Theater's like this are a treasure to local communities. I appreciate the staff that run these…read moreevents. The venue allows speakers, music and the arts to have an outlet. It's so important to keep places like this going.

This place is just totally mismanaged and the venue misused. When I look at the Board of Directors…read moreand the "executives" running it (into the ground), I totally understand why it IS what it IS. That neighborhood at night is SCARY! The patrons at Slainte's Irish Bar (and occasionally at Gleason's) make it very unsafe. Obnoxious drunk people lingering around on the sidewalks! The Peekskill Police presence (or lack thereof) is a major problem as is parking! Go see the Boz Scaggs cover band somewhere else where you can eat at a nice restaurant beforehand, find parking and not deal with the dregs of society that linger in front of Slainte's (& Gleason's)!

We booked a jazz trio through Scott Arcangel for our 2/12/21 wedding. Once we heard a sample of…read morehis music we knew that we had to have them there for our cocktail hour. I had a consultation call with Scott about a year before our wedding, on the call I immediately felt comfortable speaking with him about our vision, he just got it. Scott's experience in the industry shined through as he really listened to me and answered almost all of my questions before I even got a chance to ask them. Our winter wedding vibe was cozy, classic romance at David's Country Inn. With the restrictions at the time we had about half of our original guest list attend our wedding but Scott and his music warmed up the room and was the absolute perfect touch that we were looking for. One of my favorite moments from our wedding day was when my new husband and I stood alone on the balcony, looking down at our guests and during cocktail hour. I felt like my husband and I were floating in this perfect bubble and Scott's jazz trio will forever be the backdrop in this memory. As we got closer to the event Scott would occasionally touch base via text to confirm any last minute details. It was the perfect amount of communication in the final weeks for me. Scott was always professional and made the entire process from consultation, to booking, to confirming final details to execution. We would love to have Scott's jazz trio at another one of our events in the future! I also want to add that his jazz trio was so enchanting during our cocktail hour that our friends who were in our wedding party, connected with him that night and then booked him within a week for their upcoming wedding in May! So we got to enjoy his music all over again just three months later!

Scott did a fantastic job for my son's rehearsal dinner...I was stressed to the max planning this…read moreevent long distance, and during the winter with also all the potential travel issues, and as he was very reassuring for months in advance of the event, was punctual, personable, played great music, and as we look forward to working with you again Scott!!...Thanks so much!....Lynne

Very happy with the simplicity and ease of Hollywood DJ's. Bill hosted our families annual Lua this…read moreyear and definitely had the party rocking. Dancers were themed to our event, (I didn't even request that). We are a fun family that loves to dance, it was nice to know that Bill and the dancers weren't over bearing. They kept the energy up and consistent for a very successful event. Highly recommend!

I used this DJ for my daughter's Bat Mitzvah as an addition to a live band. The owner of the…read morebusiness, Bill Boettcher, told me less than 48 hours before my event that he would be sending a substitute when all along I was told it would be he at my event. All during the time before my event he was extremely difficult to reach but I let it go because my primary music was to be through the live band, who was fantastic. But there were reasons I also wanted a DJ and my reasons turned out to be valid. The DJ Bill ultimately sent was ok. the music was fine and really there was nothing in particular I needed to have the DJ do or to discuss with him so no complaints. But the motivator, as sweet as could be, did not seem to know her job. I had to tell her when to give out items and if I hadn't told her we would still be waiting. Only during the last hour did she do any kind of interaction with the kids. There were no games as I had been told there would be and items that were specifically ordered for my event, I never saw. All of this didn't leave me thrilled, but the worst was that I wrote to Bill after the event and let him know I just wanted to talk to him. I wasn't going to make too big a deal of it but I thought maybe the motivator was new and simply needed some guidance. I didn't hear back for a week and when I wrote again, I received a rather rude response admonishing me for not being more patient. He didn't like some of what I wrote in my second e-mail (which did indicate I was upset he hadn't responded yet)and indicated that was the only reason he was responding despite being so busy. Had he only written originally and asked me to wait until things quieted down I wouldn't be writing this. But he stated right out that he only responded to me because something upset him. Yet he didn't feel it important enough to answer me when I was upset, didn't feel it important enough to make sure things had gone well, and overall didn't think it important enough to provide good customer service. I don't know if things would have been better with a different motivator and if the owner had done my event, as originally planned. But he (Bill, the owner) is extremely difficult to reach when things are going well, and pretty much not at all unless he feels it is important. I would not use this company again.

I would strongly recommend MD Music & Entertainment. My wife and I were fortunate to have DJ Brian…read moreas the DJ for our wedding in the Catskills in late October, and we could not have been happier with the experience. From Day One, we found Matty and the MD team to be responsive, professional and easy to work with, especially as we navigated a COVID postponement. The team kept in touch with us during our long planning period, and everyone was very well organized in the leadup to the wedding day. On that day, DJ Brian arrived early and checked in with us frequently to be sure everything was to our liking. He curated a fantastic playlist and was a huge hit for his song selections during our dinner and reception. Brian was friendly, professional and clearly took the time to get a sense of our personalities and preferences. (He even incorporated a musical reference I made during our vows into our reception playlist, which was such a nice touch.) He also served as a great emcee during our toasts/speeches, was great about making announcements throughout the evening, and overall kept things fun and running smoothly. I would highly encourage you to consider DJ Brian and the whole MD Music & Entertainment team!

Look no farther. Use Matty as your DJ. Do it, do it now!! :) There were so many things about Matty…read morethat made him excellent. Really, I cannot give a high enough endorsement. Shea D and I found Matty through a family friend. We looked him up online and found that he had been a "Knot Pick" for 2014 and 2015. Until then we had been underwhelmed with the potential DJ choices for our wedding. Knowing that our family loves music and dancing, we were starting to get nervous! And as we all know, a DJ can make or break a good wedding reception! So we found Matty's website (which is linked in the Yelp description) and filled out a contact form. It involves the normal info - name, contact number, etc - but then also asked us to list at least 5 favorite songs or artists. I think that request was the first indication that Matty was a different kind of DJ; one entirely focused on ensuring that the music of your day reflects your own tastes and personalities. We submitted our contact form at about 9:30PM on a Sunday. I figured that we wouldn't get an email back for about a day or so. Wasn't I surprised when 15 minutes later, Matty called me himself and began to excitedly and enthusiastically discuss our wedding details! He was friendly, professional, and clearly knowledgable. He told us he would send us a few sample mixes for us to review over the next week before booking. When Shea D and I reviewed the samples with which Matty had provided us, we kept looking at each other saying "I like that song! Oh wait! I like that one too! And that one!" We booked Matty shortly thereafter for both our ceremony and reception. Matty was incredibly professional and friendly throughout our experience with him. I don't think it ever took him more than a few hours to respond to an email. He provided us with a detailed questionnaire, including approximately 6 pages of songs from each decade so that he could get a sense of our music preferences. He asked us which music was "must play" and which was "do not play." We knew that our crowd would love the typical "do not plays" like the Electric Slide, Celebration, and We Are Family, so we made sure to ask for those. We had very few "do not plays" - but they never came up on the day! About 2-3 weeks before the wedding, Matty met us at the venue to see the space and help us finalize a timeline. We did not have a "wedding planner" and so it was incredibly helpful to have a professional give us feedback on our schedule and provide advice regarding the flow of events. We left the meeting with a timeline for the day and a better understanding of how to use the venue. He told us where there were holes in the music that we had selected (for example, we had a first dance song, but didn't know that we needed a cake-cutting song). He asked about our theme, looked at our outfits and those of our wedding party, discussed our centerpieces, cake, and personal music preferences, and generally tried to get a feel for the entire event. I think his attention to detail is what ultimately made the music so seamless on the day. He took the time to get to know us and what we had envisioned for our wedding. As we picked songs over the intervening weeks for the "holes" that we had, he provided feedback and suggestions that improved the overall quality of the music. He also helped us to find an "upbeat" version of a traditionally slower tempo song that my parents had wanted to dance to for their special dance. On the day, he arrived early to set up and began the music exactly on time. The prelude music for the ceremony was exactly what we had envisioned. He helped our officiant to begin on time and coordinated the music perfectly. He provided us with microphones to use so that during the vows everyone could hear us (which was especially helpful to me since I had lost my voice). He announced events over the loudspeakers efficiently and effectively - helping the transitions from one segment to the next without "bogarting the mic." He took requests, which made all of our guests happy, and played one excellent song after another throughout the entire reception. He also came to find us before he announced things like the cake cutting or important dances, so that we weren't caught in conversations and were ready to go. He also warned us when there were only 5 songs left so that we got to dance the last few dances together. We got so many compliments on the music - it was so personal that many of our guests thought that WE had selected the entire playlist, when in fact we had only picked about 5-6 songs total and Matty did the rest! All in all, Matty helped to make our wedding day a seamless event that exceeded our (and our guests') expectations! We had a stellar day and a wonderful party. Thank you thank you thank you!!

Austin is amazing at the classical guitar! The ambiance he creates is perfect for weddings, or…read moreprivate events to create romance and class. As a guitar enthusiast I'm super impressed by how good his technique is and he can play some really difficult music, but make it sound elegant and easy. Would 100% recommend!

Austin was absolutely amazing! We hired him about a month out from the wedding after our previous…read moreguitarist cancelled on us. Despite how last-minute it was, he dove in head-first, learning the music we needed him to learn, accommodating our requests, and being flexible with our questions and changes. The music itself was played so beautifully (it brought my now-husband who never cries to tears!!) and perfectly, it felt like we hired him a year out as opposed to only a month. Thank you, Austin, for stepping in when we needed you and helping make our ceremony that much more special!

We had our wedding in September aboard the Atlantica Yacht. We found Art-Strings Ensembles through…read moreanother site, gig masters, which is why I realized they don't have any reviews here on Yelp so I thought I would add a review and help people find them. Their site is http://www.art-strings.com/ (and no I do not work for them but want to help people find them). They were the most awesome quartet. We gave them a list of songs (from the song list they have on their website) and we also asked them for recommendations on the flow from processional to recessional and they really helped us put it all together. They were also able to learn a couple of songs which were not on their list but which we wanted played on our wedding. They were able to learn them. Our guests were so impressed by them and I often listen to the recording from our wedding to bring me back to the day and to remember how professional Art-Strings was. I recommend them for your wedding or perhaps any other event you may have.

Art-Strings Ensembles played at our wedding on April 22nd in Massapequa, Long Island. There aren't…read moreenough words to express our appreciation for their amazing talent, professionalism, courtesy and flexibility. Our guests are still talking about how much they enjoyed listening to them and how much they enhanced the celebration. We highly recommend them and guarantee you will not be disappointed!!!

I used Expressway Music for a work event and they exceeded my expectations. We hired DJ Dave for…read moremusic and to MC our Karaoke sessions. He was INCREDIBLE. He was on time, super flexible with all of our last minute changes and most importantly, he played GREAT MUSIC SELECTIONS. He's a DJ who knows his stuff. Thanks so much to DJ Dave and Expressway for making our Sales offsite party a huge hit!

David and his team did a fantastic job. Deeter was superb with 80 middle school kids who attended…read moreour kids bnai mitzvah. The magician / mentalist was incredible the music was pumping and played all night and our entire night was coordinated perfectly with the help of David, Deeter and our event coordinator. Really just a fantastic party that was communicated properly with staff from every part of the party. TYSVM David!

Updating my 5-Star review - My son continues to work with a superlative teacher at CSPA. His…read moreability improves consistently and he just got a perfect score at the 2018 NYSSMA festival. Thank you Giocille, Carol and Ray. The CSPA team is warm and pleasant. The space is easy to access and I can always find a parking spot. Professional teachers make a big difference with the young musicians.

CSPA is an excellent music school for kids of all ages and skill levels. The owners have a real…read morelove of music, and are excellent in working with children. Our six year old daughter has been there just for a few months with no prior experience, and now plays some basic piano, and sings beautifully. She's also gained tremendous confidence through CSPA!

**More valuable than my college experience in music performance/education**…read more I found myself in need of a world-class mentor when I unexpectedly took possession of a marimba recently. I hadn't played in over a decade but already had a degree in music. I stumbled across Simon in a marimba group on Facebook and saw how HAPPY he was playing. I live in the Midwest but decided to begin online lessons with him. After a few months here's what I can tell you: Teaching virtually doesn't hold him back and we make incredible strides during each lesson. I have "qualified" teachers locally but Simon's philosophy, ACTIVE status as a PERFORMER, and ability to help me as a serious freelance musician mean that he's the right choice even if it's on Facetime. He's SO MUCH MORE than a technical skills teacher! Look, I'm not doing this as a hobby or playing at coffee shops - I'm making this my CAREER through paid public performing and studio recording. That means I need an experienced mentor that can guide me through the minefields of being an independent musician: we spend our lessons going over anything from how to strike a marimba bar to get the best sound, posture, to how to run a music business. I'm not in a cookie-cutter program with Simon, he teaches to MY level, MY goals, and has MY best interests in mind - things that college failed miserably at doing. Much of his website states "the only __in Westchester" but really there's no one ANYWHERE doing what Simon's doing in a way that's accessible worldwide. I WISH I was one of his teen students that have access to his approach so early in life!! Take it from this mid-30s mom making music a profession that Simon is the BEST and worth so much more than what he asks.

I'm a musician and was searching for the right drum/percussion teacher for my Granddaughter. She is…read morevery talented, so I needed the right teacher to take her to the next level. It was important to me that she learn rudiments , how to read drum scores, etc. Since I also wanted her to learn a melody instrument and become proficient with scales, chords and reading melody lines etc. I knew I needed a teacher who was trained in all aspects of percussion (especially mallet instruments like vibraphone, marimba etc.). To make a long story short, I was running out of options, than I found Simon. My granddaughter has progressed beyond my wildest expectations. She now wants to audition for NISMA and the "all state band ". She is learning drums and marimba. Simon keeps it interesting but is demanding (in a good way), my granddaughters talent demands this, she takes her music very seriously as do I. Simon is the best around, I recommend him 200%, and thank God I found him. Thankfully submitted, Joe Picciano