My 6 year old son started with Ms. Emily in September 2015. We were matched by Shining Light…read moreMusic; I communicated our tricky requirements: while he likes piano, he doesn't looove piano, so lessons have to be engaging, he didn't respond well to the redundant/basic piano book courses we had temporarily explored with a couple past teachers, so it's a challenge to level him up with material and technique that is age appropriate and fun enough but not too complex, add in our limited schedule...well, it was a blessing the receptionist recommended Ms. Emily Shelp! Ms. Emily is extremely qualified. Her bio isn't on the Shining Light Music teacher page yet, so here is an excerpt from her welcome letter to parents: "I started taking piano lessons when I was 7 years old and continued to take them through college. I graduated in 2009 with my Bachelor of Music in Piano Pedagogy from Bob Jones University and then opened up my studio. It has been so fun and rewarding to see my studio grow, as well as to see each individual student progress! ... I love to play the piano, and I love having the opportunity to teach piano too. I strongly believe that music education benefits children's development in many ways. Music is a lifelong skill that no one ever regrets having. Learning the piano is hard work, but the benefits are great! ... Intrinsic motivation is the goal, especially as your child becomes a more advanced pianist, but I do try to help motivate the children extrinsically as well. We do fun contests throughout the year, and they have the opportunity to work towards trophies and other prizes. I do my best to make lessons a positive and fun environment, but we work very hard at the same." My Son has been taking lessons for 7 months now, and I can attest, Ms. Emily has kept her word to keep the lessons fun AND emphasize great technique that is young learner accessible. She's patient and amazing. Her methods work. She motivates him with weekly fun point-competitions (to earn country stickers in his passport, trophy, the biggest school trophy, etc.) which has resulted in him reminding me that he has to memorize a song for the next lesson..cuz he wants the points! Translation: I don't have to beg/cajole my son to practice. I was super impressed by the caliber of students at the 2015 Christmas recital. They all were well prepared, (and a few were downright superstars!) and all the students seemed to enjoy performing; everyone was thrilled to watch our kids do their thing. We just participated in the non-competitive Music Progressions program (www.ksmta.org/musicprogressions.php) which was another great experience. She would be great for both beginner and advanced students.

I have been taking music lessons for about nine years, and I couldn't be happier! I have learned so…read moremuch, in both classical piano and jazz. My teacher, Mr. Caden makes lessons fun, and I always am excited when it is lesson day. South Kansas City Music Academy is the best music lessons in the state. If you want good music lessons, then you should come to SKCMA.

My son has been taking private drum lessons for the last year, and I can't imagine taking him…read moreanywhere else. The instructors are professional, very knowledgeable, and have a wonderful teaching style that works well with all ages. My son's teacher, Laura Lee, is fantastic with one-on-one teaching and has a fun learning style that makes my son excited to come back every week. KC Rock Band also has very reasonable prices and they are centrally located right off I-435 & Holmes for easy travel from pretty much anywhere in the KC area.

We love music house. My daughter is learning so much. they provide a ln environment that makes any…read morekid feel welcome.

The staff at Music House Lenexa are very kind and welcoming to musicians of all skill levels. They…read morehave made us feel at home with our new drum instructor Eric. Eric is extremely talented and knows how to meet the student where they are presently at. All around great experience.

I took my violin to KC Strings after not playing for six years. The staff were super helpful with…read moregetting it back in playable condition, and they had a great selection of instruments to look at.

I don't know jack about stringed instruments, except guitar. But it didn't take long to begin…read moreappreciating KC Strings over in Shawnee. The shop specializes in stringed instruments. With no shortage of services, KC Strings is also the only American maker of professional grade violas, violins, cellos and bases. It's really a one stop string shop. Say that three times. They'll sell, repair, rent and even give you private lessons. The staff knows their strings. I quickly overheard one of the assistants is a student at Julliard. Everyone in the shop is eager to assist or simply enjoying their job by playing the instruments. They also emphasize their ability to work out financing options. Thankfully I had a sidekick who knew the difference between a viola and violin and that brought about some great conversations with the staff. I grabbed a brochure as we headed out and it says "Together We Create." I couldn't agree more.

This drum shop has a large selection of kits and related gear. I wandered in and was impressed by…read morethe inventory. The staff was friendly and not at all pushy (how I recall the drum dept. in most chains like Guitar Center). They are locally owned actual musicians who have plenty of familiarity with their stuff and the field in general. I picked up one lightly used accessory at a fair price, and plan to revisit the shop when I can combine trips, because I find myself driving past this shop conveniently located right on 95th Street in O.P., KS often. They have a nice mix of new and vintage merchandise. The shop is on multiple floors; they have some rooms that are maybe mostly for lessons, but also enable you to rock out without an audience to try gear out. They're even willing to bargain a little (within limits). Highly recommended, 5 big Yelp! rating stars

DO NOT RECOMMEND!! will change a selling price and will not honor the original sale price!!read more

For lessons: Our kiddo has been going to lessons since they opened and he loves them. He looks…read moreforward to them every week and they even walk him to his next class a few doors down. Highly recommend if you're looking for music lessons in Leawood area. For Birthday Party: We had another place cancel a few months prior and found out that Bach to Rock started hosting parties so we signed up. They did such a great job with the Birthday Party and all the kids had so much fun (and parents seemed to enjoy it as well). The teachers were so patient and kind; even when the kids switched instruments after teaching them the song or when they were hitting the instruments extra loud:) It was a very nice change of pace from other parties!

Had an absolutely amazing experience at this music store! My daughter and I decided we needed to…read moretry to play guitar and needed to pick up a guitar for each of us. We both have zero experience playing guitar so I sent the store a message asking for advice. They recommended we come in, take a look around, and they would help us out. Wow, I was amazed by how helpful they were and how much time they spent with myself and my daughter. Quentin, who works in the store, spent plenty of time with us showing us multiple options in our price range and was not putting any pressure on us to buy anything more than we needed. I was dreading going to another store that was nearby and was so thankful that I found this for our purchase. Extremely helpful staff and knowledgeable. Very laid-back no pressure and just an overall enjoyable experience. A beautiful store as well. They welcomed us when we walked in and remembered that we would be coming in at the time I stated when I was talking to them on the phone. The manager came out and met us as well. There is no need to go anywhere else in Overland Park. This is a family owned business not a national chain but they do have multiple stores. Go here you won't be disappointed. You walk away with an instrument you feel good about and a sales experience that is hard to find.

Amos was so easy to work with. very professional and explained everything he was doing. I was…read moreembarrassed my piano had gone so long without tuning but he didn't blink an eye. We even got a concert at the end! affordable and friendly, highly recommend.