For a good while I looked for a place where my daughter could take singing classes. I asked around…read moreand a musician friend of mine recommended this place, so I researched a little about Los Cenzontles and almost instantly I knew my daughter would be happy attending this place. We went in there asked about their classes, signed her up and gave it a try. After the class I ask my daughter if she liked it and she said she loved it. (That's all I needed to hear). Even when the academy is a little far for us living in Vallejo, I don't really mind the 15-20 minutes drive. My daughter is happy, the price is pretty affordable and it seems like the people working there really enjoy what they do, so what else could I ask for. Would I recommend this place!!??? YES I totally would!!

Great small venue for some awesome cultural music and dance. Supporting our youth in the community…read morewith safe, sound spaces too!

Crystal is my 7 year old's voice and piano teacher. She's an amazing talent and that in itself is…read moreinspiring to my daughter. But she's also a fabulous teacher. My daughter is learning so much technique and gaining confidence to perform in her school taken shows and drama performances.

From the owner: Crystal specializes in high-quality voice piano lessons for both children and adults. She also…read moreoffers movement for singers who aspire to make a good impression at auditions! ​ As an operatic mezzo-soprano, Crystal understands how to use the breath to best bring the art of music to life. She believes that breath is the basis of all musical phrasing, regardless of instrument. ​ Crystal has studied how the brain learns and retains information, and she incorporates "brain science techniques" into her teaching, leading to a better understanding and retention of learning. During lessons, students may learn basic technique, exercises, ear and rhythm training, and a wide variety of repertoire. She has prepared students for auditions, roles, performances and ABRSM exams for both voice and piano. Students may take half hour, 45-minute, or 1 hour lessons. Lesson curriculum and length are based on the age and needs of the student. ​ 30 Minutes - $45 45 Minutes - $68 60 Minutes - $90 ​ {Sliding scale available for family's in need.} ​ Lessons are taught at one of Crystal's two studio's at 1616 Lexington Ave, El Cerrito or and at 714 Golden Gate Ave, Point Richmond. Lessons are open to ages 6 - adult. To inquire about taking lessons and availability, call 504.810.3760. {Please be advised that all students are subject to a strict 24 hr cancellation policy. No exceptions.}

Love these guys! I've bought two beautiful instruments from them and the experience both times was…read morefantastic. They are very chill, supportive, and helpful. It's a beautiful place to find just the right guitar :) And they have a fantastic selection of ukulele's and baritone ukulele's as well!

Got my guitar restrung here. The service was excellent and fast. They have a wide range of guitars,…read moreincluding less expensive ones. I appreciated that considering where we live.

Zan is an amazingly dedicated and passionate saxophone teacher. My son (who is a high-schooler)…read moreplays the tenor sax and I was looking for someone who had a passion for teaching the fundamentals vs. simply window-dressing to prep for a performance. My son benefited greatly and I highly recommend Zan for serious music students. In addition, Zan is very flexible in scheduling lessons and his fees are highly reasonable too.

From the owner: Hi. I'm Zan Stewart and I specialize in jazz saxophone performance and in teaching saxophone,…read moreimprovisation, and scat singing; Jazz Performance: I perform as a saxophonist and vocalist -- and when possible, story teller -- in any setting from solo to quartet and quintet. I perform throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond, and can currently be heard at the 7 Mile House in Brisbane, Mr. C's and Lizzy's Cajun Cafe in Albany, and Kaleidoscope Coffee in Point Richmond. I am pleased to state that audiences have found my music deeply engaging, and enjoyable. As I spent many years writing about jazz in publications such as The Los Angeles Times, I can also offer stories told directly my masters of the jazz realm. These stories are part of my saxophone lessons and my performances. Teaching: I enjoy teaching saxophone to all levels of students: beginner to advanced.The saxophone is a superb instrument, capable of offering an instrumental version of the human voice. I teach basic saxophone techniques, like making a good sound, to advanced techniques, like playing smoothly at a fast tempo. I also teach improvisation, mainly for saxophone, but for any instrument. Improvisation is a really terrific fun, something one can for an entire lifetime, whether by oneself or with others. I teach all styles of improv, from jazz to rock to blues, and more. I also teach scat singing, which is the process of using syllables as music notes, making phrases up with the syllables.

Having never played drums prior, John has given me a great foundation…read more Within a couple of weeks I've learned good technic practices, from how to sit and hit the drums properly, to learning how to count and read notes. Each class is varied to what you want work on. John is super talented and well versed in explaining things in a way that makes sense for newbies like me. I liked that we would jam out together, which was not only fun, but helpful for me. He is also tech savvy, which makes it great for when you are practicing alone. By recording parts of sessions when needed, and using and blog to help keep you focused and on track. You rule John :) Many thanks!

In my drumming experience, I've had three teachers to date (two of which are named John, but that's…read morebeside the point). Anyways, I have been taught in various styles by all three, but none ever asked me to play what I was feeling or just go for it, like John did. I am really good at hearing/seeing a beat and then imitating it exactly as follows -(thanks NYU for training my brain to do this with your rigid theory). But John pushed me outside of my comfort zone by making me play a beat and then connecting it with what I thought would sound good. He is always eager to jam with whatever style I like, just using his teaching methods. He's really hands on with the methods as well, so that is helpful. Also, since our lessons have been really spaced out, he always records voice memos detailing what we learned so that I can practice on my own without feeling lost! These are worth the lessons (and jam time) alone. Thanks, John!

From my 12yo daughter: I have been a student with Susie for about 2 years now. She is an incredible…read moreteacher, who lets you choose whichever song you like. She is gentle but strict, and assigns very little homework which she doesn't take too seriously. Her teaching methods are kind and patient, and she's done wonders for me. I highly recommend taking lessons with her, she'll take you very far. From me: Susie has been a really excellent choice for a kid who leans toward pop music. She does a great job of making sure that my daughter does her theory homework (without being a taskmaster about it) and learns to sight read, which is great, because my kid inherited my ear and could easily skate through just memorizing what she hears and not be able to sight read later in life. I wish that Susie had been my teacher - I'd probably be able to read sheet music! LOL We've seen a lot of progress with both piano proficiency and my daughter being able to sing and play at the same time, which is fun to watch and listen to. Overall, highly recommend. As a bonus, my kid gets to truthfully tell her friends that she has a rock 'n roll piano teacher who played keyboards for Billy Idol and Mick Jagger. Sweeeeet.

Susie is a wonderful piano teacher. My 10.5 year old started with her about 1.5 years ago and she…read moremade incredible strides and really quickly. What's more Susie has helped nurture her love of music. We have done both in person and Zoom classes and both have been great. Susie is a caring, loving, dedicated teacher.

I signed up for Ilana with duet musician services for my SF City Hall (1Hr) Wedding and It was…read moreAmazing!! Through the entire process she was very responsive, and I was able to make payment easily thru her suggested methods - we also used Google docs for the agreement. For my wedding she worked with Lewis P a cellist as I really wanted to hear both instruments. Btw, She is on the approved musician list for SF City Hall- so if you are in need of a violinist for the SF City Hall, she's the one! Her website includes a variety of of songs from R&B, classics, oldies and pop. We had two custom songs done for an added fee in addition to the hour service. We got many compliments and we were happy with our modern selections being changed into such wonderful instrumental violin and cello sounds that our guests were able to recognize in amazement. We were so happy with her professionalism and both their talents. Fabulous- and I would totally sign up again!

Ilana is truly amazing and truly made our wedding magical! Everyone loved her music! She made the…read moreprocess to pick out music extremely easy since she has a huge selection on her repertoire. Thank you for being a part of our day and making it so special!

We were referred to Lark in the morning by another music shop. We had an old autoharp we needed…read moretuned and possibly repaired. Thorn the manager put us in touch with Steve. We brought the autoharp and a guitar in for repair. Steve examined both carefully. He explained what he discovered and what work he would do. He was friendly and very informative. We left the autoharp and guitar with him to repair. The price he quoted us seemed reasonable and fair.

Excelente store!! So many instruments from different parts of the world. A true gem! From a tres…read morecubano - to native flutes and world percussion.