Looking into learning an instrument for yourself and/or your kids? Then check out Avloni Academy of…read moreMusic located in the beautiful and peaceful city of Saratoga! I started taking piano lesson with Marianna, a lovely lady who is cheerful and energetic! She is a talented and well-educated piano soloist and accompaniment. As a teacher, she is caring and know what it takes to guide students in the right direction to give them the utmost music education possible! Music is challenging in general, but Marianna makes every single lesson fun while productive. I am blessed to have her as my teacher! A few months of piano lesson, I learned of Avloni Academy of Music and decided to take violin lessons at the school. There, I met Mr. Alex who was once part of an orchestra performing in multiple countries in Europe. While having many years of experiences as a performer, Mr. Alex also specialized in educating students. While I could only take a few lessons with Mr. Alex until my work schedule changed, I can say Mr. Alex is a great teacher with a very calm and compose personality. He cares for his students and want to grow them, so if you want to learn violin, Mr. Alex is certainly the one! Did I not mention the couple owner of the school yet? How can we not include them in the review! Teachers and school location are important factors, but we cannot forget the folks that run the show! I'd like to give a shout-out to Kin and Tina, the couple who owns the school, a huge applause for their dedication and swift responses to students' needs and wants! So, give them a ring for any musical education, either for you or your child!

Ms Tina is a fantastic teacher. She started with our daughter when she was 6 and her playing has…read moreexceeded our expectations. Tina will push her students to get better but also make sure they are comfortable and enjoying their experience. Our daughter will often sit at the piano and just play for fun. Very good combination of playing and reading notes/technical as well. Ms Tina played a lot to inspire students to feel and understand music better.

I studied flute with Cecily for 7 years (6-12th grade) and she helped me grow so much as a…read moremusician, both in solo and orchestral playing. I started taking lessons as almost a brand-new flute player, and over the years, Cecily helped me prepare for and pass orchestra auditions, win awards, and play more confidently everywhere, including: - Youth orchestra (GSYO), where Cecily helped me level up from the lowest (6th grade) to highest (12th grade) group, and played successful auditions to earn principal flute and piccolo parts. - 2025 CASMEC (all-state), qualifying as one of 40 of the state's top flutists. - Solo recitals, where Cecily encouraged and coached me to perform challenging and exciting repertoire. - Admission to Northwestern University, where I prepared a flute performance portfolio as part of my academic application. Cecily has been an extremely well-rounded teacher; in private lessons, we always cover tone, technique, musicality, interpretation, etc. - everything to be successful in performing and auditioning. She shares different methods for approaching challenging pieces or excerpts, clearly drawing from her own training and experiences as a musician. She responds quickly over text about scheduling lessons and questions about music, and she's professional yet friendly. With Cecily, I've grown as both a musician and a person. Highly highly recommend taking lessons with Cecily!

Terminated Without Explanation and then Ghosted…read more My daughter, now 13, started weekly flute lessons with Cecily one year ago, in November 2020. We had an OK experience with her up until this month. All lessons have been remote via FaceTime, we have never met her in person. Yesterday I received an email and a text from Cecily, out of the blue, stating that it has not been working out and the lessons will stop. When I immediately replied, asking for details about why, she did not respond. The only possible reason I can imagine for her "terminating" us is related to a billing question that came up this month. But this is truly an unreasonable way to resolve such a difference. Here is what happened. Each month, Cecily sends an invoice in advance of that month's lessons. The invoice is sent by email and payment is expected by the 7th. The invoice is sent on different days, for example I received: -- August invoice on 8/4 -- September invoice on 8/29 -- October invoice on 10/16 -- November invoice on 11/3 Though the invoice is for upcoming lessons, she states that payments are late if not received by the 7th. This month I missed the 11/3 email and so she replied on 11/9 that I now owed a late fee of $25. I promptly paid the invoice plus late fee, but also sent some feedback such as: -- typical payment terms for businesses are things like NET30, NET45 which is based on the invoice date; I have never received an invoice from any business that is considered late within 4 days -- if you are expecting payment by 7th of each month, sending the invoice on the 3rd is putting a lot of burden on your customers to monitor their email boxes and respond in just a few days -- you are invoicing for services not yet rendered, which seems even less reasonable to call a payment late for a service not yet rendered and a suggestion: -- One simple change you could consider to mitigate most of the above concerns is to send your invoices sooner or have the due date be a little later in the month. Say you send on the 1st and they are due on the 15th, or keep the date at 7th but send the invoice 14 days before that. Cecily also cited that her "studio policy" clearly states that there is a late fee. However, I had only signed the previous year's version, which had no mention of late fees. She never sent me the "2021" version (which does mention a late fee) until after this month's discussion. I was in the process of debating whether to continue with her -- because it wasn't clear how much benefit my daughter was gaining from the lessons -- and so I didn't immediately send back the signed 2021 studio policy. So that was the situation when I got the email and text from Cecily.  No explanation of what wasn't working out. No effort to provide any closure to her young student, or give her any final feedback or encouragement about her playing. She just pulled the plug and ghosted me. Fortunately my daughter is quite resilient and didn't take this personally. But I felt I needed to share my story here for others who are considering working with Cecily.

My daughter has taken private flute lessons from Larissa for 3 years. She has improved greatly, and…read morehas become a very advanced flute player through the guided meetings with her private teacher. She enjoys them very much and develops new skills easily. Larissa is a very motivational and encouraging teacher who is easy to communicate with and is always understanding. She is definitely a teacher that is a need for both beginner and advanced flute players. :)

As the parents of two boys who made a switch over from music school to private lessons with Dr…read more Natalie in 2025, we have seen first-hand the amazing progress that can be achieved through the instructional methodology that she has developed and her emphasis on good technique. The amount of growth in a few months has surpassed what we've seen from our kids in the past couple of years. They enjoy their time learning in class, listening to their peers play in the monthly studio performances, and also challenging themselves to pick up more techniques and pieces. They have gotten a holistic perspective towards music (through listening and singing assignments!) which has helped them with their playing skills. We are also better equipped to be able to supervise their practice, being able to see what is being taught and what their mistakes are, and gaining the fundamental knowledge to help them as non-players of the instrument. We would gladly recommend Dr. Natalie to any family with children who are serious about learning the piano.

Natalie is an amazing and super sweet teacher!!! Highly recommended for anyone looking for patient,…read morekind, high quality piano lessons!!!!

Working with Ms. Kerobyan has been a great pleasure! As an adult student coming back to the violin…read moreand reworking the foundations, it has been a big challenge to get over my nerves, to get used to the instrument again after ~10 years off, and to unlearn my old habits-- Ms. Kerobyan has been instrumental through this process by not only coaching me with her meticulous attention to detail to rebuild a more solid technical foundation, but also by nurturing my confidence as a violinist. Needless to say, it has been an incredibly rewarding and highly collaborative experience that has impacted and enriched my life beyond the classroom. I truly appreciate the opportunity that I have now to take violin lessons with Ms. Kerobyan, and I would recommend her as a teacher for young and adult learners alike-- her level of dedication to both music and teaching is very rare, and I feel fortunate to have come across her studio.

Our family appreciates Ms. Ann's guidance on our musical journey. I have two children who are…read morepassionate about music. My son became interested in the violin at age 8 while we were living in San Diego. After moving to the Bay Area, we were fortunate to find Ms. Ann, who demonstrates how an exceptional teacher can unlock a student's potential. Her teaching techniques and fundamentals are strong; she excels in those areas. What truly sets her apart is her remarkable ability to inspire my children to develop a deep connection to music and foster a positive attitude toward learning. The month after switching to Ms. Ann's studio, my son struggled to correct the posture he had developed in the past. Ms. Ann offered creative ways to help him improve his posture during this transition and also checked on him frequently. When the goal of daily practice became challenging, Ms. Ann communicated effectively with both children and parents, motivating the kids to try their best. My son's skills and confidence improved week by week, and he has grown into a proud young musician who cherishes music as a joyful part of his life. My son said, "Ms. Ann is caring and loving. She emphasizes the artistry behind the techniques. She is always fully engaged in my lessons and provides valuable feedback. She makes challenges fun." Ms. Ann also organizes recitals, mini-concerts, and workshops to help the kids gain stage experience. She prepares them for competitions or exams if they wish to participate, but only when they are ready. Her philosophy of sharing the love of music distinguishes her from many others. She teaches my kids not to pursue achievements for their own sake but to enjoy and share their passion for music; the results will follow naturally. My younger daughter started lessons with Ms. Ann later, and I was impressed by how she customized and organized her lessons. Ms. Ann thoughtfully personalizes her approach, adjusting the curriculum to suit my daughter's unique personality. My daughter has gone from being shy about performing on stage to being excited to share her music with the world. She said, "Ms. Ann is incredibly warm and encouraging; she explains everything clearly so I can easily understand. She always believes in me!" I have attended my children's lessons and observed how patiently and persistently Ms. Ann discusses areas for improvement. She guides them in overcoming difficulties and helps them learn from mistakes, even when they feel frustrated. My kids have not only learned to play the violin beautifully but also developed a growth mindset. They understand that hard work pays off and have learned to manage their time and practice effectively. It is rare to find a teacher who not only instructs students on how to play an instrument but also serves as a true mentor, imparting valuable principles applicable to both music and other subjects. As my husband said, "Ms. Ann is like Yoda in the realm of violin pedagogy." We believe the lessons she has taught our children will become treasures they carry with them throughout their lives.

Lora Kompelmakkher is an extraordinary piano teacher! She works to bring out "the artist" from…read morewithin her students. She is very patient, caring and encouraging. My daughter *loves* Mrs. Lora and enjoys studying with her.

My daughter has been taking lessons from Mrs Lora for 2 years. Mrs Lora is very passionate about…read moreteaching music. Besides basic piano skills, she explains interesting pieces and composers. She often pairs kids up for duet and group fun. I really love her recital programs where she creates opportunity for kids to play music together in solo, duets and choir. I highly recommend Mrs Lora.

Excellent teaching staffs & many services are offered. They have multiple locations for after…read moreschool programs. I highly recommend this school to all my friends and family.

We've had a fantastic experience with Yamaha's early childhood music program in Cupertino--…read morestarting with the Apple Class (ages 3-4) with Miss Sammi, a super caring and patient smiley teacher, and now continuing in JMC 1 (ages 4-5) with Miss Yuyu, whose teaching is lively and engaging. After trying several Bay Area programs that lacked consistency or a clear curriculum, Yamaha music programs stood out immediately. The teachers are stable, caring, experienced, and truly skilled in early music education. Each class blends singing, rhythm, ear training, movement, and keyboard work in a well-structured, age-appropriate sequence, so kids stay engaged and build real musical foundations without feeling overwhelmed. What we love most is balance: a joyful group setting where children learn together and cheer each other on singing and dancing, paired with plenty of individual attention. Our child has made remarkable progress--going from not reading music to recognizing melodies, understanding basic music theory, playing simple songs, and even making up little tunes at home. He looks forward to every class and comes out smiling, more confident each week. The school culture is equally impressive. Director Miss Su actively creates performance and growth opportunities--from the annual recital and internal competitions to community outreach, like sharing music at senior centers--so children of all ages and levels can step on stage, build confidence, and feel proud of their effort. Teachers also share Bay Area concert listings, encouraging families to listen, learn, and enjoy music together beyond the classroom. If you're looking for a fun, supportive, and truly effective start in music, we highly recommend Yamaha (especially the Apple and JMC 1 class in Cupertino). It's given our child a solid musical foundation, a love of learning, and the confidence to share music with others. We as parents, highly recommend Yamaha's music program and will continued !!!

Rumyana is a wonderful piano teacher who's very good with children. My kids love to learn from her…read moreas she's very patient and she teaches each child at his/her pace and level. My kids have enjoyed playing the piano because Rumyana makes it fun for them. We're so happy to have found the perfect piano teacher for our kids and have recommended to several of our friends and they're all very happy as well.