I really don't like doing this, but sometimes it has to happen. My experience here was not good. I…read morelive in west Philly and as a collector of all things vtg 1950's, I was excited to take a new (to me) 1950's record player to the record shop to inquire about repairs. The person I purchased from told me it needed a new needle. Whether or not that's true I'll never know. The associate who helped me the day I dropped the player off was not the issue. They took a look at it, told me I needed to pay $20 for labor, and said they'd call me when they had a chance to look it over. I told the employee that I'd be willing to pay upwards of $150 to have it working because it was in really great shape cosmetically, and I WAS thrilled to have found it and bought it. It was beautiful..Money was not an issue, because this thing meant something to me. I was very vocal about this when I dropped it off. 2-3 weeks went by and I got a call. The person I spoke to was not the same person I handed the player over to. They told me that it was too complicated to fix and "not worth their time and effort." I Found that comment to be a dismissive, but whatever, they don't want to do it, that's fine, I wasn't mad. I told the person over the phone that I would be by to pick it up. Conversation ended. That week I stopped by the record shop to get it, and the person I spoke to on the phone was there. I know this because he told me he threw it away. The entire time we are having this exchange, he doesn't once look up from whatever it is he was reading or writing or whatever, all I knew in that moment was that a complete stranger was informing me that he had trashed my property, in a " I give zero fucks," kinda way. No eye contact, and no apology. It's like I was bothering him when I asked why they would do something like this after I told them I was coming to pick it up. His response was "that's not how I recall our conversation going." I am a west Philly nanny and had the babes I care for with me, so I calmly closed the door that day, but have felt livid ever since. I really try not to think about it, but its pretty impossible when I'm still waiting for a response to the email I sent them. I'll spare you the details about how painful this feels to have something that's irreplaceable, and gorgeous, just thrown away, especially because they advertize as A RECORD REPAIR SHOP..I really thought they might give a suit about what they do but it defineitly doesn't seem that's way. The careless employee who trashed my record player actually said out loud that I told them I didn't want it. WHAT! Considering he couldn't take one second to look up at me while telling me he trashed my property, doesn't bode well for someone trying to claim they were paying attention to the conversation In the first place. Take accountability! Apologize, or at the very least respond to my message on your website. Really wish I had gotten that dudes name, but I will be looking into that, and will update. I asked them to refund me the $20 and pay me the cost of the player. That's $70 It's not like I'm asking for a lot here, But like I said, they chose to do absolutely nothing other than take my money and destroy my property. I've been chatting w people in my community and it's seems this place has a reputation, and it's not pretty. If you want repairs done, look elsewhere. I sent the email to the record shop like two months ago. I waited and waited and waited before coming here. They literally left me co other choice.

BEST RECORD STORE in PHILADELPHIA HANDS DOWN! Not only did I receive excellent service, but the…read morefemale co-owner was incredibly informed without talking to me like I know nothing about sound systems (which I really don't). A black and white cat hung out in the store (gotta love a record store cat) while she informed me about the system that would work best in my apartment. I went home and tried to put the speakers/turntable together on my own...as mentioned, my brain doesn't work well with technology. Something wasn't right. I called the store to ask for help, and the (female) co-owner CAME OVER TO MY HOUSE (I live 2 blocks from the store) to help me trouble shoot the issue. Turns out, I had not connected the power cable from the speakers to the turn table. (slapping forehead) I nearly hugged her. What a wonderful human being. I CANNOT RECOMMEND THEM ENOUGH. Thank you, Common Beat. You literally rock!

I've had the pleasure of knowing Mike for several years as a friend, musical colleague and teacher,…read moreand I would definitely recommend him to folks just starting out on an instrument or looking to expand their breadth of knowledge. He is accomplished on his instruments and plays a variety of styles well. When he helped me on guitar, he was able to simplify the theory and give me suggestions to improve my technique instead of the doing the humdrum "do this not that" approach some musicians have adopted. He was also extremely patient and gave constructive feedback. As far as music teachers go, he's one of the best I know.

Truthfully, I can say I had the pleasure of having a few lessons with Mike. We worked together…read morebriefly and I showed interest in playing the guitar. Mike generously gave me time a few nights a week to get me started. He is extremely patient which is important to me because I am a slow learner. Mike was able to simplify the language of music by distributing the information at my speed. If someone is in the market for a smart, charismatic, patient teacher whom understands the challenges of learning something new or just tuning up rusty skills Mike is that guy. Party on!

Simon is an absolutely wonderful, VERY talented, and charismatic piano teacher who really cares…read moreabout helping me take my playing to heights that I thought were beyond my reach. He has his Education from the Moscow conservatory and Yale among other places! I highly recommend him! I have been studying with him online for around 9 months now. I really love the online lesson platform that he uses as well as I'm able to review all my piano lessons after we meet! He is a great and attentive listener, thorough with communication about lessons and times, flexible, and fun to learn from!

We feel so incredibly lucky to have found Simon Karakulidi Piano Studio! My daughter has not only…read moregrown in her technical skill and musicality, but she has also developed a true love and appreciation for piano -- all thanks to the inspiring, patient, and masterful teaching she receives here. The instruction is thoughtful and personalized, always striking the perfect balance between high expectations and gentle encouragement. What really sets Karakulidi Piano Studio apart is the deep care for each student as an individual -- my daughter feels seen, supported, and genuinely celebrated in her musical journey. If you're looking for a piano teacher who is both an exceptional musician and a nurturing, dedicated educator, we cannot recommend Karakulidi Piano Studio highly enough. It has been a true gift to our family.

Erin is a freakin' miracle worker. I've been singing for years but always had a lot of tension and…read moretightness. Erin has helped me learn proper singing and breathing technique, and now singing is so much easier for me AND it sounds better. She's great about finding different ways to help her students learn and understand the concepts she's teaching and it's very effective. Highly highly recommended!

My 14-year-old daughter has been taking lessons with Erin for about the past year and she really…read moreseems to enjoy working with Erin. Not only is she improving on her vocal skills, but I feel it's also given her greater confidence and poise. Erin is an extremely supportive teacher. She really goes above and beyond, in my opinion. I was particularly touched when she took time out of her own busy schedule to come see my daughter perform in her school play. The fact that she would do that, to me, speaks volumes about her as a person and instructor and I know it meant a lot to my daughter as well.

As a parent of young kids, traveling is definitely more challenging than it used to be. We love…read moreJay's music class because we get to experience music from around the world...right in West Philly! This class has been a great opportunity to meet other parents and children, learn about different cultures, and have fun. Each class has a set structure but a unique group of songs, so there's always something new while making little ones feel comfortable. We "travel" to different regions of the world each season (The Caribbean, Eastern Europe, East and Southeast Asia to name a few). Jay is a great teacher and we highly recommend his class!

We love this music class! It is the one activity on our schedule every week that we cannot miss. It…read morehas brought so much music into our home and even my husband sings the songs with our 2 year old even though he has never attended a class! The music is beautiful and unique, the delivery is entertaining and we have made some lovely friendships with other families who also value music and play. We hope to continue to attend this class for many seasons to come and would highly recommend it!