Quick summary: extremely knowledgable, flexible, tailored to my specific needs, reasonable and…read moreaffordable pricing... a music teacher who really cares I feel super fortunate to have found Devin as my piano teacher. I was classically trained growing up but in recent years have been craving to learn jazz piano, especially wanting to improvise. It felt like a far-off dream, but through my few lessons with Devin I have been pleasantly surprised at my own ability, which he has helped me unlock. He truly is so knowledgable and delivers that knowledge skillfully -- as in, he doesn't overload you with irrelevant information, and only relays what is relevant to the current subject we are working on. Devine is encouraging but does not give empty praise -- he is very transparent with his feedback and this feels very effective. He keeps me super engaged -- there is a great balance of theory and explanation / allowing me to apply the theory through playing and answering questions on the spot. There have been moments, especially at the beginning, when I felt intimidated and nervous to improvise on the spot (as this is something I'd never really done before). Devin was understanding of these emotions and created a safe space for me to go out of my comfort zone. These moments of being challenged are super invaluable to me and his method of doing so really suits me. The lessons are paced well for me and feel very tailored to my needs. Devin always prioritizes my questions for each lesson, and based on those, creates a lesson plan on the spot to address them all. I really enjoy the fact that I can ask super specific questions and we can go on tangents about music theory and history. Speaking of music history, I also appreciate that Devin is so acknowledging of the fact that we are playing in the realm of Western music, which is only a small fraction of all the musical cultures that exist. As a person of color, this foundation of thinking is really important to me. I searched for a long time to find an in-person teacher because that was what I was used to, and I believed it would work best for me. However, I realized that the online lessons work perfectly well and I can't see any downsides of them. I think this is partially because I have enough background in technique, so I don't need him to be adjusting my hands / seeing my fingering and all the other physical stuff associated with piano. This being said, perhaps if you are a complete beginner, try to start with in-person lessons with Devin to make sure you have all the basic techniques locked in as this will affect your playing later on. I am used to more structure and rigidity -- my classical lessons always centered around learning a piece and playing it during lessons, with very clear homework. So it took some time to get used to the more flexible and free-form nature of learning jazz piano (and perhaps it is also his particular teaching style). I think it has been an excellent practice for me in self-discipline. However, if you benefit a lot from extreme structure, you can always ask Devin to provide that. I am personally enjoying the challenge of improvisation as my homework! Devin has offered me many tools and frameworks for thinking about piano and improvisation, all of which have made piano feel way more approachable and inviting than it used to. I also marvel at his ability to be so enthusiastic, engaged and creative for each and every lesson. I've had many music teachers in my life and he is one of the best!

Devin is an amazing music teacher. He's easy to work with, very knowledgeable and professional. It…read morehas been a great pleasure to study piano with him since September 2020. I've had many musical breakthroughs since then. Devin is a patient musical guide. His technicality and training helped me to achieve my dream of singing popular songs with full piano accompaniment. I have a deep appreciation for music and my prior music teachers were rigid in their approach, which didn't enable me to grow musically. Devin's flexible, caring approach helped me to immediately tap into my abilities at the keyboard. It has helped immensely that Devin offers remote lessons via Zoom, which make it highly convenient for students living further away. I look forward to more musical breakthroughs with Devin as my guide. Highly recommended!

My son has been having great piano lessons with Kevin! I love that he paces his lessons with each…read moreindividual child. Although my son enjoys the piano he also loves to talk and run around. Kevin has been great at keeping my son focused while not discouraging his playfulness, instead using that energy to keep piano fun. That was my biggest concern when starting piano lessons so young for him -- that he may lose interest early on if he gets discouraged -- but Kevin intuitively understands this and is great at keeping the balance between a productive lesson and a fun lesson. My son is 6 and has had no musical training prior to starting lessons but now after 4 months can read notes on the scale, and play some short songs while sight reading. We're doing lessons 1x a week, ~25mins per lesson. Highly recommend piano lessons with Kevin!

This is long due! My boys have been taking Piano with Kevin for over two years now. They had some…read morepiano lessons with a different teacher before, but when they started with Kevin, the immediate improvement was noticeable. He worked on techniques, posture and most important, reading music. Before that, all they played and knew was based on repetition and playing with the keys. I love Kevin's methods, his patience and precision are also great qualities when working with kids. I highly recommend him. He also does recitals, and it's great to see all the kids and the improvements made from one year to the other. His studio is in a great location and during this new time of C-19, he has continue to teach over FaceTime! My kids have not missed one class! Always punctual and enthusiastic. Very professional!

My family members have been enrolled for the last year in choir , piano, and drums. All outstanding…read moreexperiences for children and adults. The train up to recitals and concerts is a great program that helps build up students' confidence. The current Holiday choir is another example of them programming into the community and bringing families closer together through music. Definitely recommend also for adults who lost their way on an instrument , great place to learn and pick it back up!

The best school in the area! My daughter has taken singing lessons here for quite a while, and…read moreshe's had the opportunity to perform at several festivals with the rock band... what an amazing way to grow in music!

Music depot is the best store in the east bay!! They got great deals and their guitar selection is…read moremassive!! I been coming here since 2012 and it's amazing to see how far they have come as a store and as a business. You cannot go wrong with visiting this store and browsing without leaving out with something to buy! 5 star customer service. You will not regret it

Best music store in the area. ABC is Ok and Music unlimited is still around,…read morebut Music Depot is my spot. Just bought some cables, prices are good.... I've stopped buying music stuff from Amazon, Sweetwater, etc. and have opted instead to support local businesses like Music Depot. Matthew is a great guy, so's his Dad. If you haven't been to Music Depot, head on down to B Street and check it out. I guarantee you're going to like it.

I hate Guitar Center. You hear me? I hate it. If you walked up to me and tried to sell me a solid…read morestate with some DOD pedals, while flashing the "rock on" sign, I would hate you too... even if you didn't smell like the mosh pit at a nu-metal concert. What's so core about not bathing? Greg at Orbiter Guitars is awesome. Most musicians and guitar techs are jerks. Yeah, I said it. If you're a musician, than, statistically speaking, you're probably a jerk too. Greg's a genuinely nice guy who understands that music is about having a good time. He loves what he does and it really shows. He makes his own boutique pedals, for crying out loud. I can't recommend him enough. I had my LP Studio and Tele set for a really great price. The LP was SINGING after. It was as if someone bought me a brand new guitar (that was made in the 60s). I'm in love. I love you, my wine red little friend. Yes, I do... Yes, I do...

I have trusted Greg with at least 20 guitars over the last 10 years -- everything from routine…read moresetups and fret levels to custom wiring and routing, all the way up to full refinish projects and guitars worth several thousand dollars. I have never worked with a guitar tech who was more detail-oriented, more downright caring about doing a good job. He takes immense pride in his work, likes a creative challenge, and has never given me bad advice in regards to maintenance or repairs. Greg creates his own custom effects pedals as well; he does hot-rod paint jobs so they look as good as they sound. He customized my wah with a tone switch, custom voices, and and LED, then finished it in a gorgeous Lake Placid Blue metallic. I've also used one of his foot phasers with an orange metalflake finish! If you can dream it, he can build it. Greg has taken down the Orbiter website, but he's still very much in business and contactable by phone or email. Most of his jobs come via personal referrals; he's the area's best-kept secret, Greg's standards are insanely high and his prices are, frankly. too low. You simply will not find a better deal in the Bay Area.

Great place to rent or buy musical instruments! My oldest decided to learn violin at her school in…read morefirst grade and we came over to inquire about their different instruments and whether it's better to buy or rent. Jayson helped us out and provided us all the answers to the many questions we had. We decided to rent since she was starting out on the smallest size and their rental instruments are perfect. We just wrapped up year 2 of violin and will be coming back in the fall when school starts.

The only reason why I give this place a 5-stars is because of the teacher. I worked under Tony for…read more3 years and it was a stellar experience. He was super encouraging and I really enjoyed taking lessons under him... too bad I'm graduating this year and had to discontinue. I think the repairs on this place are nice but a bit slow. Jason does great work and makes sure that everything is in working order but it takes a long time. My only negative experience with this place: I took my clarinet in for repair. They gave me an estimated date of a week. I called them around the 5-day mark to ask if it was ready and they told me an extra 2-days (as expected). I ended up being busy at that time so I couldn't check-in on the one week mark. When I went in to visit though, they said that it would need another week. Overall though, I really like this place! It's local and the people inside are friendly. They do charge a premium on reeds though.... ordering online is better.

This review is LONG overdue. I had the pleasure of working with Shari as my vocal coach for several…read moreyears. I stopped lessons a while ago due to my own scheduling conflicts, but I still hope to restart one day--I miss working with her! Shari is not only highly trained professional vocal coach but also an all-around wonderful person. She has a unique ability to connect with her students, no matter their skill level. Whether you're a complete beginner or an experienced singer, Shari meets you where you are and helps you grow in ways you didn't think possible. Her lessons are thoughtfully tailored to your goals, style, and voice, and the improvements I saw in my singing were incredible - several of my friends even commented on it. Shari's guidance had such a noticeable impact on the quality of my voice, and every session with her was the highlight of my week. She's patient, supportive, and so encouraging. If you're looking for a vocal coach who is knowledgeable, approachable, and passionate about singing and vocal performance, Shari is the one. I cannot recommend her enough!

Shari is wonderful. She has been coaching my 10 year old daughter for several months now via zoom,…read moreand while zoom can be a challenge, my daughter has advanced rapidly, and has a real confidence in her singing that wasn't there before. Shari is not just guiding her singing, but teaching her about the science behind singing and music theory, empowering my daughter with knowledge beyond just "sing it like this." She's also very kind and patient, she treats my daughter like a colleague, not a kid. We love her, you will too!