I just can't say enough positive things about Ozzy and his Music Academy. I am so grateful that my…read morechildren landed in such a welcoming and supportive container for them to explore and get comfortable with music and many different instruments. Ozzy is a true visionary in his way of teaching and somehow leads the kids to see the inner rock star inside of them, fearless and powerful. It has been a joy to see my kids perform and with Ozzy's guidance my daughter now writes songs and has even performed at Alameda's Got Talent! Her confidence is soaring~what a gift! I would say to any parent in the Alameda or Bay Area, treat your child to the best music school in the Bay, your child will learn a lot more than music, they will learn inner confidence, breathing techniques and gratitude. Thank you Ozzy and staff!

Ozzy has created a very special welcoming place for kids to explore and develop their musical…read moreinterests. There are many instruments and teaching tools, as well as game time for some movement, variety, and reinforcement of concepts (Wii and Rock Band). There is also progress made over time on specific songs, and a performance to build confidence and celebrate their progress. Our 9-year-old says "It's amazing how Ozzy combines fun and learning. I spent three weeks with Ozzy and learned bass, piano (melodies and chords), banjo, drums, guitar, and vocals. For lunch we go to the park." At the end of just one week, our 6-year-old played an entire song on the drum set and performed vocals on another song in front of an audience. We will definitely try to work some of the after-school options into our schedule in the fall, thanks Ozzy!

I received the money back after this review. Process was smooth and timely. Thank youread more

Took a preview class and will not be registering full time. The preview class was apparently one in…read morea series, and the teacher kept commenting on how many non-"regulars" were in the class. Fair enough. But she did not make any accommodations for first timers and made very passive-aggressive comments about talking to children during class (a fair requirement but one that could have been stated ahead of time). The overall concept seems viable, but execution was lackluster. The instructor rigidly walked through the activities, taking very little time to accommodate for small babies that wanted to put instruments back in a box or hold onto them. She also barely interacted with any of the children, again, prioritizing the completion of the set rather than producing an enjoyable time for the stars of the show, the kids. I think the classes are more probably meant more for the adults than the kids

I've been taking my son for piano lessons with Ms. Litzky for two and a quarter years now. My son…read moreis nearly 10 and enjoys learning with Ariel. She is gentle, yet firm with kids and is kind through and through. What I like is her welcoming nature. Parents may stay during their child's lesson or leave, either way is OK. The one-on-one time is half an hour, and for kids, it is just the right amount of time. Ms. Litzky's students learn at their own pace; she is no drill sergeant! Now that my son is playing more complicated music, he enjoys it more and more, now that he has an excellent foundation to build upon. We have Ariel to thank for that!

Just simply the best piano teacher. Extremely patient especially with my son who has speech and…read morelearning difficulties. Ariel has also been the most reasonably priced because she loves what she does..... music

I can't recommend Myles highly enough as a guitar teacher. He's a deeply knowledgeable musician…read morewith a real talent for assessing where you are as a learner and tailoring lessons to your goals. From the start, he took the time to understand what I wanted to achieve and structured our sessions accordingly. Myles is friendly, patient, and explains concepts in a way that actually makes them stick. He has a great ability to break down complex ideas into clear, manageable steps, which significantly accelerated my understanding of the fretboard. I always left lessons feeling more confident and motivated, with practical tools I could immediately apply. If you're looking for an instructor who combines technical expertise with an approachable teaching style and a genuine investment in your progress, Myles is an excellent choice--for beginners and more experienced players alike.

I sort of stumbled onto Melodies for Life after a poorly researched internet search for guitar…read morelessons in Alameda. What a great find! Myles keeps my goals in mind better than I do. He teaches to my level. He knows what it takes for me to be a better musician and guitar player. I would recommend him to anyone looking for an lessons on any rock band type instrument or vocals. He might teach other instruments, too. He seems to be able to play anything. I signed up my wife a for a month of vocal lessons for a gift. Now she sings better. Win win

Very cool place for kids to learn their instrument and join up with others in bands! Billy is…read moreenthusiastic and very welcoming.

Hands down, the best music program around for kids! My 10-year old LOVES everything about 3…read moreO'Clock Rock and so do we! This is how kids should learn to play music - in a garage (or studio) with their friends. The kids learn so much more than just how to play an instrument - they learn how to work together as a band and they listen to all kinds of music that they wouldn't have wanted to listen to with their parents (same music, they just like it better coming from someone else). The best day of the week for my son is Mondays when he rocks out with his band and his teacher Brett. He's becoming a killer drummer, learning how to play guitar and singing - his confidence is through the roof! Great Program!!!!!!

I have been taking voice lessons from Audrey Howitt for several years and she has helped me…read moretremendously. She is a wonderful voice teacher and a very talented singer in her own right.

My kids have seen Audrey for the past 2 years and changes that have happened over those 2 years…read morehave been amazing. Audrey is truly a gifted teacher, able to bring out the best in her students both in terms of singing and body knowledge... and most of all in their self confidence. They now speak out freely, they feel confident singing in public and have gained a life-long active participation in music making. It's wonderful.

My son went to Rising Star for Pre-K and Kindergarten and had Ms. Kim as his head teacher both…read moreyears. He needed more of a challenge than he was getting at his preschool. Rising Star was a breath of fresh air with all the individualized attention, care and love Ms. Kim, Ms. Jayita and Ms. Sarah provided to each child. I felt that Ms. Kim really saw and appreciated my son and shared insights with us that came from patiently trying to understand him and not punish him when challenges arose. My son is very interested teaching others about dinosaurs and she gave him opportunities to build on that interest and strength which further gave him confidence and pride in his work. It's a very structured environment, while still having the flexibility to meet students' interests and needs. Rising Star was a true blessing in our lives, and I highly recommend it to anyone seeking a great education for their child.

We love this preschool - its creative programming (academics, playtime, gardening), its beautiful…read morebuilding, and especially its dedicated staff and teachers. They also have regular fun holidays and special events that are meticulously planned and just so warm and quirky. Both of my kids attended Rising Star and we feel incredibly lucky to have done so.

I have been taking piano lessons from Heidi for the last 1.5 years. She is an outstanding teacher…read moreand has been instrumental in bringing music back into my life. Heidi identified what type of music I enjoy and has introduced me to some lovely compositions which I would never have had the opportunity to hear, much less learn. She is patient and identifies a student's strengths as well as weaknesses. She provides encouragement and effective strategies to work through the challenging sections in a piece. She also emphasizes on attention to dynamics. Her lessons are fun and in a relaxed learning environment. I have thoroughly enjoyed learning from her and she is extremely hard to replace.

Ms Heidi Saario is an expert pianist as well as a passionate teacher of budding musicians. She…read moretakes her teaching very seriously and is heavily invested in the musical growth of her students. Our 9 year old daughter has been a student of Ms Saario for the last one year. Ms Saario is very well organized in the way she plans and structures the class, the homework that she gives out, and in following up on how the student did on their homework. She recognizes that practice outside of class is a major factor in student growth, and to that end is always seeking new ways to motivate her students. In one such instance, she introduced an incentive program over a period of 75 days for all her students and this program had a very positive impact on our daughter's desire to practice music at home every single day without any urging from us. This in turn drastically increased the rate at which she was learning new songs and improving her piano skills. Ms Saario also provides several opportunities during the course of a year for her students to perform in front of a wider audience in a formal setting. These events establish target milestones for students in addition to fostering confidence in them. We have been fortunate to have Miss Saario as our daughter's musical inspiration, and have been amazed to see her musical ability grow over the last year.