From my 12-year old…read more.. Before I began working with Val, I was never set on a straight path for piano. None of the previous teachers that I have worked with were very serious about my progress in piano. Normally, my piano playing was very in-and-out and never actually focused or aimed towards a goal. I didn't know how to play an actual piano piece that I could be proud of. However, when I began lessons with Val, starting on the first day, we began learning a song, and four weeks later, I was able to play it by heart. Val has an incredibly effective teaching method, which he used to help me greatly improve playing in such a short amount of time. He always tries to push our limits so that we feel dedicated to practicing. He acts serious when necessary, but he also likes to be entertaining in a way that somehow empowers you to want to play the piano. His dedicated yet fun teaching style really helps and he is very understanding when it comes to homework. When not all of the homework is completed, Val asks what was challenging and then helps you work on those specific parts. Additionally, he adjusts what he assigns to the homework based on the lesson and any difficulties with the previous homework. I've made a lot of progress since I began working with Val. Thanks!

This is a warning for anyone who's considering employment here or working with Valery Goldes. I…read morehighly recommend reading this to the end. Thanks. In late January, prior to my move to LA, I was hired by Val as an in-home piano instructor with a mutual understanding that although I wouldn't have a full roster of students yet, I would start out with at least one student and build. Up until late May when I reached out to Val for the final time, I had worked a total of 0 seconds for him. After three months, I had asked him multiple times for work, offered to drive far distances to accommodate any student, and he had ghosted me for a month. I couldn't believe it when he said that there were no students available for me in the entire Los Angeles area. Now, I'm fully aware that I moved here voluntarily as a working musician. But I didn't come here blindly. I had accepted Val's offer under the mutual understanding that I would at least start with one student or have work available very soon (part time into full time). Would I have taken this job if he had been transparent about the lack of any demand for teachers in LA (which I find extremely hard to believe) and that it could be a long time until I start working? NO. LA is a popular destination for working musicians and I know how important it is for us to secure work here. I know a few myself who moved or are planning to. So with this in mind, I explained to Val that if I'm not given any work soon, I have no choice but to warn others about taking a job with him, because there's a strong chance they won't get any, like me! But guess what? Instead of understanding my real need for work (you know, as someone he hired to...work), he started by insisting that I call him over a recorded line. When I refused, he fired me and said that if I tell anyone about this, he would sue me for "defamation". I never laughed so hard in my life. At least give me some work before you fire me haha. So, I proceeded to explain to him that most businesses don't threaten to sue people for leaving reviews or talking with other people because they reflect the individual experience of the reviewer. They understand that the validity of the testimony should be left to the reader's discretion. So it's very telling that he'd threaten me like that. I'm not scared one bit about his threats, and I made that loud and clear for him. Lol After this ordeal, I talked more with fellow musicians and teachers around the city. Many of them related to my experience and said to watch out for things like this in future jobs, especially to avoid an experience as nasty as this one. For anyone interested, I have all the emails and texts ready to share. Thank you.

Our son worked with Mr Russell with Algebra 1 this past school year. He has an IEP in math and…read morehated math! He was angry with math and despite all the tutors and teachers, we couldn't get our son to like math. The time he spent with Mr Russell was life changing. This is 100% the truth. We didn't have high hopes for our son with Algebra 1 at Santa Monica High School. Mr Russell approaches each student with a unique approach since of course all students are different. He was able to relate to our son and turn him around to actually enjoying math. He'd even shoot basketball hoops as a reward. He turned our son around in math and he achieved a B in his math class, which for us was a massive increase. But more importantly our son now approaches math with self-esteem and confidence. Building self-esteem in a subject for students is 75% of the battle with subjects they dislike.

I cannot say enough positive things about Mr. Russell. He started working with my son 2 years ago…read more It only took my son a couple months to realize that this guy was on his team. Although my son has struggled at times, Mr. Russell has never given up. He always comes up with new ideas to try and remains positive at all times. He is very creative and manages to get through to even the most difficult student. He is incredibly responsive to emails, texts, and calls. He always makes time for you and your child and makes you feel like you matter. He truly cares for his students. I would recommend him and his services without reservation.

There are millions and millions of people that play guitar very well but there are very few that…read morehave the talent to pass along their skills to people of all ages and personality types. Greg's lessons are entirely catered to your learning style and level. Having learned from greg for the past 3 years, as well as from other instructors in the LA area, I'm confidently that I've learned comprehensively more from Greg than anyone else.

My husband I are both musicians. We have two sons who have dabbled in music and taken lessons off…read moreand on for years. When Greg Cahill showed up at our house it brought a whole new level of respect and commitment to the casual guitar lesson. This dude just brings it. First of all, a rock star shows up at your house who is incredibly prepared and interested in what motivates your individual child. The entire family looked forward to Greg's visits. He would make time to offer tips to my husband (an accomplished singer but fledgling guitar player), while devoting his time 100% to our son in a way that was disciplined yet fun. Our son has since moved on to golf as his forte. We miss our time with Greg!

I really enjoy the quality of the coaching and the deep dives. This is a unique method to teach…read morepublic speaking - I especially enjoy rhe diversity of the classes.

Michael and Tristan are absolutely amazing. Our entire team went to practice our public speaking…read morebut what we came out with was so much more. Seriously, don't t go in expecting your run of the mill course - this is such an engaging, insightful and unique approach at confidence building and dynamic storytelling much more so than speaking in a public setting. I can't recommend it enough...also, they were just awesome guys!

He is an amazing teacher. Very enthusiastic and kind and patient…read moreHe is a master drummer and can teach any style .

I have taken drum lessons with Scott during two periods of my life; in my late teens (while I was…read morein the drum-line, as well as Jazz and punk bands), and now in my late 30's as I am re-discovering my love for music and drumming. Scott is a great teacher. He has always emphasized the fundamentals such as keeping great time and groove, working diligently with a metronome, and being competent at reading music, all while being very encouraging and helpful (and funny too). Scott is highly proficient at all styles of drumming - rock, jazz, Latin, funk, orchestral, rudimental, you name it. He's a gigging drummer and does studio work so he knows the business side as well. Scott is one of the few people that was a protégé of master drum teacher Richard Wilson (who himself learned from Murray Spivak). Richard was "The Guy" professionals in LA went to get lessons from to better their technique. So Scott is an authority on teaching rudiments in a way that has you be relaxed, yet able to play with great speed and clarity. It's one thing to be able to learn Richard's technique, it's a whole other animal to be able to teach it. I have spent lots of time working with Scott on Richard's progression of rudiments. It is invaluable to any serious drummer. Besides being a great drummer and teacher, Scott's a great guy and if you stick around as long as me, a life long friend too. I highly recommend his lessons.

Jonathan's an incredible voice instructor! Had a private online lesson with him and it was as if we…read morewere together in person with how well he provides feedback. Even online, he could identify areas of improvement and describe in detail what was happening physiologically as I sang. His instructions were clear and most importantly *felt* and has helped me with discerning good technique from bad. Fun exercises too!

Alex is the best guitar teacher I've ever worked with. He's consistently challenging me to become…read morethe best I can - at the same time, he's incredibly patient. And each week, his priority is making sure that I have fun during my lessons! Before finding Alex, I knew how to play a few chords and songs. But Alex taught me how to read music and to understand the guitar as an instrument, so that I could develop my skills much more quickly.

If you are interested in learning to play the guitar, do yourself a huge favor and work with Alex…read more Not only is he a virtuoso of his trade and one of the top classical guitar players of his generation, but he is also a wonderful teacher who will help you achieve your goal in the most efficient way, whether you are a hobbyist like me who just wants to play beautiful tunes or a serious guitar student aspiring to be a pro. A little about my background: I picked up a guitar 5~6 years ago and have been a student since. I had never seriously played the instrument before that, and I saw a great value in having a hobby that could last for the rest of my life. (In other words, I had my fair share of mid-life crises. :) ) I tried to learn the instrument by myself and with the help of other teachers for a while, before starting to work with Alex about a year and a half ago. Just like any musical instrument, learning to play the classical guitar is a journey, and you will have to spend years to be any "good"- it is an endless pursuit of perfection if you know what I mean. Nevertheless, since I started working with Alex, I see great improvements in my skills, understanding of the instrument, and music in general. I particularly appreciate his pedagogy in the following aspects: First, Alex teaches you how to fish, rather than handing over a fish on a platter. Do you want to learn the fundamental guitar techniques and musical knowledge that can be translated to any other music pieces that you may want to play in the future? Alex provides you a solid foundation to learn the art of playing this beautiful instrument, rather than teaching you to play a tune or two. He will help you gain confidence in your right/left hand, find your voice in the interpretation, and combine these technical/musical elements all together so that they come out cohesively in your guitar playing. Second, it amazes me every time when Alex immediately finds the core of the problem(s) in my techniques and provides specific solutions that I can work with. Don't get me wrong. You have to walk the walk yourself, and no guitar teacher in the world will be able to practice on your behalf. But following Alex's suggestions addressing my issues, I see a huge improvement in my techniques and I cannot imagine if there could be any better way to learn them. Things that looked impossible a few weeks ago suddenly seem well within my reach, simply by following his suggestions - magical, if you ask me! Last, but not least, he understands that the guitar is a personal instrument and our anatomies are all different: Our nails are shaped all different, and our fingers have different lengths, etc. In short, there is no magic-bullet solution in guitar playing, and an experienced guitar teacher, IMHO, finds a solution that works best for each student. This is one of the many many reasons why you should learn the guitar from someone like Alex, who has spent many years playing the instrument, mastered the art, and understands how to apply the knowledge in his lessons. Obviously, I am a big fan of Alex, both as a musician and as a teacher. :) I have had great teachers in many different fields at different times of my life, but I think Alex is one of the exceptional teachers I was fortunate enough to have. I am very happy to spread the gospel to fellow guitar students and wish you the best of luck in the journey!

I can't say enough good things about Right Start Music. My 9…read moreyear old daughter looks forward to her lesson with Shannon each week. She can't wait to show her how much she has improved from the previous week. Shannon has, quite possibly, become her biggest motivation for wanting to learn to play at all. Dave was fantastic. I haven't met him in person but over the phone and via email my impression is that he wants your child to find the right fit for learning music. Even if it isn't through Right Start. I called and left messages with a number of local teachers I found on the internet. I'm so very glad that Dave called us back and my daughter was matched with the perfect teacher (Shannon) and went from a reluctant to an inspired student in such a short amount of time.

Peter is simply a fantastic piano teacher! He's enthusiastic and energetic, and also very patient…read more He encourages his students to select songs that they enjoy playing (Queen, Adele etc), so they have fun with both their lessons and practice. Having Peter come to our house is extremely convenient for us as parents, and he has been very flexible and works with our schedule as needed. I would highly recommend Peter!