I have been taking piano lessons with Laura Ponti at Albany Music School for the last 2-3months…read more Lessons are offered to both kids and adults from beginner to intermediate skill levels. If you are looking to take piano lessons, I highly recommend Laura. She is kind, patient, passionate and dedicated to teaching you how to play the piano the right way. This is a nice music school. It's not too big or too small. They have 5 rooms for lessons and they offer a variety of lessons with musical instruments including the piano, violin, drum, voice, and guitar. Both Lina (owner) and Judy (receptionist) run the school quite well and they are organized and professional. The only problem is that this studio doesnt have adequate insulation, which feels even hotter than it is (especially during the heat wave we are going through). I hope the building managers take this seriously and get the problem fixed soon. I recommend dressing light and drinking lots of water to stay hydrated. I highly recommend Albany Music School. Great piano teacher and staff.

YAY!!!!!!!!!!! I finally did it!!!! I finally started…read moreplaying the piano...and you know what...I LOVE IT!!!!!! I've passed this place several times since it's in my neighborhood and I kept saying I have to call, I have to call. Finally I did :) The place is located in an upstairs studio. Very nice place and well lite. There are 3 piano rooms and a nice waiting area :) I take private lessons w/Lina who is such a cutie pie. Since this is my first time taking lessons she is soooooo helpful and very pleasant. She goes over everything with you and reassures you :) I love her!!!!! The monthly fee to attend the school is $240. That includes the private lessons, the materials and they opportunity to come in any time and practice and listen to others. They also have other lessons available. I know for sure when I go, there's this little boy who plays the violin. He's really good too :)

Kathryn is a wonderful piano teacher! She taught my 15 year old daughter piano for 9 years. My…read moredaughter showed up at age 6 to her first lesson not knowing a single note of music, and over the past 9 years Kathryn helped shape her into a mature pianist who has developed a true love of music. Kathryn has a very gentle, organic approach to teaching piano, and before your child knows it, they are reading music and counting rhythm. It is a tears free approach to teaching and learning! Kathryn does hold her students to high standards, and will expect that your child will practice daily, and it is worth it! http://kathrynwinterpiano.com/

A little over a year ago I read the only review on Yelp of this instructor. I was looking for a…read morepiano teacher close to our house for my 9-year-old son. I figured it would take a while to find the right teacher for him. But we were lucky. Kathryn is the real deal. She lives to teach, and she's really good at it. She and my son seem to have a soul connection; she understands him, finding music that she knows he'll enjoy playing. This keeps his lessons and his practice alive for him--piano is exciting and interesting. There's love and care and time put into everything she does to prepare for lessons with my son. Kathryn has healthy, realistic expectations for him, and I appreciate this. A teacher myself, I see the wisdom in how she works with him. Kathryn taught both piano and music theory in Cal's Gifted Young Musicians program for 30 years--her many years of experience are a BIG asset, and she is whip-smart and fun. I love the twinkle she has in her eye, and the special way she is able to connect with children of all ages (we have strayed a while as she teaches other children who come after us). I also love that she is slow and methodical in her thinking and speech--she works with great intention. If there were a "slow-food" version of piano teaching, my guess is that Kathryn could really market her approach. My son started with her without having any knowledge of musical notation or instruction; a little over a year later he is playing advanced musical pieces, and understanding complicated music theory. My son, as it turns out, has a "gifted" capacity for music. Kathryn knows how to work with all capacities and arranges the lessons so they are appropriate for each child. She doesn't take children under 5 years old normally ... she prefers to start at a more developmentally appropriate age. That said, Kathryn never turns down anyone without meeting them and the parents for a tryout lesson. You can learn more about her on her website: http://kathrynwinterpiano.com/ Or contact her via phone: 510.527.3839

Elizabeth was referred to me by my daughter's school band teacher. For that I am thankful,…read moreespecially since the daughter has been improving steadily under her tutelage. She teaches violin, viola, and piano, but her specialty is the violin. She is encouraging but does not hesitate to point out mistakes or areas that need improvement. But she does so in a way that does not foster lower self-esteem or discouragement. Elizabeth also tries to accommodate schedules, which is really great. I highly recommend Contra Costa School of Music if you are looking for music lessons.

We've been with Elizabeth for several years. She specializes in piano and violin lessons. She's an…read moreexcellent piano instructor. She is patient and kind hearted with my youngest and stern and honest with my pre-teen. Contra Costa School of Music schedules two recitals a year. Elizabeth encourages her students to select challenging pieces to showcase their hard work and dedication. These recitals have help my children see their hours of practicing pay off. I've recommended family and friends to her. She is a superior musician with several degrees and accreditations. She's relocated to Loring Ave in Crockett, CA.

My daughter's favorite thing about her school week is Jingle Jeff's Music Club! She loves the camp…read moreas well, and comes home with all sorts of wonderful stories and crafts. The counselors have been wonderful as well. Jeff is engaging, patient, and per my daughter, "so funny!"

Jingle Jeff's music camp is the best! My daughter loves Jingle Jeff and looks forward to his camp…read moreeach day. He is so funny and keeps the kids engaged - he really gets down to their level! He always plans fun games and crafts during the camps. For the first camp, he introduced new water games that my daughter loved and was so excited about ("Dive into Music"). Plus, it's so nice to see my daughter loving the music and the songs that Jingle Jeff teaches. She's also taught her younger sister how to play "Hot Cross Buns" on the piano. The next camp, we'll have both kids enrolled. It will be great to hear about their interactions (hoping the older one looks out for the younger), as Jingle Jeff encourages leadership in the older children. Many of the counselors and counselors-in-training are past students of his :). We will continue to enroll the kids in the summer camps as long as Jingle Jeff has them!

Time flies by when I have my voice lessons with Crystal. I've always had some natural talent for…read morepitch and rhythm, and participated in other singing activities in the past. Now as an adult learner, my goals are to improve my breathing technique and practice songs to help maintain my vocal range. Crystal's location and scheduling have been convenient, and she has been accommodating and pleasant to work with. She also has a deep understanding of music theory and showmanship which are great supplements to the practicing. I have enjoyed my time with Crystal so far and plan to stay as long as I am with my band.

Crystal offered voice lessons to my 12 year old daughter during the pandemic via Zoom. My daughter…read moreloved her lessons and improved so much!

I had the joy of working with Melanie as a voice instructor after meeting her through a class at…read morethe Freight & Salvage. Her upbeat, encouraging demeanor combined with her extensive vocal knowledge helped me get over my fears of singing in front of other people to finally enjoy a hobby that I loved. Since then, I've worked with her on an individual basis -- running the gamut of in-person lessons and then virtual ones when the pandemic interfered. Melanie is so supportive as she figures out where to help you improve upon. She does a great job encouraging and framing things in a positive way. After working with Melanie, I feel like I actually have a "vocal practice", something I couldn't have said just a year or two ago.

Ellen is talented, patient and fun! I never would have thought that I'd enjoy piano lessons so…read moremuch. You will look forward to your next lesson. Thanks Ellen.

I'd been playing piano off and on for a long time, but I hadn't taken private lessons in many…read moreyears. After I retired and had more time to practice, I wanted to take lessons again. I specifically wanted to work on my jazz playing. I'd heard Ellen play a number of times over the years and was impressed by how well she plays jazz as well as many other musical styles. When I started lessons with her, I was very pleased by how quickly Ellen assessed my skills and knowledge. She is a gifted teacher and has been able to seamlessly tailor her instructional approach to me and what I want to learn. I am very happy that Ellen does not use a 'one size fits all' teaching approach! (I've unfortunately encountered that in the past.) Soon after I began lessons with Ellen, an opportunity came up to take the vocal duo I'm in to the next level. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Ellen also does vocal coaching and helps vocal and instrumental groups enhance the arrangements they've developed. I'm thrilled that one teacher can help me with all my disparate musical interests and endeavors, and that it's no problem for Ellen to roll with it when I want to do a 180 and switch to something totally different from what we were last working on. I am grateful to have found such a flexible and student-centered teacher!

Lila is extremely skilled as a violinist, of course, and also as a teacher. I think most important…read moreis how she relates to her students: she is patient and cares about my progress and what is interesting to me. This is the most important thing for a teacher. In terms of helping with technique: Lila is very attentive when I play, can pinpoint what I'm doing wrong and offer corrective advice. She also is really good at explaining how to express emotion: she is an artist and encourages expression in her students. I am very proud of the progress I've made in the now almost 2 years of learning violin and I owe it to Lila. For adults who are considering learning violin, I would say, do it now and give Lila a call.

Our experiences with Lila began with lessons for our son, who took lessons with Lila while in the…read more6th grade. He eventually discontinued with the violin, but I then took his spot!-- as I was so impressed with her demeanor and instruction. I've been taking lessons with Lila for 2 years now, as a 50+ year old adult. I studied violin last when I was in high school, so this has been a real interesting journey. If you go to one of Lila's recitals you will find an interesting thing - both young students and adult learners (some first-time learners, some reconnecting with their instrument after many years), and a real sense of community. Some of us even joined a little club getting together once a week to play together. Lila has really helped me develop by improving my technique while engaging with my interest in a variety of music genres. Can't say enough good things.