I took lessons a few years back and the staff were very kind- you can tell they know what they…read moreteach and they want to help. The Pritchard family- thank you for this business!

The lessons are expensive and they have inflexbile policies. I have 3 children all of whom take…read moremultiple lessons and classes across the area and have never encountered such strict policies on make ups/cancellations. They do what's good for them only - not allowing you to make up class if you don't give 5 hours notice (even if your child is sick) and yet they will call you 15 minutes into class that your child is in to tell you that class is suddenly 20 minutes shorter because not all of the kids showed up. They basically told me that their time is more precious than mine and if I don't like it, too bad. If you have kids who may get sick, a job or other obligations of any kind (i.e., real life), I would not recommend this place. Way too rigid and unwilling to keep paying customers happy.

My son has been taking lessons here since he was 5 (he's 10 now). This is a great music school. I…read morereally like that they use music that is accessible to kids. He loves playing what he hears on the radio. They've also helped put together a band for him to play in. Their end of the year "recital" will be at the Filmore in Silver Spring and my son has also played at the Strathmore. There's really no school like it in the area. Highly recommend it. My son has also done the summer camp. He started singing and played drums since the camp. At camp they also make a demo CD. It's great to hear how much they can accomplish in a week. And he's going back again this summer.

We were very underwhelmed by this music camp. Our overall impression was that it was very…read moreunorganized. Before the camp started, parents received an email explaining the logistics, and everything seemed organized. However, we quickly realized that the staff did not seem to be aware of, or follow, much of the information included in the email. For example, the email stated, "Hours - For your convenience, the school will be open as early as 8:50 AM for drop-off." However, every day, parents had to sit with their children until a teacher let them into the classroom at 9:30 AM. Additionally, on 3 out of the 5 days, the teacher was either late or did not show up. On the first day of camp, I went to pick up my son and was waiting in the designated area. I heard a child screaming and crying for his dad. It sounded like my son, but I couldn't imagine why he would be wailing like that. I then realized it was my son. He had been trapped in the bathroom and was drenched in sweat. We were told that the children had a buddy system. Unfortunately, his buddy had already left, which I understand can happen with 4- and 5-year-olds. However, I was very concerned that no teacher had checked on him until they heard him crying. Thankfully, he was okay, but it was a very upsetting experience for him and for us. At the end of camp, the children were supposed to have a performance. The initial email stated that students would come home on Monday with information about the performance, but we received nothing. The children ended up performing one song, "We Will Rock You," and the performance seemed very rushed and only partially planned. There were no instruments involved, and the teacher was not present. The entire performance lasted less than 10 minutes. The woman in charge that day, who was not the teacher, had the children get off the stage. One of the children asked about another song, and she quickly explained that they were not going to perform it because many of the children did not know it yet. The email also stated that the children would receive a camp T-shirt and come up with a band name. Neither of those things happened. The email also said that a recording would be sent to us of the performance-I highly doubt they will follow through. I realize that I was not present in the classroom during the actual camp sessions, so I cannot speak firsthand about everything that happened during the day. However, based on the lack of organization, communication, and preparation we experienced, we did not feel that the camp provided the experience we expected. Unfortunately, we will not be returning and would not recommend this camp to other families.

Let me start by saying that we have been customer for a few years now. Our kids rented their band…read moreinstruments. from there. We even purchased her cello from there. The staff was always great and helpful. Fast forward a few years, I inherit a handful of guitars from my father. My father is left handed and I am not. To convert the guitars from left to right is a chore, but not overwhelming. i know how to do the work, but chose to treat myself and have an "expert" do it. I dropped them off we had discussed changing the nut only reconfiguring the bridge if necessary. They sold me new strings and I went on my way. I was so excited when they called me and told me they were ready. I was in a rush when I picked them up. I admit it seemed much cheaper than I had expected, but in my rush I wasn't really paying attention. I got home and tried them out. The action seemed OFF. I again was so busy at that time I did not have a chance to really go over the guitars and thought maybe the new strings were still strechting and were amybe affected by the extreme heat we were having. a few weeks later things had calmed down. I took the guitars out and tried playing and then began to look them over, really look then over. The "expert" only restrung the guitar upside down. Did not change the nut. No bridge adjustment. No phone call saying are you sure ofnthe work we need to do. I called the store and in the manner of service I had been accustomed to they told me to bring them back in and they work take care f them. Io dropped them off received the normal apologies, followed up a few days later from their "expert".listing all of the things that needed to happen. I am/was aware of the work needed, but at this point I have lost all faith in this so called "expert" and just asked him to return the guitars to the shop and I would jit take them elsewhere. As I went to pick them up I thought there might have been some discussion or apology for the "misunderstanding". Nothing. That was the last time I will shop there and cannot ever reccomend them again. I would expect this from Guitar Center, but I think their techs would have at least called the first time to say, "Are you sure of this work?" You have lost a family of customers nor can I recommend you to others.

Have to support these small music shops. Victor Litz has a lot to offer from types of instruments,…read moreelectronics, lessons, used gear, you name it. I was especially impressed with their selection of ukuleles. Never have I seen so many in MD in one place! Definitely more than what Guitar center offers. They have an acoustic room in the back to try their acoustic/classical guitars. I had the chance to buy one of their used guitars at an amazing price. I appreciate the staff working with me on the price and even holding the instrument for a day when they could have easily sold it to next customer. Shows that they care about customer satisfaction more than just making a sale. I was able to spend a good amount of time trying out the instrument and they also helped tweak the intonation before I decided to take it home with me. The only few downsides I could see was some of the staff were not particularly knowledgeable about certain guitar models that they were selling, but much better than say Guitar Center. The humidification in the acoustic room basically only controlled by a residential type humidifier, so not very precise. Compared to other small guitar shops in the DMV, I don't think I would feel comfortable getting my guitar worked on here just based on the level of expertise I surmounted from the conversations I had. But a good place to buy gear nonetheless if you know what you are looking for. Parking is just a little challenging since it is in the middle of old town Gaithersburg. But in the past I have come on the weekends and there is some parking across the street at the museum.

My two daughters have been taking the Young Musician Group Piano classes for the last two years…read more They both completed Level 1 and now are in Level 2 and Level 3. When they started they were six and seven years old. They love this piano class. Their instructor, Mr. Cobbins, is a lot of fun but also has a great attitude for teaching. He makes the class enjoyable and instructive. There are times when we have to miss the class due to scheduling conflicts, and my girls gets very sad and disappointed when they do- now, that's a great sign of how much they love this piano class! At the end of each semester, each student gets to perform their own piano recital in front of all the other students and parents. My girls loved dressing up and playing their favorite songs. My eldest daughter also attended the Academy of Fine Arts summer program, more specifically the sing dance and act sessions. I can't tell you how much she loved this program. She met new friends and had such a great time. At the end of the program, they perform a show with a combination of all three - singing, dancing and acting. I already signed her up for this summer's session!

Our experience with the institution is varied. They have some incredible teachers who are really…read moreengaged and others that are not. We had Sekulic who was not engaged, on her phone in a virtual setting for Piano. Fortunately, we found another piano teacher who is really engaged and devoted to the arts outside of the academy. There are other nuances with the academy directly related to lack of communication that also contributed to this review.

I took 2 clarinets for repair. They listened to me and made the repairs. When they saw that another…read morematerial had been installed on the instrument they called to discuss the options .

I sent my oboe and english horn went in for standard maintenance. It was projected to take 3 weeks…read more After 7 weeks work had still not been completed. Steve, the owner, was incredibly rude and made it very difficult to get my instruments back. When they were returned he neglected to return my oboe's bell. The work was poorly done, and my instruments are in worse playing condition than when insent them in. The top joint and lower joint no longer fit together as the wrong size cork was used. The cork pad used on my f sharp key was replaced with a bladder pad without asking if that is what I wanted. I now need to find a different shop to fix the damage they have done. Avoid ar all cosr

Wonderful. We were attended to by Iris who helped my daughter select her first 1/2 violin. She fell…read morein love with it instantly. Great customer service with useful recommendations. The rent to own program is better than purchasing a violin for us , due to the fact that my daughter may quickly outgrow the half violin and need the adult size sooner than we think. The store offers everything you need to play your instrument, along with a great selection of beginner books. What I appreciated the most was the thorough Q&A provided by Iris.

This knowledgeable staff set me up with my first violin, bow and case. They demonstrated how to…read more handle and care for the instrument. I was pleased with their professional yet patient manner. Nice place, nice people.

My daughter has been taking voice lessons with Cheryl for 7 years. She is an outstanding teacher!…read moreShe knows everything there is to know about singing. My daughter was very shy and now she sings in public with ease. She always looks forward to her voice lesson every week. Her lessons price includes individual voice lessons and group ensemble meetings once a month.It's a great deal! I can't say enough wonderful things about Cheryl!

From the owner: Private lessons in Voice, Piano, Acting and Public Speakingread more

My son has been taking electric guitar lessons with the Bone Jones Music family since January 2019,…read moreand I'm totally impressed by their music culture and instruction methods. Bones Jones is more than a single weekly lesson. It's truly an education in music, a musical experience in which students not only learn to play, but learn to play with other students, to collaborate with other students and the excellent, excellent teachers, all accomplished band musicians themselves. I took guitar for several years growing up. Among many things missing was the opportunity to play with other musicians and students, the opportunity to begin to live that dream of playing in a band, of playing before live audiences. At Bones Jones, all that's taken care of -- it's part of their music culture there, and, in my estimation, that's invaluable. Thus, my son is completely turned on to electric guitar. Less than a year in, he's already seeing where it can take him, what the possibilities are, and his learning and growth has been really much, much faster than I'd have imagined -- besides practicing what he's being taught there at the Bones Jones schoolhouse, they've equipped him to explore on his own, to take advantage of the myriad resources out there, and he's doing it, and loving it. I can't say enough good things about Bones Jones Music. It's been a great investment for me and, more important, continues to be a great learning and music experience for my son. Rock on!

My son started playing Jack Johnson on acoustic at age 9 at Bones Jones Music and now 7 years of…read morelessons later, he is playing Metallica and Muse on electric guitar. Billy continues to meet my son's music interests as they have evolved, keeping him interested, challenged and motivated. The whole community is welcoming and encouraging of any student at any level. If you love rock music from all eras, this is the place to learn guitar! I have to admit that I was skeptical at first about the group lesson model because everyone else teaches private guitar lessons. But the group class model really works! Billy is a super skilled teacher and you will love playing with other folks in classes. I highly recommend Bones Jones Music!