Most of the students are kids, but don't let that deter you! I'm 31 with a solid background in…read moremusic but wanted to learn how to play piano so I started taking lessons at the Calderone School of Music. I took hourly lessons each week with a few different teachers and they were all great. They review all kinds of music theory and proper technique as well as learning how to play. Each lesson is tailored to the individual and their playing ability. Highly recommend for anyone looking for great piano/music lessons.

First of all, this school has their act together which I SO appreciate!! They are organized, on…read moretime, and proficient. While this is fantastic, what struck me the most was in the initial evaluation of my daughter. The instructor pointed out certain personality traits, why they are important to know, and how to work with those traits to help her develop into the musician she can be, given WHO she is. In all the years I've been a parent, I've never seen anyone spend time on this component. Calderone had my daughter so spot on. Knowing this kind of information allows the teacher to better teach the student. WOW is the only thing I can say. - Jen Romano

I can't say enough good things about my experience at The Music Shop, and especially about my…read moreinstructor, Dave Wheeler. I'm a 72-year-old saxophonist who picked up the saxophone for the very first time after retiring from a 40-year career in biochemistry spanning academia and research. So yes, I came in knowing enzymes better than eighth notes. Dave has been an absolute gift. He brings a deep well of music theory knowledge, practical musicianship, and real-world experience to every lesson. More importantly, he has remarkable patience and creativity. He listens carefully, identifies where I'm struggling, and then designs clear, effective strategies that make practice both productive and enjoyable between lessons. What I especially value is that Dave doesn't teach from a script. He adapts to the student in front of him--age, background, learning style, and goals included. Thanks to his guidance, I've made steady progress, gained confidence, and genuinely look forward to practicing and improving. If you're considering lessons at The Music Shop -- whether you're 08 or 78 -- I can't recommend Dave Wheeler highly enough. He's the real deal. -- Michael Van Allen, student https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelavanallen/

I'm sharing my experience to help others make an informed decision…read more I brought in a ~1-year-old student flute (purchased on the West Coast) for what I now know were minor adjustments. At the time, I followed the technician's recommendation for a full COA. When the instrument was returned, it played essentially the same as when I dropped it off. I brought it back a second time. It came back slightly improved, but still not properly adjusted. A few weeks later, I visited an independent flute technician in Brooklyn. He immediately identified the issues, charged nearly half the cost, spent over an hour on the instrument, and fixed it correctly. It has remained in excellent playing condition since. Based on this experience, I would not return here for service or purchase. I would strongly encourage others especially parents of student players to seek a second opinions and verify the quality of work.

Rich is very patient and allows you to learn at your own pace. He has a good method of teaching and…read moreprovides a lot of insight to everything related to music. If you want to take your guitar playing to a new level and get inspiration, Rich is the one to go to. Not only is he a great teacher, he is a really talented musician.

My feelings about guitar lessons with Rich? FANTASTIC! He's one of the most effective teachers, in…read moreany subject, I've ever encountered. Whether you're picking up the guitar for the first time as a young (or less young) lad or lass, or you've been playing for decades and want to improve, you might do very well to consider lessons with Rich Fusco. I certainly have. His professors at DePaul University's School of Music (Chicago) and Berklee College of Music (Boston) were, quite literally, among the best musicians in the world. With Rich, you can benefit from their vast musical experience without having to move to Chicago or Boston for a music degree. He also focuses on very important practical aspects of what he learned as a successful, working musician. He's friendly, gives 110%, always there when you show up (literally and figuratively), costs less, and really helps you become a better guitar player, quickly. What more can you ask for? I can't wait for my next lesson!

Phenomenal School! Anthony Vitale and Trevor O'Connor are great people and teachers. My son went…read morehere and was in a band several years ago and was placed in a band where they wrote original songs and played live performances. My daughter is now a voice student and learned ukele. No other place like this around! Love these guys! Look no further!

Both my children attend this school and they LOVE it! The Instructors are nice and know how to…read moreengage my children; both kids are inspired to practice at home and look forward to attending the gigs that they get to participate in. Thank you for providing such a wonderful environment that inspires creation!

Marlene was my piano teacher for 5 years. To say that she has an understanding of piano and music…read moreis an understatement. Marlene is an amazing teacher and she is able to teach in a way that anyone could understand. And she can also tell when you don't practice.

Marlene is a very talented teacher who taught our grandson some basics on the piano. She has a lot…read moreof patience and skill especially dealing with children. He became so motivated that he now reguarly asks for more piano time with Marlene. We highly recommend her.

I purchased a digital piano from Rockaway music a couple years ago and it's still great a great…read moreinstrument today. Andy was extremely helpful and provided excellent customer service. I couldn't recommend Rockaway Music enough

Piano shopping can be tough. How many times in your life are you out shopping for a new piano?…read more Well, it's not that different than buying a car. There are sales people who will lie right to your face to try and get you to buy and then there are honest, knowledgeable people like Andy. Apparently, he's been selling pianos for many years and he was very easy to work with. I went to his store first and then made my rounds to other local places. When faced with making a piano purchase, it's best to educate yourself. Figure out how much you want to spend and learn as much as you can about what's out there. Some stores who carry many brands often are selling "grey market" pianos or "stencil pianos". Look it up and learn the meaning of these two terms. After we did our homework and shopped around, I returned to Rockaway Music. I didn't feel like I was being misinformed there. There was no pressure and I found the environment to be less sales like than other showrooms. You can tell when someone is being sincere, or at least I feel I can. If you are shopping solely based on price and not on quality, you might feel this store is expensive. If you are more worried about getting a quality product and honest answers, you will be happy here. We bought our piano here, the delivery went smoothly. I felt very comfortable and confident purchasing our piano from this store and I would highly recommend it to anyone in the market for a piano. The added bonus, our current piano tuner does work for this store so we didn't have to choose a new tuner. If you need a great tuner, just ask me. The guy we use is the best around with many years of experience.

I've been a customer of Ritchie's music for a long time and have seen a lot of changes over the…read moreyears. Yesterday, I decided to stop in to see what they had as I needed as replacement bass and wanted to give my business to a local retailer as opposed to the big box/ online stores. Everyone was friendly and very helpful. The selection of instruments was impressive and having the ability to play them makes a huge difference from the online option of just seeing it on a web page. I did purchase a new bass and will be returning if I need anything else . It was refreshing to deal with knowledgeable professionals. Very happy with the purchase and experience.

Just had 2 seriously neglected instruments repaired at Ritchie's. The den of thieves at my local…read moreguitar store said my Martin Sigma acoustic with a hairline crack was totaled...I might as well buy an equivalent new model. Instead, went to Ritchie's. They braced it up and did fantastic work all over the instrument to make it playable again. It totally shines now. Carlos and his Tech John took hold of my Gibson Les Paul and made it like new...a master restoration. Best news was the many hundreds of bucks I saved and can now invest in a new instrument there. Superior customer service. Ritchie's wins my business every time...HIGHLY recommended!!!

I recently bought a Hammond Organ, bass paddleboard, & expression pedal here…read more The owner Vince worked with us every step of the way during the purchase. Communication with email and text messaging spot on. Once the items were shipped we received tracking information so we could follow our purchase shipped to our door. Vince made everything easy. This place is the real deal. Thanks Hammond Organ World!

Terrible pushy sales people. Would not let me even finish a sentence and just kept telling me…read moretheir prices were lowest. Don't go there