. He is also an expert drummer who can cover any style of music. He is a quick learner who does his homework when called for a session or tour. And he is an all around nice guy. What more do you need in a drummer and/or drum teacher? Two thumbs up!

I've had the pleasure of taking drum lessons with Andrew for almost 3 years while he was working at…read moreRed House Studios in Walnut Creek. If you want results Andrew is the man you want as a teacher. He has an impressive list of credentials (just check out the description at the bottom of the page) and has pretty much been playing drums all his life. He also fronts his own band, Felsen, which puts on one hell of a live show. I started taking lessons with Andrew with very little knowledge of how to play drums, I could do a basic rock beat but that was pretty much it. We tackled a lot different subjects: how to arrange a kit, proper playing posture, rudiments, fills, 3 and 4-way limb coordination, shuffles, rolls. That was just a general list but I learned so much I could go on and on. Andrew is well-versed in other styles besides rock; I got a chance to learn about various Latin and funk grooves as well. Andrew also has an endless list of artists and songs that best exemplify the techniques he's trying to teach you. As I thumb through my lesson notes I'm amazed at how much material we've covered in such a little amount of time. Andrew is very meticulous when it comes to technique and knows about the finer nuances that separate the good drummers from the great. When you play, Andrew is always able to perform a thorough analysis and then put together a set of exercises to help you overcome your shortcomings. Andrew has very high standards, but like any teacher, one must tread a balance between challenging a student enough to keep them motivated, but not pushing them so hard they give up in frustration. I always felt challenged, but I also felt that Andrew would set reasonable goals that were appropriate for my skill level. As a busy working professional there were times where I barely had time to practice, even then I would walk out of every lesson learning something new. Andrew is also a very accomplished producer. He helped me produce the first song I ever wrote, which was a huge milestone for me as a musician. I learned a lot about song writing and the common song structures used in today's music. I also learned about microphone configurations used for recording drums. I would highly recommend Andrew to anyone interested in taking their drumming to the next level and beyond!

We love it here! The boys see Chris for guitar and Jay for trumpet. Super friendly staff and it…read morefeels super artsy and open here. If you're looking for a safe space for your child to grow this is the place. This is music academy is for adults too! If you used to do it or want to learn how to I really think you'd enjoy it. Hope to see you around!

I highly recommend this music school for kids to learn music and be able to express themselves…read more This place has helped my son through adolescences and being able to express himself through music. He has taken keyboard, guitar, band, and voice lessons. I cannot say thank you enough to Chris the owner and his fellow artists teachers at this awesome music school.

The best most professional teacher i can imagine. I really can't describe the quality of his work,…read morehe's terrific and will make you the guitarist you want to be. 5 stars 100%

Jack is an EXCELLENT teacher!! He knows guitar and music theory, no doubt at a grand-master…read morelevel... but not only is he a master performer; he can really effectively teach and explain!!! When I initially signed up, I paid for 30 minute lessons per week. After taking the first two lessons and realizing how much I have improved, I asked to change to 1 hour per week. Jack is able to determine what you need to work on in order to achieve your goals. If you're trying to learn how to play guitar, I would STRONGLY recommend you meet with Jack Eskridge!!