I too am shocked at the 1 star review stated in this thread. I have been with scherzo. For seven years...Aurelio is one of the primary reasons that our family has stayed loyal to this school! I have four children and they all take lessons from scherzo -- all different teachers as well. I think through the years we've take. Lessons from 7-8 of the teachers and every single o e has been top caliber. I k ow that Aurelio actually asks new teachers to do trial classes with students so he can see the type of teaching style they provide -- very thorough! All four of my children ah e different personalities as well -- my daughter is extremely focused while my two sons are a bit more distracted -- the teachers have handled all our personality types really well! As for the books that scherzo uses, I am 100% in favor of them (BTW Aurelio does NOT charge way above market rate for them!!). These books he uses have a wide array of styles: classical, jazz, blues, contemporary, etc. these books provide structure and a road to bettering skill level for kids. Now for my own personal experience -- I am a true believer that providing on-depth music education to children, will make them better juman beings. Scherzo has provided a home away from home to our family. Even while lock-down was happening, remote lessons kept a grounding for my kids. Going through music lessons allows the parents to also be Edit aged themselves and learn so much -- it provides bonding time with your child -- you should see the pride in my kids' eyes when they can go up to any piano any where and just start playing, it's fabulous! My two eldest have studied with Aurelio for from the beginning and my third kid has been taking from Miss June for the last couple of years. Both yea hers have been supportive, encouraging and so pleasant to be around -- plus both are super talented in their craft :-). Ok this is long enough but I'll leave you with this -- scherzo has my family's full vote on a wonderful experience from the get go -- you won't be disappointed!! read more

My kid who just turned 4-year-old a few months ago started his music discovery group lesson at Scherzo Music studio. I had a little doubt at the beginning because it's very different from other group music class in the nearby that requires parent involvement and stay in the class. But my child really loves his teacher and songs, so I signed him up after the trial lesson. I think my son can tell (with his child instinct) this class will just have so much fun so he's not willing to go other places. It turns out my boy, who doesn't usually talk a lot, really blends in and participates in the music lesson playing rhythm, learning notes and singing songs, and talking and expressing himself a lot too!! He loves to go there every week. He really learns music theory in such 45-minute lesson. The class is not randomly singing songs or dancing around but is well-structured. I am also impressed with the materials prepared by Scherzo Music Studio which I can use to reinforce my child at home. It's VERY useful and can't be bought outside (coz the Studio made it themselves!!!). This class far far exeeds my expectation as I never expect my 4-year-old can learn AND remember quarter note is 1 beat, half note is 2 beat, and half note with a dot is 3 beat. He recognizes Treble and Bass Clef, and can read notes.... and is now playing Christmas songs (just practicing)... I've transitioned my child to a combo group + private lesson. He's ready for private piano lesson after just 8-class of music discovery group but I do not want to take away his fun from the group class because he can sing along and enjoy music with his little friends in the group. I am very thankful for teacher Abigail and teacher Aurelio making this class so much fun. My 4 -year-old now sits at the piano to practice on his own (and plays for his grandma) when I am outside at work. He can now play Piano Adventure B and even C before he turns to 4 and half. THANK YOU!! THE MUSIC DISCOVERY CLASS IS WAY TOO AWESOME!!! read more

I am shocked to see the 1 star review and feel compelled to write a review based on my personal experience to counter it. My son has been with Scherzo Music School for 8 months. We have a great teacher Pauline who is new to Scherzo. She is not like any other music teacher we have had so far from other music schools - my son has been taking music lessons for more than 4 years from other schools. She truly cares about my son's learning. She is spending time outside of lessons to provide additional instructions to support learning. Aurelio never force us to buy any books that only he sells. The teacher tells us to buy books via Amazon. In fact, the school provides free used books for you as an option. We also spoke with Aurelio regarding piano lessons as well. He was not rude or tacky. He was understanding and said we could use the piano books we already purchased. Their policies are not any more rigid than any other school we have been to. Another example of how nice Aurelio is - I lost my phone and panicked when I realized that at 9:30 pm. I was not sure but thought it was possibly left at his school. I texted him and he responded to me right away! He contacted his staff and found my phone. My heart felt heavy when such a negative review like this previous one may have an impact on a small business like this good. read more

If anyone is looking for a fantastic, local piano teacher, I would HIGHLY recommend Mr. Torres located in downtown San Mateo on B Street. Both my children started individual private lessons with him at age 5. Every year, they have participated in 3 recitals that have been great for their confidence, not to mention precious to watch them. He does not have a one-size-fit all teaching style but instead teaches to how each individual child learns. This is something unique to find in a good piano teacher. Below is one of his assessments sent to me regarding my children's progress. "The kids are doing well. Zico is moving along fine... very soon to level 2B. Danielle will also be finishing level B. Both have a completely different learning approach. Danielle is more detail oriented, artistic and likes memorizing; Zico is more analytical, reads music instead of memorizing, so he will be advancing faster in terms of books, but needs to be slowed down and focus on details once in a while. I am very happy with the progress of both." We have had only positive and wonderful things to say about our experience with Mr. Torres. My children were in year round school with many breaks and he was always flexible to make up the time. At many other studios you are just a number or contract, but not with Mr. Torres. Your child is a treasure to him to influence with his deep love and passion for music. read more

Very nice music school with a nice facility. Desiree, who manages the front desk, billing, and scheduling, is very pleasant and very well organized. Furong is a fantastic and very experienced vocal coach. Highly recommend her for anyone of any age or any level of singing experience. read more

I feel compelled to weigh in because the 5-star reviews here are likely from the past and do not reflect the recent changes at Scherzo. My two kids were at Scherzo for 4 years. They had some good teachers but recently most of them left. I suspect it has to do with the owner Aurelio, who is surprisingly rude and tacky. Their policies are rigid and self-serving - for example, Aurelio doesn't want his teachers using any music books other than those that he sells, which he sells for way more than market price. We ended up leaving because of how poorly Aurelio handled the transition when our teacher left. He kept it secret from many families even though he knew in advance that the teacher was leaving, perhaps to keep us enrolled while he scrambled for a replacement, who ended up being significantly less experienced. I have heard from many families that they are now leaving for similar reasons - good teachers leaving and replaced by inexperienced ones, poor management, etc. Be forewarned! read more

What I like about this music school is they really run it like a family not like other money making music school. This school is pretty nice and flexible with make ups. Their recital is very special every Christmas at the Hillsdale Mall. Simon is very consistent in his teaching and very detail. Pamela is very engaging and able to make most kids be interested in music besides just learning techniques. Aurelio and Kirk are the most humble and nicest principal. I read more

Love this studio. Voice Teacher Pamela Conley is the best one. She is very professional, high skilled teacher and also very passionate. She finds an individual approach personally to you depending on your goal and abilities. Pamela is also very experienced guitar and piano instructor. And she does her best to help you become a great musician!!!! Thank you! read more

My 7 yr old son has taken a few months of lessons with Scherzo Music Studio. We have loved our experience with them. Pamela is amazing (very positive, encouraging, and really listens to the needs of the student/ family). My son made great progress in his learning. Additionally, on the business end, Aurelio and Kirk have been great with making it an easy process to register, pay, change class time, answer logistical questions, send class reminders ...etc. Sometimes all this gets overlooked when it goes smoothly, so I thought I'd just mention it. They made it very convenient. read more

Aurelio is the kindest most patient and brilliant piano teacher a student could ever hope for. Our son has made great progress with Aurelio over the years, and has developed a love for playing piano and for music that wasn't there before. Our son went from pounding on the keys to performing beautiful arias in a very short time. Aurelio also helped develop our child's confidence for playing public recitals. Aurelio is clear, organized, a positive coach invested in each child's skill development in the long-term. We would highly recommend him for any skill level. read more

My son has been taking piano lessons with Mr. Torres for several months. We are thrilled with the progress we've seen in just a short time. Our son looks forward to his lesson all week. Mr. Torres is patient, offers instruction in a way a young child can understand, and efficient in his use of time. We recommend him highly!! read more

My 8 year old daughter took voice lessons with Ms. Connelly at Scherzo studio this summer in preparation for a musical theatre audtion. We were so happy with our daughter's growth, range and increased repitoire. Because it was summer we had some scheduling conflicts and Ms. Connelly and the Director Mr. Torres were always so accommodating. Very pleased with the whole experience, a great place for learning music. read more

Our almost 5 year old daughter has been enrolled at Scherzo for about less than 1 year, and we have been very happy so far. What I am most grateful for as a parent is that on top of giving top-notch musical instruction, I find that the teachers here are extremely intuitive not only as musicians, but as people getting to know their students. Mr. Aurelio Torres, my daughter's piano teacher and founder of the school, has got to be the most patient and caring piano teacher out there, on top of giving outstanding instruction - he has *just* the right balance of giving my daughter a challenge, but not making it too overwhelming for her. I am blown away by his gift of teaching. Practicing at home, my daughter WANTS to try to keep her hands round in the right position, even when it's hard (she's only 4:), but also excitedly talks about the new piece or wanting to review old pieces. Ms. Catarina Ferreira, her cello teacher, exudes with a radiant warmth and enthusiasm for cello, and she has a gifted way of capturing my daughter's excitement and channeling it into a focused lesson. I can't think of a better cello teacher for my daughter. She is gifted and amazing to listen to as well, as I've heard her play a few times and will start attending recitals starting this weekend. My daughter is blossoming in many ways under both Mr. Torres' and Ms. Ferreira's guidance. I also appreciate the down-to-earth and friendly atmosphere here. I don't think music (or musical talent) is meant to give people status over others or to make anyone feel out of place. As a kid, I think that kind of thing put a damper on my journey through piano and violin lessons. I think music is meant to be a gift for all of us to receive, and a privilege for one to learn. I think this school brings that out of students. I've attended several recitals so far, and I see this. The very talented kids who are mastering their instruments are valued just as much as the ones who are at different stages. I love how each student gets loud, warm applause. It's a gem of a place for great instruction, and great appreciation for music as a gift. read more