I'm pressed for time, full review later, but this studio hits the sweet spot of relaxed cool and…read moreseriousness-of-purpose. My son has thrived under the supervision of his instructor of three years and is motivated to practice on his own to prepare for his 30 minute lessons. GIGS is a pearl of artistic vitality.

Marianne is a wonderful piano teacher! She meets you where you are at in terms of music theory and…read morepiano skills and helps you create manageable goals for practicing and improving.

I found Marianne through Yelp and am so pleased to now have my (slightly) neglected piano now in…read moreher care. With regular tunings by Marianne, my lucky piano will no longer suffer from neglect. Marianne worked assiduously for two hours on my piano, and tuned it twice, in fact. (It had been so long since the last tuning that, alas, that was necessary.) I trust Marianne to know what's best for a piano so readily agreed to another visit in three (instead of the customary six or 12) months because she knows these instruments well. In addition to being punctual, diligent, and very reasonable, she is a friendly soul with whom you can discuss music, dogs, and probably a lot more.

Have to support these small music shops. Victor Litz has a lot to offer from types of instruments,…read moreelectronics, lessons, used gear, you name it. I was especially impressed with their selection of ukuleles. Never have I seen so many in MD in one place! Definitely more than what Guitar center offers. They have an acoustic room in the back to try their acoustic/classical guitars. I had the chance to buy one of their used guitars at an amazing price. I appreciate the staff working with me on the price and even holding the instrument for a day when they could have easily sold it to next customer. Shows that they care about customer satisfaction more than just making a sale. I was able to spend a good amount of time trying out the instrument and they also helped tweak the intonation before I decided to take it home with me. The only few downsides I could see was some of the staff were not particularly knowledgeable about certain guitar models that they were selling, but much better than say Guitar Center. The humidification in the acoustic room basically only controlled by a residential type humidifier, so not very precise. Compared to other small guitar shops in the DMV, I don't think I would feel comfortable getting my guitar worked on here just based on the level of expertise I surmounted from the conversations I had. But a good place to buy gear nonetheless if you know what you are looking for. Parking is just a little challenging since it is in the middle of old town Gaithersburg. But in the past I have come on the weekends and there is some parking across the street at the museum.

I used to be a fairly loyal customer but cannot continue to patronize a store that does not…read moreappreciate and respect ALL of their customers. There are many better options in the area such as Chuck Levins and Bill's Music that are more welcoming and frankly have a much larger selection of instruments. EDIT - Tony, you know exactly what you did. You thought you were being funny but ended up insulting a group of people that you may disagree with, but are still some of your customers or potential customers. I do not feel comfortable doing business with companies that do not treat all of their customers with the same level of respect. I respect your right to have your opinions, but we all have choices.

Doris Mattingly is an exceptional piano teacher, in part because she is an exceptional person. I…read morefirst got to know her when she was teaching my daughter, and I later began taking lessons, too, which I have done now for many years. I look forward to my lessons, and as an educator myself, I always come away with insights about teaching. I know her adult students are big fans of hers, since she has us get together several times a year. And in addition to my own daughter's fondness for Doris, I recently ran into another of Doris's high school students, who feels the same way. Doris's studio is delightful, and I value my time there.

From the owner: In addition to offering piano studies to school-aged students, The Mattingly Piano Studio…read morespecializes in lessons for adults of all ages and levels. Additionally, a casual adult Piano Club has formed promoting workshops, listening skills, performance confidence and socializing. We have a great Studio!

I started taking voice lessons with Grace Gori in February 2015 because I wanted to prepare to…read moreaudition for choral groups by the Fall. I hadn't taken lessons or been singing regularly for over ten years but Grace helped me tremendously. I took weekly lessons and now I sing with the National Philharmonic Chorale. Grace is an excellent instructor who helps vocalists strengthen and hone their voices AND she is extremely professional and personable. She has a holistic approach to teaching, which includes focusing on the physical aspect of singing (proper body alignment, breath, various muscle constructs/support, etc.), all of which positively impacts a student's ability to create sound. I have really benefited from her teaching approach by embracing and practicing her techniques and it has made all the difference. I highly recommend Grace and Gori Voice Studios.

From the owner: At Gori Voice Studios, we believe every voice deserves to be heard -- including yours. We're Grace…read moreand Aurelius Gori, pro singer-teachers whose own vocal journeys have brought us through frustration, bullying, physical tensions, paralyzing stage fright, and the forced silence and isolation of vocal injuries. Through our 40+ years of doing this, we've learned and are committed to learning more. Now we're serious about sharing what we've learned with you. We serve singers ages 8 to 88 who want to release old experiences that told them they couldn't or shouldn't sing. Our studio helps singers find confidence through competence: We teach you the skills you need so that you can create the sounds you desire. We do this through functional pedagogy and cross-training in a nurturing environment that allows you to explore your unique voice. Creative collaboration. Artistic empowerment. Vocal freedom. This is what we're all about: the opportunity to sing the truest version of your unique song.

Excellent lesson program and great retail selection. PRS, Yamaha, Fender, Martin, and much more!read more

Much higher quality and atmosphere compared to guitar center. The choices available at the store no…read morematter what musical category, its quality.