I'm a performing singer-songwriter, and though I'm a strong singer, a couple of years ago I…read moredetermined that my guitar playing needed work if I wanted to get serious about my music career. I worked with Scott for a number of months, and I was impressed with his sensitivity, flexibility and attention to detail. Scott put in time to tab out songs that I wanted to learn, and gently pointed out ways that I was "stuck in a rut" with my right hand strumming patterns, helping me branch out to new rhythmic patterns in my writing. He helped me start to work bass lines into my playing rather than just strumming full chords all the time (yes, I was that guy), and was open to listening to the music I was interested in and figuring out what songs would help me build my chops. He's also quite affordable, kind and non-judgmental. Not every guitar teacher who can help you learn not just to play, but how to read music and understand music theory, which are highly valuable things to have as a musician. Scott's advanced musical training allows him to impart this kind of learning to interested students. He is also adept at teaching those who would prefer to play without reading music. Incidentally, I've also had the pleasure of seeing Scott play tango, and I can say he's not only a great teacher, but a great musician. I highly recommend Scott O'Day!

I am an adult guitar student and I love taking lessons with Scott. He is gentle, kind and patient…read more He is flexible with scheduling and can answer all of my questions. He has extensive experience in studying music, guitar is not just a hobby for him - its a lifestyle. He is skilled in teaching music theory and note reading as well as getting you started right away with playing songs. I was anxious to start playing, but feel at ease more and more with the guitar. I am surprised at how quickly my confidence has risen and can thank Scott for his great teaching style. I can imagine that he is super easy for kids to connect with as well. I highly recommend Scott O'day as a music teacher.

Our 12-year-old son has wanted to take drum lessons for years and we are so grateful that we found…read moreBlake! Blake is kind, encouraging, and relaxed - which is such a great environment for a kid (or anyone) to learn in. He's also passionate and enthusiastic about the drums, which is contagious. Plus, he's super talented (check out his Instagram clips)! The studio space is great, and Blake has been very accommodating with our schedule and transportation needs. He's been an outstanding drum teacher, coach, consultant, and is an all-around great person. If you're looking for a drum teacher for yourself or for your kiddo, look no further.

A surfing instructor in Hawaii once said to me that surfing is reconnecting with your inner child…read moreand just telling them to not worry about making mistakes and just play. My drum lessons with Blake the last couple years have embodied that same sentiment, and his supportive, encouraging teaching style make it easy to get out of my head and just have fun. Even when my limbs are flailing wildly about and offbeat for measures, I don't fall apart in embarrassment because Blake has the ability to help figure out what would be helpful and reflect that in a comprehensible (and simultaneously uplifting) manner. With regards to location, the studio is very accessible by MUNI (located adjacent to the Balboa Park BART station) and has a parking lot as well - very convenient! While I'm sure Blake can legit teach fundamentals and technical playing for beginners, I have mainly brought in songs from various genres, decades, and artists, and he would break them down and convert them into sheet music. It's very impressive how skilled he is at dissecting a song (within minutes of listening to it) into its snare, hi-hat, and kick beats. I've even asked Blake to play the song to demonstrate how the beat goes; not only would this be helpful, but I've found myself both inspired and mesmerized when he plays. So whether you're a total beginner or an expert, I 100% recommend Blake because he is, as the kids say -- straight fax, no printer: an amazing instructor and all-around cool guy!

Ben works with our 6 year old daughter who expressed an interest in violin. He's patient,…read morethoughtful, and structured in his approach to teaching and it really works for her. Ben also has a great ability to sense when a kid's attention span is waning. He typically transitions to listening and watching some songs played by a violinist to close out the lesson when she can't focus on playing any longer. This works really well to generate interest and inspiration for her to keep learning. Ben is great!

Ben is teaching violin to our two children, who are both beginners. He is using the Suzuki method,…read moreand has shown a great deal of patience (45 min lessons each!) and flexibility in terms of teaching style. We are very pleased with their learning and progress! Thanks!

If you're looking for a drum teacher who is not only an excellent musician but also a patient…read moreteacher, Chris is your best bet. I studied with Chris for three years, starting out with absolutely no drumming experience. We did lessons in-person at his studio as well as virtually through COVID lockdown, and since then I have become a dramatically more confident drummer. One of the things I appreciate the most about Chris is his structured approach to lessons and emphasis on proper technique. Each session builds upon the last, gradually challenging me to improve without overwhelming me. He tailors his teaching to suit individual needs and pace, ensuring that I always feel motivated and excited about my progress. And most importantly, he makes sure to always keep his lessons fun. Whether you're a complete beginner like I was or an experienced drummer looking to hone your skills, learning the drums with Chris is a fun and rewarding experience!

Just over five years ago I reached out to Chris via e-mail and stated that I had waited long…read moreenough, and it was time to finally start learning the drums. As a guy in his 40's, I know this could very well have pointed to a midlife crisis, but rest assured it was not (the recent skateboard purchase on the other hand...), it came from a genuine love of music, musicians, music theory, and of course, my favorite instrument, the drums. Chris and I spoke in depth about my goals during our first lesson and we discussed how I wanted to not just learn the drums, but I wanted the foundation to, over time with consistent lessons and hours upon hours of practice, be a decent drummer, and maybe someday even a great drummer. If you told me five years ago where I would be today, I would not have believed you. But five years ago I also didn't know what an amazing musician, teacher, and human Chris was. Chris is extremely patient and sets a relaxed tone during lessons and thus enables a learning experience second to none. I always know what I should be working on and polishing up for the next lesson, he guides me back on track and encourages me when doubt and frustration creeps in, and he ensures that no matter what, we continue to have fun. Wherever you are on your drumming journey, Chris can tailor his lessons to meet your needs. I consider myself extremely fortunate to be training under Chris and I look forward to seeing what the next five years can bring!

Don't recommend for busy adults that want good service and flexibility…read more 1. Strict, complicated scheduling rules. You can't just cancel, you have to commit to the whole month in advance and making up classes is extremely constrained. You'll pay for classes you don't attend. 2. Trapdoor auto-renew billing. You can sign up easily but there's no easy way to cancel. You have to email them and they're slow to respond. 3. Disorganized. Lessons were meandering and felt improvised. I only signed up for 30min per week and it felt like 10 mins of useful lesson time. Not worth the commute back and forth. 4. Chaotic environment. The student portal is a mess. Lots of email spam. Confusing rules. The studio is noisy (understandable). I had to remain crouched in the lesson room because the ceiling is only 6ft high. Staff seemed generally very nice, but out of their element when dealing with adult students. They value their own time much more than yours. I wanted to make time for developing my musical skills outside of my primary career and this experience ended up wasting time and money and just adding more stress to my life. I learned a little but ultimately not worth the costs. Will go with a private tutor in the future.

We love Little Mission Studio. My son has been a percussion…read morestudent of Christian who is an excellent music teacher. He truly had an amazing impact on Atlas's interest in music. Not only is he patient with him to focus his attention to things, as he is a young kid full of energy, but also he is making his lessons fun, enjoyable and exploratory to let him enjoy music in different ways. Atlas is always looking forward to his lessons!

I have contacted this institute a few weeks ago through submitting the form online. I got reached…read moreout by David and we had a conversation regarding adult violin lessons. He asked the type of work I do and I felt weird why it was necessary as it has nothing to do with learning violin. He then shared how much it would cost for the lessons and I told him I'll think about it and reach out if I decide to move forward (which he agreed on and offered 10-20 mins trial lesson). After few days I emailed him and expressed my interest, but I did not get a response. And then from that moment I tried phone call he gave me, the institute phone number and still got no response. I do not mind if he responds and not taking me as student, but just leaving someone hanging there for weeks is definitely not professional as a business.

I stumbled on this page while searching for something else and had to stop by to leave a note…read more I studied violin with David roughly from 2005 to 2009. Up to that point I had been knocking around community orchestras and had, I thought, a fairly good practice routine based on Galaxian's method, but was frustrated by my lack of progress. Working with David was a completely different story. His dedication to studying the technique of past masters, in particular Nathan Milstein, through existing video recordings was a revelation. I left his studio much more satisfied with my playing than when I entered. I have unfortunately had to stop due to nerve damage (which I earned elsewhere) but cannot say enough good about David. I brought in a friend to accompany me on a Brahms Sonata (the easy one) and he was able to help her to understand and interpret the work.

Ryan is very passionate about teaching his students. He had everything prepared for our lesson, if…read moreyou use the intro offer he also provides the books so you don't have to search for them yourself. I'm learning how to play the ukulele from him and it's been really fun to practice and get better at it.

Walking into a new music lesson can be an intimidating experience. I'm the type of person who likes…read moreto be good at things right away, and I don't really have patience with myself in the "learning process." So, when I walked into Peter's beautiful mission music studio...guitar in hand, I felt nervous. However, Peter was extremely patient and encouraging with me! He has one of those rare qualities that all good teachers have, he takes you from where you are and makes you feel confident and capable. He has a great sense of humor and a ridiculous knowledge of music theory, technique, and what it takes to become a true musician. If you have a desire to learn a new skill, or to brush the dust off of an already established one, run don't walk

I've taken weekly guitar lessons from Peter for over a year and it's always a real pleasure. He…read moreloves music so much and is super patient and relentlessly positive. I've gotten much better and I have skills to help me practice more effectively and work through tough pieces.