Saved By The Magic Flute!…read more My newish Nord Electro 6 took a major tumble and several of the lower keys were mangled, ugh..I thought I needed to plan a keyboard funeral. Needless to say, I was DEVASTATED when I discovered my baby at the beginning of a gig.. The Magic Flute repair rep didn't guarantee a successful fix, BUT TOTALLY DELIVERED IN LESS THAN ONE WEEK!! My keyboard funeral was canceled. THANKS MAGIC FLUTE!

The Magic Flute has been providing solid instruction for a myriad of instruments for decades…read more Currently, Chris Collins is an insanely talented musician who is a wonderful piano teacher. He is able to tailor his lessons so the material is relevant and age-appropriate and engaging. His ability to not only play music by ear but to create sheet music from that is brilliant. Highly recommend!

I studied piano with D'Arcy for over 25 years. Over time, I began giving solo and chamber music…read moreconcerts. I usually studied classical music, but D'Arcy works in different styles, so I also studied improvisation with her. She's always been flexible about my repertoire and she's really responsive to my needs. After I took D'Arcy's Musical Composition workshop, I was able to notate my own music and developed a deeper understanding and appreciation of piano literature. Because D'Arcy is a composer, she provides a very unique perspective in her teaching. Since studying with D'Arcy, I've gone on to play jazz, pop, blues and latin music. The strong musical background that D'Arcy provided me has helped me to go on to play professionally with various groups. I highly recommend taking Piano Lessons with D'Arcy! 5 stars!

D'Arcy's infectious enthusiasm for music and piano literature inspired my daughter, Ananda. D'Arcy…read morealways made sure that Ananda loved the music they played, giving her complete freedom to choose her repertoire. She played through many pieces for Ananda each time she was about to start a new piece, offering them to her like an international buffet. Ananda received a thorough training in theory, piano technique, music history, analysis, and piano literature in her lessons. During her high school years, Ananda took two piano lessons a week. High school students often stop taking piano lessons due to their increased workload, but she was able to meet Ananda's unique learning style and keep her inspired. Ananda studied with D'Arcy for six years, and continues to play on her own at college. As a parent and professional educational coach, I would highly recommend D'Arcy's piano lessons.

I know negative about guitars. I have a nephew graduating from high school this spring and I…read morewanted to get him something meaningful and useful. He plays bass in one of those School of Rock type places and is passionate about it. I called my sister to see if there was anything he could use and she sent me a blurry photo of some kind of board he uses and told me he needs a carrying case. I went to Bananas at Large because of their reputation for being kind and knowledgeable. Their reputation is well deserved. I was greeted right when I walked in, I decided to look around a bit before asking for help because while I don't know anything about guitars, some of the instruments they had on the wall were works of art and I enjoy looking at art. When I was ready, I found the first employee, showed him the photo and explained the situation. He knew exactly what it was and where to find what I was looking for. He then took the case over to where they had the exact thing in the photo to show me how well it fit and other features of the case. He explained the 14-day return policy if it turned out to be the wrong thing and let me decide what I wanted to do. I wound up purchasing the case. I loved that I was nicely greeted when I walked in but left alone to browse. I loved that I didn't have to hunt down someone to help me when I was ready. I loved the general vibe of the place. I loved that they had what I needed and clearly a ton of things I might need if I ever decide to get into playing. I loved that parking was easy. I loved that they were excited to help someone who had no idea what they were doing in a guitar shop, were in no hurry to get me out of the store and patient enough to answer all my questions. I even loved that they accept Venmo for payments. Great place to go if you don't know anything about guitars but love someone who does.

This place is everything a music store should be. Yes they have great selection, and yes their…read moreprices match anything you can find online (even Reverb, often) but it's their service and relationships they build with you that's special. True stories of what they've done for me even in just the last month: My guitar needed some repairs before a gig, and they fast tracked the service and ordered an uber to bring the guitar to my house! I wanted a tuner pedal that was out of stock basically everywhere in the country, and they took their last one from Santa Rosa and shipped it to San Rafael store for free for me to pick up the next day. Best of all, I was unhappy with my guitar tone and Dan spent nearly 2 hours sitting with me trying different pedals and setups, before settling on showing me some different settings on my own amp, some different plectrums and swapping a pedal I'd bought recently for only a $10 difference! It would have been so easy to have sold me another pedal or 2 that I didn't really need, but the fact he didn't builds complete trust and makes me a customer for life!

My three kids love Rhythms! My older daughter did musicals with them for years and was so into all…read morethe awesome instruction and camaraderie. She also took private singing lessons from Amanda and they really paid off when she went to do her MSA audition (and got in!). My younger son just finished his first musical and immediately after the show, his twin brother was so impressed, he asked to do a Rhythms musical too. This group is organized and at the top of their teaching game but more than that, they have created a community for kids with lots of outside activities and group cohesion. Everyone feels included and welcomed at Rhythms!

This studio is the perfect one for our family! It's small and personal and they care about making…read morethings FUN for the kids! My daughter has done the musicals there since she was four, as well as some dance classes and camps. She's always excited to go and always excited when she's done. You can tell the teachers really love their jobs, and unlike some studios, the admin (Megan) is super kind, clear and helpful in all studio communications! I seriously don't know what my family would have done without Rhythms during the shut-down--the relationships my kid had with her teachers kept her GOING!! I only wish it were closer to my house. LOL! But it's WORTH the drive to have my daughter participating in this amazing community!

Elizabeth Vargas was and still is the biggest impact I've had in my entire life as far as music…read moregoes as far as education goes she puts her heart and soul into everything she does is by far the best teacher that I have ever had I'm 41 years old now and I was blessed to have Elizabeth Vargas teach me I was a real band nerd I enrolled in symphonic band jazz band and some real life lessons as well. my life would not be the same without this woman she is a blessing to all she encounters. I have her to thank for my current Musical expertise I currently play the trumpet I play the six string guitar I play the bass guitar I play percussion I record music professionally. And none of this could have been done had enough spend 6 7th and 8th grade under the instruction of the one and only Elizabeth Vargas thank you so much I can't say enough good things about this one! -Brother Ray-

Liz is an amazing music teacher and person. I started taking lessons with her when I started flute…read morein the 5th grade and kept taking lessons wih her through the end of high school. The only reason I stopped was because I moved away to college. Liz is a true musician. She knows music and she knows how to teach. I was always impressed wih Liz's ability to make very complex music reachable. What I love so much about Liz is that she makes music personal. She asked what I was interested in and made sure that I got to learn the type of flute because that is what I was interested in. This is in contrast to some other music teachers I had when I played other instruments earlier in my life. I remember sometimes I would be tired from school or sports practice earlier, or maybe I had had a rough day, and would not want to go to my lesson. Of course I would go and not once did I regret it. I ALWAYS left lessons happy. Liz made music and lessons fun. She is truly invested in her students. She builds relationships with them. I graduated from college and a teacher myself now and I still talk to Liz to catch up because we are more than just student-teacher we are friends. I still think of Liz when I hear Christmas music or Flight of the Bumblebee. - Meg

This place is amazing! The staff are very friendly, understanding, and kind. Every time I visit,…read morethey help me try out many instruments. For a local store in a small town, Tall Toad has an amazing collection-- I once saw a custom made baritone guitar! Prices are great, especially for local purchases. Definitely check this place out if you're local and have the slightest interest in music. It's the best!

After neglecting it for at least10 years (I got absorbed in my piano, ) Tall Toad restrung and…read morecleaned up my beautiful Martin guitar. Now I'm back to playing both! Kind and very knowledgeable service!

Michael is our most excellent piano tuner, but today he added something else to his resume. We had…read morea bird fly into our house on Sunday and somehow burrowed into our baby grand piano. We didn't know what the scratching sounds were coming from the piano initially. Grandkids to the rescue yesterday, they dug up a couple worms to drop into the piano. But alas, Michael rescued a dead bird today. We needed him to dismantle part of the piano to rescue him. So, don't hesitate to call Michael, but he'd prefer not to handle any more bird rescues.

Michael is a pro. He knows pianos inside and out and is a delight to deal with. Prompt,…read morebusiness-like but cheerful, expert at what he does, he not only tuned our Kawai grand, but brought out a warmer sound by gently modifying the hammers. The day after, he emailed to asked how it sounded, and although it was wonderful overall, there were minor issues we wanted addressed (two keys clicking on returning to position and a vibration on one high note.) He came over the same day and quickly fixed them at no charge. He's great and a pleasure to work with. Highly recommended.

We've been having our son take lessons with Denise for a few years now, since Kindergarten, and…read morewe've really enjoyed her methods and have learned a lot. Denise is thoughtful, personable and trustworthy, and we highly recommend her for piano lessons for any age and level.

I have seen Denise perform at special church services, direct children's choirs, and also direct…read moreadult choirs. Her sensitivities to the music and to the people involved help create beautiful experiences. She is a very inspired musician and I would highly recommend her for any event! I have also seen her students play piano and they are amazing! She has a fun time with the kids. Children relate and flourish in Denise's joyous presence, and she gets the job done! She has a perfect blend of play and learning, producing great music and great musicians.

if you had just a moment to step into a class taught by Rachel Allen or see her in action with her…read moreprivate students you would know that she is the quintessential music professional and gifted teacher. Her passion for helping her students experience the joy of music and discover their gifting is evident from the start. She teaches from a depth of experience and knowledge and is a performer as well as a teacher, which gives her even greater capacity to guide each individual student.