Today is 01/02/25, Thursday, the day after New Year's Day. It's 11:15am that I'm writing this…read morereview. I've been waiting for 15 mins for the store to open even though the hours say they open at 11:00 am. Their voicemail is full but the recording also says 11:00 am opening. Their website says open at 11:00 am. I'm not quite sure if everything says the store should be open but they aren't open. I purposefully came here to get my guitar strung with fresh strings. I wanted to support local stores specifically. The worker came in around 11:18 am. We all have hard days. I only dinged one star because truthfully it was only one worker for the whole store he was very very apologetic... He cleaned, oiled, and strung my guitar. He took his time and carefully did everything while also having to man the whole store by himself! He apologized profusely when he had to step away to help customers. I could be upset set, but it's the beginning of the year and we're all human. $12 for full restring (all 6 strings) you pay for the cost of the strings you want put on. I chose Elixir for my acoustic electric and those run around $20-ish bucks

It took some convincing (most of last school year), but my 5th grader "decided" to play an…read moreinstrument this year--the violin! Yay! Our school provided a list of required items, based on the instrument selected. They also listed local places where parents can go to rent or buy an instrument. Disappointingly, both of the recommended places are owned by the same big company that has been absorbing local shops the last few years. So I busted out Yelp on my phone and Music Central came up as an option. I gave this shop a call and Charlie was kind enough to answer all of my questions over the phone. He left a great first impression from the different shops I reached out to that morning. I decided to take the afternoon off from work and pick up my daughter early during her minimum day so we could see Charlie while he was working--glad I did! Charlie answered more of my questions and measured my daughter for her first violin (insert proud parent tears of joy here). We discussed rental terms and Charlie answered another round of questions to help make me very comfortable signing a contract. I like how standard repairs (like string replacement) and maintenance (like tuning) are included with my rental. And I LOVE how I can "trade in" my rental for the next size up instrument (in similar condition) without breaking my contract! During our first visit we picked up a few of the required accessories listed for the violin and Charlie gave his recommendations on what is really needed to help save me some money up front. As a dad on a budget, this was much appreciated. This shop has a large collection of acoustic and electric guitars in the back. There are also lots and lots of music sheets in stock too. Much to my surprise, Music Central also has a large collection of ukuleles from different manufacturers. My eldest daughter has been interested in ukuleles for years (we have owned a few inexpensive ones to foster her exploration of this instrument) so this may be the focus a future visit. I mentioned this to Charlie and he shared that he teaches ukulele for the shop. How cool is that?! Thanks for an awesome first visit Charlie! Looking forward to a long relationship with Music Central to help my daughters make beautiful music.

We have now entered the realm of student music... along with (what seemed) the rest of the entire…read morelocal school district(s). Bertrand's Music already did a great job marketing last year to introduce the kids to various instruments, and to provide parents with information about how to secure rental instruments and lessons. The fliers and information were helpful to return to this location. We were fortunate to identify a couple of violins from close friends but they desperately needed restring and repair. We came in Saturday to meet Troy - who was the nicest young man to help us identify the services needed. He provided detailed information about timeline and quote and made the whole experience painless. Mind you~ this is their busiest season at the start of the school year. Even though the building was filled with families, students, crying babies, and various instrument noises.. Troy provided top notch service and executed all needs without a hitch. We submitted instruments on Saturday and received a detailed telephone call by Monday to retrieve the instruments. Even upon return, we had the high fortune of meeting with Troy again. One of his fellow associates (newer in her training) helped us at first. Troy came to the rescue to help clarify the transaction, identified a computer error in billing, and skillfully provided us with the close of transaction needed. He went above and beyond to then offer to tune the instruments using one of their tools behind the counter (and he doesn't even play violin! just knows the ear and use of equipment). The violins sounded lovely. I never met this young gentleman before, but if Troy is the standard of hiring at this type of establishment, he has secured my business and my recommendation to come back to this Bertrand's. He was kind, well informed, and efficient. I was able to have two instruments repaired, tuned and timely prepared for the this wretched band season (I have two very excited musicians and a new box of earplugs.) The prices were reasonable and the service quick. He couldn't have provided better service. Be sure to ask for Troy when you return if you need anything related to music service needs. He made the experience fantastic and we will return and recommend.

Bertrand's Music is a music store focused on "school band & orchestra sales, rentals, lessons, and…read morerepair," as stated on their website. Our middle school band teachers works with Bertrand's Music exclusively and I understand that they trust them. The store itself looks nice. They had some instruments for sale displayed, along with music books. They have rooms for lessons in the back. The parking lot is usually congested though and parking is not easy. Our experience is only with getting an instrument repair quote from them. I'm sure the lessons and rentals are just fine here, but we would not exactly recommend Bertrand's for repairs, especially if you weren't even referred to come here by your school band for an instrument that belongs to the school. They have to ship out the instrument somewhere off site to even give us a quote, and we had to wait ten business days just to hear back that the instrument was unsalvageable and not worth repairing. They were unable to provide us with any written detail of what exactly needed to be repaired and what the cost would be. I'm not sure why they do it like this, because it appears a bit unprofessional. If you're looking for someone to repair a specific instrument that you own, we don't think this is the perfect place to bring it. It would probably be best to find someone who specializes in repairing that instrument to do it on site. Repairs were just one aspect of their business and it's technically a relationship between the school band and Bertrand's, so it didn't bother us. The staff were very nice and accommodating, and we appreciated that. They provided us with a receipt that the school needed, and it was as simple as that. Thank you!

Hiroko has such an amazing voice! I was blown away when I heard her sing opera. Her voice is so…read morepowerful that it sends chills up your spine. If you're looking for an instructor, look mo further! Not only can she sing, but she has a personality that makes you gravitate towards her!

From the owner: Private Piano and Singing Lessons.read more

Olga is an amazing art teacher who brings both structure and real artistic talent into her…read moreteaching. She is disciplined and sets clear expectations, which creates a focused learning environment where students truly grow. Both of my children, Ivan and Natalia, have made so much progress under her guidance. She doesn't just teach techniques--she helps kids build confidence, creativity, and attention to detail in their work. What stands out most is that she is a true artist herself, and that passion shows in every lesson. We are very grateful for her impact and the way she inspires her students to improve and express themselves

Update in response to the owner's reply: To San Diego Music…read moreAnd Art owner/contact Max: Your response actually reinforces the reason I left this review. Your instructor, Olga, publicly criticized my child in front of other parents and children. My child is neurodivergent. At times, he may have difficulty following directions, transitioning, or completing more complex instructions. That does not give any instructor the right to shame, embarrass, or publicly criticize a child. What is especially unacceptable is that your staff was already aware of my child's needs. Instead of speaking with me privately, giving me a warning, or trying to understand what support he might need, Olga chose to criticize him in front of others. When I brought this concern to you, I expected the owner to at least investigate what happened and listen to both sides. Instead, you immediately defended your instructor and treated my child as if he were simply the problem. You did not appear interested in understanding what actually happened or in finding a constructive solution. Instead, you joined in criticizing my child. Then, rather than addressing my concern about how your instructor handled the situation, you suspended my child's classes for an entire month. Children--especially neurodivergent children--deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. If a child is struggling to follow instructions, the appropriate response is to communicate privately with the parent and work toward a solution, not publicly embarrass the child and then blame him when the parent raises concerns. Parents should know how situations like this may be handled here before deciding whether this is the right environment for their child.

We were looking for a piano teacher for our 5-year-old son and was so glad to find Kyle of Katzhu…read morePiano. Kyle is a young and energetic UCSD grad (woo hoo go Tritons!) who is passionate about music. He makes learning piano fun and exciting for kids. Kyle was very patient and helpful with our son. He took the time to understand our son's learning ability to tailor his first lesson accordingly. He created such a positive and supportive learning environment where my son felt comfortable. He provided clear and concise instructions, so our son was able to follow along. I value Kyle's integrity because he was honest in advising that our son was a bit too young to comprehend piano instructions and might not fully benefit from taking lessons at this time. We appreciated Kyle's honesty and agreed with his professional opinion. We will revisit having him teach our son next year. I highly recommend Kyle to anyone looking for a great piano teacher. Kyle is a talented musician, a patient and helpful teacher, and he makes learning piano fun and exciting for everyone!

My 10 year old daughter Zoey started taking lessons with Kyle since she was 5. Not just her, but my…read moreniece and nephews too. I'm also planning to have my two younger ones start as soon as they're old enough. Kyle is very talented, genuinely cares about his students and we all love him. He's patient, stern when it's needed and provides great guidance. He makes learning piano fun, exciting and challenging. Zoey looks forward to her lessons every week. If you want your child to learn and enjoy playing piano, I highly recommend Kyle.

Have you ever had such a good experience with a service that you felt like you made a friend?…read moreThat's what happened when I called Hans. Hans answered the phone and was so pleasant and easy to talk to, I just knew I had to have him tune the piano. My piano had sticky keys in the lower register and I knew it needed a good tuning. I've been playing since I was 5 but I'm not that good. However, I can tell when the sound is not good. Hans came and instantly noticed everything right away. He was extremely thorough and you can tell that he's not only a music lover but a piano lover as well. And he is so funny! Cracks the funniest jokes. My keys actually needed some repairs and he had to remove the keys, (I didn't even know you could!) to fix the pins. Then came the tuning. Hans took his time making sure each of the 88 keys was just right. Then afterwards he played the most beautiful music, all the classics, Schubert, Beethoven, Chopin etc. When he asked me to play, he gave me some tips that I didn't even know about and gave me some confidence I didn't have. Now my piano sounds so amazing, and I want to practice just to invite Hans over for a concert! Thank you so much for fixing my piano! I highly highly recommend!

Great job and affordable. I highly recommend…read more We received my partner's childhood piano about six months when his aunt decided to move. It's an upright Kimball piano and in great condition, but it hadn't been tuned in forever. Hans came and tuned it up for us, and now it sounds amazing. He really knows what he's doing and is very kind. One of the keys was also messed up, and he fixed it for free. He's a really talented pianist, and it was a pleasure to hear him play a few pieces to test his tuning job along the way. This happened during COVID, and he wore a mask the whole time, so there were no issues there.

We had such a great experience purchasing our piano from Greene Music, thanks in large part to…read moreIgnacio! He was fantastic to work with--knowledgeable, straightforward, and genuinely focused on helping us find the best option for our family rather than simply making a sale. Ignacio was incredibly patient with all of my questions, both over the phone and in person, and always made me feel welcome when I came into the store. He took the time to explain the different options and helped us feel confident in our decision. We're thrilled with our piano and really appreciate how easy and enjoyable Ignacio made the entire experience. Highly recommend working with him and the team at Greene Music!!

We had a wonderful experience purchasing our first piano from this store. We knew very little about…read morepianos going in, and our salesperson was incredibly helpful in explaining the basics of upright pianos and what to look for. He showed us several options within our budget, as well as a few above it, and gave our daughter plenty of time to play each one and really feel the differences. What we appreciated most was that he was knowledgeable and helpful without being pushy. He gave us the space to take our time and make the decision that felt right for our family. The entire process, from choosing the piano to completing the transaction and arranging delivery, was smooth and easy. We're very happy with our purchase and would definitely recommend this store to anyone looking for a piano, especially first-time buyers.

I don't recommend for younger kids. I brought my twin 4 yr olds in today for a trial class and both…read morethe teacher and the office manager were not at all trained to handle this age group. As soon as we got there, there was no introduction no review of rules or expectations. They brought all the kids in this small room with shiny equipment and they had no plan as to what they were going to do for the time. It was so chaotic and unorganized. The teacher had little to no energy and clueless as to how to grab little one's attention and then the manager walked in pissed off and was so unprofessional I would not trust my kids with them. It's such a shame because the place is actually really nice. We got to great pictures at least! Too bad they missed out on 3 student's enrollment.

School of Rock Scripps Ranch is such an amazing place. Our son has been taking lessons and been…read morepart of the show groups since he was 13 and he loves it. He has always had a passion for music and the SOR family has helped him really learn and grow. Everyone from the owner, staff, instructors, and students are great. They really care about their students, music, culture, and overall community. SOR Scripps Ranch provides a safe, welcoming, caring environment for all their students. The opportunities available to the students over the years we have been there have been amazing. They have even performed at such iconic places as the Whiskey a Go-Go in LA, House of Blues in Anaheim, and the Hard Rock Café on the strip in Las Vegas to name a few. Steve and the staff have had a huge part in preparing our son for his college auditions and interviews. Programs such as House Band really helps prepare these young musicians for their future. The show groups are great as well, there is a real sense of teamwork between the instructors and students. It can be nerve racking for most to get up in front of a group of people (large or small) and not only perform but to answer questions being thrown your way. So thankful for everyone at School of Rock Scripps Ranch and proud to be part of the SOR family.

I am an adult who has been looking for piano lessons in San Diego for a few years. I started with…read moreKatherine a few weeks ago and I'm very relieved to finally be in good hands. I can highly recommend her.

I highly recommend teacher Katherine from K&M Music School. My kids have been learning the piano…read morewith her for only 2 months, but I already noticed a significant progress on their skills. She focuses on building a firm foundation for kids, including music theory and fingering techniques. She help my kids not only play the songs correctly and accurately, but more important play with better musical abilities. Katherine will provide proper materials to improve kids skill according to their levels and problems. The most important thing is Katherine is so nice and patient to kids. My kids just love her piano lessons!

The owner and the one gentleman who worked there are top-notch guys. Spent a lot of time with me…read moretalk to me about different guitars why I was there. I learned a lot. I had a lot to think about when I left. I didn't end up purchasing anything then, but when I do, that'll be the place.

The best music store for guitars in North County. The store is well-stocked, and staff is…read moreknowledgeable. I always try to stop by when I am in town. On my last trip there, I was delighted to find that I could rent a guitar for a month for $60 (I took home a Yamaha Revstar Element - nice playing instrument).