What a fabulous instructor!! I have been taking weekly half-hour lessons with Eric for almost two…read moreyears. I am retired and learning to play the drums is something I've always wanted to do. I made a great decision in choosing Eric as my drum teacher. He customizes each lesson to meet my needs and he is very patient. He is a skilled drummer, an experienced teacher, and I have been thoroughly enjoying my lessons with him.

Just moved to the area. Our moving guys COMPLETELY dismantled our electric drum set, to a state we…read moreweren't familiar with at all. Jake set up an appointment with us (showed up earlier than scheduled, last minute, at our request-THANKS JAKE!) and he completely made sense of all the parts without even using the manual. The guys is experienced, has clearly been around music and instruments for ever. He perfected my kid's set up, gave us some tips around the best sticks to use, and even suggested a successful fix for a broken part of our set. I look forward to booking some rock and jazz focused lessons for my kid in the future with Jake.

Working with Jake was a really great experience. Even though I'm a long time working drummer he…read morereally showed me a lot of new things and helped me get my kit sounding better than I ever could! He also helped me figure out some stuff to buy to help me get the most out of my kit. I really hope to continue working with him. I learned a lot.

Fiat Music has been serving Pinole for a very long time. I remember their old location in the same…read morelocation. Fiat has been in Pinole since Lucky was there and with Traders Joe it is still in business. I never took lesson at Fiat but I have gotten piano music sheets and information on piano. The woman that owns Fiat is very nice. Fiat Music Co serving Pinole for a long time and is a historic landmark.

I really love this shop. It is all the history of the valleys music in one small spot. However, the…read moreparking is terrible for the whole shopping center, and while the hours of the store are fantastic, they need to get a better organization system for returning instruments that have been worked on. They did fantastic work on my guitar and for a good price, but I had to go three times after my guitar had been fixed, and even then they could not find the receipt to give me information on how much it was (even though I had my copy of the receipt), and at least once they refused to return my guitar, even though I could see it behind the counter only because they could not find the receipt. I wish nothing but the best for the store and I will definitely be back because of its fantastic service for instruments and lessons for music enthusiasts. I just wish they had a better organizational system for the tickets.

I can't say enough good things about MCMS. With no musical experience, I came to MCMS as an adult…read morebeginning cello student. My teacher, David, has patiently and thoughtfully worked with me as I very slowly progress. When I'm in the school before and after lessons I get to listen to other students, or all ages, with David and the other wonderful teachers. There is a great sense of community and the interest and enthusiasm the instructors have for each of their very different students is heartwarming. From talented mini-rock n' rollers to older students, everyone is treated with care.

I am 66yo with long forgotten high school music experience and wanted, if I could, pick up were I…read moreleft off. What was I to do? I found MCMS and it was exactly my answer. This small but loaded school caters to the young and older alike. It has a bevy of accomplished and practicing musicians; teaching drums, guitars, piano, violin, cello. I see it as a place to perhaps learn to be a multi-instrumentalist. My first inquiry to the school was answered quickly and then put in touch with it's cello instructor (the instrument I wanted to learn). I was given a complementary hour of introduction and was sold after that. I appreciated the instructor's encouragement and that he did not sugar coat the road ahead to learn; I liked the challenge of that. This school has checked off all the boxes for me to learn. It is conveniently located in not quite down town San Anselmo and has a neighborhood feel about it. It is San Anselmo's very own School of Rock and Bach!

When I first started taking singing lessons with Janak, I didn't know how to sing and I had massive…read morestage fright. I had signed up to do a band workshop as a singer where I had to learn 10 songs in 10 weeks. Yikes! I needed to find a music teacher that could get me up to speed quickly. I also wanted the teacher to be very nurturing. So I decided to work with Janak Ramachandran. He had the perfect balance of pushing me to achieve what he knew I could while also being very supportive and encouraging. His corrective feedback made me get better much faster than I expected, which is exactly what I wanted. One of the things I really liked is that he encouraged me to learn with the music that I love. He also has a great knowledge of how to use your voice and I especially liked his clear articulation of singing principles. With a lot of practice, I improved dramatically in 10 weeks but I was still very nervous about getting on stage. He provided guidance and support through acting exercises to loosen me up and get me focused on delivering a performance. On performance day, Janak came out to watch and support me and I was so happy he was there. If you want a friendly, patient, and nurturing music teacher who encourages and inspires you to reach your musical desires, then I highly recommend Janak at Music Lesson Guru. You won't be disappointed. He is awesome!

Janak is a remarkable music teacher who is well versed music theory and who has gift of an…read moreeducator. He takes a real interest in the advancement of his students and works hard to ensure continuous improvement. I've taken vocal and instrumental lessons with Janak for several years and have advanced significantly under his tutelage. I started as an absolute beginner, and later released recordings that gained international exposure. I now play music (as a hobbyist) in a number of Bay Area bands. Janak has encouraged me at every step of the way. I highly recommend Janak for anyone interested in advancing their musical knowledge and skills!

My husband and I are so happy we booked Brian Moran for our wedding! Brian went above and beyond…read morewhen playing for our ceremony. All of our guests absolutely loved the music, and there were a few tears shed. My favorite part of our wedding was when our guests left for the reception, and my husband and I had a private dance together while Brian played. Thank you Brian for giving us the most magical wedding ceremony!

I have worked with Brian over many years as an Event Producer in the greater Bay Area and in wine…read morecountry. Brian's musical sense is spot on and he really listens to what it is you're after. For this last production, a beautiful Jewish ceremony, Brian performed music from Fiddler on the Roof and another special traditional song for the families. The sound was just extraordinary, timing perfect. For the cocktail reception music we asked for uptempo current pop music and as I moved through the lively reception I caught bits of Talking Heads' "This Must Be The Place" and other favorites - nothing cliche, just lovely in the setting and really really special. As far as production goes, the work we do leading up to the event, Brian is patient and caring. He cares about getting it right for the client. Not rushing through but more careful and cautious. He patiently reviewed with me (a few times until I got it!) all of the musical instruments he felt would be best in combination for each song for the ceremony, and also for the reception, and I trusted that he knew best. It was perfection.

My 4 1/2 year old son (Mason) has been taking weekly lessons from Dylan for a few months now. Dylan…read moreis incredibly patient, treats Mason with respect and humor, and has been super thoughtful about coming up with creative ways to teach such a young kid. Mason has committed about 20 chords to memory and has even started to play along (poorly, mind you ) while we sing kids' songs together. It has been a lot of fun to watch Dylan and Mason working together; I would definitely recommend him for anybody looking for a thoughtful and extremely talented guitar teacher. Mason's review: "Dylan is a GREAT guitar teacher - I learned chords! And he has bunnies that look cool and are black."

Updating to say that now both my 10.5YO son and I each take lessons with Dylan twice/week, and I…read morestill have only the best things to say about him. He's very patient, and adapts to the individual student while still emphasizing music theory and technique. My son focuses on electric guitar and bass, while I'm obsessed with acoustic.

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.