Matthew is, hands down, the best music instructor I've ever had, on any topic…read more My musical background - both in theory and technique - is pretty scattered. After college, I decided I wanted to learn the cello, so I searched Craigslist to find a teacher. I recognized Matthew's name from Ifshin's and he had a good review from the Berkeley Parents Network, so I decided to schlep up to El Cerrito (from South Berkeley, without a car, with a large instrument) to attend a lesson. Matthew was able to quickly, accurately, fluidly gauge what topics I understood and which I needed help on, and immediately cobbled together a lesson in which I felt not a single minute was wasted. I came away from that lesson feeling like I'd learned more from him in an hour that I'd learned from other teachers in six months. I was hooked. Since I already had a basic background in music theory, Matthew jumped pretty quickly into teaching me straight from repertoire. Matthew himself is quite an excellent musician - very artistic and expressive - and gives similarly excellent instruction on musicianship. He has the unusual ability of being extremely precise about what he wants you, the student, to do to achieve a given effect. (And is very good at being precise from several different approaches until you have that 'a-ha!' moment.) He's been very patient with me on the days that my head just hasn't been in the game and very persistent in making sure I get something out of those lessons, anyhow. Because of his high degree of achievement in cello and his patience, innovation, and keen intellect, Matthew would probably be a wonderful teacher from everyone from complete novices to seasoned professionals. (He does, in fact, teach both these levels, but I can only speak from my own experience. :P ) I have moved towns twice since I started taking lessons with him and, six years later, he is still absolutely worth the transbay drive.

I am very lucky to have found Matthew as a cello teacher. I started to learn to play the cello as a…read morebeginner since almost a year and can strongly recommend him as a teacher. It has been an amazing experience for me to play the cello ever since I started my lessons with Matthew. He is amazing, extremely patient and explains musical concepts and the cello as an instrument to an adult with great precision. In addition, he has a great ability to communicate and can provide explanations to you that suits perfectly well to the way you can understand, which is essential for learning. He always has an analogy to an everyday movement when you learn a new technique that is a great help. Matthew is a remarkable person and has a great personality. He can combine his understanding of humans with his teaching extremely well. Although sometimes your own performance might not be the best (e.g. because you could not practice enough for the lesson) at each lesson you learn a lot and have a smile on your face after you leave the lesson. What I like the most about Matthew's teaching is that he has an exceptional sense of creativity and tries to unmask this ability in his students.

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

Daniel taught my son for many years, starting in 2nd grade. He gave him a firm understanding of…read moretechnique, and also is great at keeping students motivated over time. He listens and tries to understand all of his students as individuals. I also studied with him for a year, and I loved his choice of material-lovely music at my level.

Daniel has been teaching piano for 50 years! He's not just good at teaching kids the basics, and…read morehelping experienced players increase their knowledge and understanding of the incredible instrument. Anytime you can catch him in concert he provides deep and interesting insight into the music and lives of the composers. (Invite him to do a house concert!) He's a great teacher because he's a lifelong learner. And by now, a classy and eccentric institution!

Trevor Justice is a competent songwriter, singer, pianist who can 'fill' a room with energy and…read morehave those listening want to participate. He filled in for me one Sunday morning at a Center for Spiritual Living and was and is "at home" in that genre. Trevor gets it done.

It's been almost two years now and I'm taken aback by my progress. I'm playing pieces that seemed…read moreintimidating and out of reach, but now they're naturally flowing. I've played in front of family, friends, strangers, and peers (and even look forward to it now). By the time I presented my own compositions to Miranda, we had built up the rapport for her to give me frank criticism that a professional musician would have trouble digesting it. Without losing the essence of the piece, I went through several iterations with her that made it infinitely easier to read. Miranda goes the extra mile to immerse herself in what you're trying to accomplish. Now I have a strong foundation and am on a roll transcribing past work that's been confined to my head for years. I'm extremely grateful for the journey I've been on, and couldn't imagine a better coach and guide!

I've been learning piano from Miranda for three years as an adult student. She has truly helped me…read moreplay several of J.S. Bach's preludes and some well-known pieces from film scores. I never thought I would ever be able to play like this. Miranda is a devoted and highly skilled teacher. She pays close attention to the mistakes her students make and corrects them with patience and care. A great teacher recognizes where the student struggles, and she gently guides me, finding new ways to help me understand and creating methods that fit my ability so I can succeed with every piece. I truly appreciate and admire her as my teacher.

Juliana is an amazing teacher! I started self teaching January of this year and quickly realized I…read morewould need more professional guidance and help, and Juliana has been a fantastic tutor for all things piano and music theory. I get to practice what I want and she is always accommodating for the pieces I bring in. I get a lot out of our sessions and find good motivation working with her, cannot recommend enough!

We have been taking classes for about 4 months with Juliana via zoom. My daughter is eager to…read morelearn. She is being challenged every week, gets practice assignments and is making consistent progress. My daughter has LD and not once has she felt frustrated with her lesson plan. She is always happy to take her class and looks forward to hopefully take her classes in person in a near future.

Harry is clearly a very talented pianist, but not suited for teaching in my opinion. Granted that I…read morehave had only had one lesson with him and am not making this decision off of much personal experience, I think it is important that I share this experience with others so that they may take any of the given information into consideration when selecting a piano instructor. I think it's important to preface this by saying that quality instructors, regardless of the subject matter that they are teaching, will share a common set of characteristics that make them so. They will be good listeners and adjust their teaching style to the student's needs. They work with the student to understand the student's goals and devise a structured plan to help them get to that point. An effective student-teacher relationship cannot be achieved without sufficient student-teacher interaction. Just as the teacher questions the student on his/her current skill level and goals in an effort to gain a solid understanding of how he/she can help the student, the student should question the teacher and ask about the teacher's background, skill level, and how he/she will help the student achieve his/her goals. This is not the experience I had with Harry during our first lesson. As a college student, I am financially limited and thus have to make the best use of the money that I have. This means I have to put a lot of effort into finding a quality instructor, which further implies that I must spend time working to understand the instructor's methods, techniques, and plan for helping me eventually get to the point where I want to be. During our lesson, I asked Harry a lot of questions, to say the least. I told him my goals with learning the piano and throughout our lesson kept asking questions about whether I will be able to do ___ or achieve ___ given the path that we were going to follow. Harry wanted to stick to the absolute basics during our first lesson, which is completely normal and fair, but interpreted my questions as my "being a very resistant and skeptical learner", and that I "didn't trust his methods". I kept trying to clarify that this wasn't the case and that I trusted his methods but I was rather trying to gauge him as an instructor, our curriculum, and thus get a more structured and comprehensive idea of how we were going to proceed with future lessons. He kept cutting me off and I had to repeatedly (3 or 4 times) request him to let me finish my train of thought before he let me do so. When I repeated myself to try and clarify that I wasn't trying to be rude or skeptical, he replied "Yeah, that's about the tenth time you've mentioned that today" in quite a snarky manner. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I felt as though he crossed the line for basic human decency and behavior. He was rude and off-putting, which is rather unacceptable even outside of professional or student-teacher contexts. The worst remark that he made, in my opinion, wasn't even rude but was rather shocking to hear a teacher say. I told him that if I sounded skeptical, it was because I was trying to make the best use of my money and find an instructor that suits my personality and learning style. He complained that all of my questions were eating into our time, and when I mentioned how I would have been okay with not even touching the piano given that it is our first lesson and I wanted to use it to get a solid understanding of the teacher, his style, and how we would progress throughout our learning journey, he replied "well that's just a waste of money". Just as one should not select a cosmetic surgeon without understanding the procedure, the surgeon's personality, and how they will help you achieve the look you desire, one should not select an instructor without gaining a comprehensive understanding of the teacher, his/her teaching style, and their method of helping you achieve your goals. Given my experience, I would strongly recommend that individuals looking to receive piano instruction look elsewhere.

Harry is a passionate and knowledgeable teacher. With decades of experience as a performer and…read moreeducator his love for playing is contagious and inspiring. I thoroughly enjoyed studying with him and he has provided me with a refreshed foundation in jazz and a wealth of information that I'll continue to build upon for many years to come. Highly recommended!

I have taken guitar lessons with Andrew for about two years. I would be considered an advanced…read moreplayer, and my goal with him was to make my formal jump into jazz, and I chose Andrew's tutelage over other teachers. Andrew is a wickedly talented, extremely knowledgeable, and hard-working studio musician and live player. He really is a true working musician, and honestly the kind of player I always aspire to become. As a teacher, he's been really patient with me, but knows when he should be pushing my musicianship's bounds and limitations. The level of enthusiasm he has for teaching inspires a lot of confidence in the people he works with. I've always recommended my other friends who are both beginning and advanced players to at least try out taking lessons specifically with Andrew, with one friend taking up the mantle and several others trying to figure out a way to make it happen. Andrew has been more than just a guitar teacher and instructor. We would have conversations regarding music, the changing local scene, and the art scene associated with it. Beyond the fret board, theory, chord charts, and sheet music, he would always recommend various artists, music, soundscapes, and people to help enrich my overall learning experience. I highly suggest anyone taking their music and craft seriously to hit him up. Also, support your local musician! Andrew does write his own music and perform regularly around the Bay Area.

I've learned more about music in 3 months of lessons with Andrew than I did in the 10 years I'd…read moreplayed guitar previously. He's patient, enthusiastic and remarkably talented. I really can't recommend him highly enough.