A coworker recommended going, I was reluctant since I live on the VA (other side) of the city. But…read moreOMG. The inventory was amazing. I was actually overwhelmed by the number of guitars and amps in stock. Literally thousands. What I thought would be a 10 min max, look around, buy a pack of strings (I always try and buy something at non chain music stores) turned into a 2 hour adventure. Rows and rows of guitars. I was at first intimidated and it took a bit to get my bearings as how the instruments were organized. LPs over here, Fenders over there. Did I mention there were "like 2 thousand guitars. Then I was shocked at how reasonable the prices were. After 45 minutes I had decided I was definitely getting a new guitar that day, then what to choose? Narrowed down between 2 that I wanted and matched what I could afford that day. The guy who rang me up, saw it was my first purchase there and knocked a few bucks off and threw in a new set of slinky strings. Look if you are looking for a posh music boutique store with fancy displays, this is not the place for you. But if you are a musician looking for quality gear that is priced right and huge inventory, this is the place. I am already planning my next visit with a bigger budget.

They say the true test of a relationship isn't how things are when everything goes right, but in…read morehow things are when things go wrong. Last month, I stopped into Atomic Music and saw the most beautiful guitar, a model I had been dreaming of for years. My birthday was coming up, so I decided to splurge and treat myself. One of the owners gave me a great price and was really friendly. Everything was wonderful until a month later when I finally got around to setting up the guitar for my preferred gauge of strings. I discovered a serious but repairable structural issue with the guitar. Not their fault -- It wasn't something they would have been aware of unless they had taken the truss rod cover off and attempted to adjust the guitar's neck. I sent an email detailing the problem and it wasn't even five minutes later I got a call from one of the owners. He told me to bring it back for a full refund, and that he'd even pay for my gas to bring it back. There was no argument and no questioning of my expertise. That's fantastic service in my book! I will be back and I have no worries about spending money there again. The shop has an enormous used inventory including some high-end instruments and prices are fair.

They say you can't or shouldn't mix business with pleasure, but what happens when you have genuine…read morepassion for your occupation? My experience at Polyphonic Music could be summarized by saying that the service was amazing. This one stop drum shop got me in and out on my leisure. Very patient and knowledgeable staff, able to answer all of my questions transparently. I learned about Polyphonic Music from craigslist, I was unaware of the kind of dedicated service I would receive from a small business. I have and will continue to recommend the service to friends, strangers, drum enthusiasts etcetera. Special shout out to Vincent for assembling a very portable customized "Frankenstein" drumset that I am able to take with me on the metro and play music outdoors. I have never reviewed a business on yelp! , but I instantly felt that the large amount of attention and care that I received from this small business was worthy of (re)writing history. 5 stars.

From the owner: polyphonic music is a local business specializing in musical instrument sales, consignment, repair,…read morerestoration & parts. we have many drum items in stock and if we don't have what you're looking for then we can likely help you find it. are you looking for something odd or specialized? we can help! there's no charge for questions, information requests or appraisals so feel free to call, text or email. polyphonic's repair shop specializes in vintage bass drum pedal restoration with a vast amount of experience and original parts to work with. restored pedals have been completely disassembled, inspected, cleaned, lubricated, reassembled & tested. feel free to contact us for information about restoring your pedal. some of the vintage pedals we work on regularly include: + ludwig speed king (vintage chicago or modern monroe) + ghost (all generations) + rogers swiv-o-matic + slingerland tempo king + camco & variations (gretsch floating action, early dw, etc.) + tama king-beat + slingerland yellow jacket + asba caroline + ludwig (other: standard, speedmaster, junior, etc.) + slingerland (other: epic, AA, HH)

Though I loved the old Guitar Shop on Connecticut, this new location is just as convenient for me…read more I have owned a bass for five years.... FINALLY started taking lessons a few months ago with John, and I'm loving it! It's so much fun, and John is an excellent teacher. He teaches to my learning style, he's patient and thorough, and consistent with his reminders of how I should be playing (finger placement, posture, and all). Though his style may seem scattered at first, he really does a great job of building off of what we learned from the previous week while keeping it interesting. If you're like me and thinking that you'll eventually get around to taking lessons, DO IT NOW! (Before they realize that they're not charging enough!)

From the owner: Lessons offered on guitar (blues/jazz/rock/classical), bass (electric or string bass,) banjo and…read moremandolin to all levels of students from beginner to advanced, using a patient approach designed for relaxed, comprehensive, fun lessons tailored to each student. Formally at The Guitar Shop in DC for 6+ years, teaching theory, improvisation and repertoire building, supplying aspiring musicians with the necessary tools and materials to be successful. We specialize in showing students how to learn from and play their favorite recordings.

Great service from across the country. They were very helpful with my purchase of an autoharp and…read moreshipping it out to California. They answered all my questions and were very friendly. I just wish I could be there in person to browse what else they have in stock!

Lovely people, lovely instruments. The best place for folk/traditional instruments and musicians in…read moreDC. If you go in, just talk to the guys. They know so much, and love to talk. I guarantee you'll learn something. Also a great place to run into other musicians. They're fair and honest consigners.

The thing I love about Ms Ann is how much she loves each and every one of her students. Rather than…read moretrain music by intimidation and threats, Ms Ann tries to fill each and every one of her students with the love and joy of making music. You can see this during the recitals, where students play knowing they have a coach who is cheering them on. My son learned to read music in just a couple of months, and before we knew it he was playing with more confidence and competence than we thought possible. Ms Ann is a great teacher for anyone who wants to learn music in a loving, supportive, and relaxed atmosphere.

From the owner: Good vibes music studio offers lessons in piano, guitar and violin.read more

Vee has been studying with Ms Ottley since 2018 when she was 2 years old. It has been an amazing…read moreexperience with extraordinary growth. My 6yo is a highly sensitive person so her relationship with sound is a powerful and person one. She has always been deeply keyed to any sound including the squeak of a swing. She notices the background sounds or music in movies or video games. Ms. Ottley's school of music has helped her learn a whole new language of staccato and legato and rests and reading notes and chords. It has helped my daughter express how she experiences the world. Vee competed in a beauty pageant and used her piano skills to win the talent portion. She wore her 1st ever formal clothes during the the recitals. She has participated in 4 annual Music Guild events. It's just stunning how much The Ottley School of Music has helped Vee. She has branched out and tried violin, drums, guitar, German recorder flute. She spends a lot of time on her iPad and on the TV looking at music or trying to follow musical tutorials online. She occasionally tries to sing, but feels a bit shy with vocals. Great Experience.

I have been freinds of the Ottley, since relocating to the DMV from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma…read more The Ottley's are wonderful people with a huge heart to give back to their communities and what better way to give back then through the arts. Music, in particular by way of giving inspires and moves people unlike anything else in the world and the Ottley's recognize this and this is why they exist today. I've had first hand of meeting them in person, they are always pleasant and with smiles for their love of people. I've visited their school and their staff, they are all friendly, and professional. I've also attended a couple of their student recitals. The Ottley school is clearly dedicated to aiding these talented students with techniques to carry them far in the music industry and of their dreams because it shows through their presentations. If you get a chance, visit their school, and or attend a recital. The Ottley Music School will leave a lasting impression and you will not be disappointed.

Awsome. Great. So glad we found this place…read more This is an excellent place for young musicians to connect with other musicians and to work in Band like settings and perform. Forrest at the Silver Spring location is really great and he extract the most out of the kids in a really positive environment. My son has been to many music schools and lessons over the years and this really is an outstanding program. The best part is it really has many kids who are really musically inclined, talented and willing to work in a group setting. The performances are very impressive and fun to watch. I can not say enough good things about it. The price is very reasonable and they don't pressure you to subscribe to packages or long term contracts - if you pull out you don't pay any more. They focus on who wants to be there. Give it a try - much better than similar programs in Bethesda.

I just ended my employment here after 5 months. I was only afford a couple hours on Sundays for…read morework with the promise that I would be able to pick up more students and days quickly. I was given $15 an hour while working less than 4 hours a week. The lessons aren't even an hour long so i was hardly even being paid to provide expert professional lessons to young children. Essentially I was an underpaid babysitter. On top of being unable to provide employment, my one day that i worked ranged from 3-4 hours a day where i was teaching drums and guitar back to back. I was not given any space of time to switch gears as well as i had to change rooms between each lesson. This was made more difficult by a manager who would pester me about getting out of one lesson to go to the next, presumably because if i went over on the lessons i would then go over on my work time and therefore have to be paid for more than just the minutes where i was in lessons. My last day of employment, I had called in an hour before i was to be there, as I was sick, I had been seeking a day off so as to recover and not come in with an unknown illness that might be contagious. I contacted the manager who proceeded to berate me about her personal issues and was told that because other teachers had called out on other days this week she was unwilling to contact my students and cancel my lessons. I was also told to consume whatever quantity of cough syrup i needed and chase that with vitamin C. I showed up for these lessons, first student didn't even show up. I spent the next two days trying to work out in my head what had happened so that i could contact the manager to follow up without carrying my personal baggage to the conversation. The manager tried to make contact to "discuss School of Rock's staffing policy". I received this message the day after my lessons which i taught while carrying a sickness. As I had missed the managers call, this was the first point of contact she made with me following what had happened, which set me off and so i took an extra day to clear my head, fearing the harassment from my employer of being unwilling to understand or care for my needs as an employee. There was one or two more attempts made at contacting me before what happened next. After three days i received, an email to my inbox stating that my employment had been terminated. I work another job that provides me with just short of full time employment, yet left me availability to work at School of Rock on any day of the week. I had never called out sick prior to this situation. and had been forced to miss/move lessons to cover other people's call outs, mostly made the day of the class or lesson that needed covering. I feel very strongly that I was treated with disdain and profiled as an irresponsible person and made to feel outcast by this organization because of my status as a musician. To the point where i feel that supporting musicians means not enrolling in School of Rock. To my students: I am very sorry that I could not say bye or finish lessons that I had started with you. That is unacceptable.