Looked around for a music shop to repair my banjo and everybody was booked up. One place…read morerecommended Alan at Village Music, who said he was able to work on it. Dropped it off at his place and picked it up a week later. Sounds good now and was not expensive. It looks like the music store has moved from its original location, don't know the details but whatever works.

I really want to love this place. I mean, a local music store on Bainbridge? Should be awesome!…read more But the truth is that every time I go there, I am criticized. Either my guitar is mass produced and just not good quality, or my playing style is wrong and I'm going to hurt myself (been playing for 20 years - I'm doing fine....). If you even hint that you purchased something from the web, you will get serious stink-eye. Here's are some hints for the owners: 1. People do actually buy things elsewhere. Compliment them on their purchases. Tell them their guitars or other instruments are just awesome and they sound great. Ask if you can play them. Stroke their egos. Then show them the guitar you have that you think would complement it. 2. Make your customers feel good about coming in! Even if you're bitter about stuff, don't let people see it. Smile. Joke around. Be nice! People will buy stuff for the experience of coming in and feeling great. 3. Never, ever, ever tell someone they are playing wrong or tell them they need to improve their form. It's totally not your place unless you're asked. It sounds snooty and condescending when you have no idea what experiences and training people have.

Schenk Guitars specializes in building custom masterclass instruments for discriminating players…read more They are beautiful and sound amazing! The owner is genuine and a talented musician with a lot of knowledge! He spent a long time helping me decide which guitar is best for me. I can't wait to order my guitar!

Nice little music shop that rents, repairs, and sells new and used instruments. I was surprised at…read moretheir variety of items, considering they are rather 'off the beaten track'. Plus, their prices are better than some around town. Good customer service and knowledge about products.

Once again, Mr. Castleman came through for us. I totally forgot (my bad) to come back and write a…read moresecond review in march, after he fixed my daughter's cello. What a great job he did! Not only did the major stuff get fixed, but also every nick and scratch was filled, smoothed and removed. The cello looks a lot better now. Also, he saved us some money by working on repairing existing pieces, instead of just replacing the bow. He did advise us on better handling of the bow to avoid future problem, and also that the bow fix could be just a temp thing, and might still fail. That was back at end of March. The bow is still being abused daily here! =) Once again, thanks for the artisan-ship, for the professionalism and for the time you took talking to my daughter and I. We always learn something valuable from you! =)

Tim Bertsch is extremely experienced in both teaching as well as performance offering his students…read morea multi faceted perspective. He is kind, professional, and adaptive in accommodating various skill levels. The sound academy of music locations are clean, easy to find, safe, and comfortable with safe and accessible parking. The lesson plans are skillfully crafted and heartily comprehensive but most importantly Tim customizes classes that are accessible to each individual's unique requirements. As an instructor he remains present, engaged and patient throughout the duration of your lesson so you receive the highest rate of efficacy on your investment of time and currency. I love watching him perform in his band Jaded Mary as well as solo for his Soul Resonance project and have included some action performance photos.

One of the best teachers I have ever known. Tim is very present and patient and very Positive when…read moreit comes to teaching. He is very confident and can show you almost any song you want to learn just right then and there, very skilled and knowledgable. At 40 I'm learning old time music and Tim Bertsch has really helped me gain confidence in my playing skills.

I brought in a badly tangled Tiffany necklace that I didn't even buy from Ben Bridge, and the staff…read moreuntangled it for me anyway -- completely free of charge and with a genuine smile the whole time. That kind of generosity and customer service is rare these days, especially when they had nothing to gain from helping me. It says a lot about how they treat people, whether you're a customer or not. I'll absolutely be back when I'm ready to buy something, and I'd recommend this store to anyone in Kitsap County. Thank you for the kindness!

I have to give it up for Ben Bridge and specifically the Silverdale location in the Kitsap Mall…read more They handled me and my situation so well. I walked in high sprung out on stress and frustration and at this point was desperate for success in what I was trying to achieve (my deadline is fast approaching). I worked directly with Allison (spelling) who took the time to allow me to partially vent but also to explain my situation and not only did she handle the situation with a lot of patience but she was very compassionate. She took the time to measure out my finger, asked questions that would contribute to meet the resolution and even followed up on me when she realized that she gave me the incorrect eta after overseeing the recent holiday. I received a phone call the day I was told it was expected to be back. When I arrived for pick up the staff was warm and greeted me. My ring came back cleaner and shinier than I was expecting &...my issue was resolved in the first crack. To my surprise, the staff that was present was aware of my situation even though Allison was not working at that moment and that honestly made me feel as though the staff here takes the time to understand and get to know their customers. I was even offered some jewelry cleaner and they really didn't have to do that. I hope they remain here in Silverdale as I would like to continue to come here.

Our son has taken Classical Guitar lessons from Rick for a couple of years now. He has no previous…read moreguitar experience but has always had a very strong passion for music. Rick saw something in this and has developed a way of teaching to our son that has kept him captivated and reaching new heights with his abilities over the years. Our son is not only able to read and play music; he writes his own songs and is willing to perform them willingly when asked. Granted this is over time, we couldn't be happier with the results we have seen in our son (unless he practiced more). Rick provides the much needed encouragement, passion and dedication in each lesson and we like to hear the progress when our son actually practices. Our son is no professional and still has a long way to go, but we couldn't imagine him being anywhere other than with Rick at Washington Academy of Music.

I liked the instructor enough, but when I went out of town for being a service member (overseas…read moreservice), and even when I verbalized that prior to leaving the state, they continued to charge me full price for two months. They did not let me know the instructor was receiving a bunch of no-shows from us. Seemed like a money ploy to me.

I have had the pleasure of working with this veteran-owned business for the past 8 years, and I…read morecan't say enough good things about Chris Jenkins and Boomhouse Studios. Chris is a master of his craft. His recording studio has been a steady presence in the local community for the better part of two decadea, and over the years he has constantly upgraded his equipment while maintaining extremely reasonable rates. His new studio on Riddell Road features a level of quality that is hard to find in a suburban market such as Kitsap County. Chris is a highly capable audio engineer with a combination of experience and dedication to his craft, which I have personally witnessed while recording many projects with him over the years. He is also very knowledgeable in the music industry and can provide artist development services to young musicians looking to expand their horizons. I highly recommend Boomhouse Studios.

The Gold Standard in Customer Service…read more This is a phrase I rarely use. I reserve it for the precious few businesses that place my needs and interest first in the way they work with me. Both times I bought digital pianos from Prosser, they responded to all my concerns and then delivered and set up my new pianos for free. The first piano I bought still works perfectly after 5 years and I play my weekly piano lessons on it in my piano teacher's studio. The 2nd piano had a malfunction after 2+ years, 1 key stopped working. Kawai, the mfr., made mistakes in processing the replacement parts order, causing unnecessary delay. Then, they sent new parts causing the problem to escalate...now 2 keys don't work. The repairman is a cracker jack with 30 years' experience in his niche, so we know it's bad parts, nothing else. No one ever expected this from a mfr. that has been top rated for years. Prosser could have left me on my own to deal with the issue, and other dealers would have, but Prosser stood by me fully. They gathered the facts and pressed Kawai to special handle my case. They also gave me a loaner piano so I don't lose practice time due to all the delays in getting my piano back to working correctly. They got Kawai to commit to call me to apologize, which as of this writing has not yet happened. Prosser will be my supplier for life. When I called their General Manager to thank him, he explained in simple words their operating philosophy. They are not going to let a customer have a bad experience, period. I, for my part, can never trust Kawai again. I'm not even sure that when my piano is back to me working, that it won't have some other problem in the near future. So when I need my next piano, I'm back to Roland, purchased from Prosser. Both pianos are engineered brilliantly. But my Roland piano never broke down!!! Are you new to buying a piano? Prosser will work with you to make it a pleasure. Not to worry, go ahead with it when you're ready.

Highly recommend coming here for piano shopping. I'm a complete beginner and wanted to purchase an…read moreentry level digital piano. Rich was super helpful in introducing different kinds of piano at different price ranges. I eventually decided on a Roland digital piano and am extremely pleased at the whole experience. The delivery (extra $100) was smooth, and Rich installed the piano as well. Definitely would come back when I decide to upgrade one day! They also offer one-on-one piano lessons. You can have 10% off per class for the first year if you purchase a piano from them.