DJ ET is to blame for my wedding reception NOT going as planned…read more You see, in our planning, I had said, listen Ivy Hill, we are thrilled to be working with you as part of our event at Sand Rock Farm. We were excited to have a cellist playing as our guests got to mix and mingle. And yes, we were really looking forward to music being played as we ate and enjoyed our LONG awaited wedding reception (that had been postponed cuz...ya know...Covid.) But we said it repeatedly...There really was NOT going to be ANY dancing. There was dancing. Lots of it. And it is all DJ ET's fault. THANK GOODNESS!!!! Honestly, working with the entire team at Ivy Hill was a dream. Their selection of musical genres and musicians is nothing short of impressive. I will warn you now...that questionnaire is exhaustive...like it gets INTO the songs you like. But it is TOTALLY worth it. Matt reached out right before our reception just to check if we were good and to get us in touch with DJ ET. The cellist was AMAZING. And before you ask...YES...he can and WILL play a Game of Thrones medley. It was AMAZING. He also learned the music to my father's favorite hymn. When I heard him start to play it, I just started to cry because thanks to him, my father, who passed some time ago, was there...in that song...and in that cello. I can't recommend Ivy Hill Entertainment enough. They clearly have put in the work of bringing on the best of the best when it comes to musicians, performers and DJs. They take the headache and worry out of the planning and logistics. True pros in every sense. And my special nod to DJ ET who proved that the Mills Brothers and Blacksheep really DO belong on the same playlist.

Highly Recommended, Quality Entertainment: Wow - what a fantastic experience! Ivy Hill…read moreEntertainment truly is your "one stop music and entertainment shop." From working in events, I understand that heartfelt, professional, seamless entertainment is a key component to creating a memorable celebration. It brings people together, inspires guests, and sets the tone of your party. I've worked with some pretty cool musicians, but Ivy Hill Entertainment definitely stands out as the BEST. When it came time to plan the ultimate personal event - our wedding - we wanted a music-based celebration that stood apart from "typical wedding music". The idea was a multi-musical-styled evening showcasing classical music, New Orleans Big Band, a roaming violinist at dinner (Ivy Hill's gal, MJ, even played pop hits like Stayin' Alive and had everyone singing!), an intimate pub sing-along, and finally a rockin' reception. This was certainly an ambitious repertoire! I began researching bands/musicians and initially fell into a short panic. Most bands didn't seem to have the magical vibe, musical diversity, network, and professionalism (Can we count on the to show up for gods sake...) for me to book. In fact, none of the musicians resonated with our event's style.... and then I found Ivy Hill Entertainment. WOW. Game changer. From the moment of contact to the actual execution we had an amazing experience that was fun, stress free, collaborative, easy, and QUALITY. Ivy Hill has many options on how to book talent - actually super talent. You can hire anyone from a dope DJ to solo musician to the 9-musician "build-a-band" act we employed. My initial contact was Brian Bergeron who not only understood our vision, but encouraged us to make it happen. What an awesome guy. He was just as excited as we were! In fact, that's what stands out about Ivy Hill - their passion for music and events. They truly love what they do and understand the honor of being part of your event. Ivy Hill also offers such quality musicians! I couldn't believe we had all these cool people playing our wedding! It was great to see their musical backgrounds and sound samples from the website and resources. For our wedding, they supplied everything from the sound technician, musical equipment, speakers, musicians, and even an amazing Bandleader extraordinaire: Jon Devoto. Man, this guy was incredible! In addition to coordinating the musicians, he was also the lead singer, MC... and as a special request, include some mind-blowing tap dancing. Everyone loved him! I wish I could go through each of the musicians (Debbie Ilana, the New Classics, MJs Brass Boppers) because they brought so much flavor & style. It was like a mini-musical festival. The best part is that whatever you decide to book - whether it be an intimate musical vibe, dope DJ, or full-blown band - they deliver a memorable performance and professional experience. This team is full of talent and heart. They also have a big network of musicians and DJs so you don't need to worry about flaky musicians or no-shows. God forbid someone gets sick, they have the resources to ensure you are set. I trust them implicitly. I knew that I had nothing to worry about when booking them. The communication was clear and timely. We were in-line every step of the way. In fact, they are the only company I will use for future events. If you seek a top-notch service, this is the place for you. As you can see form their website, Ivy Hill Entertainment has a lot to offer. They exceeded our already high expectations. It is my pleasure to write this review and spread the word.

I have attended music camps with Mr. Finley, and can honestly say he's a one of a kind music…read moreteacher. He understands how to teach music to all ages and is able to problem solve any problem that occurs in front of him. He's not a teacher that will sit by and allow you to do whatever you want. Whether you're someone who has a passion for learning an instrument, or doesn't know what to expect, Michael will make it an enjoyable experience. Keep it up Mike!!

Incredible musician and an incredible human being! Michael taught my nephew years ago and was an…read moreincredible role model~

I found Altair Trio via Google. We decided somewhat last minute that live musicians for our wedding…read moreceremony would be a nice touch. I emailed 4 possible groups, and Altair Trio stood out as the most reasonably priced, professional and prepared. Cynthia and I set everything up via email, which I loved. We discussed song lists, and she was more than happy to incorporate songs that weren't listed on their repertoire. She advised me on which songs would go together best, and offered to learn new songs, for an additional fee, if I chose to go that route. They agreed to come as a duo, and I booked them for an hour, less than the typical 1.5 hour minimum. Our wedding ended up starting more than 30 minutes late, but Cynthia and Michelle played and waited for us, and everyone really enjoyed the music. The late start meant they stayed later than planned. I so appreciated their flexibility! My only regret was that I never met them in person since I was busy getting married. Thanks Altair Trio, you were amazing and I would hire you again in an instant!

Altair Trio was highly recommended to us by Testarossa Winery, the venue where I had my wedding…read moreceremony and reception. Cynthia was lovely from the beginning to the end, in terms of coordinating and planning. She helped me select songs and took time to create the perfect ceremony and cocktail hour ambiance for the wedding. She was very professional but also very personable. She also worked within our limited budget and made it possible for us to have lovely live music on our special day. The Altair Trio plays not only exceptional classical, but also classic rock, and even contemporary pop and experimental. They have a vast repertoire of music and talent, as they are super well trained and experienced. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the music and had a great time.

My son has been enjoying learning piano with Dr. Wenshuai for more than two years. I am very…read moreimpressed that Dr. Wenshuai can tolerate my son and give him the most patience during teaching. Two weeks ago, my son motivated himself to sightread John Williams's Star War main theme sheet music and tried to play it on piano himself. I am very surprised that he has a deep love in classic music and would like him to continue the music journey with New Mozart School of Music!

We can strongly and happily recommend Teacher Rebecca and New Mozart for anyone interested in…read morepursing piano. My daughter has been practicing with New Mozart for over 8 years, making beautiful progress. Teacher Rebecca teachers with kindness and encouragement balanced with deep technical skill and artistry. My daughter's confidence is growing as her technique and musicality deepens. New Mozart has a smart cadence of professionally run and warm/welcoming recitals so the students get a lot of experience performing without feeling overly pressured or stressed.

We hired Mariachi Trío Estrellas de Oro for my friend's wedding, and they were absolutely amazing…read morefrom start to finish! Rigo was my main contact, and he was so friendly, caring, and incredibly easy to communicate with. Our venue had very poor cell service, which made coordinating a surprise performance a bit tricky--but Rigo went above and beyond. He even called ahead of time to make sure he had the exact location and understood where he needed to be so everything would go smoothly. Despite the challenges, they showed up right on time, patiently waited for the perfect moment, and completely made the bride's day. It was such a special surprise, and they executed it flawlessly. On top of that, they played an extra song so the couple could have a first dance moment--which wasn't even planned--and it ended up being one of the most memorable parts of the night. We will absolutely be hiring Rigo and the group again in the future. Highly, highly recommend!

I had such an amazing experience with Mariachi Trio Estrellas De Oro! I hired them for a surprise…read morebirthday party at a restaurant patio in Mill Valley and it was better than I could have imagined. I arrived only moments before the guest of honor and the band was ready to go--they started playing right after the big "surprise" and it made it so special! Rigo was super easy to work with, and all of the setup coordination was between Rigo and the restaurant directly. Very talented group of guys, the party was an absolute hit. Thank you Rigo and Mariachi Trio Estrellas De Oro!

I sent both of my children (a teen and a tween) to Mariah Wilson's Musicianship Mastery Summer…read moreCamp. The day went from about 9 am to 2:30 pm. I had to pry them off their chairs when it was time to be picked up every day. To say they enjoyed it would be an understatement. Mariah was able to assess each of the students' individual musical skills and then address topics that challenged each student. The end-of-camp performance was a treat. As a professional musician myself, I can say that Mariah is one of the best all-around musicians with whom I have ever had the pleasure of working. Highly recommended!

I highly recommend Jimmée Greco at Hope Street Music Studio as a clarinet teacher. We have been…read moretaking lessons from her for several years now. She is an excellent teacher, encouraging, understanding, and supportive. She challenges you to learn more complex music as your skills grow, and she has good strategies and approaches to learning and improving. She communicates well with both student and teacher. Besides being an excellent teacher, she is a very kind and thoughtful person. We enjoy taking lessons from her and plan to continue doing so.

As good as it gets! I've taken jazz improv classes and saxophone lessons with Peter Spitzer for 15…read moreyears! An ever learning experience. Peter is an awesome musician and educator, extremely knowledgeable in Jazz history and harmony (check out his blog linked to from the Studio website). My 5 years old started learning piano with Jessica last year. She is great with small kids. Kept our daughter motivated and interested while learning and having fun. I took piano lessons with Martan Mann for a while too, a great stablished Bay Area piano player. As others said, the Studio new location in Mountain View is much more accessible with ample parking and no distractions. A great friendly environment for learning music. Nov 2017 UPDATE: while both myself and my now 7 years old continue to take lessons in the Studio, my other son has started taking lessons with Peter as well, in supplement to his playing with his school band! Oct 2020 UPDATE: my older son continues taking lessons with Peter, now through Zoom since Covid started. he did not miss a beat, still motivated and learning.

My son has been a fan of Andy Z for several years now, and we've gone to many, many shows. So this…read moreyear, we decided to have Andy Z perform at our son's birthday party. We're so glad we did. Andy was a huge hit! The kids absolutely loved him. And Andy was such a trooper. It was over 100 degrees, and he played a 45 minute show in that heat (in the shade). But the kids were dancing their butts off even in that heat! I was super impressed. He's just so great with the kids. Andy is also very professional and very kind to work with. We scheduled in advance, and he was very good with communication. He was very patient that I forgot to send him a requested play list until the morning of (not cool on my part). He was very gracious and never complained about working in that insane heat. I was very impressed and very grateful. The kids loved him and the parents raved about him. Everyone was very excited that I bought CDs to give away in the treat bags for the guests. I highly recommend purchasing some CDs to give to guests. Please support Andy Z because he's an awesome guy and is amazing with the kids! You've gotta take your kids to his shows, but even better, have him play at your kids' birthday party or other kids' event. Highly recommend!

We saw Andy Z at a fall festival and he was AMAZING!!! He was super engaging, and the kids all…read morecrowded around him the entire show. We adults also enjoyed the show as well. My son won't stop asking for us to play the song Sticky, Sticky Bubblegum on repeat after hearing Andy sing. Thank you Andy Z. We can't wait to use you for a future event!!!

Our son has participated in both SJW year round (Giant Steps and Miles Ahead) and the summer…read moreprogram and both are great. The staff is excellent - they work well with kids, are strong music teachers and make the experience positive and rewarding. Our son started with SJW when he was a beginner musician and the program has help him develop into a strong musician. Thanks to the support and teaching at SJW he has made California All State Honor Jazz band multiple times and he still feels challenged by the SJW program and continues to grow as a musician thanks to them. I would highly recommend this program to any young musician - whether they have never tried jazz, are serious about jazz or are just interested in taking their music to the next level. Like any program though you get out what you put in, so be prepared to practice.

In contrast to some of the other reviews, our son had a fantastic experience in the Miles Ahead Big…read moreBand program that ran during the 2018/19 school year. They rehearsed once a week at the College of San Mateo (great facility and campus) and he left each session drained yet excited as they rehearsed non stop, requiring all his focus and playing the best he could. This "conglomerate" band was a perfect opportunity to play with liked minded student musicians, at a higher level than he could get in his high school program. Our son looked up to music director Mike Galisatus, who worked closely with the students, provided great feedback, and seemed to truly care about the band and program. We look forward to auditioning again and hope that we can continue with the program while our son finishes high school.

We have these guys play for our conference last year and I can't believe I haven't written in a…read morereview for them yet. The music was a lot of fun and they got everybody dancing. They had a great spirit. We're gonna try to hire them again this year.

I do not recommend the musicians hired for my friend's private event this past Saturday…read more Prior to booking, I reviewed feedback from others and noticed a recurring concern regarding poor communication. Unfortunately, that was exactly the experience we encountered. After receiving payment, the musicians left the venue without any communication or explanation. The venue has a strict noise ordinance, which required additional coordination, setup adjustments, and effort in order to proceed with the performance. Despite being aware of these circumstances and after having already been paid, they chose to leave rather than communicate or work through the situation. Their lack of professionalism and communication created unnecessary stress and disappointment for my friend on what was supposed to be a special and memorable day. Clear communication, especially when unexpected challenges arise, is essential when providing services for important events. Based on this experience, I cannot recommend their services. I truly hope they listen to everyone's feedback and do better, no one deserves to be ghosted during any special event, and we do not wish to hinder people who love to work and love what they do. Please do better !! My friends and I support local businesses.