Russell provides excellent professional service and is highly knowledgeable and skilled in his…read morecraft. Don't be misled by the negative review by "Kevin S." who asked Russell if you need a "trained ear" to know if a piano is tuned correctly. Really, Kevin ?! Russell tuned Dave Brubeck's pianos -- which speaks to his level of appreciation on the part of piano aficionados as well as families who love their pianos.

Unresponsive and immediately became defensive and suggested I look elsewhere when bringing up…read morequestions about whether he needed a trained ear around to help judge the tuning. Being unfamiliar with the process of tuning a piano, he shooed me away as a potential customer instead of standing behind his work and experience to help educate.

I'm in my 60s. I began taking piano lessons with Susan Parrish before Covid, Zoom, and social…read moredistancing. Piano lessons have changed very little for me. Susan guided me through purchasing a simple USB mic and headphones (Amazon). Lessons are now held using a laptop and Zoom. We can communicate easily using these devices. She sees me and I see her. Though I miss going to her studio, I'm satisfied with the new lessons arrangement. I'm as motivated to learn in my home as I am in her studio. Same lesson - different environment. I can roll with this.

Like many folks in their 50s and 60s, I started playing piano when I was young (4 or 5), took…read morelessons until I was a teenager, played in the school orchestra, and then abandoned studying music when other things became more important. I continued to play on occasion, and have always owned a piano, but it was growing stale for me, because I wasn't learning new techniques or being challenged at all. In my early 50s, I decided it was time for some lessons. Initially, I was looking just for some guidance with new pieces to learn and some technique tune ups. I took a beginning music theory class at a local college, taught by Susan Parrish, decided she would be a good person to try lessons with again, and started what I thought would be a short series of lessons. Susan is what I call a "serious" teacher, someone not only a talented player, but well educated, devoted to teaching piano, and very professional in her approach. I enjoy working with her, and have gained an appreciation for how she works with young student. As I've said numerous times to Susan, I wish I'd had a teacher like her when I was young, because I would have grown up to be a much better musician than I am. Susan is serious about teaching piano, but what works best for me is that she's also committed to helping her student enjoy playing. She encourages me to select and tackle the pieces that I find interesting (and my tastes are all over the place, from Chopin to Pink Floyd), and then helps me to approach learning those pieces with patience and creative techniques. I'm now aware of entire layers of subtlety in playing that I never knew existed before, and how they enrich both my ability to play and my enjoyment of playing. I derive immense satisfaction from sitting down and playing, and look forward to having more time to play in the future. I cannot thank Susan enough for reinvigorating my relationship to playing and enjoying music. I think students of all age will benefit from studying with someone who understands so much about music and is so willing to teach to the individual and being a sense of joy to the endeavor.

I had the pleasure of learning from Steve for about 6 months until I moved out of California. I…read morefound Steve shortly quitting lessons with another private instructor. Right away I could tell Steve was a great pianist. Come to find, he's also a great teacher and person. We discussed goals and he quickly set up a practice regimen to get me on track to learning piano. Even though he specializes in jazz, he is classically trained and will take you through different techniques for whatever style you want. I learned different technical and rhythm exercises, along with all of the foundational skills (theory, scales, chords, etc) and some more advanced stuff (dynamics, rubato, and giving a song "life"). Practice was always fun and Steve always had different approaches for tackling whatever struggles I was having with a specific piece or idea. On top of all of this, Steve is just an all around great guy. Easy to talk to - I benefited just as much from his wisdom and life experience as I did from his piano teaching. If I ever live in the area again I'm definitely contacting him for more lessons. Thanks Steve!!

I have experienced several piano teachers for my children and Steve is the best by far! He is…read morepatient and kind, yet keeps his students on task and maintains high expectations. He is a true musician who performs in a jazz quartet at local venues. Our family has enjoyed the added opportunity of seeing him perform live and watching the musicians in his group interact with each other. Steve's mantra is "music is to be enjoyed." My son has benefited from Steve's skills as a teacher. I would highly recommend him.

We feel so blessed to have found Rob Mahoney for piano lessons for our son! Our son started…read moreworking with Rob 1.5 years back, at the age of 5. Our son can now read music, and play basic piano beautifully! Rob is patient, kind, and fun too. He has a detached recording studio at his house with a full grand Yamaha piano, keyboard, and drum set. We are so grateful to Rob for all he has taught our son, and we look forward to working with him for many, many years to come!

I have also been one of Martan's piano students for several years. I can tell you that Martan has…read moremany talents. First, he's a busy and in-demand performing musician; various venues, solo, backing, and ensemble settings. So whether you just want to entertain yourself or you want to (or already do) perform for others, he can share a wealth of knowledge regarding performance skills. Second, he's a skilled teacher of music theory and piano technique at every level from beginner to professional. If you're at a beginning level, he'll start you off right with a solid foundation. If you already play, he'll help you progress faster and farther. And you'll always have a clear vision of where you are and where you're going on your musical journey. Third, he's an amazingly-creative musician. He's a master at improvisation, and even better, he can teach you how to improvise also. Not just playing a few licks, but real, meaningful improvisation. It's not just for those "who were born with it". Fourth (and to me most impressive), he's wonderfully gifted at teaching how think of music as a language, in order to express meaning and emotion through your playing. Whether you're improvising or playing written pieces, this is the critical difference between "sounding like everyone else" and finding your own sound.

After staring at a little-used guitar in my house for 10 years, I decided to take lessons in my…read more60s. I found Ron through his reviews, and it has been an awesome experience to start playing a new instrument at this age. Ron really focuses on proper technique and holding the instrument/playing the instrument correctly from the get-go, but is also thoughtful about customizing the position of the guitar and your fingers to make it comfortable and easy. Ron is incredibly patient, always encouraging, and just a delight to spend time with since he makes you feel comfortable no matter how you're playing. He clearly enjoys sharing his passion for music, even with beginners.

I joined Ron's Performance Workshop in 2019, after having studied two years with an on-line…read moreclassical guitar school. When I arrived, Ron quickly spotted difficulties I had with right and left hand position, posture, and excess tension, which are very difficult to assess in a video format. He worked with me in a patient and positive manner, and I gradually understood the whys and hows of the basic skills I'd been missing. These improvements led to other positives such as easier playing, better tone, and more enjoyment of the instrument. I've been attending Ron's Performance Workshop continuously for the last four years and have seen all of the students, from intermediate to very advanced, continue their progress with Ron's coaching. I use the word "coaching" because there is no lecturing or over-teaching. Ron pinpoints the source of a student's difficulty and offers solutions concisely, based on his extensive teaching experience and knowledge of the repertoire. Each session leaves me feeling that I can and will improve my skill and enjoy the pleasure of playing.

Andrew is truly a gifted drummer and teacher. He is patient, methodical, and his approach to…read morelearning makes a lot of sense for the beginner student. He has a unique gift of being able to break down complex rhythms into bite size pieces, especially for someone like myself who tends to get overwhelmed easily by the bigger picture. He has a vast range of technical skills including but not limited to years of practice and performance doing West African drumming, mbira, drum set, and various percussion styles. His ear for rhythm is second nature and he possesses exquisite taste in regards to his influence. If you are in the market for a drum teacher, Andrew is a true professional possessing the wisdom and experience to assist you on your journey.

Very talented and patient teacher! I found Andrew to be a very well rounded instructor...After…read moreevery lesson I can tell my technique and rhythm has improved exponentially... Also, on a personal note, he happens to be a really nice fella! Highly recommended.

Ben is an amazing teacher! I started practicing as an adult. He's extremely patient and is able to…read morebreak down any obstacle into manageable parts. Can't recommend enough!

Our 13-year old was transferred to Ben when her previous teacher, who had been highly esteemed for…read moreclassical piano training, decided to retire. So far her progress with Ben has been great. He's got her playing some very advanced pieces with good rhythm and clean fingering. He's enrolled her in a demanding program that requires a lot of music theory training - stuff I never heard of when I was learning music theory as a kid - and I think it will pay off down the line, especially if she goes into an area of music that uses non-standard modal keys or jazz. Ben's got a formal approach to teaching, and this is probably good for kids like my daughter, who need a short leash to be reminded to polish what they're leaning before moving on to new material.