Amy is an excellent teacher and by far the best piano & voice teacher we've had. My daughter loves…read morethat she makes lessons fun, is enthusiastic and patient, and very organized with her teaching. My daughter says she's the best teacher ever! Amy made sure to recommend songs and books that would align with what my daughter enjoyed. On my end, she was great with communication, determining a teaching plan matched to the child's needs, and sets clear expectations. With previous teachers, they just moved forward in the books without truly assessing what would work for my daughter. I liked that she uploads videos and details of to the practice app so it's very clear to both parents and the kids what's being practiced each week. Since we're all at home during COVID, I can hear bits of the lesson through the walls and am impressed at her energy and passion for teaching week after week. My daughter always enjoys her lesson time. I highly recommend Amy if you're seeking piano & voice lessons.

My 15 yr old son with Autism was working with Amy for about a year. From the start she was quite…read moreharsh with him even though she'd been informed about his mental disability. He's very sensitive/nervous with low self esteem, struggles in many areas so when he took an interest in piano (and showed some talent) we were excited and wanted to build on that. No desire of becoming a virtuoso, just skill building, having fun and feeling good about oneself. Unfortunately Amy was nothing like his previous teacher who'd inspired & empowered him. She lacked patience/kindness and it was apparent that she does not have the knowledge to work with neurodivergent kids. At one point she was so harsh with him he ended up silently crying in the car home. If your child is neurodivergent/on the spectrum, I would recommend looking elsewhere.

Ellie is the woman! I've been taking lessons for years and Ellie is the most kind, accommodating,…read moregenerous, fun, mischievous (in an awesome way) and KNOWLEDGEABLE teacher! I've gotten so good I'm performing with Adele at the Grammys next year. Well, no but my singing is so much better. She taught me to breathe properly, taught me amazing exercises to develop the voice that I do regularly. My singing is better and better and speaking abilities are so much better to. I have tried many other instructors -- Ellie is a favorite, that's why I keep going back! Love you, Ellie! Thank you :)

I cannot say enough about vocal coach Eloenor England! I've been struggling with breath issues for…read moreyears, which she not only was able to target immediately (she hears and sees everything your body does), but in only one lesson was able to give me the the technique I need to build a strong foundation on how to breathe properly. It was the most valuable tool I've received since I started singing. Eleonor is not only extremely insightful, but a wonderful person full of life and humor and I just loved everything about her approach and genuine style. Our lesson was via Skype because I'm in San Francisco at the time, and it was great; she's right there with you all the way. I look forward to my next voice lesson with her. Thank you Eleonor.

Love Amber and her classes!! If you have even an inkling of interest in singing (I love singing in…read morethe shower and in the car, when I had a car, that is), consider taking Free Your Voice 1 with Amber. It is so fun, so freeing and it will open up your voice in ways you never imagined. You'll feel vulnerable, a bit insecure - that is natural! But over time, you will be released and freed! You'll be in a group of people who feel the same way, and you'll bond and get to a point of comfort to let yourself go. Amber is patient and lets you explore your voice, yourself, and relationships with others through different exercises that will enliven you, stretch you, and challenge you in a good way. Her teaching style is so playful and fun! Give it a try - it was the best thing I did for myself earlier this year, and it helped me through a very poignant point in my life and career. I also took her djembe and singing class this year! I had minimal experience playing taiko drums, so no drumming experience is necessary. It was such a release to play djembe, expressing myself this way and through continued voice. I bought a decent djembe for about $50 from the Guitar Center. She sends you YouTube links to practice along with, and I still play it to this day. Loved this class too! I made good friends in both classes whom I still keep in touch with. We are forever bonded, and I am a part of Amber's circle. Amber is also in a 4-person band called Echo. If you have a chance to catch one of their shows, you definitely should! Such a great sound with varying international instruments plus they are playfully interactive. Go, Amber, go Echo!

This review is for Amber's Free Your Voice 10 week program…read more I discovered the joy of chanting in yoga classes and kirtan, and for a while had been curious to develop confidence and fluency in my vocal expression. I was also curious how developing my vocal expression might encourage me to say what's on my mind more often! When I learned Amber was offering the 10 week Free Your Voice program, I had never met her, but I had already heard rave regard for her from several separate friends in my yoga community. I registered for the program without any hesitation. It felt great to be so clear about it! Amber's programs are one of the few places you can go to make noise and stomp your feet without attracting concerned citizens. I treasure the activities that provided a safe space for self-connection and expression. I felt healing being witnessed with rapt attention by Amber and others in the group. I felt rooted with a sense of place from connecting with traditions. This is such a great way to spend your time and stretch and grow your expression. Drawing and improv classes are great too, but *Free Your Voice* will only be around as long as Amber offers it or trains others to do so!

My daughter started taking lessons with Andrea about 6 months ago (once weekly) and not only has…read moreAndrea's guidance and support helped my daughter immensely, I have noticed a very positive impact in both my daughters confidence and her ability to project her voice while keeping tone precise. Andrea introduced my daughter to the cutting edge vocal science straw phonation for added efficiency that is necessary for powerful belting, and this process and practice has certainly set my daughter up for vocal success. My daughter really enjoys her lessons and gets a LOT out of each session. The Andrea Vocal Method has been so beneficial to my daughters signing pathway and because Andrea offers online lessons, my daughter is able to have her lessons in the comfort of her own home. I am SUPER impressed by Andrea and my daughter is loving her experience!!

I've worked with Andrea almost for a year by now, and her work exceeded so much beyond my original…read moreexpectation! She is super skillful to notice anything in my voice, and gives me very precise, practical and easy-to-understand instructions to improve. She's very encouraging and sweet, so I never feel discouraged. My voice feels completely different now and I feel so much more comfortable and confident in singing in public. Highly recommended!

Miss Jessica is a wonderful teacher of piano. It's amazing how a room of young children pick up how…read moreto play and read music so quickly with her. My daughter has been loving her lessons with Miss Jessica and asks for additional music to play or tries to figure out notes to some of her favorite songs. Ms. Jessica also arranges a recital at the end of each series of classes which was a great experience for my daughter.

We are so pleased with Miss Jessica and her piano classes! My son absolutely loves her classes…read more It's impressive the way she manages multiple kids in one class. My son has learned so much from her. And best of all, he really has learned an appreciation of music. Miss Jessica communicates clearly and effectively with parents. She somehow manages to have high expectations for her students yet teach them in a friendly way that the kids really respond to. Her recitals are also a wonderful way for the kids to display what they have learned. Low key yet tremendously special at the same time. I highly recommend!

Marla is a wonderful and dedicated teacher…read more I originally came to her just with some long ago choir experience and no formal music school background. And because of that, I don't know many of the terminology or what they mean. So I really appreciate that Marla has always been patient and super adaptive in coming up with new exercises or creative visualizations to fit me, and find alternative ways to help me learn. I have been working with Marla for many years. And since then, she had taught me good foundations and helped me develop my voice and expanded my range. I feel like she cares a lot for her students and is very supportive. I would not be where I am w/o her on-going support and guidance.

Marla is a great voice coach. My 16 year old daughters voice has improved during the few months…read more(COVID) working with her virtually. My daughter has told me that the techniques taught by Marla have made a positive improvement + impact in how she sings. Prior to Marla my daughter said she would just sing but now she'll implement the tools taught by Marla each time. She is patient and skilled. We are strongly considering in working back with her again once in person lessons and the pandemic improves. She accepts Zelle payments which are convenient and offers a new student discount fir a few lessons. Thank you for your help Marla!

Mandy is both a skilled musician and adept teacher. My daughter has been taking piano lessons with…read moreher for 4+ years now, and the experience has been a total delight. Mandy's steady approach has helped my daughter build competence and confidence, appreciation and understanding. Mandy is so encouraging and patient, and she really finds a way to bring out the best in each individual.

Our son is lucky to have been taught by Mandy for the last 6 years. The reason why Mandy is such a…read morefantastic teacher is because she has been a performer for most of her life, who happens to enjoy teaching. She doesn't just teach how to play piano, she teaches how to *perform* which is very different from most other piano teachers. I learned from a piano teacher when I was a child, so I can play the piano. But every time I listened to her lessons to our son, I always learned something new because I never learned any aspect related to performance, which is an art in and of itself. She taught him how to decipher the music and try to understand what the music and musician were saying, not just playing the notes like I learned. Performance aspects like scratching at the keys to give it a light touch, or even simpler things like playing repeated notes with multiple fingers instead of the same finger to make it sound more even and to preserve finger endurance. His understanding and love of music evolved the more he learned from Mandy and to the point where he listens to classical music on his way to and from school because he genuinely loves it. He even spent some parts of his lessons listening to and learning from Mandy about his favorites like Moonlight Sonata Movement 3. We are truly grateful for Mandy and everything she has taught our son about music that we could never do ourselves.

I thought it might be time to do a little 5 year check in! That's right, I've been taking lessons…read morewith Ciara for 5 years now and have enjoyed every lesson and over the last year have enjoyed watching her business grow and flourish! She now has multiple piano and voice teachers at the school, all of whom are fabulous people and teachers. In the time I've spent with Ciara, I went from having no idea what a C scale was to writing and recording my own songs! Ciara has been there with me every step of the way and has provided me with just as much emotional support as she has musical support. I've also participated in a couple of her other projects: Join a Band SF and Collab (with the fabulous Heather Pierce, voice teacher extraordinaire!), and I really enjoyed both projects and learned a lot, while having a ton of fun. On the business side of things, I appreciate that Ciara is up front with her policies from the beginning and feel like she has always treated me and from what I hear, other clients, very fairly. We're kind of a family, and Ciara has done a great job of keeping that communal spirit with the annual Master Class and the Recital, where our friends and family and our MMS (McAllister Music Studio) family can enjoy and witness the progress we have made during the year. Lizzie and Carlos are true gems, with voices like angels and the patience of Saints. If you are looking for a fun, supportive environment to learn a new instrument or brush up on your skills, I highly recommend Ciara and all of the teachers at MMS!

An obvious 5 stars! I've been taking piano lessons with Ciara every week for almost a year and a…read morehalf, and it's been one of the best experiences (and life choices) I've made since moving to San Francisco. I took piano lessons when I was a kid, but quit when I was 11, and Ciara made me feel like I picked up right where I left off, 11 years later. I'm learning music theory, writing songs, learning covers - she designs your lesson plan around your needs and goals, and makes the entire learning process approachable rather than intimidating. Whether you're a singer, songwriter, piano player looking to explore a new genre, or a piano newbie who can't read sheet music (like me)...McAllister Music Studio is the place to go :)