My children, like many of children in the area, have joined the public school orchestra. They…read moredecided on their instruments (which completely matched their personalities) and so we were directed to Uptown Music for rental and other equipment. Emmaly was amazing and took incredible care of me and my boys! The store was very busy, considering it was the weekend after Orchestra Parent night, but she greeted us immediately and was incredibly helpful in finding us what we needed. She sized up my one son immediately, as he played the same instrument she did, but she was quick to realize that my other son wanted to play an instrument that might be in short supply, so she rushed to check on that one first. She happened to get the very last one that was in stock and immediately claimed it for us. She then spent a great deal of time going over the entire instrument, ensuring that we had the right bow, rosin, and that the case fit correctly and had everything in it. She then set us up on the other instrument, and made sure it fit properly. She clearly explained all the rental rules and requirements and how it worked. I will say this; Uptown Music appears committed to keeping people playing music over maximizing overall profit. It's a rent-to-own system, and when a child sizes up out of an instrument, you can bring it back in and have the credit go immediately to the new one. If my children stay with these instruments, I won't have to constantly go back and buy a bigger size while being stuck with lost payments on an old one. I really appreciate that! They also operate on a month-to-month rental agreement, so if it doesn't work out, I'm not stuck with a long term contract. Music books were ready available, and despite the fact that all the schools in the area were starting up orchestra, they put $30 music stands on sale for $20. I had to drop some money to get my kids set up for this, but it could have been A LOT more. Then, because of all the confusion, there was a small error in the initial payment on the rental agreement. Emmaly gave us a call and the store was super accommodating in giving us time to get back in and catch up on the payment. I visited Uptown Music years and years ago, over eleven I'd have to say, and took some piano lessons here to try and build on what I learned as a kid. Going back with my kids now was a great experience, and made me get excited about music all over again. I'm really hoping my kids enjoy playing their instruments. I'd love to keep them playin for years and years. One of my sons is interested in the saxophone, so we're looking at that for a potential future option. If you're in need of musical instruments, I strongly urge you to avoid large national chains and check out this place. I had a great experience and felt very well taken care of!

Incredible customer service! Very friendly and family oriented. Actually wants you to get the best…read moreout of your musical journey.

Pedro was great to work with. Traded in a Guild D-55 I purchased in 1976 and had owned 48 years…read moreon a Martin D-18 Standard Satin. The net outlay (trade in value and new guitar purchase price together) was very fair and pretty much what I was expecting/hoping for. Pedro tracked down the last Martin D-18 Standard Satin Natural Finish in the entire Guitar Center chain (at the time). Located the last one in Georgia. Pedro ordered it, got it shipped to the Keizer Store, and alerted me to its arrival. I did an inspection and play of it, and we closed the deal. Pedro put in a lot of time and effort on this trade/purchase for me. Grateful for his help and assistance!

I had an issue recently with GC when trying to get some info on a particular guitar I was…read moreconsidering purchasing. Long story short I reached out to management regarding my issue. I was subsequently contacted by corporate management and they offered to assist me with my purchase. We corresponded over a couple of weeks and I was ultimately able to make my purchase to my complete satisfaction. I want to give a shout out to Leslie Rosenthal - Director, Internal Communications and Dave Matthes Guitar Center - District Manager. They both went the extra mile to make sure it all worked out to my satisfaction. I am very grateful to you both for your assistance. What's the best thing about buying a guitar from Guitar Center? You get to actually try out the instrument before taking it home and they have a 45 day return policy which is very generous. If you buy from the internet; the return shipping is not free! I know with an organization that's as large as GC you're bound to run into challenges from time to time but the real measurement is how your issues are resolved. To me that's the difference. Thanks Guitar Center!

They went all out to trade me back and let me choose a more suitable instrument for me . I now have…read morea small parlor guitar and love it. Super nice people not pushy at all, lots of choices more than I have ever seen in one shop. Lessons- school rentals they do it all.

Great customer service, went in to look at a certain guitar, they let me try it, answered all the…read morequestions i had and even gave some advice, they didn't try to sell me a bunch of stuff I didn't need. Where very nice and honest. Was in n out within 10min and i left very happy with my purchase! Definitely will be coming back when I decide to upgrade!

This place is a lot of fun. My son loves the vinyls, my daughter loves the cds and I love the…read morecassettes. They have an incredible selection in all of the above. The owners are super nice. I feel incredibly lucky to live not far from such a cool store. Oh and my daughter wanted to point out they have a solid selection of both buttons and stickers. :)

For a smaller music shop, it has a great amount of selection. Also, the owner and staff are amazing!read more

We love everything about RiverCity Rock Star Academy!…read more My daughter is about to start her 4th program with them, the Saturday Rockers. These programs run each season, with summer being a bit shorter than the others. She takes electric guitar lessons in the program, which teaches students not only how to play their instruments but also how to play together as a band. Each session includes one-on-one private lessons (which can be done anytime), then 2-hour band lessons (on Saturday in our case). So some students are learning guitar, others doing drums, bass, keyboard, or taking vocal lessons. They select a playlist of songs they want to learn and rehearse together, with full support from the instructors every step of the way. At the end of each program, they perform live in front of an audience. Sometimes it's mostly parents, other times they do shows in town, like at The Barn or Grand Theater. It's been very motivating for my daughter, and I started taking private lessons there myself recently. Every staff member and instructor genuinely cares about the success, safety, and satisfaction of the students and it shows. I think the pricing is very reasonable for everything you get, and there's not many places that do anything like this. It's a great location, too, because they can really play loud without disturbing anyone, yet it's also very close to downtown and lots of little restaurants to check out nearby. From the front, it may look small but once you go inside you and see how many rooms the place has, you'll see it's actually very spacious inside. There's also a good selection of guitars and gear to buy, with no pressure and very helpful staff. Check out their website and social media, or stop by and give them a try!

Am I the first person to review RiverCity Rock Star Academy on Yelp? That would be my honor…read more Why is a guy from Chicago raving about RiverCity Rock Star Academy? I could list 3 things but I'll focus on the third point. I purchased a beautiful white/white Jet JS-400 Guitar from Oregon, long distance. That process went great. 1) Timely updates in email. 2) Wonderfully packed. 3) Great SETUP of the guitar. I took the guitar out of the box and it was flawless. I tuned it, that was simple. The guitar played great out of the box. Normally you need to spend $50 getting a guitar "set up". Putting on new strings and making sure the "action" isn't too high. The "action" on my new Jet Guitar JS-400 was perfect. Let's call it medium. Too high and it's hard for a beginner to press down guitar strings. Strings too low and you get "fret buzz". My Jet guitar from RiverCity Rock Star Academy played great out of the box. Her Slovenian name is "Bela" pronounced "bay luh". (Jet Guitars are owned by Slovenians.) RiverCity Rock Star Academy staff are wonderful. Buy a guitar from them locally or long distance. Best Wishes from Chicago, IL Richard

Wow, this is service at it's best. So the first time I experienced Windsmith Music my daughter and…read moreI were shopping for a violin for her. We came to try a few of the violins they had. They were great about explaining the different choices they had and talking about some of the different sounds each violin might produce. My daughter tried the four that were in our price range and didn't really experience anything remarkable. So ultimately we ended up playing a German Violin that had the sound she was looking for. Something about being made from wood from the Carpathian Forests, seemed to make a difference :) But I wouldn't hesitate to buy a violin from them. And personally, I'd love to do that b/c their service is so great (more about that next). So recently, we had a problem with our silent (electric) violin. One of the strings was starting to come apart a bit so we decided to get new strings thinking that would fix the problem. We brought the violin back and found out the problem was still there. So we called, and they said to bring the violin back and they'd take a look. We dropped it off and then about a day later they figured out it had to do with a finger guide we had wrapped around the neck which was coming up just enough to cause a problem w/ a couple of the strings. What impressed me though was how kind and helpful they were throughout the whole process. Cassie was the one helping us and she was AMAZING! So basically, the problem was all on us. We are the ones who caused this issue (not them). Yet they took the time to research the problem to try and figure out what it was, then figured out the issue and got us taken care of. Then on top of that we weren't charged anything. At one point they even offered to drop our violin off in Corvallis (where we live) to save us a trip back into Philomath. PRO TIP: If you're traveling from Corvallis, I recommend calling first depending on what you might need. For example, the person you may want to speak with or work with may not be there when you stop by so it might be wise to call again just to be sure. But they truly go above and beyond, give great service, their pricing is very fair and reasonable. We're fortunately to have such a great music business here in the area and I'm excited for the next time we'll be stopping by!

Very knowledgeable. Was helped with my grandsons guitar and multiple suggestions for lesson it was…read morea very pleasant surprise to find someone so knowledgeable and helpful

One of the best music teachers I've ever worked with. Patient and very easy going for an enjoyable…read morelesson and informative session. I've learned so much about music not just for singing but also for guitar and piano theory as well. He's extra talented to teach you and motivate you in all areas! 10/10 would recommend.

I can't say enough amazing things about working with Kevin! From day one, he has been incredibly…read morepatient, encouraging, and inspiring. Kevin has a gift for breaking down complex techniques into simple, easy-to-understand steps -- making both voice and guitar feel approachable and fun. I am sure it helps that Kevin has been a performer much of his life and takes absolute joy in what he does. His passion for music is contagious, and he brings so much energy and positivity into every session. I always leave lessons feeling not only more skilled but also more motivated and excited to practice. If you're looking for a knowledgeable, talented, and genuinely supportive instructor who will help you unlock your potential and fall even more in love with music, I can't recommend Kevin highly enough. He's the real deal! Love working with you Kevin!

Tried to get my 7 year old Yamaha Clavinova keyboard-contact boards replaced. His person that…read morefixes these never called back. He also doesn't help anymore with sheet music you want to buy for songs you want to play. Uptown Music in Keizer, Oregon took care of me with one phone call. The other choice was in Portland. Nice to have a closer alternative.

Once you visit this store, you will know that the owner Rick truly loves what he does! I always…read morewanted to learn the piano, so I decided to visit this store to find my very first piano. Rick was kind and gave me advice and recommendations to find the right one for me. All the pianos I saw at his store were high quality ones. The pricing of the pianos was great, as well. I ended up purchasing the Yamaha digital piano, and he gave me a great deal for it. Rick set it up and delivered to our place. My family and I are very happy about the piano I got from this store! I would highly recommend his business to anyone who is thinking about getting a piano!

Great guitar teacher! I'm amazed at the skills my 10 year old has gained seeing Mike once a week…read morefor her lessons.

Mike is an amazing teacher and I can't believe how far he has brought my son in just a year! He…read moreworks hard to tailor the teaching style, style of music, and personality to fit the best with my son and how he learns. He came home from his very first lesson working on a song that he knew! His student books that he wrote himself are an excellent tool and work very well for us!

I have a nice guitar for a number of years and the only thing I have fond with it is move it from…read moreHome to Home, corner to corner. My plan was to absorb the desired playing skills by listening to a variety of music. Ok that didn't work so after settling in my new home, wife noticed beginning classes in the paper. Called and he recommended take my guitar before classes start and have it setup. Just down the street and close to home, Cartwright's is where to go. Ken checked my Taylor out changed out the strings so I would have softer ones to learn on, gave it a good going over. The shop has plenty of parking, is very nice inside and really enjoyed our visit today while he went over my guitar. It's good to know I can get quality service and not have to drive a hundred miles.

From the owner: We build and repair string music instruments. Fine restorations of vintage and new music…read moreinstruments.