This place was amazing. Really nicely curated collection of instruments and accessories. Friendly…read morestaff, and accessible instruments. Reminded me of Gryphon Stringed Instruments in Palo Alto. Highly recommended for acoustic instruments, ukes, mandos, guitars, oh my!

I walked in and I told him I had two desires: to buy their cheapest decent guitar and to play their…read moremost expensive guitars. He pointed to the cheap guitar and then to several racks of wonderful expensive guitars made by Martin, Santa Cruz and other small guitar makers with big reputations. I sat there joyfully for a couple hours. I think playing guitars that cost $10,000 and up. then I played and bought a $250 Fender acoustic. This is one of my favorite music stores and i hope they hang on. when i eventually buy a very expensive guitar-- I really want to deserve it first---I will buy it from this fine establishment. I love visiting guitar stores, and it's becoming a rarity because of the internet. I've watched my favorite guitar stores go out of business. I hope sylvan lives on forever.

Question...........Do you have vocal lessons? ubein@yahoo.com…read more I have a 9 year old granddaughter who is anxious for vocal lessons. Do you teach vocal or can recommend someone who can in Santa Cruz?

I have been taking piano lessons for a little over a year with Diana Brown through Santa Cruz Music…read moreAcademy. I'm in my thirties and had often thought I missed the boat by not studying piano earlier in life. But, I've been feeling extremely happy with the progress (starting as a complete beginner) that we've made over this time so I thought I'd post a review. Diana has a structured but flexible teaching style that has helped me to efficiently develop a well-rounded set of skills. We've focused on learning scales / arpeggios, proper technique, and building a repertoire - sometimes we delve a little further into theory or even some vocal lessons here and there. I've found that she goes above and beyond in tailoring the pace and content of the curriculum to her individual students. I would absolutely recommend Diana as a teacher without hesitation to anyone hoping to start learning piano!

PROS: They did a fantastic job of tuning, cleaning, and…read moregetting my Ibanez S series with floating tremolo playing like new! The two people I deal with were very kind, talented, and hard working. CONS: Their business organization isn't the best: phone calls and emails went unanswered and timelines weren't met. However, this was during COVID and over the holidays and New Years. Given those circumstances and how great their work is, I am still giving them five stars. Local music shops over Amazon.

His computer was down and he was short staffed but he still was willing to open up the door and…read moresell us strings. Very friendly. Way cool shop too!

Jaron personally handled sound for my wedding ceremony, and it couldn't have gone better! Perfect…read morejob.

Jaron is an amazing DJ. He is knowledgeable about the type of music that gets people on the dance…read morefloor. Thank you, Jaron for your exceptional talent in music. Highly recommended

We love Musical Me! Teacher Keeva and Mrs. Elizabeth are so warm, fun, and show they genuinely love…read morewhat they do. Music class is the highlight of our week. They create such a welcoming, no-pressure environment where every child can participate in their own way. We see a huge boost in my daughter's confidence and social skills as the weeks go by. It's been a great place for us to meet new people and make new friends. The music is also fantastic. So catchy in fact, that I'm humming it all week. This program is well organized and so thoughtfully run. If you're on the fence about signing up-do it!

Soon after our daughter was born, friends began mentioning Music Together as a good baby activity…read more However in between naps and feeding, we didn't have a consistent schedule until she was about 6 months old. Music Together offers a free trial class, so we tried that first. My daughter appeared comfortable as soon as we entered the classroom- she was looking around, babbling, and playing with the welcome drum in the middle of the room. We did the trial class with Teacher Jenn and then signed up for summer classes with Teacher Elizabeth. Both teachers were energetic, patient, and welcoming. The class provides CDs and a song book each semester, so you can listen to the music at home or in the car. They also have an app you can use to download the songs. The song book has the lyrics as well as sheet music. The class always begins with a hello song and ends with a closing song. The rest of the songs vary depending on the semester/instrument focus. Teachers provide a variety of props: scarves, tambourines, egg shakers, etc. Any dirty/wet props go into the dirty bin to be disinfected. Parents- be prepared to move and get a mini workout! You will be lifting baby, rocking baby, and holding baby while dancing in a circle and across the room :D It's best if both you and baby wear comfortable clothes that you can move around in. They also ask that you remove your shoes when you enter the room. A few notes: -They offer the program in many South Bay cities. You can go through the city's park and recreation center to find the schedule. I saw classes in Saratoga, Los Gatos, Santa Cruz, and Cupertino -It's $120 for the summer session (6 classes) and $50 for the lab fee -Each class is scheduled for 45 minutes -A lot of the caregivers and babies have been attending for a number of semesters, so there is a nice parent & baby community -They have baby only classes for under 8 months, and mixed age classes for 0-5 years old. The website explains that by being exposed to children of other ages, your child will learn differently than if he/she was in a class with same-aged children

Here's the thing about Gianni Staiano: he claims to be a piano teacher; however he is infinitely…read moremore than that. I first happened upon Gianni and his love affair with keyboards at a local venue called The Crepe Place. His Funk Trio, 7 Come 11, was almost literally sucking people into the front door and gyrating the floor beneath their feet. I bounded towards the front to see the instrumentation. Well, my eyes ended up glued to Gianni's fervent-foot and handwork on the hammond organ for about 2 hours. As a kid, I had learned some classical piano and listened to rich and multifarious musical styles. In the back of my mind I had been searching for someone to resuscitate my relationship with the piano. I thought, "I found the doctor." Fast forward to one year later and I am grappling with scales, chord voicings, baseline rhythms, ear training, sight-reading, chord progressions, and new songs in Gianni's studio. At this point, honestly, I felt frustrated. This guy is giving me every tool in emporium and I am just NOT a musician, I should give up. ...I'm giving up. Well, I voiced this concern to him and he earnestly reasoned that I was growing as an artist and musician. I just wasn't ready to hear it at that point. I quit for about 6 months, all the while recalling Gianni's simpatico encouragement. My life circumstances changed and I decided to give the piano, music, and Gianni another try. Returning was like sipping an outstanding scotch with a clean palate after having tried it before with a mouthful of soap. Music has a way of defying definition. Gianni continues to patiently help me wrap my head around constellations of musical concepts. His teaching helps me feel that music and life govern each other. The tools he provides allow me to face the truth of who I am as an artist and musician. One of the greatest gifts of Gianni's teaching is self-acceptance, the reminder to love ourselves where we are at this moment and keep working towards our greater goals. Three years later I am preparing for a performance, singing and playing, writing my own music, and showing up at Gianni's studio every week for more. It really makes a difference taking lessons from a performing musician. While I can't say that lessons with Gianni has instantly turned my hands into the likes of Art Tatum, Vladimir Horowitz, or Chopin, I can say that I call myself a piano player, musician, and artist with growing confidence. You can certainly take lessons from him and take his teaching as a literal guide to playing the piano and you will glean numerous playing tips and learn new songs; however, I recommend learning between the lines and trust that the really juicy stuff will digest and give you a rich takeaway in time. So, a 5 isn't enough. I have an infinitude of stars and gratitude to post for Gianni's nurturance of a really, REALLY important part of my life.

My daughter wanted a piano teacher who would nurture her love of music beyond learning scales &…read moremusic theory. Gianni has introduced her to jazz, blues & latin rhythms. She has developed the confidence to take on new music by recognizing the chords & patterns within each piece of music. Gianni has an engaging personality along with his creative teaching style. Each lesson provides guidance & a deepening connection with music which inspires her to keep playing.

Michael has been teaching my son for 5 years and we love him! My son started when he was 6 years…read moreold. Michael has taught us Piano, drums, and Uke. Eventually, my son decided to focus on the ukulele. Michael has been great at following my son's musical taste and has gone out of his way to learn the songs he is interested in. Michael is a warm and patient teacher. I HIGHLY recommend him.

My 10 year old who only knew a few chords played without much rhythm and I have been jamming with…read moreMichael for about a year now. He now plays drum kit, rhythm and lead guitar, and piano. We record every session, so fun!

As a budding 66 year old beginning violinist, I am pleased to recommend 5 stars to this great shop!…read moreThe shop is very helpful, patient and friendly, and not at all snooty to this neophyte, even when obviously real musicians were shopping there, and where one's lack of experience describing what you are looking for could be noticeably embarrassing. A great local asset for all musicians!

Thomas Musical Instruments is quality and great value. Great service and knowledge. I would…read morereccomend them for service and rebuilds