Phoenix's Voice and Drum class was fun and challenging. Over summer and into fall this year, I took…read moretwo -10 week class series, back to back, and really enjoyed them. Although it was the same class repeated, she offered enough variation and creativity to inspire a continuum of engagement and learning. Phoenix is truly talented as a musician and facilitator who knows how to create a safe space in which students are able to let down their guard and get into the flow of drum circle magic.

Amber will truly help you "Free Your Voice"! I've taken their Free Your Voice classes in various…read moreforms, both in-person twice as single-class experiences in the last two years and recently as an online, 8-week class over Zoom. Every time, Amber has brought amazing creativity to the content and a genuine ability to help participants develop both as singers and human beings. The classes are always a safe space to push one's own boundaries and learn new superpowers you didn't know you had! I would highly recommend Amber's class especially to anyone who wants to develop their voice and become more confident, but as well to anyone who wants to just explore new sides of themselves and do something very fun, cathartic and liberating.

I have an autistic son. My mom called and asked if they would take him as a student, they said yes,…read moreto do a trial lesson and if he passed they would take him. I took him and he "passed" his trial lesson. The next time we went over, my four year old wanted to sit on the instructor's lap. She refused several times, which confused him because at home I let him practice while sitting on my lap. Finally she allowed him to sit on her lap for maybe 3-4 minutes and then told him he had to sit on the bench. Later, my son wanted to copy something we did at home, wrote the names of the keys on the keyboard with an expo marker (those wipe off easily with alcohol). The teacher said absolutely not, took the expo marker from him. So my son started crying. While he was crying, the teacher was lecturing me on keeping the piano clean and neat, and to focus on just two keys. She wanted to show him fat cat, but he was so upset he just kept crying. At one point he said he wanted to play the birthday song, the teacher's response, "It's not your birthday." There were zero accommodations or open mindedness when it came to my son. Then she was lecturing me about how I overwhelmed him by introducing all the keys. He's autistic. Lectures don t go well. Finally, it was time to leave. She wrote the fat cat song down and was talking to him while he was crying so he cried louder. When we left the individual room, the owner was outside the door and told us that my four year old son's crying was bothering the other students. She said this in front of my son, he understands. And she said that if he cried again next time, he would no longer be allowed to take classes there. I told her we don't want to bother anyone, we will never stay somewhere we are not welcome. And that based on what she said we didn't need to come back a third time and deal with the rigid instructor we were assigned. 1 thing: I was under the impression the individual rooms were soundproof, I guess they're not. 2nd: four year olds cry. He's not a robot. 3rd: getting irritated and threatening to kick us of the school while giving me negative feedback on my son should not have been done in his presence. If you come to this school expect to be treated with coldness and harshness. Unless you're perfect. Definitely not a place for neurodivergent kids. Expensive as heck. The very same day a found a wonderful piano instructor who will work with neurodivergent kids. We met him today and he made us feel welcomed and valued as human beings. The complete opposite of how we were treated at golden key piano school. I asked for a receipt, I got an unofficial email that I was forced to accept. Heartless. Lacks humanity, basic decency and kindness toward a child with special needs that they accepted only to humiliate him on our way out. I hope this school goes bankrupt for hurting me and my child the way they did. Not one ounce of tactfulness or kindness. I wish I had never set foot in their "perfect" school that only accepts "perfect" people. You can shove your school up your nose. One day my son will be a great pianist, in spite of his disability. And I hope you see him in concert you judgemental, rigid jerks. Please don't support this school. And to the teachers grow the hell up. You're dealing with humans not robots.

One teacher scolded my kids to leave the piano classroom for touching the piano while waiting for…read morethe instructor. I was so shocked and told the main instructor what happened and she told me that she only gives this lady teenagers because of this problem. This place is not a kid-friendly place at all!! and my daughter is now scared and doesn't get excited every time I bring up piano class. now I'm looking into another piano class in the area and I hope she won't be unmotivated as she is now.

Kathryn is a wonderful piano teacher! She taught my 15 year old daughter piano for 9 years. My…read moredaughter showed up at age 6 to her first lesson not knowing a single note of music, and over the past 9 years Kathryn helped shape her into a mature pianist who has developed a true love of music. Kathryn has a very gentle, organic approach to teaching piano, and before your child knows it, they are reading music and counting rhythm. It is a tears free approach to teaching and learning! Kathryn does hold her students to high standards, and will expect that your child will practice daily, and it is worth it! http://kathrynwinterpiano.com/

A little over a year ago I read the only review on Yelp of this instructor. I was looking for a…read morepiano teacher close to our house for my 9-year-old son. I figured it would take a while to find the right teacher for him. But we were lucky. Kathryn is the real deal. She lives to teach, and she's really good at it. She and my son seem to have a soul connection; she understands him, finding music that she knows he'll enjoy playing. This keeps his lessons and his practice alive for him--piano is exciting and interesting. There's love and care and time put into everything she does to prepare for lessons with my son. Kathryn has healthy, realistic expectations for him, and I appreciate this. A teacher myself, I see the wisdom in how she works with him. Kathryn taught both piano and music theory in Cal's Gifted Young Musicians program for 30 years--her many years of experience are a BIG asset, and she is whip-smart and fun. I love the twinkle she has in her eye, and the special way she is able to connect with children of all ages (we have strayed a while as she teaches other children who come after us). I also love that she is slow and methodical in her thinking and speech--she works with great intention. If there were a "slow-food" version of piano teaching, my guess is that Kathryn could really market her approach. My son started with her without having any knowledge of musical notation or instruction; a little over a year later he is playing advanced musical pieces, and understanding complicated music theory. My son, as it turns out, has a "gifted" capacity for music. Kathryn knows how to work with all capacities and arranges the lessons so they are appropriate for each child. She doesn't take children under 5 years old normally ... she prefers to start at a more developmentally appropriate age. That said, Kathryn never turns down anyone without meeting them and the parents for a tryout lesson. You can learn more about her on her website: http://kathrynwinterpiano.com/ Or contact her via phone: 510.527.3839

As a child I took piano lessons for nearly 11 years but as a grew older I gradually stopped playing…read morethe piano. Over the years I've had the desire to start learning again and I'm thankful I've found Mariam. Although she's a very educated and professional pianist, she's an extremely talented teacher as well. She's caring, she's incredibly patient, and she knows how to focus on the individual needs of her students. Mariam is truly an incredible pianist and an even better instructor. She has the ability of teaching all age levels and all skill levels. If you're a beginner looking to learn, she's more than willing and capable. On the other hand, if you're a professional pianist and your desire is to further your professional career, she's more than capable of helping you.

Mariam is an incredible, European conservatory trained concert pianist and fabulous teacher. She…read moreis patient, encouraging and straightforward in a quiet way with criticism. She teaches you how to practice, gives clear lessons on how to improve technique, is helpful in customizing fingering for your hand and knows how to bring you along through the phases of learning a piece. Its not only about playing the notes. Mariam explains the composer's intentions, the dynamics, mood, and tempo of a work. I took piano through high school and have had a couple of teachers as an adult over the decades. More than ever, I am enjoying and learning piano because of Mariam's teaching ability and her undeniable expertise and knowledge. You are a lucky person if you become her student.

I started working with Adrienne nearly 4.5 years ago because I wanted to liberate my voice. I knew…read morethat the resonance I carried inside of me didn't match my external expression. What I felt within, I wanted to be able to share with others. And now, having worked across both the technical aspects of vocalization through Western music, and the emotion and connection to the Divine through Persian music, my capacity to express what I feel now matches. My expression is more fluid, expansive and clear. I'm grateful not just for Adrienne's technical mastery and ability to translate complex skills into tangible changes in my body, but more importantly for the invitation she creates through loving presence and laughter to bring forth heart -- in myself and others. I wholeheartedly recommend working with Adrienne (whether in person at her studio or remotely via Zoom). She has helped me transform my relationship to my voice, and what I'm capable of expressing -- and for these lifelong gifts I'm grateful!

Listened to an amazing concert by Adrienne tonight. Wow!…read more Her instrumental accompanying of her wonderful voice is sublime. I can't wait to be able to see her perform in person. Shout out to the F&S Freight At Home Series!

Cassie has been such a gift for our kids. We found her during COVID. She created a safe way to…read moreintroduce our children to new musical instruments, and for once, they stuck with it! It has a lot to do with Cassie's kind approach, meeting kids where their interests are, and incredible patience. With Cassie, the kids were consistent with their lessons, and it now shows in their comfort with their instruments and even experimenting with new instruments at home. My kids FINALLY love playing music! Sadly we have to move away. We'll miss Cassie's lovely disposition. It will be difficult to find another teacher like her. If you have or are someone, who might be a little shy or reluctant about trying a new instrument, give Cassie a try. She teaches students of all ages and makes music accessible to everyone.

With all of this time on our hands, I HIGHLY recommend Cassie and Musica Bella. I've known Cassie…read morefor many, many years, and just started taking guitar lessons from her. She is WUNderful! It's so fun to pick up my guitar again after so many years. All done remotely at this time. It's very simple - she helps you select a video option. And it is just SO much fun to play my guitar with her each week. Cassie has been a music teacher for many, many years. She teaches piano, voice, guitar, and pretty much any other music you want to pursue. She is right here in El Sobrante! So give her a call at (510) 409-8487.

Harry is clearly a very talented pianist, but not suited for teaching in my opinion. Granted that I…read morehave had only had one lesson with him and am not making this decision off of much personal experience, I think it is important that I share this experience with others so that they may take any of the given information into consideration when selecting a piano instructor. I think it's important to preface this by saying that quality instructors, regardless of the subject matter that they are teaching, will share a common set of characteristics that make them so. They will be good listeners and adjust their teaching style to the student's needs. They work with the student to understand the student's goals and devise a structured plan to help them get to that point. An effective student-teacher relationship cannot be achieved without sufficient student-teacher interaction. Just as the teacher questions the student on his/her current skill level and goals in an effort to gain a solid understanding of how he/she can help the student, the student should question the teacher and ask about the teacher's background, skill level, and how he/she will help the student achieve his/her goals. This is not the experience I had with Harry during our first lesson. As a college student, I am financially limited and thus have to make the best use of the money that I have. This means I have to put a lot of effort into finding a quality instructor, which further implies that I must spend time working to understand the instructor's methods, techniques, and plan for helping me eventually get to the point where I want to be. During our lesson, I asked Harry a lot of questions, to say the least. I told him my goals with learning the piano and throughout our lesson kept asking questions about whether I will be able to do ___ or achieve ___ given the path that we were going to follow. Harry wanted to stick to the absolute basics during our first lesson, which is completely normal and fair, but interpreted my questions as my "being a very resistant and skeptical learner", and that I "didn't trust his methods". I kept trying to clarify that this wasn't the case and that I trusted his methods but I was rather trying to gauge him as an instructor, our curriculum, and thus get a more structured and comprehensive idea of how we were going to proceed with future lessons. He kept cutting me off and I had to repeatedly (3 or 4 times) request him to let me finish my train of thought before he let me do so. When I repeated myself to try and clarify that I wasn't trying to be rude or skeptical, he replied "Yeah, that's about the tenth time you've mentioned that today" in quite a snarky manner. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I felt as though he crossed the line for basic human decency and behavior. He was rude and off-putting, which is rather unacceptable even outside of professional or student-teacher contexts. The worst remark that he made, in my opinion, wasn't even rude but was rather shocking to hear a teacher say. I told him that if I sounded skeptical, it was because I was trying to make the best use of my money and find an instructor that suits my personality and learning style. He complained that all of my questions were eating into our time, and when I mentioned how I would have been okay with not even touching the piano given that it is our first lesson and I wanted to use it to get a solid understanding of the teacher, his style, and how we would progress throughout our learning journey, he replied "well that's just a waste of money". Just as one should not select a cosmetic surgeon without understanding the procedure, the surgeon's personality, and how they will help you achieve the look you desire, one should not select an instructor without gaining a comprehensive understanding of the teacher, his/her teaching style, and their method of helping you achieve your goals. Given my experience, I would strongly recommend that individuals looking to receive piano instruction look elsewhere.

Harry is a passionate and knowledgeable teacher. With decades of experience as a performer and…read moreeducator his love for playing is contagious and inspiring. I thoroughly enjoyed studying with him and he has provided me with a refreshed foundation in jazz and a wealth of information that I'll continue to build upon for many years to come. Highly recommended!

I attended Jon's music class with my 4-year-old for about six months or so, and it was such a…read morewonderful experience for both of us. Jon is kind, fun and weird in the most delightful way. He exudes enthusiasm and positivity. He also has a clear gift for making music fun and accessible for young kids. He uses little toy doggies, dinos, and action figures to teach musical concepts like how "D the dog lives inside the two black notes". I also remember him getting into this weird story arc about how a monster was trying to eat him and the kids needed to play the right note to save him. Jon brought in a variety of real instruments for the kids to explore during class -- electric guitar, a mini cello, some woodwinds, and more. This is in addition to the many instruments that are in class every week. The drum set was definitely my kid's fave. Jon was thoughtful about including every child in the activities and he had a gentle way of encouraging the shyer kids to participate without pressuring them. He'd end each class with a dance party and a call and response: "I am so proud of you!" and the kids would respond "That's me!" After class, Jon would play with the kids out on the playground, and they would laugh and laugh and chase Jon around and then get chased around by him. My son absolutely adored him to the point where he would incessantly wrap himself around one of Jon's legs when they were playing.. It's not often you get to see someone doing a thing that seems so perfectly tailored to their deepest selves, but that is definitely the vibe you get watching Jon at Jon's School of Music. It is a great time playing music with a great guy. Highly recommend :)

I have noticed that class since I started taking my LO to Totland. My LO was showing signs of…read morecuriosity every time he was doing his class. However, I must say that those parents who want to take their children to his class, you need to make sure your LO follow John's instructions. I have noticed that John has good chemistry with bigger kids, since I saw him many times playing with them after class. If your kid is extrovert, energetic, social and good at following instructions, his could be a nice place for your child.I have been in the child care field for two decades taking babies and toddlers to private class in music, sports and even art classes and I have never experienced a teacher who had less empathy specially for those who does not have similar personality like him. I am pretty sure that he doesn't know how to work with smaller children: how can you make a baby or toddler follow instructions if this is a phase when they want to be free to explore and LEARN? This was my experience, one day my LO and I were in Totland as usual and John came to us and invited us to go to his class for a trial. I did t ask and he offered his trial class. The first thing he asked was that my LO pick musical instrument. She picked one and started to play it for a few secs and then he asked her to change the musical instrument (thing that my LO didn't want to do because she was 2.5 and was very curious about the instrument in that moment and didn't want to change). It has not passed even 30 secs and my LO got very upset and he "invited" us to leave the class!! Can you imagine that? You got invited and after even 30 secs you had to leave?? I was very disappointed and frustrated. I left the room hearing him saying: " I am sorry, you have to leave" . I was so confused, how a teacher I'm up you and your little to enjoy his music class and then ask you to leave in 30 secs. It didn't make sense to me.I am not saying that he is not a good teacher but he does not know how to approach to LO or toddlers. I must say that John is better with bigger kids (probably kindergarten and up) in my 20 years experience in child care, I have never saw a lack of empathy in a teacher and that situation happened to my own little one broke my heart! Just be aware ! If you think your child can follow instructions and be straight the whole class go for it. But if not, please don't do it , because John doesn'tt know how to manage the situation and your kid might have a bad impression with music classes. He must be a good musician but that day show me a ZERO knowledge of child development. If he reads this, please take some ChDevelop classes... urgently! Not all adults have the same chemistry with all children's ages! And every child is different and different way to learn, each one has their own pace.