Preston is a guitarist, pianist and composer from Vermont. His first instrument was clarinet in middle school but after picking up the guitar at 14 he began seriously studying music. A self-taught guitarist, he played in various jazz and blues groups in Vermont and graduated from the University of Vermont with a degree in Music Education. While at UVM he developed his skills as a composer and moved to Seattle to attend the Pacific Northwest School of Film Scoring as part of their Master of Music in Film Composition program, from which he graduated in July 2022. As a composer he’s had music programmed as part of UVM’s Festival of New Music, had work played by the UVM Symphony Orchestra and was hired to write music for local TV stations.
Preston has been teaching lessons for 11 years and has had students from ages 7 to 75. His focus is to help facilitate student’s enjoyment of the instrument and he will tailor lessons to their likes and interests. He believes improvising and composing are vital for all musicians and he will create a safe and positive space for students to explore and find their own voice as musicians. He also believes strongly in proper technique and playing habits and will equip students with the physical tools to play freely and avoid injury.
You can contact Preston by:
Phone: (802) 498-8107
Email: preston.murphy.35@gmail.com
Or by filling out the form below
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Testimonials
We bought about 4 flute lessons at our school auction. . . My daughter had just started in the band as a flutist, and I spontaneously decided that maybe she could use a few lessons. Alastair was wonderful as he took in our new student! I was sure that we were going to do it for just a few months, but my daughter was begging to continue, even though I thought that she had “too much on her plate”… We bought the lessons at the auction in November 2008, and Alastair is still her teacher! We have loved the quality of instruction along with the gentle approach to teaching the flute. This combo has worked very well for our daughter, and we are thrilled that we found him!
PS- I grew up playing the flute, so I could tell that Alastair was quite an amazing player/teacher right from the beginning!
Sam’s teaching has helped me go from just struggling to keep a beat to incorporating new techniques and styles into my playing in only a couple months. He’s a versatile drummer and great about teaching me what I want to learn while keeping focus on the finer, technical aspects, and keeping it interesting. Lessons are always fun and comfortable and his teaching studio set up is great. Highly recommended teacher.
Audrey is just as remarkable as a teacher of adults. She is always well-prepared, punctual and presents the material clearly and succinctly. With her encouragement, I have progressed far more quickly than I ever imagined possible. And the lessons are just plain fun! Audrey’s enthusiasm and encouragement is infectious! I look forward to our lessons and we now play our practice pieces together as a family, a wonderful and enriching experience for all.
We have been lucky enough to work with Anna since September and greatly appreciate her violin instruction. She is creative, thoughtful, and hardworking — in addition to being a fantastic violin player. Her lessons impact critical information while allowing for enough time for our daughter to explore and experiment under her guidance. She intuitively understands when to push and when to observe, resulting in our daughter being, both, challenged and invested. Through her thoughtful instruction, she’s cultivating a true love of the violin and music.
Leah has been so amazing for my young kids. She is amazing at connecting with them, engaging them, and helping them learn while having a lot of fun. My kids look forward to their weekly MusiKids classes, and I have been happy with how much they are learning about music theory!
Under Adam’s instruction and care, [our son] has become a beautiful drummer and a talented musician. As a parent, I greatly appreciate the high level of musical instruction and professionalism Adam brings to each of his lesson. Adam also has a wonderful way of meeting his students where they are at, as well as honoring the student’s own unique musical ideas.
We love your flexible and unconventional style – it really works for Patrick. For 2 years Patrick took lessons from an older lady who gave really traditional lessons. Patrick’s friend Shawn who is also 11 took lessons from her too, and Shawn really had a lot of talent for playing the piano. He was way more advanced than Patrick, and practiced all the time without being told. I took Patrick out of lessons with her and searched around and interviewed quite a few teachers before we found you, then we switched to you, and it was great. Shawn stayed with the boring teacher, and unfortunately he stopped playing a year later. I’m so glad we switched to you! I appreciate you working with each kid and finding ways to keep them interested that are really tailored to their needs. I gave Patrick the option this Fall to stop piano lessons, but he chose to keep playing because he is having fun composing and learning from you. Thank you!
We started our daughter out with another teacher, with a fairly traditional teaching strategy – nothing objectionable, but she wasn’t very engaged and wasn’t making progress. We heard about Rochelle from one of her other students, and eventually were able to switch over. She employs the Suzuki method, which entails not only a well structured curriculum but also strongly encourages parental participation. To that she adds her own musical expertise, good nature and care, and seemingly endless patience. The difference has been profound. Our daughter has been studying with her now for several years, making good progress, and we are constantly amazed and proud of her. As she is of herself.
I really love how every lesson with Scott feels carefully planned around my learning style, development needs and goals. I’m confident I couldn’t be learning any faster!
Max McDevitt, an alumnus of Charles McCrone’s guitar and rock class programs,opened for international metal acts Lacuna Coil, Sonata Arctica and Epica, with his North Bend group If I Were a Gladiator.
Pete Bellomo taught our daughter Kati private trumpet lessons from the 5th through 9th grade. During that time Kati qualified for the Lake Washington School District Elementary School honor band and her Junior High Jazz Band. And this was just based on lessons every other week due to Kati’s busy schedule. Kati is now a senior in High School and even though she has not taken lessons since the 9th grade, she qualified for the Senior High District honor band due to the strong foundation that Pete set for her.
More than being an excellent trumpet teacher Pete has outstanding skills at relating with kids from all different backgrounds and genders. He takes a genuine interest in them as persons and they respond by working hard for him and enjoying it. One good example is when Kati got her braces. Kati went from being in tears that she would not be able to play again and with Pete’s encouragement to stick with it she persevered and was able to play well again. The highest compliment was that our daughter did not complain about having to go to trumpet lessons, and if you have had children that is high praise indeed.
Bill is an excellent teacher! My son started taking violin lessons from Bill at the age of seven not knowing much about the violin. As a result of Bill's patients, teaching style, and his ability to tailor each lesson to my son's level of understanding, my son has made tremendous progress in a short period of time and now enjoys playing and practicing the violin on his own. I would highly recommend Bill as violin teacher!
I took weekly guitar lessons from Charles McCrone for a couple years starting when I was 9 years old and I still remember him as the most influential teacher I’ve ever had (I turn 40 this year).
I didn’t stick with guitar as a teen, but picked it back up in my 30s and SO MUCH of what he taught me stuck, all these years later and looking back the way he catered to my age, music tastes and abilities was just top notch.
I am so happy he is still teaching. I went on to have a career in music for many years, and I definitely owe some of that to Charles.
Amazing person and teacher.
Brad has been teaching my daughter how to play the drums over the internet for 7 months now. We feel so fortunate to have found him as a teacher. He explains things clearly and really relates well to my daughter so that lessons are low-key, fun, and instructional all at the same time. She looks forward to her lesson every week. So, we both highly recommend drum lessons with Brad!
My son, Sean, took trombone lessons from Daniel Ayotte during the sixth grade. This early coaching added to his success and in seventh grade he earned a spot in the first honor band. Daniel was a very patient and knowledgeable teacher.
Wow! Just, wow. The talent displayed by the kids at the concert yesterday blew me away. I’m so glad my daughter found this band; it has provided her with so much joy and purpose the past few months. It has also been really fun to watch her inner rock star emerge. You are clearly a great band leader and I look forward to attending future band concerts and watching these kids progress.
I am an amateur jazz musician with no classical background with the goal of solidifying a much needed musical background. My learning has mostly be unstructured, and it was not clear to me how I can someday be able to play like other folks I met on the jam session.
Given this vague goal, and shaky foundation, I was very fortunate to have Ryan as my piano teacher. It is common to have piano teachers with the prerequisite technical skills, but Ryan is special in that…
1. Ryan cares about his student’s goals (which in my case is solidifying piano skills to be more jazz-skilled)
2 Ryan is very methodical in drafting a curriculum towards those goals (E.g. scale work, ear-training, repertoire-building, transcription).
I am now able to play in jam sessions with more confidence and skill (even in different keys!) through these thoughtfully-curated sessions.
Ryan is my jazz piano personal trainer.
Launa has interesting techniques that helps my daughter get through challenges with the flute. She is cheerful and patient. My daughter has made good improvement since she started with her.
Anna has been my violin instructor since November, and I could not ask for a better teacher.
As an adult learner, I have experienced Anna’s patience as she has guided me to the proper grip with my bow hand, her adaptivity as she intuitively changed her teaching methods based on my musical knowledge and educational background, and her drive to help me achieve my goals as she teaches me everything she knows.
However, it is Anna’s heart and her passion that keep me booking lessons with her. Anna is easy to talk to and creates a serene atmosphere the moment the lesson begins. Her excitement over her art is so infectious I am often surprised by how much we cover in our thirty minute lessons.
Eliza is an exemplary teacher because she connects with her students. She teaches techniques while instilling a love of music. My daughter thoroughly enjoyed working with Eliza.
I think that Ms. Rohar is a great teacher because she goes in depth about all the necessary topics and ideas. She also explains how to do the techniques.
I am a 72 year old successful actor in Seattle. My career spans a number of decades and has been primarily focused on Musical Theater. Over those years, without proper vocal training, my voice had lost some of it’s range, power and confidence I had enjoyed when I was younger. In 2017 I met Claire when she was the musical director for a production of Annie that I was cast in. I was so impressed by her during that experience I asked to be one of her vocal students, to help me regain some of the qualities I had lost. From the first lesson to those I am taking today, Claire’s skill, professionalism and encouragement has brought my vocal abilities to a whole new level of excellence and performance.”
We cannot thank you enough for the incredible week of Girls Rock Camp! My daughter loved every minute! We have learned that camps are really only as good as the people working with the kids. Allison and Tori were just tremendous! They were fun, kind and treated the girls like peers and not little kids. You set a beautiful tone and relaxed atmosphere for the girls to take risks and try new things. We loved that it was small and made each girl feel special. We loved the final performance!
Tiger’s strong points were an ability to motivate and nurture yet set goals… and an ability to teach in different ways to adapt to my learning style
Thank you James for all that you are doing for my son. He is so driven with playing the guitar, practicing sometimes 3 hours per day. The gift of music has changed his life, so much so, now his twin brother has shown quite a bit of interest in learning.
Adam is a terrific woodwinds educator and performer! I was coming off a LONG hiatus from performing saxophone and Adam helped me to get started again. My confidence was LOW and Adam helped to build me up, playing alongside me, and providing me attainable challenges to work on. I appreciate Adam’s calm and supportive demeanor along with his extensive knowledge about the saxophone and music in general. He’s helped to integrate me into performing live at local jazz open mic nights, which has made playing again so much fun! I’m playing songs again that bring me so much joy and I feel better about my playing each day. Adam’s performing is also inspirational with beautiful tone and highly creative solos. I had issues with a couple of my saxophones and Adam knew just the right people to provide quality and affordable repairs. 5/5 stars for Adam!
I’m writing to recommend Pete Bellomo as a trumpet teacher at your music school in Issaquah.
My son took trumpet lessons from Pete from 6th through 9th grades at another music studio. He was always friendly and supportive, and my son always looked forward to the lessons.
Pete taught my son the basics of playing the trumpet and guided him through the standard Rubanks and Arbans lesson books. He also taught him the rudiments of music theory and jazz along the way.
Pete helped instill a love of music in my son that continues to this day. Although he’s in college with another major, he still plays trumpet in a jazz combo and ensemble.
Pete’s very dependable.
John Marino has been teaching guitar to my son, Niall, for the past several months. Niall is 11 years old, and has been studying popular guitar for 3 years. We were delighted to come across John when we moved to the US last year. Niall has really enjoyed his lessons. I asked Niall to think of words to describe John and these are what he came up with: LOYAL, FLEXIBLE, GOOD TEACHER, BREAKS EVERYTHING DOWN, HELPS WITH STRUGGLES, ALWAYS IN A GOOD MOOD AND FRIENDLY.
I also play guitar in a band called Between the Lines at Kaleidoscope School of Music. I like this program because it gives me the experience of playing together with other people in a band and performing shows in front of live audiences. Music has drastically changed my life, it has molded and shaped it, if I hadn’t decided to pick up that guitar and learned how to play it, I most likely would not be the person I am today.
I’d been wanting to take guitar lessons for a couple of years and when I finally got around to it, I found Andrew. He was great! He went at a pace that I could keep up with and I learned a lot. He adjusted his lessons to the music and techniques I wanted to learn and it was a great overall experience. I’d highly recommend him!
At the tender age of 4 our son, Heston, decided that he wanted to play the violin which at that point we started down a new path to try and find a violin teacher. Our family initially met Sarah at the church we attend and learned that she was also a music instructor. What a blessing it has been to have her as Heston’s violin instructor. She knew that this was a new territory for us and helped answer a lot of our questions. In the beginning without us asking her to do so, she helped us find the best place to rent a violin as our son has some special requirements. She is very accommodating to our work/school schedules and best of all; it is how she responds to Heston.
As you can imagine the attention span of a 5 year old can have its challenges. Sarah is patient, kind, and helps Heston stay focused. Sarah has literally taught Heston how to play the violin from the beginning and within 6 months of playing, he was chosen to play in his schools talent show. It is evident that Sarah loves to play and she shares this love and gift by wanting to teach others. She is never short, doesn’t demand more than what is within reason from him, and continues to help him evolve.
Please accept our letter of recommendation for Sarah Burwell. We believe that Sarah is the perfect candidate to fulfill your teaching position at Kaleidoscope. What you see is what you get. There are no hidden agendas, she is musically gifted, passionate about playing and has a big heart for her students. If you aren’t sure, just ask our 5 year old, he can tell you how much he loves his teacher, Sarah. And his parents love her too!
Warm regards,
Grant Family (Keith, Mimi and Heston)
Joe Polito has a passion for music ad his enthusiasm rubs off on his students. He also has a great sense of humor and, lucky for me, infinite patience. I’m relatively new to the guitar and I’ve got a long way to go before I develop an “ear” for music and a reliable sense of rhythm. But, I’m certain that with Joe as my “coach” I’ll eventually reach my goals. In the meantime, I’m enjoying the ride! Joe’s had me playing some of my favorite songs, in TAB, since Day One. At present, I’m working through the sheet music of a classical masterpiece by the Spanish composer Albeniz. I think Joe’s approach is the ideal way to keep someone like me(or anybody else, for that matter) motivated while learning the proper technique and theory of the guitar. Joe is an excellent teacher. I can’t recommend him highly enough!
Sarah Burwell has been working with my child for 3 years now. Sarah has been such a caring, smart, professional and patient teacher. When my child is feeling frustrated with the challenge of learning to play the violin, she has been able to motivate her to keep it up. We look forward to working with Sarah for many years to come.
What I love about piano class from Chris is that it allows me to put my ideas to work. Whether it’s from writing lyrics, building melodies, or collaborating with others, piano class unlocks a side of me that makes me feel like my true self. I have always loved to use my imagination and use my creative ideas towards a productive task. Creating music is a life-long hobby where my creativity can be shared to the world.
Mr. Yuki teaches compassionately and well. He’s worked with my four-year-old and balanced keeping her excited about music with proper posture and learning. Anyone would benefit from learning from Mr. Yuki!
Jeff is a very gracious person, who approaches all his interactions with great thought and care. He has a remarkable combination of knowledge, patience, and compassion — essential ingredients for being a successful teacher.
I’ve been a commissioner on the Issaquah Arts commission for the past 8 years, and one of the founders of ArtWalk. There are simply not enough words to describe the vitality that you and your students bring to the community. I know I will come across a famous musician one of these days that will say I got my start at Kaleidoscope and ArtWalk. I am very grateful that you are in our community! Thanks again for all you do.
Justin Rodriguez was my guitar teacher from July 2017 – March 2018. From the first lesson it was clear that he handled each student in a way that fit them best. He made it easy to feel free to ask any question (I ask a lot of dumb ones) and not only thoughtfully answer but encouraged to speak up anytime I had one. Even though he clearly knows a lot about theory he put just much focus into the ‘gut feeling’ side of things. He really opened my eyes and helped make connections of emotions and feeling to the music. From the first to the last lesson he was great at the teaching and personal sides of things. An all around great teacher and gave me a great experience
Peter has been teaching my girls piano for almost a year. The girls love their piano lessons and think Peter is awesome!!
Adam is awesome because he always encourages me and is a lot of fun! Whenever I ask questions, he tells me lots of fun facts, not just about drums but about science and making decisions. He always explains why we do things. And he is very kind and chill!
Bill is great with kids of all ages — and a fabulous musician!
John Marino has been teaching our son Patrick bass guitar weekly for about the last six months. Patrick enjoys every lesson and we really appreciate John’s enthusiasm. Patrick has made leaps and bounds in his musical ability, his music appreciation, and his general musical knowledge thanks to John. John knows how to keep him interested, make it fun, and keep him moving forward all at the same time. John’s enthusiasm is contagious and Patrick typically practices shortly after each lesson just to keep the groove going. John is clearly an excellent musician also. We have heard him play excellently on the guitar, bass guitar, and piano.
Charles offers the background and flexibility to go wherever my interests take us. Charles simply has amazing talent and – more important – he has the ability to teach
Brad is great! My 5 year old has been seeing Brad for drum lessons for the past 9 months and Brad is so patient and fun. My son LOVES going to drum lessons with Brad.
I initially met Park because the guitar teacher I was sporadically working with (he only had availability upon cancellation, not a full-time opening) referred me to Park. I immediately found Park warm, inviting, knowledgeable, yet practical. While the original guitar teacher I was working with was very by-the-book, Park took me past that approach, encouraging me to use my ears. Park’s approach was (more or less) “Theory is good – learn theory. Your ears are good – use your ears.”
My child learned the viola from Ms. Rose for three and a half years at Lucy Moses School in NYC, since he was 7. We are very sorry to lose her for her recent relocation. My son is a very active boy, so we are very lucky to meet Ms. Rose because without her, it would be very hard to begin and continue to learn a string instrument. Ms. Rose is very patient and she encouraged my son when he met difficult moments in the process of learning. She always showed positive spin in a calm way. While I stayed with my son at the lesson, it has been a very precious time for me, too watching his expectations and excitements whenever he starts new pieces of music learning the techniques step by step.
Having lessons with Tiger has helped me drastically improve my vocal skills in the short time I have thus far taken lessons. I can’t wait to see how much more I can improve in the future. She has become more of a friend to me as well as a teacher.
Jeff very effectively evaluated my musical skills and has moved me forward at a very good pace. I simply loved learning from him
My music tutelage with Mr. Joseph Polito has spanned several years. Joe is the quintessential music instructor! His technical acumen (a plethora of guitar styles!), passionate musical interest and cogent pedagogical skill is inspirational!
Being in a band is hands down the best and most enjoyable thing I’ve done in my life, there’s never been I time where I don’t want to come to a rehearsal or practice, and playing in a show is usually the highlight of my month.
Rochelle has her eye on the long-term. She is the most patient teacher my children have ever had, which means they enjoy their lessons and stick with it. At the same time she teaches them how to achieve excellence. We are amazed at what our children have accomplished through her approach.
Melissa Fleming was my vocal coach. She worked with me in the most skilled manner leading me in both in-class work and homework to get better use of my lesson time. Her demeanor is professional yet approachable when it comes to both adults and children.
I also had the pleasure of working alongside Ms. Fleming as a choreographer for a Children’s Theater program and she taught large groups of children with the greatest of confidence and authority.
Adam’s passion for teaching is clearly evident. He has a gift for explaining complicated concepts in understandable terms. His wealth of knowledge is confirmed by his Master’s degree in Composition, but it is his ability and desire to give that knowledge away that makes him a remarkable person.
I would love to tell you about Sarah Burwell. She is my violin teacher, a very good one at that. I have been her student for over a year now I can definitely say that she teaches with very much knowledge, skill, and appreciation. When I go to lessons, I feel like I’m with a friend instead of a teacher. While I’m playing each of my songs, she listens with thought and then critiques me on what I did right, and what I can work on. She is also very skilled with her violin, so she has a lot of knowledge about music, how to play the instrument, and anything else related! I can definitely see Sarah giving private lessons, or teaching a class of any age. Sarah is definitely the right person for the job.
Over the last four years Levi Gillis has constantly impressed me with his musical intuition, creativity, and technique. As a person he is professional, charismatic, enthusiastic and organized. In a teacher, these are of course highly desired characteristics. As a teacher myself, I feel absolutely comfortable recommending Levi as a teacher for saxophonists of all levels and aspirations.” -Brennan Carter, co-director of the Ballard High School Jazz Band.
Rick Flores was the fourth music teacher to give private violin lessons to our daughter, Megan, and he was by far the best. He taught her for over 5 years, from her junior high through high school years.
Rick’s knowledge of the violin, his ability to teach Megan new skills, and his ability to develop a rapport with and motivate her were all very impressive.
He raised her level of skill playing the violin to an entirely new level that we didn’t know she would be able to achieve. During her senior year of high school, she won the annual concerto competition at Cascade Youth Symphony Orchestra that she was involved in. Rick had prepared her and helped her to become successful in a once in a lifetime experience to play a solo violin concerto with the Cascade Youth Symphony performance at Benaroya Hall.
Through Rick’s coaching, Megan decided she wanted to pursue music in college. She worked closely with Rick and was accepted into one of the top collegiate orchestra programs in the country at the University of North Texas.
We have always been very thankful to have found such a skilled teacher as Rick who was able to bring out the best in our daughter.
We highly recommend Rick as a music teacher.
My son William has been taking viola lessons with Rick for over a year and loves him as his teacher. Rick combines rigorous teaching with inspirational stories and a sense of humor. He teaches not only the technique but also a deeper understanding of the music, which is very important in keeping my son engaged and interested. I also really appreciated him always setting the right expectations, motivating my son to continuously make advancements, and helping him stay focused in his practice. He is an excellent teacher and I would strongly recommend him to anyone. He also makes violins himself!
Peter was honestly the best teacher I have ever had
We can‘t thank you enough for your energy and passion for music education!! The thrill for Isaac to perform at the Hard Rock was something he will not soon forget (nor will his proud family!). We are very excited to be returning this fall.
Pete Bellomo is one of those people that every Mother wants in their children’s life. We first met Pete after an extremely bad experience with another private teacher. He did not have any openings at the time. When I explained how important it was for me to erase what just occurred and start in a positive way, he found a way to work Chase in. This was Chase’s sixth grade year. We continued with Pete until Chase graduated high school. Pete’s relationship with Chase was a gift. Trumpet teacher, mentor and life coach. He inspired Chase at every opportunity, always giving so much more than a trumpet lesson.
Daniel Ayotte and I have played trombone and euphonium together for several years in several local musical organizations. I believe Daniel is a fine teacher and would provide excellent instruction to students at any skill level. Daniel’s understanding of the trombone is superb. Daniel understands that being a teacher requires special skills in relating to students at whatever level and temperament each student possesses. I would highly recommend Daniel Ayotte to teach trombone lessons to any parent who is interested in having his or her child study trombone.
I sang all throughout college but stopped to take on a career in a new field. I found Claire on a reference from someone at an audition- I was wowed by their voice! Since working with Claire, I have sailed past vocal range limitations, found comfort and dependability in my performance capacities and have built a whole new confidence in the solid, grounded training I have received from Claire. I’ve gotten wonderful reviews of shows I have performed in with notes specific about my voice from critics.”
Our daughter Zoe is super excited about Kaleidoscope. As you can imagine life is difficult for a ‘punk rock goth’ in Snoqualmie, but at Kaleidoscope Zoe has found somewhere she fits in.
Jaclyn had an energetic and positive rapport with all of her students and taught a very strong musical theater technique. I was extremely impressed with how she helped every student get their entire body engaged in their singing beginning with warm ups which then translated into their repertoire. Jaclyn did a wonderful job of helping students connect emotionally to their music as well which showed in their top-notch performances.
Along with being a fantastic instructor Jaclyn had great communication with parents and students, and was a very supportive faculty member at our school. We truly wished she could have stayed in New York.
I have studied flute with Launa Rohar for only 5 months, but have learned more under her guidance than from my past 5 teachers and 65 years of playing the flute! At 72 years old, I am playing better than ever before. And even her youngest students have really awesome tone! Launa is a highly skilled performer, but also has an incredible gift to teach and get results! She is worthy of a position at Cornish School of the Arts, yet we can work with her right here in the Kaleidoscope School…we are so lucky to have her!
I have taken violin lessons from Mr. Ho since I was 5 years old. Having worked with Mr. Ho for over 10 years, I can undoubtedly say that his extensive musical knowledge and years of professional experience yet friendly demeanor make him an excellent music teacher, mentor, and friend. Mr. Ho has helped me grow not only as a musician, but as a person. He encourages learning a variety of music styles from different eras, which has really expanded the breadth of my musical understanding, preparing me well for the broad range of music that I now encounter as part of my high school’s orchestras and chamber music groups. While Mr. Ho encourages trying new things, he still gives you the freedom to pursue specific passions that you may want to delve deeper into. In addition, Mr. Ho is clearly dedicated to his work and is always willing to go out of his way to find opportunities for his students to grow. He creates chamber music groups which offer the invaluable experience of musical collaboration, introduced me to the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra, Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra, and the West Seattle Orchestra, and encourages me to challenge myself by entering into music competitions. Throughout all of these endeavors, Mr. Ho has always been eager to help me prepare my pieces appropriately, offering extra lessons whenever necessary. The strong musical foundation I have gained from him has been invaluable; Mr. Ho’s perfectly honed combination of musical knowledge, professionalism, and personable nature is unmatched and difficult to find anywhere else.
Sam is a great drum teacher. Since I am a beginner adult drum student he is a very patient, excellent teacher. He helped me learn some standard beats right away which boosted my confidence. He always combined fun with technique. Highly recommended teacher.
Lessons with Tiger were much more than vocal technique. They were unique, completely fresh and the honesty was a welcome respite
I’m currently studying with Claire at Cornish. After a group class, I reached out for private lessons. She is a wonderful asset to the theater community and I am thankful that I have the opportunity to study with her. With this kind of success under my belt I am looking forward to continuing my training with Claire for years to come
I’ve been meaning to tell you how much I appreciate your dedication to music in such a comprehensive way. We’re so used to sports getting all the energy and attention, so to have a music school that’s as dedicated to kids as the focus on sports is a great thing and I feel very lucky that Jaden gets to benefit. Much gratitude!
Thank you for making me sing and play my songs for an audience at your recitals, for teaching me to play an instrument I can no longer live without, for motivating and encouraging me when I was frustrated, and for being a great example. I wanted to let you know that as of the first of next year, I am a full time musician. I will be leading worship part time at Ventura Bible Church in Ventura CA. I will also be working full time as a singer/songwriter. Never thought I’d be making a living on a Taylor 810CE tuned to drop C#. Keep showing kids the joy of 6 wires stretched too tight over a wood box.
James Howard is the rare combination of a master guitarist who is also a patient teacher. I’ve never taken lessons before and within a short time I’m able to play songs and have progressed farther and faster than I thought possible.
I took drum lessons from Jason for over a year and the thing that sticks out in my mind the most when I think back is his great attitude! I would always get a great big smile at the door and that is huge in my book. He would always make sure to keep me focused by making things fun like incorporating songs that I liked in to our lessons while also making sure I learned the necessary material like learning to read and write music. If I am ever back in the Seattle area I will be sure to set up some more lessons with Jason!
I am an actress at Village Theatre Kidstage who had the opportunity to work with Melissa Fleming while she was a music director this summer. I have to say that I made a more significant improvement with my voice in that one week than I made in years of singing in various musicals. On my first day with Melissa at Village, I was convinced that I didn’t have a strong enough voice to sing anything on the program, but by the 5th day, I was confidently singing a solo. Even now, after the show is done, my cast mates and I still talk about how much we learned from Melissa.
he's great
I had been playing/studying conga drums for over a decade and became hungry for a wider perspective on drumming in regards to musicality, theory, and performance. Jason Edwards was the spot-on teacher I was looking for. He enthusiastically took on the challenge to learn the specific parameters of hand-drumming. Using his breadth of knowledge of the drum set, his creativity, and patient listening, he opened the myriad of rhythmic possibilities of the conga drum. He also helped prioritize my learning by setting appropriate goals, yet challenging my growth through exercises, rudiments, and media resources. Jason provided me with what I wanted and much, much more. Jason is very encouraging, personable, and professional. He loves what he does, and it shows. I recommend him highly!
Brad is an outstanding drum instructor! Our son is making progress weekly and loves coming to his drum practices. Brad keeps his students engaged in class and provides guidance on what needs to be addressed in between the lessons during the week.
Mrs. Pearson has been my violin teacher for the last ten and a half years, and I’ve had a great experience with her. Mrs. Pearson is very nice and always has positive things to say during our lessons. I’ve learned a lot from her and I really like her teaching style. She is very encouraging and is good with kids of all age. I would recommend Mrs. Pearson to any aspiring violin student.
Leah relates well to students of all ages and their parents. She is a responsible and enthusiastic teacher that encourages and motivates her students to improve their skills while sharing her love of music. She is a very talented performer.
Jason has a wonderful teaching style for kids. Fun, engaging and patient – he holds their attention and gets them feeling successful right away with a healthy dose of fun. Would highly recommend him
I highly recommend Park. He is an extremely patient and knowledgeable instructor with a great sense of humor.
We could not be happier with Tiger. Our daughter has said nothing but great things about her and comes home so excited after each lesson! Thank you
Sarah Burwell is a first class violinist whom we first met when she was first violin with the Maple Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra. She has played for many years in the Maple Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra, both as an orchestra violinist and first rate soloist.
A few years ago Park was my instructor in Minnesota. His lessons always contained more information than I expected and always pushed me to not just copy what he played but to think about what I was playing and what I was going to play. Minnesota misses him.
It is gratifying to recommend her to you.
I took lessons from Jason for about 2 years. He helped me jumpstart my love for drums! He was always happy to help me work through any struggles or questions I had about a song, rudiment, or play-along track. Without Jason, I probably wouldn’t be the drummer I am today!
I first started taking lessons from Joe about 10 years ago. I was 16 at the time and wanted to take my playing to the next level. As a beginner I felt nervous playing guitar with someone so talented. Joe was able to break through those feelings and show me that it is a fun process and just takes time and practice. Joe is patient and has a good sense of humor, both of which are important in learning situations. His attitude towards music and life is very refreshing. Over the years we have worked on rock songs, jazz songs, reggae songs, you name it. Acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and bass guitar. Basic fundamentals to advanced theory. Joe can do it all. It still brings a smile to my face when I can ask about a song and he can write it out on the spot even if it’s his first time hearing the track.
Ms. Pearson is a great teacher, it’s as simple as that. She has a way of not only being firm and expect great things from you, which makes sure that you are focused and hardworking, but she is also kind and supportive, helping you succeed and grow as a violin player.
I’m a high school student working on college pre-screens & I am grateful for the ongoing training and time I spend with Claire. She is always prepared, wonderfully organized and ready to support me in my further development as a singer and performer. I know that I would not be experiencing the success I am having without Claire’s help, guidance and care for my development.”
We recently moved to the Seattle area and John Marino has been teaching us both guitar (my husband and son) and piano (me and my son). He is a very personable instructor and we have been very happy working with him. He really works to find pieces that we each are interested in working on and he always has a nice, easygoing attitude. He is knowledgeable about his subjects, and his enthusiasm is infectious. I definitely recommend him as an instructor.
Mr. Howard is wonderful! My 11 year old son just started guitar lessons and he is really learning a lot. He really relates to kids, doesn’t push hard, but does encourage and gives praise. This is the first thing my son actually wants to practice willingly and loves being able to show new songs weekly that he has learned! Mr. Howard knows each kid is different and learns at different rates. We would highly recommend him to anyone looking for a great guitar teacher!
You have a great way of making Kylin feel comfortable and proud to sing her heart out! It’s so fun to watch her develop
Christi is not only a talented producer, pianist and audio engineer, she also serves as a fantastic mentor. As a young woman interested in producing, I look up to Christi immensely because of her diligent work ethic, understanding of creative expression and most of all her patience and constant belief in her students' abilities. With an impressive background in music theory, she truly understands all facets of music and she has the unique ability to effectively communicate those concepts to her students.
My high-school son had big goals this year of competing in a local competition and receiving a score that would help his college resume be more competitive. Thanks to Jason not only did he meet his goal, but he now has more confidence and technique than ever! Jason takes the time to really connect with his students, which made all the difference for my son.
I’m a returning student of Charles’ and after being asked to play at my sister’s wedding I came in for my first lesson in over 14 years. The performance went smashingly! My friend told me he overheard the snooty hipsters in the audience say they really liked “the understated ’50s jazz guitar vibe”. I would’ve never played that way were it not for our hours together way back when. Thanks for helping me develop my style and for guiding me in a creating a unique arrangement.
I had two children who look lessons from Leah Mainard. One was a teenager who took voice lessons for four years. My other was a five-year old who was beginning piano lessons. Leah was always very professional, encouraging to both of my girls, and dedicated to helping them improve. She held mini-recitals with just her students playing for each other and also an end-of-year recital for the students to perform in front of family and friends. Leah has a great love for kids and teaching.
Ms. Rose is light, steadfast and positive; and she has a brimful of ways/tricks to help us have a better practice. I have seen the importance of a teacher to give specific homework charts, which Ms. Rose has always. Her keen sense of focus and detail is contagious, my son is keenly aware. When he rushes, she sorted strategies to help.
She is the brilliant craftswoman of her lessons and extraordinarily creative in finding ways to teach the concepts she is trying to impart. This variety makes her lessons dynamic and the children respond well to these strategies and enjoy them. Above all, Audrey’s lessons are just great fun.
My two young daughters and I, all beginners, started piano lessons with Dr. Peng this summer and the experience has been truly world class. Dr. Peng met us each at our own place and helped us, each at our own pace, progress confidently. Also, my daughters are a bit shy, and I was originally concerned that they may have been too embarrassed to make this work. Dr. Peng’s energy and positivity was a delight for all of us. If you are considering taking piano lessons you would be in a good hands with Dr. Peng.
Kristi taught my daughter piano for five years, beginning when Lauren was 9 years old and concluding at age 14, guiding her from a beginning student to a talented pianist. Kristi’s strength as a instructor was making the learning and study of piano fun and exciting, allowing Lauren to pursue music of her choosing while ensuring that the literature was challenging. I still experience a sense of joy remembering Lauren’s last piano recital, listening to her flawless performance of “Bohemian Rhapsody” and the pride Lauren felt following the performance.
Bob and I just wanted to tell you how much we appreciate all the resources you provide for your students—well-equipped studios, a jam room, a wide choice of teachers and instruments, chord charts, band options, concerts…and the list goes on! The community is really lucky to have Kaleidoscope, and you as its director. THANK YOU!
I was a flutist for about six years before signing up for lessons with Ms. Launa. Most of my education was from being in public school bands and she was the first private teacher I had. Before practicing with her, I felt that my progress with playing was linear, but after it felt exponential! I know that sounds exaggerated, but she approaches fundamentals and technique in a fun and understanble way which really improved my playing. She always gave me the right amount of support and criticism that encouraged me in my flute playing. I would definitely recommend learning from/practicing with her.
Kaleidoscope is a great place. They teach you what ever you need to know. My flute teacher Mrs. Launa is amazing at teaching the flute to me. Im at a high level because of her. She also teaches PennyWhistle.
Charles is one of my favorite people…ever! It’s been 16 years since I took lessons from you. I’m still involved in music heavily – can’t thank you enough for what you taught me, I’m so glad you are still teaching kids about music, it might have been what saved my life in my teen years.
I took voice lessons from Leah Mainard for 4 years. She is kind and not overbearing. She goes at the pace of the student so as not to overwhelm them, but she also challenges the student to branch out from their comfort zone. I highly recommend her.
Leading a choir of such diverse students ranging from 6th to 12th grade is a difficult task that Alexandra handled extremely well. She was able to connect younger and older students by sharing her vast understanding of music with everyone. Alexandra helped me along my journey with the ICS choir, giving me helpful tips to improve my singing technique and always remaining positive, even when working with some difficult students.
It has truly been a blessing and privilege to have Manchung as my daughter’s violin teacher. His method of teaching inspired and unlocked my child’s musical ability. He showed endless support to help her prepare for orchestra auditions, concert performances, recitals, and music competitions. Manchung is such a dedicated, patient, and caring music instructor and individual. He challenged and encouraged my daughter to be her best at all times. He is an incredible teacher and I would absolutely recommend him to any prospective students.
Peter has been giving piano lessons to two of our daughters for about a year now. They are 11 and 15 years old, and have benefited very much from his instruction.
Our 11 year old can be a challenge to work with, but he’s very patient and good-humored with her. He’s able to challenge and encourage her, and she comes away feeling capable and built up (where her tendency is to put herself down and feel defeated).
Our 15 year old seems to have natural ability, which he has encouraged, challenged, and stretched. She is blossoming under his guidance.
He is patient, gentle, and encouraging. He seems to appreciate them individually, and they have the sense that he enjoys teaching them. I highly recommend him.
I am an adult with limited drumming experience throughout my school-age years. I always wanted to learn to be proficient on the drum set. Thanks to the incredibly patient and competent tutelage of Jason, I am experiencing success with every lesson and having a great time!
I like getting bass lessons from Chris because he’s very interactive with his students and the classroom atmosphere is always positive! Each lesson is also personalized to benefit each individual student on their own learning path. He’s also very flexible. 🙂
Joanne is an amazing and talented teacher. She is very patient and teaches very well. My son has been learning from her for close to two years now. He was learning from some other teacher before we we started classes with Joanne. My son has progressed so much under her guidance. Joanne teaches all the techniques very well. Even my friends’ children are learning from her and all of them are liking her. I highly recommend Joanne. Her teaching skill is unique. All the children learning from her will thrive very well.
I have worked with Ryan Lewis individually (private one-on-one lessons) and in a class setting (Jazz Night School). In both settings I have been very pleased with his approach, technique, and personality.
More specifically, Ryan goes about his teaching in a very organized, methodical manner. Nothing is haphazard or without a purpose. He works toward helping the student become a total musician, working on both technique and theory. He utilizes several different tools to help the student reach their goals. Ryan has broad experience with different styles of music. And he has a very warm personality with which students of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds would be comfortable.
We have had the pleasure of working with Adam for over 5 years…He seems genuinely interested in my child and engages with her accordingly. Despite her young age, he teaches her with respect and challenges her each time. He’s willing to adapt to what my child needs to learn and when. We “randomly” found him, and it has proven to be the best accident we’ve ever had!
Mr. Rick has been my violin teacher for a while, even if we have stopped taking private lessons with him i have continued to pursue my passion for the violin. he has been an amazing teacher and somebody who i still look up to, in life with musical passion my life goal is to be a violin player, just like Mr, Rick! I really recommend him if you want your child to start having violin lessons.
For the past four years we have had the pleasure of having Pete Bellomo as a trumpet tutor to our son Phillip. We cannot express how fortunate our son has been to have Mr. Bellomo as his tutor. Under Pete’s guidance, Phillip has grown leaps and bounds in his trumpet playing. He went from someone who could barely blow properly to an accomplished player in the Tyee Middle School band. Not only did Mr. Bellomo make the trumpet lessons fun and entertaining for Phillip, he also exposed him to different genres of music. In particular, now Phillip has an affinity for jazz standards and music by Frank Sinatra!
Rose was an excellent teacher and role model for my daughter. Rose was always organized and prepared, a thoughtful teacher who saw what my daughter could work on with her technique and found ways to motivate and engage her interest. My daughter became a better more confident violinist under Rose’s excellent teaching. We were lucky to have her.
From 1991 to 2011, I served as a naval aviator flying from six different carriers, and I took my classical guitar on every deployment as my anchor to musical sanity. You can get great acoustics in a metal stateroom; however, lessons are hard to come by. I am WAY older than the average student at this school, but about a year ago, I took up electric with Charles McCrone. It is one of the absolute highlights of my week, and I thoroughly enjoy Charles’ expertise and energy. Every lesson is a total blast! Thanks Charles!
I’ve been taking lessons from Joe for over 12 years. He has the ability to uncover and refine the musical talent in someone like myself who is “rhythm challenged”. He encourages when he needs to, disciplines when required, and praises whenever he can. Even if Joe were teaching from a cardboard box, I’d still seek him out to be under his instruction. After 12 years, yes, I can now play out a song and keep it on rhythm (95% of the time, not 100% or I’d not need Joe).
I am writing in regard to the wonderful years when our children, Tom and Allison, were lucky enough to take piano lessons from Kristi. Over a period of three years, Kristi was our wonderfully skilled piano teacher and her enthusiasm for music instilled a great appreciation and love for music in both our kids. She was always attentive to each child’s interests and tried to choose music and lessons which would appeal to them personally. Our son Tom, now in college, is a musician who enjoys playing guitar, writing music and singing and playing in a band. We attribute his positive exposure to music to his piano teacher, Kristi, when he was in 2nd grade!
Ryan is a gifted yet humble music teacher. He has a deep knowledge of music and uses his empathy to tune into where you are as a student. He knows when and how much to challenge, when to scale back, and when to add more variety into the lessons. His thoughtful and personalized approach has made lessons continually interesting and satisfying.
His patience and calm presence has created a safe and encouraging space for my learning.
I often ask a lot of questions and he always takes the time to answer patiently and thoroughly. I often times get frazzled by making mistakes and in the past have frequently become triggered by performance anxiety when playing. Ryan would always offer calm encouraging ways to work not around it, but through it, in a compassionate and nonjudgmental manner.
When I first started out with lessons, I could barely read any sheet music at all and I was strongly reluctant to pursuing that route as I could pick out and play melodies and chords by ear. However, with his encouragement and guidance I can now read and play music that I didn’t think would have been possible. I find it very satisfying now to read when I can! He has gently nudged me when he can sense, even when I’m not able to, that I’m capable of progressing.
His passion and love for teaching music is evident in his responses to progress – in both the small and large successes. For the past year piano lessons with him have been one of the bright lights for me, especially in the midst of the pandemic. I would highly recommend him.
I started taking lessons from Charles in kindergarten. Now I like playing my guitar more than any other activity.
Scott is suuuuuuuuper funny. He makes learning fun.
She has a wonderful sense of humor that keeps the tone of the lessons light and stress-free. She even writes notes to the kids in their books that keep them smiling and laughing all week.
Reid possesses all the attributes of a professional musician. He is focused, disciplined, precise, and an expert at his craft. He is exceptional! I can state it that simply!
Reid Wolch possesses several outstanding characteristics that make him successful. First and foremost, he is deeply passionate about every aspect of musical performance be it piano, singing, trombone, or French horn. When it comes to all things music he is detailed and committed to his art.
Reid is a thinker: he can be serious or comically witty. He views the world through positive thoughts and always has something good to say about others. He thinks about others’ point of view and is perceptively aware of their feelings. He intuitively reaches out to them talking to them on their level never elevating himself by talking above another person. His deep compassion is reflected in the music he performs.
To be honest, I didn’t know how long my daughter would learn violin when she started first lesson at just a little over 4 years old at Mr. Ho’s music studio. Now, she is 16 years old and still learning from him and interested in violin.
There were times that she got frustrated and challenged. Each time, Mr. Ho encouraged her by trying hard with patience and helped her to get over it with great passion and attention to teach.
There were times that it was hard for me to support her lessons due to financial pressure. Mr. Ho understood and helped us to continue learning instead of stopping in many other ways.
Without him, I don’t think she would be learning an instrument this long. It made her a more gritty person and a person who doesn’t get scared of challenges. Currently she is a leader of sophomore at her high school, a lead for her school orchestra and leading poetry club . She got into All-State orchestra in 2021.
Last but not the least, she has been participating in fundraising by playing music which Mr. Ho initiated and learning how great it is to share love of music.
I believe a great teacher is not by technical greatness but by great passion for students and teaching. Mr. Ho has that!!
Soojeong Williams (Rae Williams’ mother)
I honestly owe everything good in my life to Kaleidoscope and Charles. He taught be how to play guitar when I was 10 years old which got me to start writing and now he records and produces them and has helped my create my first album. He put me in a band in 5th grade, giving me a chance even though i was technically too young for the program. And then we all became so close and I realized I was standing next to the love of my life and my legal best friend for so many years and just didn’t see it until our New York trip and now we’re all so close and it’s so sad it’s gonna be over.
I live in Bothell and have been taking cello lessons from Alex for about six months now. Alex is not only a highly skilled cellist but also an excellent teacher. He gives clear and focused instructions that have helped my skills tremendously in a relatively short period of time. Alex is a very patient and sympathetic teacher and he understands what instructions will help me the best. He is always friendly and professional. His combination of knowledge and teaching ability makes him one of the best instructors I have had.
Joe Polito has taught both my children guitar. He is not only kind, patient, and fun, he can teach to both of their learning styles, which are so completely different! It is also wonderful how he can teach them theory through music that they want to learn to play. We are very lucky that a friend referred us. Her 3 children all grew up learning guitar with Joe!
Melissa Fleming has been my nine year old daughter’s piano teacher for just under 6 months now. I was concerned about my energetic daughter actually sitting through the lessons and practicing daily. But, Melissa made it fun for her and nurtured and grew her love for music into a talent for playing piano. My daughter looks forward to her weekly lessons and enthusiastically practices daily. She’s already able to read music and can pick up new sheet music and play it on her own. I’m so glad we found Melissa!
-Lisa
We can’t say enough about our daughters violin teacher Bill Panks. His teaching style is engaging and each lesson is well organized and builds a strong foundation for learning the instrument and cultivating a life long passion for the music.
I’ve known Rick for many years. He was my daughter’s viola teacher and sold us her first Viola! He is so knowledgeable and patient with her as she suffered thru anxiety all her pre-teen and teen years. He is very in tune with the kiddos. He is dependable and goes above and beyond for the kids. Because of all this, it inspired my daughter to pursue a degree in teaching and helping kids learn. She is now a ISD teacher and she even taught music yesterday at Discovery Elementary!
Sofia has been taking voice lessons with Haley for a year now. Haley is a wonderful teacher and person. She always greets you with a smile. Her nurturing and positive approach creates safe environment for her students to let their guard down and reach their full potential.
My daughter started the drums less than a year ago at Kaleidoscope School of Music. This program has provided her so much joy between lessons with Sam and participating in the Rock program that Charles leads. We look forward to our youngest daughter beginning guitar lessons at Kaleidoscope this fall. I can’t say enough about the school and the confidence I’ve seen build with in my daughter as she progresses through the program
My wife and I feel Justin was a great all around teacher for our daughter Christina. Emily and I were thoroughly pleased with how he would consistently go above and beyond normal expectations of a private teacher. Christina is a very shy girl and undoubtedly a harsh personal critic. To our surprise after a few lessons Christina’s confidence was noticeably stronger. Justin really does go above and beyond as a teacher and seems to do so with genuine happiness and care.
I wanted to share with you what an amazing program you are running and how valuable it was for Whitney (and us) at a time when she needed it the most. While, like most parents, I wasn’t initially thrilled with the idea that my daughter wanted to take up drums (still not sure of it) this came at a time in her life when she didn’t really have anyone or anything else to connect with. Your program helped her learn about how to work with a team (the band) and how they would depend on her and vice versa. After going through your program, her confidence in herself is so much stronger – her ability to navigate things is so much better – and her musical talent just keeps improving.
Your program was the best experience we have had as a family. Everything from helping boost her confidence and skills, to watching her perform on the big stage. I have no musical talent and was so impressed with how well she performed.
My way of saying thanks! We really appreciate what you have done for our family.
Regards,
Bill Russell (Dad of Whitney)
Andrew Long is punctual and professional. He makes lessons fun as well. He is knowledgeable and an excellent communicator. I definitely recommend him to anybody out there who would like to learn guitar.
My son enjoys his lessons with Audrey. Her instruction has inspired his continued love of the piano. We appreciate that Audrey adapts her lessons to appeal to our son’s interests and tastes. She breaks down each piece so that he can find success on a weekly basis.
In her tutoring work with Nicole, Ms. Burwell has been thoroughly professional and absolutely reliable.
Our teenage son learns in different ways due to autism. Brad immediately responded to the challenge with alternative teaching methods (relying less on verbal instruction and more on a “teach by demonstration” approach. Our son thrives with this method and over 2 and a half years has learned more about drumming than we’d have thought possible. Brad is patient and thoughtful and we are grateful to have him as a teacher.
Our son Gage, age 8, began his lessons with Joe 3 years ago and the experience has been fulfilling not only for Gage but myself as a parent as well. Joe, besides being a talented and performing musician, possesses an important quality that all teachers must have – patience. Many of the stores offering lessons on the Eastside would not consider Gage at age 5 to begin his lessons but Joe was very enthusiastic about working with Gage. 30 minute lessons went by quickly with Joe using a variety of strategies to keep Gage engaged in learning not only how to play guitar but also mixing in theory, stories, exposure to a variety of playing styles and the occasional banjo lesson
Kristi taught my two children piano for several years, since they were 5 and 7 respectively and it was a wonderful experience. Kristi is very personable, patient and a good listener. She knows how to work with children and how to keep them interested and motivated and most important, how to make learning piano fun and rewarding for them. We always looked forward to lessons and the kids were always anxious to please her and do their best. I appreciated the way Kristi would check in with them frequently to make sure they were enjoying the songs they were working on and kept in mind the sibling dynamics, looking for ways to keep their playing non-competitive. That, to me, showed Kristi understands children and how they think. This was especially helpful to my son who is 2 years older and expects to be better at everything than his sister.
Kristi was also very flexible and sensitive to our changing needs, be they due to schedule or the children’s changing interests. She encouraged and supported creativity (my daughter loves to compose her own pieces) while making sure the fundamentals were being taught.
Tom is very skilled in many types of music…he is easy to work with and I am able to get the information I need to help me in the moment while still building my foundations for the future.
I am a professionally-trained classical pianist, and can tell you that Scott is excellent, both as a teacher and musician. He has helped me get over my fear of jazz improvisation, and I’m having the most fun I’ve ever had with music. He has also helped me learn how to sing, since he is proficient in many different instruments and styles. I would highly recommend him to students of all ages and interests!
Max has been studying cello with Alex for almost a year, and I cannot be more excited about his progress. Max’s middle school conductor has noticed vast improvements in his form and technique since working with Alex. Alex’s devotion to music is contagious and he has cultivated in Max a true respect for the instrument and the music process. Max has attended almost every local symphony (and some not-so-local!) He has learned to appreciate music in a deeper way and yearns to expose himself to live cello performances regularly. Alex and Max had an immediate rapport, and as a parent, I am delighted that my son can spend time with this professional, talented young man each week. Max looks forward to his lessons as the highlight of his week.
Our family has been working with Chris for 2.5 years; the kids started when they were 4 and 5. Chris has been incredibly patient teaching our kids from a young age and always finds fun ways to keep them engaged. We’ve continued to work with him over the past few years and love watching our kids’ confidence with their instruments and love of music grow. Chris has also been flexible when our kids have wanted to explore learning another instrument in his studio. Chris is an all-around great teacher with an excellent understanding of his profession.
Chris goes above and beyond in his music instruction. He tailors learning to his students and is so warm and welcoming!
(Parent of 5 Year-Old Piano Student)
Brian Reding has been our teenager’s teacher for the past 3 years. We have been beyond pleased! Not only is Brian an accomplished musician & teacher, he is patient and kind and has an exceptional way of communicating with the students. Our kid has received voice and piano lessons from Brian both at Kaleidoscope and at Brian’s recording studio, and our kid loves going to the studio to record some of the songs that they have worked on. Brian is a great teacher!
Ryan Lewis was a great teacher for me. He is always able to match my energy towards music while sharing several interests with me as well. Never too serious but able to keep a professional atmosphere in order to learn. He is very down to earth and able to relate things to you in a personal way. He helped me through my entire music college search process while still managing to give me more material to work on and listen to. There was never a moment that I felt he wasn’t pushing me to do my best, but he always knows when to pull it back or crack a joke if needed. Great musician, even better mentor
Sonia’s piano teaching is a gift to any student who is blessed to be in her presence. She emanates care, warmth, and joy of the music. My son tells of having excitement to attend lessons, and I am appreciative of the way Sonia tailored her lesson plan specifically for his interests and learning style. Fun and connection prioritized over any learning speed or achievement. We are deeply grateful for Sonia.
I love working with Scott because he is very fun to be with, and I learn a lot of stuff from him! If you want a good piano teacher then ask Scott
I have been taking lessons from Sonia Vargas for almost 6 years. I started with piano lessons as an adult. I had always wanted to learn how to play and I knew that Sonia’s style would be a perfect fit for an adult student. Sonia is a fantastic teacher, and I have learned so much from her. With her, not only are you learning how to play the piano, but you’re also learning, appreciating, and experiencing the musical creativity inside of you. She has an amazing breadth of music knowledge and an ability to explain and illustrate concepts clearly. She is also very patient when I just can’t seem to “get it” right away. She cares and wants you as a musician and as a student to succeed. I have learned so much from her and I am truly grateful for all of the time and effort she has spent on making me into a better musician, artist, and person.
Ms. Burwell not only is an excellent orchestra violinist, very experienced in orchestra ensemble performance with broad knowledge of that repertoire, but she is a very fine string pedagogue. Ms. Burwell has been a violin teacher and mentor to my older daughter, Alexandra Nicole for more than 2 years. Most of Nicole’s progress in the art of violin playing is to be attributed to Ms. Burwell’s tutoring ways and methods.
Brad is the rare music teacher who is both a great player and a great teacher. Normally you get one of those, if you are lucky! I’ve been taking lessons with him for the past 5 months and have learned so much in that time. Would recommend Brad over any teacher in the area!
Park taught my daughter ukulele at Yinghua Academy. He was very patient with her and taught her all the basics of the instrument. She really enjoyed it and it gave her a lot of confidence in music.
After she studied ukulele with him we went to China on vacation and she tried a guzheng lesson. This is a traditional Chinese harp like instrument. Because of her experience with Park she learned this instrument very quickly; and luckily we were able to find an instructor when she returned. She is now extremely accomplished on this instrument, and in fact has been invited to perform around the world including in China!
What else can I say? Park got her on her way, how many stories do you hear like that?
Christi owns a music production studio out in West Seattle, and I’ve been doing some session work for her in the past month. She is very professional and highly knowledgeable about music. She does a lot of commercial composition work and record production. She has a real love for music, she is responsible and hard working, and friendly. All traits that seem to be in short supply in the Seattle music scene!
I’ve been taking 1 hour lessons for a couple of months now. Was at a beginner level when we started and I’ve drastically improved in both theory and technique. So far we’ve mainly focused on jazz, but he’s definitely comfortable in other genres, especially Latin. Would highly recommend!
I have studied violin with Ricardo Flores for about half a year now. I’m 53, so probably one of his oldest students.
I’ve had three other teachers before, and I must say that in the time I have been taking private lessons with Rick, my playing has improved at a much greater pace than it has with any of my previous teachers. As a teacher myself (I teach Art and Design at Woodinville high school), I know how tricky it is to not overwhelm students with too much information, and getting them to focus on what is necessary to their development right now.
Rick has been great at figuring out exactly where I am at with my playing, what technical issues I need to focus on,
and what pieces specifically will address that. He’s incredibly patient with me as I fumble through it, and is amazingly sharp at spotting the tiny little bad habits of technique it’s so easy
to fall into with the violin. In short, he’s a great violin teacher, and I have found my lessons with him to be most rewarding.
As a shy person who has trouble coming out of my shell, I was happy to work with Leah because of her warm and friendly personality.
As a result of lessons, I’ve become more confident in sharing my voice, and have thus gotten to know it more. This was essential in order to get behind the technical issues I’ve had with singing.
I took lessons with Leah for only a short time before I moved from Issaquah, but the valuable experience has me well-prepared to work with future voice coaches, and to sing loud and proud!
Cherlyn’s visit to Newcastle Elementary was terrific. Mainly because of her great presentation, our elementary school has the highest enrollment in 5th grade orchestra of all of the feeder schools into Liberty. I have 4th graders lining up to join next year
I enjoy getting guitar lessons from Chris Hill because he is always well prepared and readily adapts his lessons to suit my needs and pace of learning. Most importantly, Chris really cares about his students, showing interest in their lives beyond just their guitar playing.
Jason Jackowich is teaching my six-year old daughter Cadence drum lessons, and I wanted to provide a testimonial about him and his teaching. Jason is a terrific teacher: adaptable, endlessly patient with my six-year old, and clever about finding new ways to engage her in his teaching (such as using her favorite songs in his lessons). I’ve seen her sense of rhythm improve greatly over the course of the lessons thus far, and she’s excited whenever she hears that we’re going to have another lesson with Jason. I’m also impressed with Jason’s dependability and reliability; he follows through, which hasn’t always been the case with our music teachers.
I’ve been a student of Brad’s for about two years, and I’ve always enjoyed both Brad and the way he teaches. Brad is very nice and energetic, always in a good mood and he’s very funny. I love my drum lessons with Brad because he’s so fun! I’ve learned so much from him in the past two years–I am able to roll, play a steady beat throughout entire songs, and to switch beats quickly without stopping. I was chosen to be the drummer in the middle school band over other drummers because of these skills Brad helped me achieve. Now, whenever I hear a song I like, I try to figure out the drum beats and thanks to Brad, I can! Brad is a great drummer and a great teacher. I’m really lucky to have him as my drum teacher. Thanks, Brad, you’re boss!
Park has a deep understanding of his clients skill level and adapts as accordingly. He often makes his instructions relatable to a common interest and has great patience! An excellent instructor that I highly recommend!
Charles lets us bring what we want to learn, but he also teaches what we need to know, like showing me the blues scale by playing Black Flag.
It is my pleasure to recommend Joanne Corr as a music instructor. Joanne had taught my youngest son clarinet for over 2 years and she continues to teach piano lessons for my oldest for over 1 year.
It is clear that Joanne has a passion for music and for teaching. She consistently strives to find music that my children are interested in and goes out of her way to find the songs they would like to pursue. She is patient and encouraging as well as very attentive and a good communicator, which is something I greatly value. My son truly enjoys his lessons with Joanne and we highly recommend her.
Two members of the Cold Cold Ground, Zan Ferguson and Ben Applegate, are alumni of Charles McCrone’s guitar program: www.facebook.com/pages/The-Cold-Cold-Ground/106102636524
My son and daughter have been taking piano lessons with Dr. Peng for one year and half. Before that, they have been learning the basics from another teacher, who recommended Dr. Peng to them for teaching higher-level skills. We have to say it has been a great move for the kids. Dr. Peng is very knowledged with piano, and has been very responsible and patient in her teaching. She pays great attention to both the emotion and details of the kids when teaching. Now, both of my son and daughter become more confident and passionate with piano playing. Glad to see all the great progress they have made.
Adam is a wonderful teacher. He is knowledgeable, enthusiastic, patient and kind. I love taking lessons with him because he has such a passion for music, and he really wants his students to succeed. I would happily recommend him to anyone.”
We absolutely loved having Jaclyn work at our Studio! She’s incredibly warm and caring with the students, and was so invested in their growth and progress. We really loved her style of teaching and the methods she was using as well. Can’t recommend her more highly!
Rose has been my 8 year old son’s amazing Suzuki violin teacher for the past 2 years.
Rose is the perfect combination of calm, patient, exacting, conscientious and warm. She is super organized with loads of practice materials and weekly synopses that are thorough and incredibly helpful. The practice book she makes each student is something we will be referring to for years to come.
Rose balances the Suzuki material with scales, sight reading, technical games, and also worked a tiny bit on my son’s requested songs. She taught him how to practice, to find little spots first to perfect before adding them into the whole. She focused with him on really listening to himself as he plays and on the musicality, storytelling and tone. She added challenges when possible (lots of 3rd position in book 3).
Rose has been an amazing teacher for my son.
Nick gave trumpet lessons to 2 of my children for over 2 years. For the last year he also worked with all three of my children in a trio lesson, two trumpet and a Euphonium. He modified the music so that they could all work together. Nick is a knowledgeable, energetic, and fun teacher. His approach to lessons not only improved their technical understanding and skills, but also kept them excited about playing trumpet, even in a virtual environment.
After your guitar recital, my kids are deliriously proud of themselves; their smiles just light up the room tonight. Will was going to ad lib tonight when introducing himself; he wanted to do a monologue on how much he loves having you as a teacher, how much he loves coming to guitar lessons, and thanking you for teaching him to play this song. You are worth every penny I pay you, and then some. My kids adore you. Their Mom thinks you’re pretty cool too.
Adam is the kind of teacher that will find the particular route into a love of music that resonates with your kid. When it was clear that our kid loved jazz, Adam made sure that all of his teaching and material was about what our kid was most interested in, constantly making the lessons engaging and joyful. Adam’s enthusiasm is infectious he builds confidence in his students through positive reinforcement while also encouraging students to take on challenging material. And lastly, he’s an incredible performer himself, providing a beacon for his students to aspire to.
I wanted to thank you for being such a great role model for me throughout the years. You were an adult I could always look up to when I was having trouble at home and you were really inspiring with how much you loved music and how much you loved to teach it. The prompt for my college essay was write about an experience you’ve had that has changed your life. So, of course I wrote about music. P.S. I’m gonna miss hiding your phone in the room and calling it later
I am pleased to recommend Bill Panks as a music teacher. Bill has been with our non-profit organization for a few years now. I have watched his teaching style grow through one on one lessons, to now small group lessons and guiding other teachers how to teach all the string instruments. He is always responsible and shows respect to everyone even in the most challenging situations that may pop up during an elementary school after-school program
My son was frustrated with his violin playing 14 months ago and was considering quitting, even though he loved playing with his friends at the MVYSO. My wife and I convinced him to try a new teacher, and received several recommendations for Sarah Burwell. The change was immediate – Within a month we noticed he was playing with more confidence and better tone, and with the additional confidence came the ability to play with emotion. She is also patient with our son when his attention wanders during lessons. We highly recommend Sarah.
My 5-year-old daughter Emily has learned the piano with Dr.Peng for a couple of years, and she enjoyed the lessons. Dr.Peng is very good at making the lessons very interesting for Emily to learn and encourage her to perform. I will recommend her to anyone who wants to learn piano.
I was a student of his for several years when he lived and worked in the Minneapolis area. Not only is he an accomplished and talented musician, he possesses the pedagogical skills that one needs to be a good teacher. I feel I know this because I was a teacher of children and adults for over 37 years. Park knows and understands good teaching strategies and applied them when I was having difficulty with a particular lesson. He understands that no two people are alike and teaching an adult is far different than teacher a younger student. Park kept the lessons interesting and geared them toward my likes in music without compromising teaching the basic skills one must learn to be an accomplished guitar player, both in classical and modern music.
One of Park’s finest qualities is his patience. He is, by far, one of the kindest teachers I’ve ever met.
I like getting lessons from Chris because he is very patient and will help you understand how to nail a part down, or how to nail a technique. The material being taught is great, too, as he has matched the material with how my skill has progressed over time. Chris is an incredible teacher and it’s clear he is truly passionate for all things music.
I have worked with Reid Wolch for about 2 1/2 years, ever since he became our accompanist at Welcome Table Church.
Reid is an outstanding accompanist. He brings so much joy with his wide-ranging repertoire–everything from Bach to Scott Joplin to Stevie Wonder. Folks sit through the postlude every Sunday because we enjoy listening to him so much!
Reid has also helped direct our small choir, and offers great guidance on how the singers can enhance the music. He’s also very comfortable singing a solo or duet while playing.
He always comes prepared, but is also flexible enough for spontaneous changes to the program. He works easily with a variety of age groups and personalities. I can’t say enough good things about Reid! He is a dream to work with.
I've never met a more consistently hard-working and intelligent person in my life, and I mean that. This man has a passion for music and shreds the guitar like no other. Just seeing Charles solo gives me the chills. He's truly dedicated to his art and is just a wonderful person in general. Rock on, Chuck.
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