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!

Hands down, one of the best decisions I made for my wedding. They played outside in the park for…read morethe ceremony and the cocktail hour inside the restaurant. Everyone raved about how beautiful it sounded. Jessica was a dream to work with! She was kind, professional and very helpful. Venus Ensembles should be on everyone's preferred vendor list!

I've been to my fair share of weddings recently and some of them have had wonderful string…read moremusicians playing during the wedding ceremonies. The song selections have ranged from the more traditional classical sounds to cool string covers of classic rock and even modern tunes! A bunch of us were impressed with their job and we had to ask what company they work with and it was Venus Ensembles. Some of them said they were Juliard trained which is like hiring a Rolls Royce. If you're looking for quality music for your wedding ceremony and your cocktail hour, look no further with Venus Ensembles!

Natalia has been giving my 12 year old son some summer viola lessons, and I could not be more…read morepleased. She is very thoughtful about accommodating learning styles and making things interesting, and has been able to help him maintain focus through a full hour's lesson, which other tutors have not managed. I have appreciated getting a recap of what was covered so I can support between-lesson practice. Natalia is very committed to the individualized approach -- if you or your child need a different approach in order to learn well, Natalia will listen to you if you know what you need, or figure it out if you don't.

Natalia is a compassionate, encouraging music teacher. I decided to take up the piano after many…read moreyears away from music, and I have been delighted with Natalia's encouragement and guidance in that process. Even more, at the end of every lesson, she asks whether there is anything that she could be doing better. That openness to hear questions, criticism, or constructive feedback, is really the hallmark of a good teacher. I feel very fortunate to have stumbled across Riverside Music and can recommend them wholeheartedly.

Jason was punctual, pleasant, respectful, and competent. My upright piano was badly out of tune as…read moreit had not been serviced in at least three years; he did an excellent job. I will be requesting his service again in ten months or so. He deserves all of his 5 star recommendations.

I highly recommend Jason Kronick as an exceptional and very knowledgeable and professional piano…read moretuner. He responded very quickly to my request for information. He held to the price he quoted. He was extremely respectful to my home environment and a pleasure to work with. When I searched through YELP for a piano tuner, all of his reviews turned out to be completely consistent with my experience except for one person Julie , a year ago. I am extremely discerning when it comes to anyone handling my Steinway. I cannot imagine how anyone could have had that experience with Jason. Anyone reviewing Jason's profile, PLEASE DISREGARD HER REVIEW! Thank you again Jason for your superb services!

Brought my Jackson American Virtuoso in for a setup and fret level. Easy communication, fair…read moreprices, decent turnaround time, and just an overall nice guy. Guitar is buttery smooth, did a great job. Also offered a free tune up under warranty if anything shifts which is very generous of him given that this NYC winter nearly guarantees a shift in the setup. Don't think I'll need to ever look elsewhere as long as he's around.

I have found my "go-to" luthier in NYC and could not be happier with Farhad's professionalism and…read moreattention to his clients! I brought in my precious Martin HD-28 acoustic for a repair and a setup after reading great testimonials, and he took the time to walk me through not only the process of the repair, but also gave me a necessary lesson on humidifiers for the room and guitar case in these dry New York winters which can cause the wood to shrink and eventually crack on delicate instruments. As a recent transplant from Los Angeles, I had never had to worry about these temperature and humidity issues, but now I'm an "evangelist" about this and I've been sharing this advice to all of my musician friends and bandmates, thanks to Farhad's great advice! He also stands by his warranty on his setups, and just performed an expert tune-up on my Martin after the initial set up for no charge, while I brought the guitar to the shop (by appointment). He is also a very friendly guy, and makes his own bespoke line of electric guitars and pedals, and I've spoken to one of his employees? apprentices? partners? also working on the repair bench at Southside Guitars in Williamsburg, which to me exemplifies a real community of professional craftsmen and musicians who are passionate about guitars. I know where I'll be taking my guitars from now on. I've spent a lot of time finding "my" guitar techs/luthiers in LA over the years, and I'm so happy to have found Farhad here in Williamsburg. I will recommend him to everyone I know in New York.

I've seen Scott perform as both a solo guitarist and as part of a trio…read more As a solo artist, I saw him perform rock and funk classics from a diverse group of artists, including Stevie Wonder and the Lumineers. When he was with the trio, he played with a pianist and a bass player. All three sounded great together. I see that Scott Kacenga Music is listed under wedding planning--but I didn't see him play at a wedding. Although, I'm sure Scott's performance would serve as a nice addition to any formal/informal wedding.

Scott was great! We requested a specific song for when my wife walked down the aisle and he took…read morethe time to learn the song, tape himself playing it, and send us the video all before we even signed a contract with him! We had him on guitar along with a violinist from his company play during the processional at our wedding. The sound was perfect and we got a ton of compliments. He was also very communicative during the wedding planning process. I highly recommend him!

The band was absolutely incredible! The singers were phenomenal, full of energy, amazing voices,…read moreand such great stage presence. Every performance had our guests completely engaged, and by the second song the entire wedding was on the dance floor. At one point we had the biggest love train I have ever seen. It felt like every single person joined in, and the energy in the room was electric. We received endless compliments all night and even after the wedding about how amazing the band was. They truly made the night unforgettable. The quality of service was top notch from start to finish. They were organized, easy to work with, and made sure every detail was perfect. Their responsiveness before the wedding made planning simple and stress free, and their professionalism showed in every interaction and performance. In terms of value, they exceeded every expectation, our guests kept saying it felt like being at a live concert. And their flexibility stood out too, they read the crowd perfectly and adjusted seamlessly to keep the party going strong all night. We could not be happier with our decision. The band brought so much life, joy, and energy to our wedding. If you want a full dance floor and memories your guests will talk about for years, this is the band to hire.

We hired the Heartbeat dance band for our wedding in August 2025. Not only did the band beat our…read moreexpectations, but they were all extremely talented. Their energy, presence, and talent were incredible, and all of our guests were very impressed by them. Heartbeat dance band knows how to bring the energy, and make your night unforgettable.

Regardless of previous reviews the fact that he did that 23 days before our holiday is…read moreunprofessional and no matter the excuse. I believe that he had another event that day that paid more but we will never no. So there is no justification for cancelling after signing a contract months in advance. dvera

Hired Jeron for my wife's 40th birthday party. It was a great day and everyone had lots of fun…read more Highly recommended.