I started taking lessons with Kevin in 2019 and have been forever grateful! He encouraged me to…read moreexpand out of my comfort zone and try new things, like helping me audition into the California Youth Symphony. I ending up being in CYS until I graduated high school, which would not have happened if it weren't for Kevin's enthusiasm and motivation. I also could not have been more thankful for him helping out with my college applications senior year! If I played recordings from back when I was just starting with him until now, there is SUCH a NOTICEABLE difference in my technique, tone, and musicality. As a dancer, he not only helped with my musicality in music, but also in dance! Truly the best teacher and the best person. Honestly, I will still be taking lessons when I'm in my 50's. If it weren't for Kevin, I definitely would not have gotten as far as I have in my musical career.

My son is in his third year of clarinet lessons with Kevin, after picking up clarinet in his fifth…read moregrade SFUSD music class. It has been a terrific experience for him! His skills have improved markedly, but even moreso his enjoyment of clarinet and classical music in general. Great teacher!

I have contacted this institute a few weeks ago through submitting the form online. I got reached…read moreout by David and we had a conversation regarding adult violin lessons. He asked the type of work I do and I felt weird why it was necessary as it has nothing to do with learning violin. He then shared how much it would cost for the lessons and I told him I'll think about it and reach out if I decide to move forward (which he agreed on and offered 10-20 mins trial lesson). After few days I emailed him and expressed my interest, but I did not get a response. And then from that moment I tried phone call he gave me, the institute phone number and still got no response. I do not mind if he responds and not taking me as student, but just leaving someone hanging there for weeks is definitely not professional as a business.

I stumbled on this page while searching for something else and had to stop by to leave a note…read more I studied violin with David roughly from 2005 to 2009. Up to that point I had been knocking around community orchestras and had, I thought, a fairly good practice routine based on Galaxian's method, but was frustrated by my lack of progress. Working with David was a completely different story. His dedication to studying the technique of past masters, in particular Nathan Milstein, through existing video recordings was a revelation. I left his studio much more satisfied with my playing than when I entered. I have unfortunately had to stop due to nerve damage (which I earned elsewhere) but cannot say enough good about David. I brought in a friend to accompany me on a Brahms Sonata (the easy one) and he was able to help her to understand and interpret the work.

I've been taking Ukulele lessons from Richard for about a year. I'm a 69 year old guy with no…read moreinstrumental experience and yet Richard has been able to get me strumming and picking. I've learned lots because Richard really knows his music theory as well as being an excellent guitar and ukulele player. He's got a wide range of students in both age and abilities. You can find him at the Music Store on West Portal.

Richard has been teaching my son ukulele and electric guitar for over a year. Richard is a…read morefantastic guitar player, and a great teacher. He has a knack for knowing what will keep the child interested and engaged and is willing to be flexible to make sure that his students develop a passion. My son has gone from dreading practice to not having enough hours in the day to play to his heart's content. He now wants to be a professional guitar player!

Walking into a new music lesson can be an intimidating experience. I'm the type of person who likes…read moreto be good at things right away, and I don't really have patience with myself in the "learning process." So, when I walked into Peter's beautiful mission music studio...guitar in hand, I felt nervous. However, Peter was extremely patient and encouraging with me! He has one of those rare qualities that all good teachers have, he takes you from where you are and makes you feel confident and capable. He has a great sense of humor and a ridiculous knowledge of music theory, technique, and what it takes to become a true musician. If you have a desire to learn a new skill, or to brush the dust off of an already established one, run don't walk

I've taken weekly guitar lessons from Peter for over a year and it's always a real pleasure. He…read moreloves music so much and is super patient and relentlessly positive. I've gotten much better and I have skills to help me practice more effectively and work through tough pieces.

Erik is awesome!  I've been taking lessons for 3 years and…read morestill continuing. The music journey includes composition / improvisation / music theory / classical / Jazz...and so much more! Erik introduces me to a different perspective in understanding and playing music. He always tries to find a very personalized way to enhance my music knowledge and skills based on my style and interest. This is very unique and amazing! His class is super fun! He is very passionate about music and teaching. Erik is also a great musician! His compositions and performances are impressive!

I took lessons from Erik from '91 to '99 and in that time i went from zero to Debussy's Claire de…read moreLune. The trip included music theory, improv, jazz, blues, classical, composition, and organ technique ( sort of ... no foot pedals ). He guided my development and enriched my understanding and appreciation of music. Although I am a vocalist these days it was my work with Erik that provides the foundation for my ongoing musicality.

Gabriel is an undiscovered gem. In Covid time he has been doing remote lessons, but with almost…read moremore efficiency than in person!! His teaching skill, engaging personality and sense of humor have made him the best of my daughter's three musical teachers. With his cats and his jokes ; he's the best. He is a highly competent musician and dedicated teacher, truly Ian undiscovered gem in downtown San Francisco.

Gabriel taught my daughter and my son to not only play the cello but to have any actual…read moreappreciation for classical music. I have not found another teacher with as much patience for teaching younger children nor as much dedication to both music and teaching.

Let's just say that without Matthew (and God) I would not be the musician I am today…read more I first found Matthew on Yelp! when I decided at the last minute to apply as a music major to colleges. Although I played cello since middle school, it was very casual and only through the school's music programs; I even stopped playing the cello my last two years of high school. So imagine my panic and scramble to find my first private cello teacher in San Francisco with the goal of improving my playing to audition for colleges with a four month timeline. Matthew was very enthusiastic and supported my potential to get into a music school; in reflection, I think he was the most positive and encouraging person during my entire audition process. He fully supported my playing by transforming my passion for music into a technical and musical base to work with, fully showing the colleges what I would be capable of accomplishing. But that's not all. Matthew went above and beyond by helping me record the videos professionally for the audition process, even letting me borrow his cello for better sound, and even helped me edit the videos so that they would be the most presentable work to the colleges I applied to. We also went through the most realistic school choices for my current skill level and came up with some state schools in California with strong music programs (Cal Poly Slo, CSU Fullerton, CSU Long Beach) and a private school (Biola University). Throughout this whole process I did not feel discouraged by Matthew even once. In the end, I got accepted to all four colleges for cello performance and I could not have done it without Matthew's generous help. But that's not all. Once I had accepted that I would be a music major, Matthew also went above and beyond to help me pick a new cello to buy for the next few years of school. As he has gained a strong network of musicians in SF, he knew where to help me look and off we went. He even came with me to play the cellos for me so that I could hear the potential sound of each cello. We were able to get a cello in our budget and a reasonably priced cello case thanks to Matthew's personal recommendation and expertise. But that's not all. Throughout Matthew's time as my teacher, I was able to fully entrust myself as his student because of his professionalism as a music educator who leads by example. Initially, I was drawn to Matthew as he was a musician that is greatly connected to the music community in SF, including being a chamber coach for the SF Conservatory and performing at many venues and gigs. But in our lessons, I truly got to know that Matthew is a professional cellist that exudes passion for the cello from his expressive and captivating cello playing to his vast knowledge on cello repertoire and technique, including orchestral excerpts and cello pieces to learn to grow as a cellist. In addition, Matthew was always clear about lesson plans and prices so that it best protected his career as a musician but also gave the most accountability and expectations for budding cello students to follow as well. This was helpful in setting a consistent lesson schedule --- which saves the hassle for both teacher and student! Needless to say, here I am, as a cello performance major, four years later, ready to start my own career as a musician. It has come full circle and I am now coaching and teaching others music! I am forever grateful to Matthew for making my musical career possible. I never felt alone during this musical journey due to Matthew's constant encouragement and support and his love for sharing the cello with others!

When my little sister announced that she was having her wedding on the beach in Tulum, Mexico, I…read moretold her that for her wedding gift I'd learn how to play the cello and perform my favorite piece, Bach's Suite No 1 in G, at her wedding...that was coming up in 6 months...even though I've never picked up a cello in my life. As luck would have it, I met Matt that same week during once of his performances. After being amazed by how beautifully he played the cello, I quickly approached him after the show, told him about my audacious goal, how worried I was about letting my sister down and how there was probably no way that I could be performance ready in such a short amount of time. Matt was kind enough to listen to me as I ranted at a mile a minute before putting my mind at ease by assuring me that anyone can learn the cello. We began lessons immediately and I remember how patient Matt was with me even though I kept holding holding the bow like a chicken drumstick. But a couple of months later, I was learning about shifting finger positions, producing quality sound from the strings and maintaining rhythm & tempo. While Matt was great at teaching me technical skills with the cello, he also got me to dig a bit deep and taught me how to express my emotions through this instrument so that the audience can feel the music instead of just hearing the notes. This helped me to let go of thinking of the piece as a combination of quarter notes and eight notes but as a story that I wanted to tell to the audience. On the day of my sister's wedding...well...how can I say this..I totally nailed it! Sure, some parts were still a little bit sticky (I'm sure it didn't help that I was crazy nervous) but I vividly remember during the standing ovation that I felt so happy for my sister and so proud of myself for actually pulling this off. And of course, I couldn't have down it without my cello teach Matt. Thank you again Matt!!!

Bravo Maestro! It…read moreis a pleasure to sing the praises of Shaun. He has worked with my 11 year old child for about 6 months now and I am so impressed with with his expertise and patience. We originally started taking lessons with him to prep for a show with a school friend's band but even after the event passed my son wanted to continue. Shaun really has a gift of making music understandable, incorporating the building of technique, laying down the fundamentals, and all while having fun. He really makes an effort to find the approach that will make things work for his student. The cost is reasonable for private lessons and he has all the equipment at his studio so we just show up with sticks. Highly recommended.

If you wanna learn drums, Shaun is the man…read more He's a patient teacher who's great at gauging progress so you learn new stuff each week without getting too flustered. The other reviewers are right. It's his personality that makes him awesome. My kid loves going to lessons. His studio has a parking lot and is 1 block from I-280 Geneva exit. Bring your own sticks, he provides everything else.