I have been taking piano lessons from Heidi for the last 1.5 years. She is an outstanding teacher…read moreand has been instrumental in bringing music back into my life. Heidi identified what type of music I enjoy and has introduced me to some lovely compositions which I would never have had the opportunity to hear, much less learn. She is patient and identifies a student's strengths as well as weaknesses. She provides encouragement and effective strategies to work through the challenging sections in a piece. She also emphasizes on attention to dynamics. Her lessons are fun and in a relaxed learning environment. I have thoroughly enjoyed learning from her and she is extremely hard to replace.

Ms Heidi Saario is an expert pianist as well as a passionate teacher of budding musicians. She…read moretakes her teaching very seriously and is heavily invested in the musical growth of her students. Our 9 year old daughter has been a student of Ms Saario for the last one year. Ms Saario is very well organized in the way she plans and structures the class, the homework that she gives out, and in following up on how the student did on their homework. She recognizes that practice outside of class is a major factor in student growth, and to that end is always seeking new ways to motivate her students. In one such instance, she introduced an incentive program over a period of 75 days for all her students and this program had a very positive impact on our daughter's desire to practice music at home every single day without any urging from us. This in turn drastically increased the rate at which she was learning new songs and improving her piano skills. Ms Saario also provides several opportunities during the course of a year for her students to perform in front of a wider audience in a formal setting. These events establish target milestones for students in addition to fostering confidence in them. We have been fortunate to have Miss Saario as our daughter's musical inspiration, and have been amazed to see her musical ability grow over the last year.

I have been taking voice lessons from Audrey Howitt for several years and she has helped me…read moretremendously. She is a wonderful voice teacher and a very talented singer in her own right.

My kids have seen Audrey for the past 2 years and changes that have happened over those 2 years…read morehave been amazing. Audrey is truly a gifted teacher, able to bring out the best in her students both in terms of singing and body knowledge... and most of all in their self confidence. They now speak out freely, they feel confident singing in public and have gained a life-long active participation in music making. It's wonderful.

Karen has been teaching our teenage son guitar for a couple of years. He is thoroughly enjoying…read moreexploring various styles of music and he looks forward to his weekly lessons. Karen has met him where he is at in terms of his learning style and has been so supportive of him finding his own musical nature. It's been an invaluable addition to our son's life having a kind and knowledgable guitar teacher who has gently pushed him out of his comfort zone (ie performing solo at a recital gathering). We couldn't be happier having a skilled & talented teacher like Karen in our son's life.

My son started guitar lessons with Karen over a year ago and is very excited to be constantly…read morelearning a range of pieces she has introduced to him, from classical to jazz, as well as how to read music and improve his technique. Karen has been so attentive, encouraging, and instructive in helping him grow as a musician - he looks forward to his lessons with her every week!

I have studied viola da gamba with Amy Brodo for more than a year. I am an intermediate player with…read moresome learning challenges (learning disabilities). I have studied with a handful of teachers as an adult returning to music after several decades of not playing -- and I must say that Amy is the best teacher by far. I have had difficulties in the past persuading my instructors that no, I really couldn't reproduce the gesture or technique being demonstrated to me, my brain and hands just didn't work that way. Amy has been delightfully open to problem-solving along with me so that together as pupil and teacher we figure out how to work *with* my learning challenges, rather than against them, or around them. She is a gifted teacher: she inspires me, makes me want to play, commiserates with tricky fingering and bowing, slows down when I need time to write something down or record her on my phone. She is funny, and gracious and encouraging. AND she plays divinely. She is truly a teacher for adults as well as for kids. You will thrive if you are ready to throw yourself into the total experience of making music. She plays with a gorgeous resonant velvety tone. You will sit back in awe in how she draws exquisitely rich tones from her instrument. AND she will do her best to show you how to do this too!

Sara Jayne is the best!!! When my little one was 6 months old I was looking for a mommy and me…read moremusic class and stumbled upon her music class at Lemon Blossom near the Lunardis in Walnut Creek. We've been going to her music class now for over a year because my daughter loves it so much. She's wonderful with the littles and all the kids have so much fun singing and dancing during class. She does the class in both English and Spanish which is cool too. I tell all my mom friends about the class. Two thumbs up for Miss Sara Jayne!!

I can't recommend Sara Jayne highly enough. I've had the unique experience of working with her both…read moreas her ukulele student and as the parent of a child who was in her preschool music class, and she is truly exceptional in both roles. As a teacher, Sara Jayne is warm, motivating, and deeply encouraging. She genuinely delights in her students' growth and is incredibly patient and kind, especially in those inevitable challenging moments of the learning process. When I started working with her, I had about six months of experience teaching myself through YouTube. I didn't have any other musical background. Within a short time, I saw a huge jump--not just in the number of chords I could play, but in my rhythm, strumming patterns, and overall musicality. She's helped me develop my own style and bring something unique to each song. After just a short time learning with her, I grew confident and competent enough to lead song circles--something that has brought a tremendous amount of joy and fulfillment into my life. That growth is directly connected to Sara Jayne's teaching. She's also just a joy to work with as a person. She's fun, easygoing, and easy to connect with, while also being extremely professional--always on time, proactive in communication, and very respectful of schedules. She does a great job of helping me clarify my goals while also letting my interests guide our work together. Where she really shines is in leading musical experiences for young children. I've seen her in action both in my daughter's preschool classroom and at her kids' concerts at the Starry Plough, and she is incredible with groups of kids. She creates joyful, high-energy, fully participatory experiences--kids are up, moving, dancing, using scarves, shaking instruments, and completely engaged. She has a rare ability to command the attention of a large group of young children while still making each child feel included. She's incredibly adept at reading the room and navigating all the different ways kids show up--whether they're shy, exuberant, distracted, or calling things out--and she always seems to know exactly what to say or do to keep the experience fun, inclusive, and on track. My daughter absolutely loved her classes and always came home with stories and excitement about music days. Sara Jayne was clearly beloved by both students and staff. If you are looking for someone to teach you or your child to play an instrument or to lead a kids' birthday party or any kind of musical experience for young children, she is an absolute gem. She brings energy, warmth, professionalism, and a real gift for engaging kids. I feel very lucky to have found her.

If you're looking for a professional, principled, and practical guitar teacher Ila is the one you…read moreshould be taking lessons from. She's as knowledgeable as they come and her genuine approach towards a fulfilling learning experience is quite a rare quality. She doesn't take short cuts in her teaching methods and you'll find yourself seriously loving the guitar under her guidance even if you start learning with a casual mindset. I enjoy every class ever since I started six months ago and adore Ila and her sincerity.

Ila is such an amazing guitar instructor! I have been going to class almost every week for the…read morelast 3 months and never did I imagine I'd be able to play a song and a half! Through her patience and attention to detail, Ila will coach you through how to play guitar and help you to understand the music theory behind it if necessary. I've never been so pleased with learning how to play and having an instructor who can stay calm and patient makes all the difference. If you choose Ila, I'm pretty certain you will be just as pleased too!

Nanci is absolutely wonderful! I've done Music Together over the years with both of my kids kids,…read morebut recently discovered Nanci's program through a friend. I find it to be so much better in terms of instruction and music selection. Nanci is great with the kids and just such a cool lady. My son's favorite part is the stamp and animal cracker she gives the kids at the end of class. I can't recommend this class and Nanci enough.

My daughter is 5 and we are still singing songs from Nanci's music class. She took classes for…read moreabout a year starting when she was 6 months old. I went to several try-it-free music classes and Nanci's class was the best fit for us. There are bells, scarves, dancing, cds to bring home, puppets, and new friends to be made. While instructive and fun for my daughter, it was also really pleasant for me. Nanci has a beautiful voice and you get to sing and dance with your baby. And it is hard to believe, but you get a little voice lesson, too! I wouldn't expect that my singing voice would improve from a toddler music class, but it DID. We never wanted class to end. If you are looking for a music class that your child will love and YOU will too, call Nanci.

Oh I had Danielle as an ensemble teachers many years ago. It was such a wonderful experience, we…read more laughed a lot and I learned so much. I am thinking of joining a quartet soon. Hopefully she needs a cellist!