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!!!

I had as well as my son took lessons from Jiovanni ( Trang). He had been very professional and…read moreright to the point each step away. My son got to the water just after 2hours of the land lesson. I am happy with his teaching technic and his approach to individual capacity. Thank you Hossein V.

Was very excited when I found out this shop they have extraordinary selection I was in dire need to…read morefind surfboards and other water equipment in such a short notice thanks for the service

My daughter has been taking lessons from Will for over a year. Over that year, she has really…read morelearned to ENJOY playing music and will hop on the piano just for fun. I believe that's because of Will's relaxed and patient style. He makes piano fun and approachable. He's very flexible in terms of scheduling, and has reasonable rates. We recently bought a Mac and he even showed us how to record some music on Garage Band. If you're a Tiger Mom, Will's not the teacher for you. If you want your child to enjoy music, Will is a great teacher.

I have known William Mandell for a long time and highly recommend him for a variety of Music…read moreLessons. He has helped my daughter with Piano, singing, audition preparation and even some music creation on Garage Band. Will is patient, persistent and very talented.

Our 12-year-old son has wanted to take drum lessons for years and we are so grateful that we found…read moreBlake! Blake is kind, encouraging, and relaxed - which is such a great environment for a kid (or anyone) to learn in. He's also passionate and enthusiastic about the drums, which is contagious. Plus, he's super talented (check out his Instagram clips)! The studio space is great, and Blake has been very accommodating with our schedule and transportation needs. He's been an outstanding drum teacher, coach, consultant, and is an all-around great person. If you're looking for a drum teacher for yourself or for your kiddo, look no further.

A surfing instructor in Hawaii once said to me that surfing is reconnecting with your inner child…read moreand just telling them to not worry about making mistakes and just play. My drum lessons with Blake the last couple years have embodied that same sentiment, and his supportive, encouraging teaching style make it easy to get out of my head and just have fun. Even when my limbs are flailing wildly about and offbeat for measures, I don't fall apart in embarrassment because Blake has the ability to help figure out what would be helpful and reflect that in a comprehensible (and simultaneously uplifting) manner. With regards to location, the studio is very accessible by MUNI (located adjacent to the Balboa Park BART station) and has a parking lot as well - very convenient! While I'm sure Blake can legit teach fundamentals and technical playing for beginners, I have mainly brought in songs from various genres, decades, and artists, and he would break them down and convert them into sheet music. It's very impressive how skilled he is at dissecting a song (within minutes of listening to it) into its snare, hi-hat, and kick beats. I've even asked Blake to play the song to demonstrate how the beat goes; not only would this be helpful, but I've found myself both inspired and mesmerized when he plays. So whether you're a total beginner or an expert, I 100% recommend Blake because he is, as the kids say -- straight fax, no printer: an amazing instructor and all-around cool guy!

Tyson is the best! Not just a great teacher but a fantastic person with a big heart. Cannot…read morerecommend him enough.

Tyson is great! An incredible teacher!!…read more I'm a beginner ukulele player who has a goal of leveraging my past experience singing with hopefully feeling confident enough to play with my uke someday. Tyson is super flexible, able to tailor every lesson to your individual needs and growth patterns. It's clear Tyson is a sensitive person who gets people and has a remarkable way of never making you feel inadequate. He's not only a great coach and teacher but makes the lesson fun! Every time I leave my ukulele lesson I feel a little bit more confidence then I arrived with, also heading home with things to work on that he's kindly written down for me to practice on and easy ways of remembering. I'm really stoked to have met Tyson and I hope you give him a try as you won't regret a single moment spent.

Woat! I was a student here in 2015 and the program made me dislike piano. The teacher is very…read moredifficult to reach and challenging to communicate with. Her expectations are extremely high and unreasonable. She can seem nice at first, but is actually very passive aggressive and at times degrading. She is by far one of the worst piano teachers I've had. On top of that, the room was very crammed so I felt like I couldn't breathe at times which was not good since I get a lot of sneeze fits. The program was also on the expensive side. You might get a better teacher but I got unlucky with mine.

My daughter is learning piano and my son is learning guitar. The teachers are very responsible and…read morepatient.

Dan is a professional musician and I already appreciate his approach way more than my last…read moreinstructor. He takes his craft seriously.

I am a singer/guitar player learning piano for the purpose of leveling up my ability to songwrite…read moreand play/arrange contemporary music. Dan is more than a great piano teacher (which he is!) - he is a highly talented singer/songwriter/composer who will teach you practical material you actually like without skimping on theory along the way (while simplifying it immensely!). I have improved leaps and bounds in just one month. Working with Dan is a no-brainer!

Devin is such an amazing teacher! He is attentive, professional, and most of all extremely…read moretalented. I love his teaching style. I feel as though every lesson makes me improve by leaps and bounds. I was definitely skeptical about video lessons at first, but Devin has made it work better than I could have ever imagined! Thank you, Devin!

Devin is a great teacher who can break things down into easy to understand bits. He makes learning…read morefun and will learn the songs you choose so he can teach them to you... in addition to more formal training on technique, theory, and songwriting. He has the gift to make it all enjoyable so you don't even notice that you're working at it - and you look up and you're suddenly further along! I'd highly recommend Devin as a teacher if you're looking to start a new instrument or make new breakthroughs.