Chad and the team at School of Rock (SoR) have done such a great job building a community of music…read moreloving (and learning) families! Our son (9 y/o) has been taking drum lessons there the past 7 months and has gone from a true beginner to playing songs together in a band with his peers. This is a combination of 1:1 weekly practice with an instructor at SoR (each has been fantastic with emailed notes after every session on recap and focus areas) and a weekly 90-minute band practice which he loves. Most of all, his enthusiasm for learning and enjoying music is through the roof and he is proud to be part of the band. All of this included in the monthly Rock 101 package, a unique offering for sure!

I was troubled by no requirement for ID at pick up or drop off. Organization seemed chaotic, e.g…read more Chase arriving after 9am / arriving to find the doors still locked at 9am. Lastly, before the performance, I had to quickly return home to drop off our dog as it was too hot for her to wait in the car. I had explained to Chase and asked him to explain to my son so he wouldn't be upset. He clearly didn't as my son afterwards explained that he didn't understand what Chase had said. Most particularly, I didn't appreciate Bethany's 'mom shaming tone' when she called me as I was trying to park that my son was "very upset that you're late and we're all waiting for you". Working (and single) parents do the best they can. Instructors should employ some empathy and perhaps also remember parents are customers.

I just recently learned about UMF and went through a "Vagaband" session with them which culminated…read moreafter 6 rehearsals in playing some of my favorite rock songs live at a local music venue. The whole experience was quite awesome. Our facilitator, Tom E. was great at giving us feedback to make us sound better, individually and together. The other musicians in the group were very focused and committed to practicing between sessions and being prepared for the next session. Everyone who represented UMF was super professional and welcoming throughout the initial registration to the final performance. Not only are they getting musicians together to play music, but they're creating an authentic community that I've felt welcomed into since day one! This was exactly what I needed to get my butt out and playing with other musicians and having fun at the same time. Oh, and two words for the guy who wrote a bad review saying the sound in the rehearsal room was too loud: "ear" and "plugs."

I relocated to Seattle about 18 months ago, and was once a upon a time an aspiring musician in my…read moreearly 20's. As a singer, finding a band was always exceptionally challenging, and eventually life gave way to a husband, kids, and a day job. I found UMF on craigslist when we first moved here, and stalked their website for nearly a year. I was interested in joint a Vagaband series, but my travel schedule is hectic, and makes it difficult to commit to anything- even 3-6 weeks. Just before Christmas, a series opened up that I HAD TO JOIN, and I happened to have the 6 weeks to commit to it. You are plunked into a group of people you have never met. You all have the same goal, and a setlist already assigned. The first rehearsal everyone came prepared, and the first song kind of takes your breath away. You just formed a band (albeit short term). The chemistry in my first Vagaband series was amazing, our show was packed, and I formed real friendships beyond the performance. Instant rock and roll fantasy. I'm now in my second series, and to say this is a business would be a gross inaccuracy. This is a community. I have been welcomed into it warmly, made to feel my talent is validated, and definitely see this community as a family of musicians I couldn't be happier to be a part of. What Tom and Matt created and nurture is so much more than a music lesson.

This place is AMAZING. I've always wanted to paint and Dabble made it so easy to get started. I…read morebrought my own gessobords, but other than that, I didn't need to buy any other tools or supplies. I'm now obsessed and have painted every day since I joined, with three finished paintings that I'm really happy with. Dave, the owner, is so warm, welcoming, knowledgable, and supportive--he'll leave you alone if you want to just do your own thing, or he'll chat with you about your art if you want feedback. The space is set up incredibly well, ready for any kind of visual art you might want to do. The classes are fantastic too. I'm so happy that Dabble exists!

This is a super well laid out, super well lit super cool art studio available to the public!!…read more I was shipping art prints at the renowned Greenwood post office and happened upon this on my way back - the owner was available and was gracious enough to give me a tour of the space! They have TONS of professional tools!! Including silk press, vinyl cut, a station to assemble prints/zines etc, a station with a hood to do spray paints!! Looked like they had all kinds of paint brushes one might try, LOTs of professional sinks in their clean up area, even a fridge, small lockers, cubbies and a microwave if you need to put in an extra long session. All set up in the most organized and functional fashion, it's SO COOL!! They also offer classes to learn new techniques! The studio rate looks to be $10 an hour for individuals and $20 for a family unit, ( it's gotta be Guardians and kids who live under the same roof, it's not necessarily a group rate) I was shocked to see so much cool stuff at once so this list isn't complete and I've yet to get everyone together for a visit, but upon first glance this looks like an incredible community asset!!

School of Rock made our shy girl play guitar like a pro and act like a rock star! The ability to…read moreplay her favorite songs, perform in a real club and make friends made an awesome experience.

Our son has been playing drums at School of Rock for over a year now, and we're all thrilled - even…read moremore so now that they've moved to our neighborhood! (Check out reviews from the old location on Lake City Way - same great folks, same great program, great new building.) He started playing snare drum in his elementary school, and after a year of that, he had some basic skills (Mary had a little lamb), but the amount of progress he made in his first few months at SOR completely blew that away - he was playing Beatles songs like Ringo, and Nirvana like Dave Grohl. Clearly, the School of Rock approach works wonders! For beginners and advanced students alike, School of Rock is a great place to learn to play an instrument, play with other musicians, and put on a show that rocks the audience.

This review is a long time coming for me. I took my first jazz night school class in 2019 shortly…read moreafter moving to Seattle. It's by far been the best thing I've done for my musical journey, ever. The progress in my playing I've made from participating in ensembles is truly amazing. It just works because you're thrown in the real deal right away (at a level that's good for you but still challenging.) By "the real deal" I mean playing music with people, working on challenging but approachable songs, & getting real time feedback from fellow musicians as well as pros (the teacher for one's ensemble.) Jazz Night School gave me the confidence to begin building community and playing with groups outside of classes too. Now I play with a few groups around town & have a lot of gigging experience. Even though I have met enough people to keep me pretty busy outside of JNS I still continue to take classes because they constantly push me to be a better player & I learn so much each session. Looking back at each session when it's done is always stunning because I feel like I've come so far since the beginning even though it was only 10 weeks. On a last sidenote, it's a fantastic deal especially for drummers like me because you have free access to studio time (drum sets provided by the school.) The cost of renting a studio in Seattle almost pays for the class cost if you take advantage of free studio time too. All that being said, I couldn't recommend this fantastic non-profit organization & welcoming community of serious musicians enough!

Amazing that there are so few reviews as JNS has been going for 10 years now. There are a couple…read morethat Yelp screened out for some reason that seem sincere to me... I'm a middle aged music "hobbyist" that takes seriously improving my craft. I've been coming to JNS on and off over the last 5 years or so. I'm passionate about learning music and becoming a better musician, and I also work full time, so going to Cornish or Berklee or some other full time program is just not realistic. Also, I come from a rock background, and don't really know a lot about jazz (at least, I didn't when I started), but music is music and there are a lot of commonalties and fundamentals that cross styles. The courses and workshops have helped me take my playing to whole new levels in both rock and jazz idioms. First, major kudos to Erik Hansen - the visionary behind the school. He was educated at Berklee, *really* knows his stuff, and is wildly passionate about music and teaching. His enthusiasm is contagious. And he takes a genuine interest in the growth and success of the students. He's done an extraordinary amount of work to make JNS worthwhile for students. I've taken a number of classes with Erik and I've learned a lot in each one. Second, the other teaching staff are also passionate about teaching and learning, and helping each student improve. I've taken theory and performance courses, and the teachers would help me take the learning as deep as I wanted or was able to go. All have been remarkably supportive. Third, from time to time there are one-day workshops presented by talented musicians. Notably, saxophonist Anton Schwartz and trumpeter Jared Hall are regulars. Thought I play guitar, without exception I've come away from each workshop I've attended with some ideas that have made a real difference to my playing or how I think about and approach music. I like that I can pick and choose how much coursework I can integrate into my schedule and I'm not beholden to some N-year program or schedule. The cost for classes and workshops is reasonable, and the value is high. I feel fortunate that I discovered JNS, and I enthusiastically recommend it to anyone who is serious about improving their musicianship.

When you stop learning you essentially stop living. I have been attending classes at LLC for the…read morelast 8 years at their last two locations in Northern Seattle. It has been a life-changing experience for me as well as many others who attend regularly. The teachers are an outstanding group of people who are committed to learning by participating. There are no lectures; there are group discussions on a wide variety of topics from current events to literature, to exercise for health, to the arts in many forms. Every class presents an opportunity to expand your mind and/or body that creates a vibrancy in later life that stimulates learning that may not be otherwise possible due to physical constraints that is a normal part of the aging process. If you are a senior, it is worth your time to come to LLC and leave you ailments and apathy behind and permit your mind to return to the joy of learning.

I've been a student at Lifetime Learning Center for about ten years and can't say enough good…read morethings about it. It's a 38 year old non-profit educational institution that offers reasonably priced college level classes for adults of all ages. Over 25 of these non-credit classes are offered per quarter and include such subjects as literature, opera appreciation, history, watercolor, cinema, movement, writing, poetry, bridge and much more. New and different classes are offered every quarter and they're taught by a great faculty who all volunteer their time. There are often nearly 300 students enrolled per quarter. And the cost? It's amazingly inexpensive--the tuition for an 8 week course is typically just $30. This place is unique and is often referred to as one of Seattle's best kept secrets. I can see why. It's a very friendly place too. They hold Open Houses at the beginning of every quarter so that people can meet the instructors and hear brief summaries about upcoming classes. In March 2013 Lifetime Learning is moving to new facilities at 3841 NE 123rd St. in Lake City. (It was formerly located in a school near Green Lake for several years and before that in a Sand Point area school for many years.)

I dropped into a large number of clubs before landing at Seattle Sunrise Toastmasters. This was…read moreback when they were meeting in the cafeteria at NW Hospital. I was looking for a club that had a genuine warmth, a big heart and a robust and diverse membership in terms of age, race and life goals. My search ended with Seattle Sunrise. Since then the club lost its home at NW Hospital and relocated to Merrill Gardens near UW. Now with the pandemic, the club meets on Zoom. It continues welcoming new members and continues it long history of earning a distinguished club status through Toastmasters International. New members say they like the website. See what you think.

I visited this club once and immediately joined! Seattle Sunrisers are the warmest and most…read morewelcoming group! Come check us out either online or in person!

First, Joe and Julie are definitely NOT closed. They teach out of Roosevelt High School on Tuesday…read morenights during the school year. If you check their website guitarforgrownups.com you can find the class descriptions and schedules. You won't find better or more fun instructors anywhere. They also have a business out of their home dealing in primarily archtop guitars. They have a global reputation for this, and always have some amazing early 20th century classics on hand. You can find them at archtop.com.