Paul is a gifted, patient teacher. He has a way of making the music come alive. I would highly…read morerecommend his services for anyone wanting to learn and feel the music.

Paul Hurst is not only a superb professional musician, he is an excellent teacher. As my harp…read moreteacher, Paul has been so helpful in improving my technique, helping me to analyze my music, and helping me find easier ways to play previously difficult passages. I love Paul's help in adding embellishments to my improvised arrangements. He can make the simplest passage come to life. Additionally, since Paul is knowledgeable on a variety of instruments and ensemble playing, he has been immensely helpful in working with my husband and me on our harp and flute duets. I can strongly recommend him as a teacher and coach. Sue Dinwiddie, Wind in the Strings Harp and Flute Duo

Let's just say that without Matthew (and God) I would not be the musician I am today…read more I first found Matthew on Yelp! when I decided at the last minute to apply as a music major to colleges. Although I played cello since middle school, it was very casual and only through the school's music programs; I even stopped playing the cello my last two years of high school. So imagine my panic and scramble to find my first private cello teacher in San Francisco with the goal of improving my playing to audition for colleges with a four month timeline. Matthew was very enthusiastic and supported my potential to get into a music school; in reflection, I think he was the most positive and encouraging person during my entire audition process. He fully supported my playing by transforming my passion for music into a technical and musical base to work with, fully showing the colleges what I would be capable of accomplishing. But that's not all. Matthew went above and beyond by helping me record the videos professionally for the audition process, even letting me borrow his cello for better sound, and even helped me edit the videos so that they would be the most presentable work to the colleges I applied to. We also went through the most realistic school choices for my current skill level and came up with some state schools in California with strong music programs (Cal Poly Slo, CSU Fullerton, CSU Long Beach) and a private school (Biola University). Throughout this whole process I did not feel discouraged by Matthew even once. In the end, I got accepted to all four colleges for cello performance and I could not have done it without Matthew's generous help. But that's not all. Once I had accepted that I would be a music major, Matthew also went above and beyond to help me pick a new cello to buy for the next few years of school. As he has gained a strong network of musicians in SF, he knew where to help me look and off we went. He even came with me to play the cellos for me so that I could hear the potential sound of each cello. We were able to get a cello in our budget and a reasonably priced cello case thanks to Matthew's personal recommendation and expertise. But that's not all. Throughout Matthew's time as my teacher, I was able to fully entrust myself as his student because of his professionalism as a music educator who leads by example. Initially, I was drawn to Matthew as he was a musician that is greatly connected to the music community in SF, including being a chamber coach for the SF Conservatory and performing at many venues and gigs. But in our lessons, I truly got to know that Matthew is a professional cellist that exudes passion for the cello from his expressive and captivating cello playing to his vast knowledge on cello repertoire and technique, including orchestral excerpts and cello pieces to learn to grow as a cellist. In addition, Matthew was always clear about lesson plans and prices so that it best protected his career as a musician but also gave the most accountability and expectations for budding cello students to follow as well. This was helpful in setting a consistent lesson schedule --- which saves the hassle for both teacher and student! Needless to say, here I am, as a cello performance major, four years later, ready to start my own career as a musician. It has come full circle and I am now coaching and teaching others music! I am forever grateful to Matthew for making my musical career possible. I never felt alone during this musical journey due to Matthew's constant encouragement and support and his love for sharing the cello with others!

When my little sister announced that she was having her wedding on the beach in Tulum, Mexico, I…read moretold her that for her wedding gift I'd learn how to play the cello and perform my favorite piece, Bach's Suite No 1 in G, at her wedding...that was coming up in 6 months...even though I've never picked up a cello in my life. As luck would have it, I met Matt that same week during once of his performances. After being amazed by how beautifully he played the cello, I quickly approached him after the show, told him about my audacious goal, how worried I was about letting my sister down and how there was probably no way that I could be performance ready in such a short amount of time. Matt was kind enough to listen to me as I ranted at a mile a minute before putting my mind at ease by assuring me that anyone can learn the cello. We began lessons immediately and I remember how patient Matt was with me even though I kept holding holding the bow like a chicken drumstick. But a couple of months later, I was learning about shifting finger positions, producing quality sound from the strings and maintaining rhythm & tempo. While Matt was great at teaching me technical skills with the cello, he also got me to dig a bit deep and taught me how to express my emotions through this instrument so that the audience can feel the music instead of just hearing the notes. This helped me to let go of thinking of the piece as a combination of quarter notes and eight notes but as a story that I wanted to tell to the audience. On the day of my sister's wedding...well...how can I say this..I totally nailed it! Sure, some parts were still a little bit sticky (I'm sure it didn't help that I was crazy nervous) but I vividly remember during the standing ovation that I felt so happy for my sister and so proud of myself for actually pulling this off. And of course, I couldn't have down it without my cello teach Matt. Thank you again Matt!!!

We loved having Leah come to our house and teach our two kids how to play the piano and read music…read more She is very patient and encouraging. The kids loved her and were naturally inclined to practice piano in between lessons. Although they don't currently play piano, they do play the flute and clarinet and I think that is because they had a great start with music and reading music with Leah. We also loved how she arranged recitals at retirement or convalescent homes. It was a great example of how music can bring joy into people's lives.

Leah has been my daughter's piano teacher for the last year. During this time, I have seen my…read moredaughter's love of music (and piano, especially) grow immensely. Leah is a fantastic teacher! She is motivational, encouraging and calm. She works tremendously well with children and she is always a pleasure to have in our home. She is also very flexible. My daughter's schedule has changed periodically throughout the school year and Leah has always been incredibly accommodating and willing to work with us in order to reschedule our instruction. I highly recommend Leah.

I can't say enough good things about Nicco and his ukulele lessons for my daughter. My daughter…read morepreviously had a teacher who was pretty strict and to her "boring". Along comes Nicco and he teachers her modern music that she truly enjoys! Nicco rolls with my daughters preteen mood swings and always builds her confidence as a musician. He also provides her with opportunities to play live, which is priceless. Huge thanks to Nicco and his teaching.

I took lessons with Nicco Tyson for about a year, and he's truly an outstanding harmonica teacher…read more I was initially skeptical about taking lessons over Zoom -- especially for something as nuanced as bending notes -- but Nicco made it not only possible, but incredibly fun and effective. His teaching style is patient, encouraging, and incredibly knowledgeable. Each lesson was thoughtfully tailored to my progress, and I found myself improving week after week, even in a completely virtual setting. Nicco helped demystify techniques I had struggled with for years. I only stopped lessons because of a change in my job schedule, but I absolutely plan to return when I can. Whether you're a beginner or someone looking to refine your skills, I can't recommend Nicco enough. He's the real deal!

My wife and I have been taking lessons with Danielle for a little over a year. It's difficult to…read moreoverestimate the level of impact she has had on both our musicianship as well as our love for music. I've struggled with singing my whole life, and have tried a handful of teachers. Danielle is the first teacher who I felt was, even after just our first lesson, able to express the issues I'm dealing with as well as the solutions (almost always vowels, enunciation, and breathing) She's also gentle in her feedback and doesn't make me feel bad about not being perfect. I was worried about continuing our vocal instruction after COVID hit, but Danielle has gone above and beyond with going digital, upgrading her setup so we can hear her more clearly and recording tracks that we can both practice along with and sing along with during lessons (to avoid Zoom lag). Lastly, I feel like Danielle cares about us as people. She is always great about checking in about things we've talked about outside of music. Just an altogether good person and a pleasure to be around. I can't recommend her enough!

My daughter has been seeing Danielle for about 6 months now. Although we haven't been able to go at…read moreregular intervals, her progress has been amazing. She's now 12 and we've noticed such an improvement in her dictation, pronunciation, volume and clarity. She really has become a much better singer. As a parent what I like about Danielle is her positive vibe and constant positivity. I couldn't imagine a more positive influence on my daughters growth as a singer. Consequently it's not all about signing either. She's beginning to recognize changes to her normal speech which will benefit her whether she continues to sing or not. All in all, I can't imagine taking my daughter anywhere else where she'd benefit as much as she is with Danielle. I highly recommend anyone interested in singing or public speaking lessons give Danielle a call and set up a lesson!

I am so grateful that I was led to Ms Bai as my son's piano teacher. Her kindness and patience is…read moreamazing. My son is 5 and it is not an easy task at times as one could imagine. She gets creative in terms of findings ways to encourage him to practice, and very gentle but clear on techniques that he needs to focus on. She listens and accommodates my son's interest so he is very engaged in her lessons. He has steadily grown his confidence and passions in playing piano, and always looks forward to Ms Bai's lessons every week.

I have been friends with Coco and Yujing for many years. Their passion for music and art keeps…read moreastonishing me with profound inspiration!

Chelsea was prompt in her communication and was readily available. She was able to solve my issue…read moreand would definitely recommend her services as she is knowledgeable in her field.

It was really important for us to select a piano teacher who could help inject the love of learning…read moreto play, appreciating and enjoying both the music and the instrument. Piano should be a passion and a hobby and not a chore. Chelsea delivers on that and more. She's become a family friend who has seen our son develop his talents over the many years. We really appreciate her easy-to-work-with style and her ability to allow our son to choose his musical selections while still providing challenge and growth. He's improved his playing tremendously since having her as a teacher. The convenience of having her visit our home to deliver her lessons is also a wonderful plus. Thank you so much for all that you do Chelsea!

Ben Welch was an absolute joy to have at our wedding ceremony at San Francisco City Hall in…read moreNovember. His cello music was beautiful and created such a warm, romantic atmosphere that made the moment feel even more special. Ben was kind, professional, and wonderful to work with, and our guests couldn't stop talking about how lovely the music was. We're so grateful to have had him as part of our day and highly recommend him for any special occasion.

We had such a wonderful experience with Ben and Katie at our wedding ceremony at the San Francisco…read moreCity Hall. From the very beginning, communication was seamless -- Ben was responsive, professional, and made it so easy to plan the specific songs we wanted for our ceremony. On the day itself, the performance was absolutely beautiful and they created such a special atmosphere for us. The music was everything we hoped for and more. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a talented and reliable musician for their event.