I had a great experience taking Ryk's beginner ukulele class online with my brother-in-law and his…read moresister. We were all in different cities, along with other families joining from different places, and it still felt fun, connected, and easy to follow. Ryk is a great teacher who made learning approachable and enjoyable. I even unlocked a skill I've wanted my whole life, being able to play and sing at the same time! Thank you, Ryk. His classes are a great value and I highly recommend Ryk's Uke Class to anyone wanting to start playing ukulele or grow the skills they already have.

Ryk is a wonderful ukulele teacher! I highly recommend his class if you're looking to improve your…read moreuke skills. I took his virtual class during the pandemic and learned chords that I was previously afraid to play (hello flat keys!), expanding my ability to really play any song. At the time, I was teaching music classes to a group of preschoolers, and improving my own uke skills helped me have a tool to teach the kids. Thank you, Ryk! Even though the pandemic is over, I would still recommend the online class. Ryk has a clever setup with two cameras that's very effective for learning.

My 4 1/2 year old son (Mason) has been taking weekly lessons from Dylan for a few months now. Dylan…read moreis incredibly patient, treats Mason with respect and humor, and has been super thoughtful about coming up with creative ways to teach such a young kid. Mason has committed about 20 chords to memory and has even started to play along (poorly, mind you ) while we sing kids' songs together. It has been a lot of fun to watch Dylan and Mason working together; I would definitely recommend him for anybody looking for a thoughtful and extremely talented guitar teacher. Mason's review: "Dylan is a GREAT guitar teacher - I learned chords! And he has bunnies that look cool and are black."

Updating to say that now both my 10.5YO son and I each take lessons with Dylan twice/week, and I…read morestill have only the best things to say about him. He's very patient, and adapts to the individual student while still emphasizing music theory and technique. My son focuses on electric guitar and bass, while I'm obsessed with acoustic.

DO NOT pay a deposit to place an order to Mike. If you see a…read morecompleted instrument for sale in his workshop, buy it if it is good. But no deposit. This is what happened to me.... I used to trust him, and put down $1800 in October 2016 for a custom Tenor uke. It's January 30, 2018 today, 1 year and 3 months later. No uke, no news, nothing. I called, emailed, messaged...... I wish there was a ukulele forum that I could warn others about Mike's scam. I have a feeling I am not the only one out there.... Now I see through his antics like giving free lesson, educational chats, etc. It's all to make you part with the deposit. Even if his instruments are suppose to be good, it feels really bad owning an instrument from such an unscrupulous person. And how can students go to learn from such a dishonest person, who is only interested in your money? If you give him a deposit, you are just giving away charity money.

Mike is a fantastic teacher! Took the beginner class tonight and I learned a ton of techniques that…read moreI wouldn't have learned from youtube videos. He focuses a lot on building a good foundation and good habits so you can have a better practice as you learn and start playing songs. The class flow was fun and I barely felt the 2 hours pass. I would definitely recommend attending a few classes. There's so much to learn and absorb from the simplest techniques.

I attended Jon's music class with my 4-year-old for about six months or so, and it was such a…read morewonderful experience for both of us. Jon is kind, fun and weird in the most delightful way. He exudes enthusiasm and positivity. He also has a clear gift for making music fun and accessible for young kids. He uses little toy doggies, dinos, and action figures to teach musical concepts like how "D the dog lives inside the two black notes". I also remember him getting into this weird story arc about how a monster was trying to eat him and the kids needed to play the right note to save him. Jon brought in a variety of real instruments for the kids to explore during class -- electric guitar, a mini cello, some woodwinds, and more. This is in addition to the many instruments that are in class every week. The drum set was definitely my kid's fave. Jon was thoughtful about including every child in the activities and he had a gentle way of encouraging the shyer kids to participate without pressuring them. He'd end each class with a dance party and a call and response: "I am so proud of you!" and the kids would respond "That's me!" After class, Jon would play with the kids out on the playground, and they would laugh and laugh and chase Jon around and then get chased around by him. My son absolutely adored him to the point where he would incessantly wrap himself around one of Jon's legs when they were playing.. It's not often you get to see someone doing a thing that seems so perfectly tailored to their deepest selves, but that is definitely the vibe you get watching Jon at Jon's School of Music. It is a great time playing music with a great guy. Highly recommend :)

I have noticed that class since I started taking my LO to Totland. My LO was showing signs of…read morecuriosity every time he was doing his class. However, I must say that those parents who want to take their children to his class, you need to make sure your LO follow John's instructions. I have noticed that John has good chemistry with bigger kids, since I saw him many times playing with them after class. If your kid is extrovert, energetic, social and good at following instructions, his could be a nice place for your child.I have been in the child care field for two decades taking babies and toddlers to private class in music, sports and even art classes and I have never experienced a teacher who had less empathy specially for those who does not have similar personality like him. I am pretty sure that he doesn't know how to work with smaller children: how can you make a baby or toddler follow instructions if this is a phase when they want to be free to explore and LEARN? This was my experience, one day my LO and I were in Totland as usual and John came to us and invited us to go to his class for a trial. I did t ask and he offered his trial class. The first thing he asked was that my LO pick musical instrument. She picked one and started to play it for a few secs and then he asked her to change the musical instrument (thing that my LO didn't want to do because she was 2.5 and was very curious about the instrument in that moment and didn't want to change). It has not passed even 30 secs and my LO got very upset and he "invited" us to leave the class!! Can you imagine that? You got invited and after even 30 secs you had to leave?? I was very disappointed and frustrated. I left the room hearing him saying: " I am sorry, you have to leave" . I was so confused, how a teacher I'm up you and your little to enjoy his music class and then ask you to leave in 30 secs. It didn't make sense to me.I am not saying that he is not a good teacher but he does not know how to approach to LO or toddlers. I must say that John is better with bigger kids (probably kindergarten and up) in my 20 years experience in child care, I have never saw a lack of empathy in a teacher and that situation happened to my own little one broke my heart! Just be aware ! If you think your child can follow instructions and be straight the whole class go for it. But if not, please don't do it , because John doesn'tt know how to manage the situation and your kid might have a bad impression with music classes. He must be a good musician but that day show me a ZERO knowledge of child development. If he reads this, please take some ChDevelop classes... urgently! Not all adults have the same chemistry with all children's ages! And every child is different and different way to learn, each one has their own pace.

Hard to decide whether it's the attitude, mediocre work, long waits and/or the inflated prices…read morethat's the problem. He damaged a vintage guitar and bragged endlessly about a mediocre job with another. He's been kicked out of the Bay Area Guitar Show and the expensive guitars he builds, to my ears, sound like crap. Am sure that, with a little bit of effort, you can find someone much better to fix your guitar.

If your guitar has issues, and you need it sorted out sharpish, John is the man to see.read more

Raziel has been an amazing instructor and truly has studied and knows his instrument. When I made…read morethe decision to become a better guitar player with an emphasis on technique I was referred to Raziel by some really great guitar players. He is kind, patient, and knows how to break things down for me to understand easily. One of my best decisions I have made. He's that good, because I'm not that great of a player but now getting compliments on my guitar work!

Raziel has really helped me *finally*, after years of other teachers and lessons, get past those…read moreplateaus of learning.. those periods where you just don't seem to be getting any better and you can't figure out why. Well, it turns out (for me,) a lot of those reasons were about body mechanics and attitude. I learned to play guitar in a rock band, and was bringing a very aggressive "no pain no gain" mentality to practice which resulted in chronic pain and a self-critical assumption that I just wasn't innately gifted with strong and fast hands. Not true! Razie's approach is incredibly mindful, thoughtful, light-hearted, and patient. I often find myself applying concepts we've talked about to life, in general. If you have any kind of contemplative or meditation practice, I think Raziel will be a great teacher for you. And if you have any kind of chronic pain condition, Raziel can help! No more shaking out your hand and wincing after practice! If pain is happening while you practice, that ain't right!

Al rebirthed a magic guitar that came through Jon Lundberg I have had for 50 years. He worked it…read moreover 25 years ago and has not required anything but being played regularly since then. . You still there old friend? Warmest regards, Larry Otis

Al is a warm, friendly guy and the shop is just incredible. I'm a long time guitar player and I…read morecould probably stay there all day, playing the merchandise and looking over his shoulder. BTW, Al, I guess that really IS your picture! Too funny.

I started lessons with Kevin about 20 months ago with literally zero guitar knowledge, and I'm so…read moreglad I did. His teaching style is grounded and patient, and the structure is basically "as much as you want," which keeps things moving without feeling rigid or intimidating. I came in hoping to learn rhythm guitar, a bit of theory, and some fingerpicking, and he's done a great job balancing foundational skills with songs that are actually fun (and that I'm excited to practice). I've made a ton of progress with rhythm guitar - I can learn and play most songs pretty easily now, and can play with other people too, which was a huge goal. Fingerpicking has been slower for me, but I'm finally making steady progress there too. Kevin tailors lessons to my taste in music and pace, gives clear practice goals, and uses helpful tools like metronome work and written notes. It still blows my mind how he can tab out basically any song on the spot and make it approachable for my skill level. He's also personable, punctual, and scheduling is always easy. I'd recommend him to anyone wanting to learn or refine their guitar skills, especially adult beginners!

I've been taking lessons with Kevin for close to a year now and have found him to be an exceptional…read moreteacher. He creates a super supportive environment that encourages growth and creativity. I also find him intuitive on where you need to go next in your journey. In my time with Kevin , my skills and growth with the guitar has increased . He's the best best!