I am a little bias as I am related to Phillip Lai. That said, his lessons speak for themselves; and…read moreafter only a few weeks of lessons, I can't imagine any parent or young artist disagreeing. You can ask for references or get a CD of his recitals which he'll happily provide to any skeptical prospective students. I've known him all my life and I cannot remember a time when the piano was a difficult skill for him. He is truly talented musician. Unlike others who are talented and can't understand why piano is difficult, Phillip knows how to explain the concepts and identify why a person is having trouble. He has a very results oriented method to teaching that differs from typical, stodgy approaches approaches. There are two things that clearly identify his talent in helping students learn this skill. 1) A recent recital had students of all ages (5-85) happy to show their skill in public. Some had only been taking lessons for 1 month. They all were able to complete a full song - of their choosing - and show well in public. 2) His students are happy both going into and coming out of the lesson. It is clear that Phillips enthusiasm is contagious. He knows how to get kids to embrace the joy of the instrument and that ultimately encourages them to practice and improve their skill. 3) He is extremely good with kids of all ages. He recognizes that you are asking him to provide a service. He spends time getting to know his students, what they are trying to accomplish and how to get them to that ability to accomplish this goal. The one downside that I would mention is that due to the popularity of his lessons, he does tend to be fairly booked. That said, I know he works really hard to fit all students in.

Most people that write yelp reviews are whiners...People who are happy rarely write a reviews...so,…read moreplease don't go by the yelp rating. I've been dealing there for many years including before it was Long & McQuade. Staff is unbelievably helpful...but not miracle workers :-) They take whatever time is necessary to guide you in your buying purchase...not to mention prices are comparable to anywhere in Canada. Yes I am biased...why, not because I'm a relative because I'm not. But because their service and attention to detail is second to none. They service most of the working musicians in town which points to their product knowledge. I'll tell you why I keep going back...cause they're just a great staff and that always works for me. Art P.

Brutal customer service…read more I intended to return a pedal I purchased there and called them to ask for details about their return policy. The fellow was very wishy-washy and could not give a straight answer. I was put on hold while he "consulted someone else" and he hung up on me. AVOID.

Very friendly and helpful. Got a very fair price on a Sigma classical guitar with case…read more Strings are priced as good as you can get online. They have lots of inventory.

Personal courteous and honest service. No upselling here. You get exactly what you need. The music…read moreteachers there as well are world class.

Riverside Music has it all not to mention the wonderful service provided by the owner and his wife…read more Jason specializes in selling instruments and providing lessons from vocal; piano; guitar; yuks; violin; flutes and more, you name it the talent is here. I would love to see him set up a sound booth, studio or reach out and display the talent created. One of the most friendly places you will ever find.

From the owner: Authorized Yamaha Clavinova and acoustic piano dealer. Music lessons just for fun and/or preparing…read morefor RCM exams and music festivals. Full retailer with guitars, string and wind instruments, accessories. Home of the Bert Small Art Gallery. Family owned business.