Both of my children (ages27and 19)have trained for years with Candace Ford. With much help from…read moreCandace's coaching and support both are on professional career paths. One has signed a record deal with Sony, and the other accepted and attending a top 10 university for Music Theater, and just closed her first professional Music Theater production ( her vocals earning her the lead). Candace has been pivotal in their careers. Candace is an amazing, knowledgeable and caring vocal coach and a wonderful human being. There is a strong emphasis on vocal health for which my kids and I are very grateful. I wish I could give her more than 5 stars! SHES THE BEST!

From the owner: Take your voice to the next level with quality, personalized vocal instruction in an encouraging…read moreatmosphere. Whether you're an experienced singer or just starting out, voice lessons will improve your technique and ease of singing, eliminate vocal breaks, expand your range and give you confidence in your singing. Our studio is located in Hermosa Beach for voice lessons in the South Bay. Long-distance students take advantage of telephone or Zoom lessons. Voice lessons available for ages 7 to adult.

My daughter's love for music has grown since she started at Michelle Ornest. She has Lilly and…read moreloves taking lessons with her. She has come so far vocally Highly recommended!

I've been taking lessons with Michelle for over a year. I went in as a karaoke singer, and am now…read morefronting a Journey tribute band(couldn't even get through one song before taking lessons), with several 2hr+ shows under my belt, and many more projects/shows to come. Without her, this wouldn't have been possible. Beyond technical ability though, Michelle has taught me to embrace my true voice..and has given me a belief in myself that I had lacked for so long.

I cannot recommend Paloma enough. I started working with her for muscle tension dysphonia, and she…read morehas been such a gift in this process. She's incredibly knowledgeable, patient, and thorough. The laryngeal massages and targeted vocal exercises she's guided me through have made such a difference in helping me understand my voice and reduce tension. What I appreciate most is how supported I feel during our sessions. She truly listens and tailors everything to what my voice needs that day. If you're struggling with vocal tension or MTD, Paloma is someone you absolutely want on your team.

I'm not surprised that Paloma has perfect. Five star review on yelp - I'm so glad I went based on…read morethese recommendations when I reached out to her for lessons I had not sung in decades when I began working with Paloma in October, with one very meaningful goal: to prepare Ave Maria for my mother's 80th birthday Mass. Paloma is a seasoned professional with an absolutely beautiful voice, and she made the entire process approachable, easy to digest, and genuinely fun. She taught me how the voice truly works--breath support, diaphragm use, vocal anatomy, resonance, tongue placement, and effective exercises that rebuilt my voice with care and intention. Her depth of knowledge is exceptional, yet she explains everything in a way that feels clear and accessible. Most importantly, I felt extremely comfortable and supported every step of the way. Thanks to Paloma's expertise, patience, and encouragement, I was able to deliver a heartfelt and beautiful tribute to my mother. If you are returning to singing after time away or preparing for something truly meaningful, I cannot recommend Paloma highly enough.

Great at what she does! Really has a lot of experience and passion and is serious about her…read morestudents development as singers and song writers

I began working with Forbsey over a year ago now. I don't have a yelp and have never used it before…read more-- but this woman has completely transformed what I am capable of and, so, I had to come here and add myself to the praise around Forbsey. She's a vocal magician and will change your life. It will not only serve your voice, but will enhance your confidence and composure. I'm a better performer all around because of her.

In the field of psychology, a "therapeutic alliance" encapsulates the relationship a…read morepsychotherapist and their client has to reach agreed-upon goals. When I reminisce on my voice relationship with Melissa--from autumn of 2019 until now (January 20th of 2025, as this is being typed)--the connotative strength of the word "alliance" accurately reflects the effectiveness of her pedagogical methods. Before I began working with Melissa, I intended to study with Lynn Helding, a renowned voice professor and pedagogue at University of Southern California. While a spot wasn't available for me in Lynn Helding's schedule, she referred me to Melissa, who was Helding's protégé as a USC DMA candidate at the time. If the concept of "when one door closes, another one opens" is to be embraced, then I will use the example of my path being directed to Melissa as evidence the concept is true. When I lived in San Gabriel Valley from autumn 2019 to February 2020, I would drive at least one hour to Venice from Alhambra for lessons with Melissa on a weekly basis, never regretting the time commitment (via another Yelp account, I wrote my first review for her on January 6th, 2020). As someone with a penchant for analytical thinking, I immediately benefitted from her extensive vocology research knowledge that would be applied to warmups and aria rep. Furthermore, my singing practice has always been spiritually rooted, and Melissa also engaging in music as a spiritual experience leads to her imparting memorable aphorisms that nurture my vocal growth; without her impactful communication skills, I wouldn't have been able to write the essay "Contemplative Consequences from a Decade of Singing" (https://web.archive.org/web/20220517012057/https://www.ruminatemagazine.com/blogs/ruminate-blog/contemplative-consequences-from-a-decade-of-singing). After I moved back to Bellevue, Washington due to COVID-19 lockdowns, I continued to train with Melissa via Zoom. Although I was nervous about doing lessons on screen, she ensured that the quality of the experience would be the same, even trying out different devices (ex. Google Hangouts) to figure out which would work best. The care that Melissa puts into her teaching was also demonstrated by her hosting monthly Zoom studio classes, in which her students would gather together for 2 hours in a weekend afternoon to perform for each other. I began studying with Melissa as a classical countertenor/sopranist at the age of 24 & a half 1/2, but her students represent a spectrum of ages and genre interests, such as CCM (contemporary commercial music). She currently works as an assistant professor of musical theatre at USC, in addition to singing in the LA Opera Chorus; if you're looking to improve your vocal technique in any way, I certainly recommend contacting Melissa now, before her availability becomes more limited. Though I took a three year hiatus from voice lessons to focus on my writing, I have retained my singing stamina because of Melissa's lasting pedagogical influence. Today, after my first lesson in three years with her, I experienced rejuvenation in my body, mind, and spirit, as her wholehearted commitment to developing potential in her students has remained apparent. Melissa: thank you so much for your vocal allyship. Through whatever is to come in the future, I know I will always be thrilled to continue growing with you singing.

Melissa is my first vocal coach and she's truly amazing! She's very knowledgeable and smart! My…read morethroat used to tense up quite a bit and also my voice is tense. She's helping me to work through it!! She's wonderful!!!

Great music school! Our kids have enjoyed a great environment to develop their piano and violin…read moreskills. Very clean and organized, and with friendly staff passionate about transfering their love for music to the kids, helping them develop their technique, while also learning songs they love. We feel very happy to have found them in our neighborhood.

The Wonder Note has been a family affair for 2 years. It started with my oldest playing ukulele and…read morenow my husband and I have join the school. From the beginning we were so impressed with the level of the teachers, I still can't believe I get to take class with a Juilliard alumni. I cannot say enough of our experience in this school, Hana (owner) warm welcome to the brilliance of every teacher, being able to quickly learn the most random song you might want to learn on any instrument you can think off to then using an accessible methodology to ensure your have a positive learning experience. We truly love being part of The Wonder Note

My daughters are autistic and, like a lot of kids, they mask in traditional school settings. What…read moreteachers often see is not who they truly are. They recently completed a school assignment, and I was completely blown away. The creativity, humor, expression, and confidence they showed was them--their real selves. And it was so clear to me where that came from. At The Creative Factory, they don't mask. They are comfortable, expressive, and fully themselves. That space allows them to open up in a way I don't see anywhere else. As a parent, that means everything. It's not just about creativity--it's about being seen, feeling safe, and being allowed to exist as who they truly are. I'm honestly so grateful for this place and what it's given my girls.

Jordana is one of the best I've ever seen with kids. She is incredibly patient and makes every…read moreclass fun. She has such a natural way with children. My son has really come out of his shell since starting--this class has helped so much with his shyness, and he truly looks forward to going every week. Highly recommend!

Brenda has been teaching my 7 year old son piano for a few months now, and she is the best! She is…read morevery knowledgeable about music, amazingly patient and makes the lessons very fun. My son always looks forward to her classes. I highly recommend!

Love this studio!! Woman owned!…read more My daughter is now 7 and has been taking lessons here since she was 4. I took piano lessons from age eight until age 16 and wanted a place that could start my daughter sooner. Raffia Music Studio was the only one that would start my kid at 4, plus it offers so many other types of musical instruments, voice and performance training. I am a serious researcher. I have always made exhaustive lists weighing the pros and cons of any endeavor. After researching several studios, I decided this was the one! Consistency is key in becoming good. We've had the same teacher since we began 3 years ago. Srimal is not only a teacher, but performs regularly with a band around town. I appreciate when a teacher also honors their craft by doing it. Srimal is very patient. Works to get the best out of his students. Pushes them, but also meets them where they are. Every winter, there is a recital where you get to enjoy seeing all the students performing their pieces. I highly recommend Raffia Music Studio!

Miss Emily is such a great piano/voice teacher. She connected well with my daughter and I have seen…read moresuch great improvement in the few months my daughter has been taking lessons. Miss Emily also has done wonders boosting my daughters confidence. She usually has great anxiety, but overcame her anxiety and performed so well at the music recital! Raffia has also been a joy to work with. The whole process has beeen flawless and I have never had any issues getting any questions I have answered immediately. I highly recommend Raffia Music Studio.

Lori has been coaching me for 6-7 months and I feel so much more confident in my range and tone…read more She is SO good at what she does. She makes you feel comfortable and has a way of teaching you how to sing. Looking forward to doing an open mic and I feel so much better about it thanks to her. It's even gotten to the point where I am doing the vocal warmups in my sleep. Not kidding, I have been woken up by my boyfriend saying that I was doing a vocal warm up.. and the best part was that he said I was ON KEY! Thank you Lori :)

Lori is very easy to work with, makes you feel at ease and knows her stuff. I highly recommend…read moreLori if you're considering taking vocal lessons. She Rocks!