Short REVIEW I…read moreaccidentally took lessons from 3 different instructors at Guitar Center (GC), which is the educational equivalent of testing the same restaurant by ordering three different entrées. Surprisingly, they were all good. Even more surprising, I discovered that the GC Lessons department is more interested in helping someone become a musician than reminding everyone they are already one. Apparently, those places still exist. EPIC REVIEW: I've now taken lessons with three different instructors at Guitar Center (GC) in Oklahoma City (OKC). The changes in instructors were simply due to scheduling conflicts on my end. And although I haven't studied with every instructor there, I have, as I said, spent time with THREE different teachers! Therefore, I find myself inadvertently well qualified to observe and comment on the music department as a whole. To start with, the music department is all men. Stay with me... Ordinarily, I would have to brace myself for an unnecessary display of peacocking. In fact, history has shown that whenever enough men gather in one place, a spirited competition to determine who possesses the greatest expertise has an uncanny habit of appearing, usually accompanied by the occasional performance of confidence disguised as wisdom. Keep staying with me... I do have a point.... I also think it's fair to say that male-dominated workplaces can sometimes become boys' clubs. On more than one occasion, I've found those same places resemble mean girls' clubs--only with deeper voices. But not GC!!!!!! These young men are refreshingly uninterested in proving who is the cleverest person in the room. The atmosphere is one of encouragement rather than one of comparison. I also found something increasingly uncommon among the instructors at GC......gentlemen. Not the Victorian kind who faint if they see an ankle. I mean the rare modern kind who are patient, kind, respectful, and somehow manage to teach without making you feel like you've just failed at being a human. GC's instructors don't just understand music. They understand that brains don't all arrive from the factory with the same operating manual. One thing I think you should know is that I process slow. When I mean slow I mean like a sloth who took an edible slow. Some lessons require a second explanation. Others a third. Sometimes we go over it so much that I fear my instructors might feel I've trapped them in a time loop. Like it's Groundhog Day all over again. A lesser teacher might mistake my slow processing for inability. Mine never have. If one explanation doesn't work, they simply try another. They don't rush me. They don't judge me. They simply keep teaching until something clicks. Which sounds obvious. It isn't. GC has quality musicians who absolutely can teach. I only say that because a lot of musicians can play, but that doesn't mean they can teach, or they can teach, but that doesn't mean they can reach. These instructors are gifted with all three. Now to make a long review even longer, I want to leave you with one final observation. The older I get, the more convinced I become that culture is often a reflection of leadership. Jason, the GC Lessons manager, seems to have created an environment where kindness and professionalism aren't special occasions, they're just Tuesdays. An accident? I think not. A rarity, absolutely. I also want to mention that there is a Guitar Center much closer to where I live. I don't go there. Instead, I willingly drive over the hills and through the woods to get to my teachers because I know that when I arrive I'll learn something, laugh at least once, and leave a little better than when I walked in. Oh, let me not forget to tell you that there are also quarterly recitals! It's one thing to practice in a room by yourself. It's another to stand up, play in front of people, and discover that courage is apparently a learnable skill. The best part is that they are included in your monthly fee. In closing, I simply want to say that I feel honored to have learned--and to continue learning--from these instructors. I'm not entirely sure what I did to deserve this quality of instruction or the quality of human beings, but I'm most certainly grateful. More importantly, I hope everyone looking for a place to learn music finds teachers who make them feel the way my instructors have made me feel. So thank you to my three instructors--Joe, Tim, and Keegan--and, last but certainly not least, to Jason, whose leadership seems to echo throughout the entire department.

Highly recommend Nick at Guitar Center! He helped me out with the whole process of just buying my…read morefirst guitar and figuring out what I should look into along with it. Great experience!

I love Edmond music. The whole entire staff is like a big family most recently. I bought a guitar…read morewhere Taylor and Scott helped me and then I brought it in to have Jesse do a heck of a set up on it. It was just amazing. Love this place

Went here cause my mother in law wanted to get my youngest a beginner book on how to play the…read moreukulele. Not to bad of customer service when you first walk in, helped us out right away. Very attentive off the bat and helped my son tune his ukulele. After we asked where the beginners books were they pretty much minded there on business and never really checked on us which I thought was odd. As far as price goes, it's a music shop right off the Main Street so you can expect too pay a good price but not an arm and a leg unless you wanna go big. Overall not a bad place.

Friendly little shop with excellent service. The hooked me up with a guitar and shipped it as well…read more I would definitely go back.

As great and convenient as online shopping is, it really does hurt the small, local shops in the…read morearea like OKC Music and Sound. I randomly decided to come in after looking for a place that would sell button straps for my new acoustic, and wow, I'm disappointed I didn't give this place my business years before. Due to the increase of online popularity and decrease of foot traffic and sales, OKC Music and Sound will be closing soon. This means they have huge sales throughout the store, but much of the inventory has already been cleaned out (darn you people who cleaned out the phosphor-bronze stock). That being said, the owner Robin, was still incredibly kind, helpful, and goofy. The cheapest price I could find for someone in the OKC area to drill/install a button strap into my acoustic was about $40. I am so thankful I decided to search around a little bit more on Google because Robin saved me a ton of money. I got guitar strings, a button strap install, humidity packs, and a peg winder for $13. THIRTEEN DOLLARS. I felt guilty, but that's how liquidation sales work I guess. Robin did mention that he plans on opening a smaller shop doing more luthier type of work, and when that happens, I will certainly be going to him.

We love School of Rock Edmond! The instructors are amazing with all ages of kids. My daughter came…read morein with no guitar knowledge and is excelling at playing in her individual lessons and band group. Such a fun way to learn music and make friends! We highly recommend checking it out!

we are having the best of time for our little ROOKIE rock star. instruments to vocals to live…read moreconcerts what an experience for our little. we love school of rock and the awesome jam sessions, teachers, and skills she leaves with every lesson. rock on!!

Great music store, super helpful. I took my guitar in to get new strings and noticed some of the…read moretuning machines were loose and the guy there tightened them for me for free and let me borrow his clippers so I didn't have to drive all the way back home to clip the string ends. highly recommended and they have a lot of awesome gear.

Amazing shop with so many great pieces of gear. Always a fun time to go in and shop around. The…read moreowner is super friendly, really helpful, and knowledgeable on his gear. 100% worth a visit if you're in the okc area.

Drove from Norman to Larsen in OKC to get a saxophone repaired. Don the repair guy is top notch,…read moresuper friendly, and i'm so glad we went to Larsen music. They also have an amazing selection of guitars, drums, pianos, and much more. Please support this local business.

I needed to see about renting a cello for my daughter and thought this was the perfect place. I…read morecould not have been more wrong. first there is only rent to own, which is fine until you realize they want you to pay $50 a month on an instrument that is a little more than 300 dollars brand new and they want you to pay that on a used 3/4 size cello until you have paid it off which is the part that made me red in the face. to rent a used 3/4 cello at 50 a month the total before you own it is over 1200 dollars. How can you claim to help and support musicians and musical education when you're clearly only here to make a buck. Shame on you. I used to think better of you Lawson's. So disappointing.

Fantastic customer service and unbelievable instruments. We were here filming a movie and the…read moreowner Peggy was the best!! Thanks.

Cute historic building, friendly and knowledgable staff, and so much to look at!read more