Tim Bertsch is extremely experienced in both teaching as well as performance offering his students…read morea multi faceted perspective. He is kind, professional, and adaptive in accommodating various skill levels. The sound academy of music locations are clean, easy to find, safe, and comfortable with safe and accessible parking. The lesson plans are skillfully crafted and heartily comprehensive but most importantly Tim customizes classes that are accessible to each individual's unique requirements. As an instructor he remains present, engaged and patient throughout the duration of your lesson so you receive the highest rate of efficacy on your investment of time and currency. I love watching him perform in his band Jaded Mary as well as solo for his Soul Resonance project and have included some action performance photos.

One of the best teachers I have ever known. Tim is very present and patient and very Positive when…read moreit comes to teaching. He is very confident and can show you almost any song you want to learn just right then and there, very skilled and knowledgable. At 40 I'm learning old time music and Tim Bertsch has really helped me gain confidence in my playing skills.

Our son has taken Classical Guitar lessons from Rick for a couple of years now. He has no previous…read moreguitar experience but has always had a very strong passion for music. Rick saw something in this and has developed a way of teaching to our son that has kept him captivated and reaching new heights with his abilities over the years. Our son is not only able to read and play music; he writes his own songs and is willing to perform them willingly when asked. Granted this is over time, we couldn't be happier with the results we have seen in our son (unless he practiced more). Rick provides the much needed encouragement, passion and dedication in each lesson and we like to hear the progress when our son actually practices. Our son is no professional and still has a long way to go, but we couldn't imagine him being anywhere other than with Rick at Washington Academy of Music.

I liked the instructor enough, but when I went out of town for being a service member (overseas…read moreservice), and even when I verbalized that prior to leaving the state, they continued to charge me full price for two months. They did not let me know the instructor was receiving a bunch of no-shows from us. Seemed like a money ploy to me.

Looked around for a music shop to repair my banjo and everybody was booked up. One place…read morerecommended Alan at Village Music, who said he was able to work on it. Dropped it off at his place and picked it up a week later. Sounds good now and was not expensive. It looks like the music store has moved from its original location, don't know the details but whatever works.

I really want to love this place. I mean, a local music store on Bainbridge? Should be awesome!…read more But the truth is that every time I go there, I am criticized. Either my guitar is mass produced and just not good quality, or my playing style is wrong and I'm going to hurt myself (been playing for 20 years - I'm doing fine....). If you even hint that you purchased something from the web, you will get serious stink-eye. Here's are some hints for the owners: 1. People do actually buy things elsewhere. Compliment them on their purchases. Tell them their guitars or other instruments are just awesome and they sound great. Ask if you can play them. Stroke their egos. Then show them the guitar you have that you think would complement it. 2. Make your customers feel good about coming in! Even if you're bitter about stuff, don't let people see it. Smile. Joke around. Be nice! People will buy stuff for the experience of coming in and feeling great. 3. Never, ever, ever tell someone they are playing wrong or tell them they need to improve their form. It's totally not your place unless you're asked. It sounds snooty and condescending when you have no idea what experiences and training people have.

Small store stuffed with instruments and accessories. Staff is very friendly and knowledgeable…read more Service was quick and accurate.

Great place. Great workers. Jordan and Mikey are amazing. I love how down to earth they are. Also…read morethe have a solid option of equipment and instruments etc.

Dishonest! The owner blatantly overcharged me for the items I purchased. I returned to have him…read morecorrect his "mistake" and he again short-changed me at which time I realized his initial "mistake" was no mistake at all. I hope the few bucks he made were worth cutting his own throat on having a paying repeat customer. It is unfortunate that this was my experience while trying to support buying local and Mom-and-Pop shops.

After having faithfully served Kitsap musicians for the last 40 years since 1956 up music will be…read moreclosing sometime in fall 2024 when the owner Donnie retires. It's a small music shop, but has a nice selection of guitars amps and other assorted musical instruments. I stopped in randomly and was pleasantly surprised how Friendly and conversational the owner Donnie was. He had no problems at all, showing me a Washburn acoustic electric bass guitar and tuning it up for me and plugging it into an amp and letting me play it as much as I wanted. Very much, not the stereotype of the grumpy music store owner. Since Donnie has ended his relationship with his suppliers ahead of his upcoming retirement, what they have will be all they have until the store closes. That also means that there's some flexibility in Value pricing ahead of closing the store for good. Parking on site. Store hours are 12 to 4 daily but call ahead. No public restroom.

I've been taking drum lessons with Sam Esecson for well over a year now - and while he works mostly…read morewith younger students, Sam is a great teacher for adults as well. In particular, he helped me move from getting down the basics on my own to being comfortable playing in several different live band and group situations. I'd recommend him not only for kids and novice adult students, but also for more experienced drummers looking to improve their hand technique, their musical feel (especially in jazz and latin), and their dynamics and finesse. His studio is large so it never feels cramped and set up so it's not super-loud during a lesson, which is a bonus!

Sam is a phenomenal Instructor. You can not find a better, more effective teacher in the area…read more I've been working with him for about 9 months. I've been drumming for 15 years. I've played in active bands in a variety of genres (pop, rock, jazz, metal, fusion etc...). I've done a music theory degree, and studied music both a serious industry member (live audio reinforcement) and as a performer. I can say, without any doubts, that Sam has been one of the greatest musical mentor's I've ever had the pleasure of working with. His knowledge of musical genres is unparalleled - he can seamlessly move between contemporary pop, classic jazz, world music (afro-cuban, afrobeat etc..) and more, all the while giving deep insights into the musical relationships between them. Sam's technical skill is exceptional, and his ability to distill complex techniques which he's refined over the course of years into small teachable lessons is exquisite. He possess the ability to identify strengths and weaknesses in a performer, and can use that insight to drive your development forward in ways which will truly expand your playing. Sam possess a calm, friendly personality that creates a comfortable, safe environment in which to learn. When working with him I feel like I am part of a team dedicated to furthering my musical development. His attitude is one of always looking forward for ways to improve while focusing on making lessons fun and engaging. As a drummer of over a decade, who had recently sought to push himself to new levels, Sam has been everything I had hoped to find in a teacher.

Anna is a good teacher, patient and helpful. She really understands the way voices work and helped…read moreme not only with my singing voice, but with my speaking voice as well. For years I was straining to speak and she helped me speak confidently with my natural voice which is now more relaxed and doesn't hurt my throat anymore.

Nice little music shop that rents, repairs, and sells new and used instruments. I was surprised at…read moretheir variety of items, considering they are rather 'off the beaten track'. Plus, their prices are better than some around town. Good customer service and knowledge about products.

Once again, Mr. Castleman came through for us. I totally forgot (my bad) to come back and write a…read moresecond review in march, after he fixed my daughter's cello. What a great job he did! Not only did the major stuff get fixed, but also every nick and scratch was filled, smoothed and removed. The cello looks a lot better now. Also, he saved us some money by working on repairing existing pieces, instead of just replacing the bow. He did advise us on better handling of the bow to avoid future problem, and also that the bow fix could be just a temp thing, and might still fail. That was back at end of March. The bow is still being abused daily here! =) Once again, thanks for the artisan-ship, for the professionalism and for the time you took talking to my daughter and I. We always learn something valuable from you! =)