Bonnie is fantastic. She is personable and professional at the same time. Before I started I…read moreworried about being an adult student, older than my teacher. She quickly put that to rest and we've made great progress. I had not played in years and although I could still play reasonably well, I have probably forgotten most of the theory I ever learned. She's quick to explain and never makes you feel like you are dumb for not knowing something. Her music knowledge is extensive and she's good at explaining what she knows. Since I do not live near her we do our lessons on Skype and it's great! I would recommend Bonnie to anyone.

Bonnie is, quite simply, a superb piano teacher, and we whole-heartedly recommend her to anyone who…read moreis serious about his or her child learning to play the piano. She translates complex music theory into easy building blocks for a small child to understand. Bonnie then relates these concepts to activities and ideas easy to grasp. She balances mechanics with theory and sight-reading with improvisation. And Bonnie has an amazing amount of patience, kindness, good humor, and phenomenal skill! She can draw my daughter's little wandering mind back to the subject easily and makes learning the piano fun and interesting.

I contacted Cameron probably about six months ago, looking to take bass lessons, after years of…read morehaving not touched an instrument (I played guitar for a few years during high school and dabbled a few times after that). I knew I wanted to take lessons this time around, since I had attempted to 'self teach' the first time, and felt as if that had been the wrong approach. After a bit of looking around online, I decided to go with Cameron, and I can definitely say it was a very smart choice! Cameron is awesome, simply put. He knows his stuff, he's patient, super laid back and a really nice guy to be around, on top of being a fantastic teacher. I love that he customizes his teaching approach and lesson to you specifically. I've never once felt 'pressured' to do anything I don't want to, and I really appreciate him allowing me to take my time and go at my own (often very slow) pace with my learning, and my sometimes weird schedule. He picks up on your quirks and tastes very quickly. Before taking lessons from him I was honestly pretty freaked out about music theory, and he has made it so much more approachable than I could ever imagine. I've learned so many things that not only put music theory into a much more understandable (and thus less scary) perspective, but are just plain cool! If you want to learn just songs, or mix up songs with technique, or go full on music theory; Cameron can do all of that. He likes to keep things fresh, and interesting for you, which I think goes so far in getting over that frustrating initial hump of learning a new instrument. I would ABSOLUTELY recommend Cameron/New Verse to anybody, beginner or experienced. I think his prices are very fair, and he will drive to your home (within reason I'd imagine) for a bit of extra cost, which is great. I can only speak from a bass lesson point of view, but I have no doubt whatsoever that Cameron rocks the guitar lessons as well, and that he's going to bring in some great talent to round out New Verse's instrument lesson choices. SO happy with my bass lessons. Looking for some of your own? Get in touch with Cameron!

Cameron is a talented working local musician who takes his role as a teacher seriously. He is well…read moreprepared, organized, kind and very present in lessons. I really appreciate his defined approach to student learning. Both my son and I take lessons (separately) and we both enjoy the process and our progress is quite good.

Great staff that genuinely cares. Kids demonstrate growth that you can really see and experience…read morefrom one show to another, all while building friendships and connections that will last far beyond the walls of the school.

Went to our kid's School of Rock concert at Hawthorne Theatre and honestly it was one of those…read moreparenting moments you do not forget. Seeing your child walk onto a real stage, under real lights, with a full band and an audience cheering them on hits you right in the heart. This was not just kids playing songs. It was confidence. Growth. Courage. You could see how much work they put in and how supported they felt by their instructors and by each other. Watching them perform, handle the crowd, recover from little mistakes, and finish strong was incredibly moving as a parent. School of Rock is a truly great program. It teaches music, but more than that it teaches teamwork, discipline, and how to show up when it matters. You can tell these kids are learning life skills along with guitar riffs and drum fills. Hawthorne Theatre was the perfect venue for this experience. It feels real and authentic, not polished or sterile. Being close to the stage made everything feel personal and immersive. The sound was solid, the flow of the event was smooth, and the whole space felt welcoming to families while still giving the kids a true concert experience. There is something powerful about watching your child perform in a real venue and realizing how much they have grown. We left feeling proud, emotional, and grateful for programs like this that give kids a place to shine. Highly recommend School of Rock and Hawthorne Theatre. This was more than a concert. It was a memory we will carry for a long time.

I had the immense pleasure of having Kevin Ayers perform at my recent wedding, and I truly wish…read morethere were a way to give him a 10-star review instead of just the 5-star limit here on Yelp. Kevin is an exceptional artist and a consummate professional in every sense. From the moment we connected, he brought a detail-focused approach and he even suggested creative ways to enhance the vision I had of the music for my wedding -- and he absolutely delivered. He is an incredibly talented musician and played an enchanting mix of classical, Spanish and contemporary music selections throughout the wedding ceremony, cocktail reception and dinner, adding the perfect touch of elegance, beauty and warmth. Our guests were blown away and couldn't stop raving about his performance. If you're looking for someone who not only plays with incredible skill but also is reasonably priced, responsible, punctual, organized and accommodating -- and beyond all else, genuinely cares about you and the success of your event, look no further. I highly, highly recommended Kevin!

Kevin is an extremely talented and brilliant musician and guitarist. He is also a wonderful…read moreinstructor with an effective teaching method. He teaches not only technique, but also theory, music history, musicality, effective practicing and building repertoire. Kevin brings a positive and encouraging attitude. He is able to adjust his teaching style for different ages. He taught my daughter and now is teaching me. He makes learning fun and enjoyable. I highly recommend Kevin as a guitar instructor. Lisa M.

A great music experience! I am also a music teacher and I admire her work, having collaborated…read morewith her numerous times. Jane's teaching is patient and fun, with high but achievable standards and she gives lots of personal attention to her students, including excellent performing opportunities. Highly recommended as a teacher for all levels of learners--both children and adults!

I'd like to give my wholehearted endorsement to Lotof and the staff at Michelle's Pianos. A few…read moreweeks ago, I realized my baby grand was having significant issues and needed to be rehabilitated. I called around to several places, and Lotof was the only person who took the time to talk to me. We discussed what was happening, and he offered to pick up the piano the next week when they were in Bend delivering pianos to another place. Before they took my piano, I went to Portland to meet Lotof and check out their rehabilitation work. Lotof took the time to show me around the studio, where I played many good (and not so good) pianos. He took the time to answer my questions, and I felt confident placing my piano in their hands. After they assessed my piano, Lotof called me and was very honest about the situation. We discussed options, and he was able to work with my fiscal situation. After much deliberation (and a lot of options) I decided my best option was to trade in my baby grand on a new upright that had better action, better tone quality, and was something that would support me and my family for years to come. Lotof took the time to listen to my personal situation, and appreciate my background when making recommendations. I felt like he cared about me as a person and wanted to do what he could to support me and my family. He's a musician, and that shows in how he fits the piano to the person. Thank you Lotof and the caring technicians, movers and staff at Michelle's. I've never bought a piano before, but if you're a musician, it's a very intimate purchase. Thanks for taking the time to help me reach the right decision. Thumbs WAY up!

Why most people utilize regular household movers to move their pianos is a mystery to me? I was so…read moreimpressed with the professionalism and knowledge of our piano movers. They took great care to carefully breakdown, skillfully wrap and protect our grand piano. They efficiently loaded and secured it in the truck. What an amazing experience! Don't trust just any company to move your fragile instruments. Excellent experience all around.

Gabrielle and Jeanette are awesome! I get the joy of bringing my 3 nieces here for lessons every…read moreFriday night and they always look forward to it! My 2 older nieces go to Jeanette (so double kudos to her). They describe her as patient, kind, funny, and encouraging! They both really love the fact that they get prizes for finishing songs in their lesson books! Jeanette always has a bunch of fun and cool prizes that the girls get to take home with! This really encourages the girls to always want to go above and beyond and learn more songs. My youngest niece goes to Gabrielle and she is awesome. I sit in there with her through her lessons and my youngest is super shy so there are a lot of times where she will be silent but Gabrielle always makes her feel comfortable and will accommodate to my youngest and not force her to talk. My youngest describes Gabrielle as patient, nice and funny. She has learned a lot since her lessons with Gabrielle and loves getting stickers and balloons all the time.

My son takes drum lessons from Happy Valley Arts Academy and loves them! Jared is the best. My son…read morepractices on his own without me asking him to, and is developing a love for this instrument. Jared makes the entire lesson and experience so enjoyable to him, and their customer service is excellent!

I have been studying ukulele at Sound Roots School of Modern Music in Portland, Oregon for…read moreapproximately 4 months. My talented and intuitive instructor has a remarkable calming teaching style that has demonstrated to me to be very effective for my learning process. There is a strong sense of music history emanating from the walls of this fascinating building on N. Williams Ave. The staff vibe and the design & architecture of the school, always makes for very creative and inspiring visits. I leave every week looking forward to my next class. If you want to learn how to play an instrument or strengthen your musical skills, I highly recommend Sound Roots School of Modern Music. -Marcine

I've never taken guitar lessons in my life, so I have nothing to compare them to... But, I have…read morebeen playing by myself for about 10 years, and learned more in 4 lessons than in that 10 years. Im going to keep going with it. I like the space, people are nice, overall a great experience...