Very fun to take beginner voice lessons! Instructors are very encouraging and I was able to grow a…read morelot within 6 lessons :)

My daughter had a great time here. Ms. Van, Mr. Sean and all dance teachers are wonderful and…read moreprofessional. They treated us as family. We had a lot of great memories here. Thank you very much to VS Music Studio team and we wish you all the best.

I was looking up YMC online for the calendar and Yelp site came up second on the list. I was amused…read moreby the rating so I read all the reviews and felt compelled to write my own. I sent my 2 kids (now 15 and 11) to YMC for over 6 years. First of all, the parents must expect to be part of the system in order for it to work, at least for several years. If the plan is to drop a 4-year-old kid off once a week and expect the kid to come home practice, unleash his/her undying love for music, while cannot wait to boast to your friends and family that your child is a musician, you are kidding yourself. The group lesson is a little over $100 for about 4 lessons a month, I doubt a private tutor goes for less than that, or an hour a week is close to sufficient.... For us, group lessons for the kids at the beginning worked out well. You and your child get to find out if you are up for more serious commitment later. The class setting gives kids a chance to learn with their peers. You know if your child is ahead/behind and you work with your child. YOU get to learn the same time as your children, so you can reinforce what's taught, at least at the beginning. Consider you are paying for 1 and get 1 free. The start is going to be slow. Learning music is not easy. If I pay for private lesson instead I would most likely not be invited to listen in and unable to assist with the child's progress. Yamaha trains through what they consider the correct way, where kids tend to like to play by ears, they learn to read the music scores, study music theory (yikes to some), and it is not necessarily easy or fun for most. Looking back, if you wonder if it's too early to put the kid in piano at age 4 or 5, my daughter is able to achieve more than my son at her age, despite they are 4 years apart. Even though my son is playing more difficult pieces, as he's older, with more strength and longer hand reach, she progressed faster and completed the same level tests as him. Now that my son is in high school, his school work load and his other interests make it much harder to commit to playing piano. If you are to push your child to play an instrument, 4-14 is likely the period they can be pushed as they have the free time to do so, AND before the teenager weirdness kicks in. So while a child could barely play a simple Christmas song after a year in group lesson, ability to play fluently at intermediate level (like learning to speak) comes after the second year for mine. Practice at home is so important. I sat with my kids at least a couple times a week for years, plus they were expected to practice on their own for 2 times. I stopped sitting down with them last year, for at some point in time kids should learn to 'take care of their own chores/practices' especially they have all the tools to succeed on their own without their parents. Our teacher, Ms. Ana, is very nice, talented and works very hard. She has a lot on her plate, so it comes down to us the parents to help the kids with organizing - because guess what - my kids have poor organization skills, and it's nobody but the parents' job to teach and preach, even if it frustrates me to no end why they are so difficult to teach :) Over the years, under Ms. Ana, my kids had played many difficult pieces and composed several, and even though they did not earn them first prizes, and the push at home was tiresome, it's a proud accomplishment and memory for us looking back - and I have plenty of concert videos to look back to. Last week we went to a relative's home for Thanksgiving lunch; they had a piano and my kids went and played without being told. That, to me, is the true accomplishment - they love playing music, and one true gift a parent can give to a child, a skill to play a music instrument that lasts a lifetime. For those who find their teachers with accent they cannot understand, I could only suggest you speak with the front desk and ask for a different time slot for another teacher; speak with them in person before committing perhaps. For the director, we don't interact with her much, but she has always been courteous to us. To put things in perspective, she does not play a part in the child's learning experience, I would not rate the school poorly because of a poor interacting experience between the adults, but that's just me. In summary, playing music, like sports, is not for everyone; it's totally understandable, and most kids are not born self-motivated geniuses. I want my kids to learn how to play piano good, and the Yamaha system works for my kids, Ms. Ana is patient and kind, and I'm sure my kids' classmates and their parents will agree to that. The group lesson supposedly ended after the 6th year; the kids actually love the class so much they wish to continue, and Ms. Ana is providing them new ensemble pieces to play. That is where my 5 star is based on, from 6 years of experience with the school.

Very disappointing experience. After realizing the program wasn't a good fit for my 5-year-old, I…read morerequested a refund. Instead of a simple resolution, I dealt with weeks of delays, poor communication, and an unfair outcome. The customer service was far more disappointing than the financial loss. Parents should be aware that if you need to withdraw, don't expect a prompt or customer-friendly resolution.

I discovered McCormick a year ago when I found a beginner's open jam session on Meetup. At that…read moretime I had been learning bass for about 5 years on my own through YouTube tutorials and tabs. It used to take me several weeks just to learn one whole song at tempo. Improvisation skills were at zero. Plus, I didn't know anyone else who played an instrument, so I wasn't making much progress. The two times I had previously attempted joining a random open jam, I was completely lost and frustrated. But then I attended that first McCormick jam session... What I love about the open jams is that it's run by an instructor, so they'll often suggest easier songs and run through the chords on a whiteboard before starting. The people that attend are welcoming and friendly for all skill levels, and it's nice to see the same faces come back each month. Beginner/intermediate players get a chance to play along to easier songs, but there's also a chance for more advanced players to improvise and solo. I wound up having so much fun that first time, that I signed up for private lessons the week after, and have been going to the monthly jam sessions ever since. If you take private lessons, you can also sign up to join a student band that practices once a week to perform at concerts 4x a year. For beginners/intermediate who think they're not good enough to join a band, or if none of your friends are musically inclined, this is PERFECT. No matter who much you practice by yourself and can play along to a recording at home, it doesn't beat playing live in a group. Private lessons + band practice + monthly jams have seriously leveled up my skills in the past year. Now, I can learn a song well enough to survive a jam session with only a couple run throughs beforehand if I've never heard it before. I can survive a 12 bar blues jam without any prep. Plus I've also connected with a couple people during the jam sessions, and am now learning 3-4 new songs each week! Also, shout out to Jules who's helped me learn songs much faster by simplifying basslines that I thought were too hard to play, and getting me to work more on listening and improvisation instead of relying 100% on tabs. He's an excellent and encouraging teacher, and I've picked up tons of tips and advice in the past year. Really happy I found McCormick! I've always loved playing an instrument, but it's 100x more fun if you get to play with other people.

Amazing teacher, amazing students , amazing learning environment to really grow and harness…read moremusical skills. I would give it 10,000 stars if I could.

Stephanie is an amazing, encouraging, talented voice teacher for my son, who attends OCSA. A few…read morepeople have recommended Stephanie to us and we are so glad to have found her. My son would like to audition, for the first time, for a musical and needed guidance as to song choice, instruction, and the "32-bars/1 minute" edit. The way she explains a sound, or how to accomplish reaching a volume/strength etc, is very effective. My son enjoys going to his voice lessons and we highly recommend Stephanie to anyone looking for a voice coach! --As an added bonus- she records the lesson so my son can listen to her tips and learns from listening to it!

Stephanie Young is an amazing voice teacher. My son started taking lessons from her when he was 8,…read moreand by the time he was 12, he won VOCE, the statewide classical voice competition. She really knows the human voice! (Why pay more for Kathleen Martin? Stephanie is better...and more fun!) She is super organized and always records lessons for practice at home. My other son, who took from her and then stopped for a while, recently started again, and she still had records of every song he had ever sung. She's very nice and brings out the best in all types of students--outgoing, shy, in between. With the classical basis, she taught both my sons all genres of singing--opera, musical theater, pop, gospel, you name it. Couldn't recommend Stephanie Young's vocal studio any higher. Six stars!

As Ms Lyka moved on to the next chapter of her life, my daughter now goes to Ms Jennifer C for her…read moreweekly violin lesson. Ms Jennifer C is full of energy and eager to teach. Her enthusiasm and high energy has helped my daughter to be more confident in her violin play. Ms Jennifer C mentioned that she used to be shy. Especially her big personality and confidence, it's hard to believe. Ms Jennifer C writes very thorough and detailed feedback on the portal after each lesson. It has helped my daughter's improvement and confidence in her violin play.. I hope my daughter continues to do well under the wing of Ms Jennifer C.

My son (10Y) has been going to Mr.Tzu-Jung for his lesson. Since the change, I've noticed my son…read morehas become more confident. I'm thankful that Mr.Tzu-Jung is so patient and help improve on my son's piano play.

Laura taught my kids for two years. She is patient and kind and does her best to make each kid love…read moremusic. We drove 40 minutes one way to get to her house. I would recommend her to anyone.

We have been with and Laura for the past 3 years and my daughter could not be more happier . We…read morelove the fact that music program incorporates lots of movements , puppet shows and a lot of hands on activities . The first year focuses more on listening to tunes and playing on tone bells , hand signs. The second year is an introduction to the keyboard where students learn middle C , keyboard positions , major minor scale . The third year , students learn positions on the staff and more complex patterns . At the end of the third year students play a piece composed entirely by them . I would recommend Let's play music program by Ms Varga to anyone without hesitation . Ms Laura Varga has been an extremely patient teacher and I am extremely happy to see my child develop a love for playing the piano.

Cassidy is very friendly and understanding. I have no experience whatsoever. She customized her…read morelessons for me, so just ask if there's something you're trying to work at. I'm just here for fun, so there's certain areas that I'm specifically working on. Love working with her. She doesn't break your teeth in with her lessons. I'm very new, so she takes her time to explain everything for my slow mind. Loving it so far. Just wonderful. Thank you.

At 70+ I decided to take voice lessons! Cassidy makes it fun and brings high energy to my lessons…read more I am also learning to read music! She has students of all ages including performers that attend Jr and St high school (OC School of the Arts). As a professional she is well skilled in performance and auditions. She is running a promotion for $20 off. It is worth checking out!

We are so happy with our daughter's experience at this music school! The teachers are kind,…read morepatient, and very supportive. We've seen a wonderful improvement in her skills and confidence, and she truly enjoys learning music. Highly recommend this school to any parent looking for a great place for their child!

I take piano lessons here. They've got a great facility, really happy with my teacher, John, and…read morejust a nice overall experience here as an adult learner.