Saved By The Magic Flute!…read more My newish Nord Electro 6 took a major tumble and several of the lower keys were mangled, ugh..I thought I needed to plan a keyboard funeral. Needless to say, I was DEVASTATED when I discovered my baby at the beginning of a gig.. The Magic Flute repair rep didn't guarantee a successful fix, BUT TOTALLY DELIVERED IN LESS THAN ONE WEEK!! My keyboard funeral was canceled. THANKS MAGIC FLUTE!

The Magic Flute has been providing solid instruction for a myriad of instruments for decades…read more Currently, Chris Collins is an insanely talented musician who is a wonderful piano teacher. He is able to tailor his lessons so the material is relevant and age-appropriate and engaging. His ability to not only play music by ear but to create sheet music from that is brilliant. Highly recommend!

Esperanza is patient, skilled, and a beautiful person with a joyful disposition that makes lessons…read morefun. We tried multiple piano teachers before Esperanza, and the most noticeable difference was in my kids wanting to play at home and go to lessons. She teaches a method that gives kids the immediate rewards of being able to play songs right away and integrates reading music slowly so that the love is instilled early on. Esperanza taught both my kids for many years, and they had a rewarding experience that left them with a love of music and the fundamentals to continue playing piano beyond lessons. Esperanza created personalized lessons for my daughter when my daughter requested to play specific types of songs, and now (10 years later) my daughter continues to write her own music for personal enjoyment.

Wow. You won't believe it until you see this with your own eyes. My daughter learned to play the…read morepiano after one session. We had her in after-school piano but after a few sessions we couldn't stand her complaining every week about how much she hated it. The after-school teacher was nice enough and taught her standard piano notes, very boring basics,...but she picked up very little. After one session our daughter was playing double hands and liked piano! We heard about Esperansa after we saw two of our friends daughters playing piano beautifully and then hearing that these same kids loved piano (vs being forced to play/learn by the parents). Esperansa uses a different technique so that kids enjoy learning. I myself learned the traditional way and hated piano. I wish I had this program when I was young. The program that Esperansa uses is amazing - it's almost like magic...

I can't begin to describe the gentle and clear method that Andrei uses to create musicians. Talya…read morestarted with him when she was 7 and he has helped sculpt her skill and passion which is what she walks out with each week. She says, "I play everyday (in lieu of practice everyday) because I love it." If you're lucky enough to get a spot on his busy schedule, you will feel so grateful.

Andrei is not only a great flute teacher but kids love him! Under Andrei's instruction, my son has…read moreblossomed into quite a little flute player. He respects and loves Andrei. We checked around and your certainly won't find a better tutor for kid's flute in the Bay Area. Awesome!

Josh was the best! He was so patient and sweet with our children. Both of which have ADHD and can…read morelose interest quickly. Josh kept them laughing, engaged and on task throughout their back to back sessions. I love the virtual training option via video conference, and honestly they would not have excelled so quickly and proficiently if we had to drive out to his music studio with our very busy schedules. Josh is very talented and was even featured on "American Idol" Give Laughing School of Music a try- you won't be disappointed- I guarantee it!

I have attended many social Fusion dancing events that Josh was hired to perform at in and around…read morethe San Francisco Bay Area as well as in Seattle, Portland, Philadelphia, Denver, and Vancouver. At these events, Josh performed his own original electronic music for huge crowds of dancers. He is a very talented musician, and has great stage presence. I love his original songs!! I have also listened to him play great covers on the piano as he leads a group thru some late night karaoke sing-alongs :) Recently I contracted him to help me record and produce a song of my own, and he really guided me every step of the way. Josh is also a music teacher offering piano, drum, guitar and ukelele lessons out of his home studio. I couldn't recommend him more as both a performer and a teacher!!

My daughter and son took lessons at Marin Piano Studio for 2 years until we moved to Oklahoma. My…read morechildren, who were beginning and intermediate players, loved their lessons! Their teacher, Mae, made their lessons fun, and played games with them that also taught theory concepts. She fostered and encouraged their love of music and my children actually enjoyed practicing. She also had them play music note reading games on her studio iPad after their lessons, which was really great if I were running a little late to pick them up. I really liked the mid-week mini-lessons (separate from the children's regular lesson time) using FaceTime which Mae conducted each week with my kids at no additional charge. I have never heard of another piano teacher doing this. The mini-lesson allowed my children to ask any questions or have fixed any problems they might have with their pieces, kept my children motivated, made the whole process a positive experience, and resulted in my kids always being prepared for their lessons. They really looked forward to going to their lesson each week. My kids learned so much, from great technique and composing skills to mastering amazing piano pieces. We can't say enough good things about our lessons with Mae at Marin Piano Studio!

From the owner: At Marin Piano Studio, students are taught all aspects of piano playing, including reading, rhythm,…read moreimprovisation, composition, theory, sound development and appropriate repertoire for the student's skill level so that the student becomes a complete musician. Classically based, this fun method is customized to fit the interests of the student. Games and the latest in technology are incorporated into the lessons to make learning easy and to encourage enthusiasm and interest. The unique program at Marin Piano Studio is built around each student receiving 2 weekly lessons: 1) In Studio (or by Video Call) and 2) A Mid-Week Mini Lesson by phone, FaceTime or Skype. Frequent Studio Classes further encourage each student's love of music and learning.

I always tell people: this is Not-Your-Mother's piano studio. Thankfully! I took piano for years…read moreand it was a slog. Not only that, but as soon as I quit my lessons, I stopped playing altogether. For my girls, the piano at WOW has been an entirely different experience. Both (ages 15 and 13) have been taking lessons there for 7 years. This probably sounds nuts, but truth is, practicing is actually fun for them, and they play the piano as a break from homework, to relax, and to entertain friends and family. From the get-go, on the first day, Tommy and his team teach how to actually play songs (rather than bore them with scales and theory), which helps demystify the instrument and music. Once the piano becomes super familiar to the kids, and they know a long list of songs, the teachers then work in theory -- and the kids pick it up quickly because they are already so piano literate. Which makes sense -- the way I learned back in the day was like learning to read books without quite knowing how to talk yet. It's wonderful to watch my girls and their partners write music and improvise. They are not afraid to take a tune they've learned and mix it up or change the key. Very empowering. They've learned tons of chords and can pick up a piece of popular music and quickly figure out how to play it, which is so fun when we are gathering with family and friends. The program is a cool mix of classical piano pieces (Bach, Beethoven); jazz (Vince Guiraldi); the blues; old favorites (Billy Joel, Elton John); and current pieces (Cold Play, Pink). Tommy is an energetic, fun, patient guy who has a gift for working with kids and communicating in general. He makes the kids look forward to class, and I am grateful my girls have had him in their lives for all these years. It's been a remarkable experience.

The owner Tommy Toy is the real deal. He is a talented musician, he can teach and he genuinely…read morecares.

Caylia is the best!!! From start to finish, she is a pro and the finest music teacher/musical…read moredirector you can find!! I was lucky enough to have her help me with a Children's Theatre audition piece. I did not have musical theatre experience and she worked on my voice, my presentation, my confidence, my stage presence, the whole package!! After weeks of hard work with her, I ended up getting the lead role!! We spent the next six months working together and she definitely helped me with every detail on my solo songs. When it came time to finally perform, she was there for me, coaching me on how to deal with the jitters, and even how to put on false eye lashes since I was the princess!! I could not have done it without her and I just love her!!! There are no words to thank her enough or recommend her enough!! Her studio is a magical dream to visit for all ages!!

I have attended Caylia's students' recitals in person pre-pandemic, and on zoom, post-pandemic. I…read morecan say as an outsider, not a student or parent of a student, that Caylia is a caring, lovely teacher and it is obvious that she cares about her students, and they care about her. Her students range in age from very little to pre and post college, and they all do a wonderful job singing and/or playing piano. I believe she would be a wonderful teacher for any child for voice, piano, and/or performance coaching if you are in search of a teacher for your child. She creates a safe space for all to learn.

Mini music is the best. Ali and Warren take music classes for children to a whole new level. My…read moregranddaughter and I have enjoyed 3 years of singing, dancing, learning about rhythm, playing instruments and making new friends. She evolved from a shy 1 year old to a 5 year old who sings all day long. We really feel that we scored when we found Ali and Warren and their mini music. They are such great educators and amazing, thoughtful and nurturing mentors. We had been taking the Corte Madera classes but we couldn't resist going to Sebastopol for our last class before Kindergarten begins. Both are outside in beautiful areas. I have watched so many little ones blossom as they recognize songs and begin to understand rhythm. This was just the personalized music class that I was looking for...I feel so fortunate that this amazing musical duo came into our lives at just the right time. Ali and Warren wrote quite a few of their songs which we loved immensely...take a musical journey with them...you will bring home music and memories for your little ones.

Our four of my kids LOVE Mini Music! My two oldest daughters first started going when we moved from…read moreSF to Marin at ages 2 and 4 and still remember almost every word from every song five years later. Ali and Warren's energy, enthusiasm and music ability is contagious! They have a way of incorporating every type of child into the mix, making each class fun and different, and they are so patient with all levels of interest. I now go with my 1-year-old twins who love the Ali/Warren team just as much. Our weeks would not be the same without our Mini Music Mondays!

There are a lot of great music classes for kids, however none of them have the extra special touch…read morethat Music Makers offers--exposure to guest musicians, music theory and opportunities to play on "real" kids sized instruments. Have you ever seen a kid-sized cello? My toddler was completely amazed by the opportunity to play on this tiny instrument. He sat in the chair, grabbed the bow and began to "play" and sing Twinkle Little Star. There is a different instrument each week, for my son to "check out." Where else can you have a rich experience like this? Music Makers gives us a delightful exposure to music, movement and singing AND is an excellent primer for my child to learn more advanced study of music when the time comes. Cindy has been teaching for over 25 years, and has all kinds of tricks/gifts to keep the kids focused and engaged. I always learn something too! Check out her free preview class and see for yourself!