Only five stars available here. I'd give them 10 stars if that was possible. Lovely people! Clean…read morebright shop, extraordinarily helpful and with a level of knowledge that I've not seen anywhere! I had bought a violin with the intent of relearning the instrument after nearly 60 years of absence of playing. The "well regarded" violin shop in my little town raved about at local teacher, who was said to be an expert in helping former players. Seemed all she wanted to do was sell me an expensive "custom made" chin rest - it wasn't "custom made' and an expensive shoulder rest while suggesting that the violin I had wans't all that good and that I should buy one from her. After three visits and $300 without any lessions, and a violin that hurt to put on my shoulder - wonder if this was her way of shaking my confidence in my instrument and buying one from her? Anyway. I gave up! Enter discovering Olson's. In 20 minutes and a little fine turning I've got a new shoulder rest and chin rest for about 1/4 of what I spent at "Brand X" and a violin that I can now nearly effortlessly hold on my shoulder. I drove a 50 mile round trip for a first visit. WELL worth the time ! Like I said - 10 stars!! Laurence Lance

Went here to get a violin for my 5 year old. They were so helpful and it was very reasonable for…read morethe rental.

I was troubled by no requirement for ID at pick up or drop off. Organization seemed chaotic, e.g…read more Chase arriving after 9am / arriving to find the doors still locked at 9am. Lastly, before the performance, I had to quickly return home to drop off our dog as it was too hot for her to wait in the car. I had explained to Chase and asked him to explain to my son so he wouldn't be upset. He clearly didn't as my son afterwards explained that he didn't understand what Chase had said. Most particularly, I didn't appreciate Bethany's 'mom shaming tone' when she called me as I was trying to park that my son was "very upset that you're late and we're all waiting for you". Working (and single) parents do the best they can. Instructors should employ some empathy and perhaps also remember parents are customers.

Chad and the team at School of Rock (SoR) have done such a great job building a community of music…read moreloving (and learning) families! Our son (9 y/o) has been taking drum lessons there the past 7 months and has gone from a true beginner to playing songs together in a band with his peers. This is a combination of 1:1 weekly practice with an instructor at SoR (each has been fantastic with emailed notes after every session on recap and focus areas) and a weekly 90-minute band practice which he loves. Most of all, his enthusiasm for learning and enjoying music is through the roof and he is proud to be part of the band. All of this included in the monthly Rock 101 package, a unique offering for sure!

Anna is an excellent bass teacher! I've been going to her for a little over a year now and I've…read morelearned so much. She teaches using several different methods and caters to each student as an individual. She is kind and patient. She can also help with accountability and reminders to keep practicing, in order to get better! She also has an excellent selection of basses for rental and purchase, as well as accessories. Her prices are reasonable and buying from her supports a small local business.

Played Bass in musicals, jazz bands and orchestras from 4th Grade until I graduated college...ten…read moreyears later i'm back and playing again thanks to The Bass Church. Since I've started taking lessons on the bass, i am re-teaching myself the piano, guitar and banjo again. My first lesson on the bass was a bit awkward...I had to remember how to hold the bow and how to use proper arco tech...my years of practice are coming back quickly. Coaching is positive and enthusiastic...I wish I would have had opportunity to come here coming up through high school. The bass instruction is top shelf. The Bass Church is your one-stop shop for a great bass rental and even better lessons.

The staff seems to be universally willing help and they just about have it all, new or used.read more

I want to like my local guitar center Seattle Wa on Roosevelt. But just about everything I have…read morebought seems used for full price. Boss mini katana amp. Bought it took it home opened it no paperwork cords or anything not even the plastic bag the amp comes in. Boss hm2 pedal bought it took it home pedal was in the plastic bag but covered in someone's greasy fried chicken finger prints. Ltd/esp Stephan Carpenter with no paperwork for the guitar or the Fishman pickups. Like everything has been used returned and charged for new. Just always have to be cautious of buying anything there. Also I now open everything I buy at the register before I buy it.

Great communicators and wonderful teachers! Their free lesson allowed us to get a feel for the…read morespace and teachers before committing. They didn't pressure signing up afterwards, either or try to reel us in with gimmicks. My daughter said that the 30 min flew by and looks forward to future lessons!

Rescheduling is easy and the instructors are professional and great. The music selection is awesome…read moreas well.

I started taking cello lessons again with Mannfried Funk, a former Seattle Symphony member. He's…read moregot a great teaching space in his home on Phinny ridge but also makes house calls. He's a super likable guy and very patient. Something I need to get up on YouTube is his comical dog - who literally sings along when he's playing (stops after a bit - it's not a distraction). If you're looking for a Cello teacher in Seattle (or the Eastside) I'd highly recommend him. You can reach him via email at MKFS381@AOL.com

"Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe."…read more --Honest Abe For all those about to bust orchestral maneuvers (in the dark or otherwise), get ready to sharpen your axe. My son's first cello lesson with Mannfried Funk (my friend exclaimed that this is the best musical name a person could have, bar none, and he's dead-on!), began with an almost entirely visual assessment of where he was at skillwise, as evidenced by his physical relationship to the cello. In about 45 seconds, Mannfried had it all dialed in. My kid has always been running to catch up. He started orchestra a year behind the flock in his first school, then 2 years behind the excellent and more intensive Eckstein orchestra (which rehearses daily). In each case, he caught up, and in each case was Most Improved. But all that hustling to "learn the music" meant he never "learned the cello." Mannfried makes this important distinction, and it's incredibly astute. He took one look at everything: posture, limbs, sweep of the bow, and--not unkindly--told him to just put the cello down for a while. It was an awesome lesson. An abnormally long lesson. They talked about physics and gravity, about proaction and reaction, about efficiency, conservation of energy, and minimization of effort. He had Maximo stand up, then return to the chair and position himself with the cello no less than five times to reinforce the muscle memory of what will be an entirely new, more efficient posture. This guy knows his shit backwards and forward. And let's not forget his SINGING DOG. He said that for a while he'd sequester the dog upstairs to keep him from singing along, but he'd still hear him up there, disconsolate and humming. But the lesson. Every student could and should have this kind of a foundation, and truthfully no group instructor will ever have the time and resources (and many would never have the intimate knowledge themselves) to impart this kind of an education--it approached the metaphysical. There are talented practitioners, and there are talented teachers, and they're not always the same people. I'm sure this guy can play like a house on fire, but christ on a cracker, has he got a genius for teaching. He doesn't talk down or patronize, nor is he gruff or the stern taskmaster. He is a persuasive, knowledgeable clinician with an intuitive, and highly prescriptive approach. Not only am I thrilled we've found him, I'm considering reinitiating lessons myself. I could not recommend him more highly to any student at any stage of their musical evolution. And for beginners, a few sessions with him ought to be mandatory.

Five years later I randomly called Richard about our piano's fate. He was very kind and…read moreunderstanding and made lots of suggestions. He cares about pianos!

I've owned a Kawai grand piano for 20+ years that Richard has kept tuned. I've always found him to…read morebe very professional, proficient, and courteous.

Nicest people, and extremely helpful. Had bought a keyboard with some minor volume issues and they…read moretook it in to fix no questions asked. Took the time to even fix minor cosmetic issues free or charge. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for great instruments and great insight.

Great shop built from the remnants of another great shop. These guys have more stock coming in all…read morethe time and they're super helpful. Don't forget to check out the drum room in the back.