Conor at Acorn Music is a wonderful teacher! It's no exaggeration to say that he reignited my…read morepassion for music. I took music lessons on and off as a kid, but never stuck with it long enough to get good at any one instrument. I had no patience for music theory and practice always made me frustrated. I'm glad that I gave it another shot with Conor. What I like most about his approach is how fun and effortless it feels to learn under his guidance--his enthusiasm for playing and teaching are infectious. I'm excited for my lesson each week. I found Conor through a friend who knew I was looking to get back into guitar, and I've been taking weekly lessons with him for a year now. My original goal was to learn a few campfire songs, so he tailored his approach to this, but rather than simply showing me some chords, he makes sure that I understand the "why" behind what I'm doing. I actually started to get more interested in music theory as a result--Conor explains it all in context, making it easy to understand and apply. And he has a knack for identifying what's giving me trouble in a particular song or section, not just telling me what to do but showing me how to do it (it also helps that he's super patient). I've got a few songs under my belt now, but I'm definitely sticking with my lessons for the foreseeable future, and getting psyched about setting more ambitious goals for myself.

I've been taking guitar lessons with Conor at Acorn Music for 2 years. I can proudly say that I'd…read morenow actually consider myself a guitarist! I started out trying to teach myself, but like many people that go that road, I keep hitting roadblocks. When I began lessons, I could barely even play a few simple chords. Now I can write my own songs, jam with friends, improvise over many different chord progressions, read lead sheets and chord charts, and read music... it's pretty incredible what I've been able to accomplish in 2 years with Conor. He is a super talented musician and a great teacher - his approach clear, enjoyable and very effective. He's got a real knack for how to isolate my individual needs as a student and zero in on exactly what i need to practice to meet my goals. Most importantly, he provides me with skills that I can use to begin to "teach myself". Thanks to his guidance, I now get more out of a 30 minute practice than I used to get out of 2 hours. Not only have the lessons been super awesome, but the entire experience has been very "together". They provide in-home lessons and have really put a lot of work into the over all experience . All aspects of Acorn Music are well very professional - from the email communications to the website, scheduling, policies, billing, and invoicing. I can't recommend this business enough!

The staff is very knowledgeable , and they have a variety quality used instruments at good prices.read more

Love this place! Great personal service. They always do an amazing job efficiently and with very…read morereasonable prices. Bonus, the place has a great vibe but maybe because it's filled with beautiful instruments

I started taking bass because I wanted to learn an instrument...no real plan or goal. I've not…read morepicked up an instrument since middle school which was....a while ago. I emailed two bass instructors and I'm so glad Adam got back to me first! He is a terrific teacher and this has been one of the most rewarding experiences I've had in a long time. I appreciate his thoughtful, patient, and through nature. He has some serious knowledge of music theory and a wide variety of musical styles. He always has a plan for us to learn some skill but he's totally down to work on what you are interested in learning. Best of all, what I appreciate about him is that he clearly loves his craft and he brings that joy to every lesson and every lesson is pretty fun. If you want to learn an instrument and have a good time doing it...Adam is your teacher.

I found Adam via Yelp after looking through all the reviews for an upright bass teacher. There…read morewere a few closer to my location (within 10 miles) but I chose to go with Adam (25 miles away) based upon reviews. I have played woodwind instruments and piano since the early 80's so I have some musical background so I was not starting from ground zero musically. I am an older student (more than 40 years and less than 50) and have been taking lessons from Adam for the past 3-4 months -- no knowledge of string instruments. I talked with Adam for my first lesson to get a taste of his musical background and personality. He is easy going, very positive about learning music and really got a sense of where I was with music. To keep me from lugging my upright bass in a car from 26 miles away, storing it in the heat for most of the day (my lesson was at 5pm) Adam offered the use of his upright bass to take my lessons on. That was very much appreciated. As for Adam's musical background -- he is still active in the Bay Area and beyond. I was particularly interested in his Jazz background as I am trying to focus on playing more jazz but also wanting to know how to "bow" classicaly. Adam pretty much covered what I was looking for and much more. Unanswered questions for what you may be wondering: How is Adam as a teacher? I think he is a wonderful teacher. I have had a great experience learning from him. He breaks things down into simple pieces that I can learn from. We went through what to look for in an upright bass (before I purchased mine), how to hold the bass, how to pluck the strings, terminology, right hand and left hand techniques -- all at my own pace. Adam answers all my questions (in person, over text messages, via email). He also provides plenty of material for me to review and to practice. Cost? Comparable to many of the teachers I researched out there in the Bay Area Other information -- Adam does teach both upright bass and electric bass. I have walked in on other students (young and old) a few minutes early before my lesson and have observed Adam's style with the other students. Again -- very positive and very professional. You will get something out of taking lessons with Adam as long as you are willing to put in the time. Set your expectations for learning bass (electric or upright) -- give Adam a call -- and get ready to do some great learning (and plenty of practicing at home...)!

amazing experienc! I had them do complete strings and repairs to vintage sitar and Sarood, bother…read morewe're in shambles. turn around was quick and work was fantastic, besides the work I got a case for the sitar and some pads for my tablas, all super fair prices including the repairs, Jordan even opened up the shop annhoir early for me as I was heading out of town asap. Jordan did the repairs and took his time with me in the shop, guiding me on tuning videos to check out and musicians making music with these instruments. also, I forget her name but the woman working the front desk was also very personable and à please to work with, hands down one of the best retail experiences I've had in a long time, highly recommended!!!

purchased this SOMNATH tabla 2 &1/2 years ago. The head looked used but it still sounded good…read more I Just found the head cracked in the case and when straps were removed, I discovered a huge crack in the wood that I hadn't noticed because it was under a strap. It has always been well protected in a hard case and the crack may have happened from wood being wet when shipped from India. It is a nice drum but it needed an expensive repair that I did not expect so soon after purchase.

The best! Insofar as smashcraftery is concerned he is a Sultan. A rhythmic Olympian. A black…read morebelt of beats. A Tsar of syncopation. A doyen of drums. A brigadier of batterie. The top man on the totem pole when it comes to drum mastery.

I cannot recommend Steve's Drum Workshop enough. I have only been twice, and it keeps getting…read morebetter. I am in temporarily in a treatment center, and not only did it boost my spirits, but it has been instrumental (no pun intended) in my recovery. Honestly, people are elated and I wish I had this at the last rehab I went to ;-). This has definitely been the best part of my treatment plan, and trust me, I am at a very nice place!.

Have bought several items from them, Darren & his team are a pleasure to work with. They were…read morepatient, clearly articulated tradeoffs, helped me decide what I should aim for. I have an acoustic set up, with all the sound reduction aspects applied but yet have managed to keep the quality of the sound alive, all because of the help from this team - their ability to order the right spec after a good discussion meant a lot to someone like me who was getting started with a drum kit. I bumped into some of the teachers there too, they seemed great as well. Superb corner for drummers. It's easy to get there and plenty of parking right in front as well.

Darren and the other guy were SO HELPFUL!! I had an old drum set that was probably 50 years old…read more It was given to me for my 21st birthday. My rack was old and falling apart and it was so disorganized and my cymbals weren't that professional and my drum heads needed to be changed. Darren helped me with all of it. He replaced the heads, tuned them, helped me with getting better symbols setting up my Tom Tom mounts on my bass drum so I could have all my drums in a smaller configuration. It is amazing. Those guys are the best. I highly highly recommend them. They were extremely helpful and very attentive. Very, very kind and nice and professional. If you need to get your drums fixed up, this is the place to go.!!!

Very cute little music store in Berkeley. Looks like they have everything you could possibly need…read more My dad had dropped off a trumpet to get fixed awhile back but they weren't able to fix it so we came in to pick it up. The very nice manager gave us a recommendation of a guy in Albany who may be able to help. My dad just wants to donate it so it may not be worthy getting it fixed first, but we'll see. Anyway if you need reeds, strings, music stand - this looks like a great non-chain place to spend your money!

Forrests Music was a great place to rent and get Oboes! They specialize in Oboes. My family made…read morethe 45 minute drive to get to this place, and it was totally worth it. Justin, the worker who helped me pick out and rent the oboe was extremely kind and welcoming. He was nice enough to teach me a couple notes with the oboe I had just rented! There rates are extremely reasonable for our rent per month for my beginner oboe. I would definitely recommend this place.

Andrew is an amazing drummer and a great teacher. He is patient, funny and able to see what you…read moreneed and then explain to you clearly what you need to work on to improve your drumming skills. He is also an expert drummer who can cover any style of music. He is a quick learner who does his homework when called for a session or tour. And he is an all around nice guy. What more do you need in a drummer and/or drum teacher? Two thumbs up!

I've had the pleasure of taking drum lessons with Andrew for almost 3 years while he was working at…read moreRed House Studios in Walnut Creek. If you want results Andrew is the man you want as a teacher. He has an impressive list of credentials (just check out the description at the bottom of the page) and has pretty much been playing drums all his life. He also fronts his own band, Felsen, which puts on one hell of a live show. I started taking lessons with Andrew with very little knowledge of how to play drums, I could do a basic rock beat but that was pretty much it. We tackled a lot different subjects: how to arrange a kit, proper playing posture, rudiments, fills, 3 and 4-way limb coordination, shuffles, rolls. That was just a general list but I learned so much I could go on and on. Andrew is well-versed in other styles besides rock; I got a chance to learn about various Latin and funk grooves as well. Andrew also has an endless list of artists and songs that best exemplify the techniques he's trying to teach you. As I thumb through my lesson notes I'm amazed at how much material we've covered in such a little amount of time. Andrew is very meticulous when it comes to technique and knows about the finer nuances that separate the good drummers from the great. When you play, Andrew is always able to perform a thorough analysis and then put together a set of exercises to help you overcome your shortcomings. Andrew has very high standards, but like any teacher, one must tread a balance between challenging a student enough to keep them motivated, but not pushing them so hard they give up in frustration. I always felt challenged, but I also felt that Andrew would set reasonable goals that were appropriate for my skill level. As a busy working professional there were times where I barely had time to practice, even then I would walk out of every lesson learning something new. Andrew is also a very accomplished producer. He helped me produce the first song I ever wrote, which was a huge milestone for me as a musician. I learned a lot about song writing and the common song structures used in today's music. I also learned about microphone configurations used for recording drums. I would highly recommend Andrew to anyone interested in taking their drumming to the next level and beyond!