Your Top-18 list of music shops in Monrovia

The best place anyone in Los Angeles could go for music lessons. I started music lessons at 8 years old with Tula, and have known Max and their musically amazing family going on 16 years. While I didn’t end up continuing my violin lessons for too long (I was a kid and didn’t like practicing at home) I have continued to admire and appreciate Max and Tula’s involvement in their community, as well as their dedication to teaching kids AND adults how to play the instruments they’ve dreamed of playing. I’ve always dreamed of returning to the violin, and the only person I could ever want to teach me had to be Tula. I’m happy to be chipping away at my favorite instrument again, and SO happy that Max Lee Music the place I get to learn from. Much love to this place and the incredible family behind it!!

Nice service helpful every thing is there when I need stuff

I client friend Kela turned me on to a Monrovia park concert, which I loved to death, I think Heaven!! SO SO AMAZING!!!!

Top notch teachers, great instruments, clean facilities, flexible make up schedule, close to home.

We can’t say enough nice things about MMA! The teachers and front office staff are very kind and always available to answer questions. I love that they offer a free trial lesson. They have 2 recitals a year and the format is great, you can really see how supportive the teachers are of all their students at the recital. We love MMA!

My kids have been taking music lessons at the Pasadena Music Academy for years now (it’s run by the same great people that run Monrovia Music Academy). At first I was just looking for a good preschool music option for my autistic son, and found it in their My Little Star program. The instructor had ample training and experience with special needs kids and it was a perfect fit. All the little kids bonded a lot and learned so much about music. They were his first friends. My son has continued to learn so much about world music from that program and has progressed to reading music and playing piano! Their preschool and early elementary level curriculum is so excellent and age appropriate.
When my daughter started piano lessons, she was actually going through some things and struggling in math. I don’t think it’s any coincidence that her math scores and grades improved dramatically after she had piano lessons a while. Music is math and it helps the brain build connections.
She got to do a band too for a while and this was a lot of fun. They performed on stage in an awesome show that PMA held in a theater in Pasadena. It was so professional. Such great memories. I highly recommend both the group/band program and the individual lessons. You learn so much more being in a group.
When I went through a painful personal time and was struggling financially, PMA made sure my kids could continue their lessons until I could get back on my feet.
And when the pandemic forced PMA to close their doors, they adapted quickly and fully to all the new demands of online instruction.
This music school has really seen us through a lot and given us all the gifts that instruction in music gives. So look no further and ask them for a trial lesson!!

Simply the region’s expert in church organs. His expertise and commitment are unmistakable and I highly recommend Nelson Dodge and the Church Keyboard Center.

Wonderful, patient instructors.

the best music school

The Joe Ferrante Music Academy is a wonderful place to learn to sing or play an instrument. The academy has a number of teachers that teach a wide range of instruments to a wide range of talent levels. My kids have had a wonderful time learning to sing, play the violin, and play the piano, in addition to learning about music in general. The teachers are very patient with young children and have taken a genuine interest in them. Maybe the best thing about The Ferrante Academy it allows its students to showcase their talents with recitals and performances four to five times a year. I highly recommend the Joe Ferrante Music Academy!

Hard to find parking

The piano shoppe is awesome! George knows more about pianos than anybody in LA. He is literally the best! We just bought a Steinway from him and couldn’t be happier.

Also whoever wrote that the number is wrong- it’s not wrong. Go get your eyes checked buddy 🙂

Wrong phone number please update your contact information.

We love Mr. Lee’s service.

I needed an impromptu violin repair and Lulu was extremely kind and accommodating. After overtightening and snapping my A string I needed to get it fixed same-day so that my son could start his lessons on time, and even though the store had other repairs scheduled that day, she was able to fix it in less than an hour. Excellent service, very fair price, and total professionalism throughout. I highly recommend Lee’s Music for servicing your instrument. Thank you again Lulu!

I purchased a beginner flute for my daughter for under $100! I will definitely come back here to upgrade her flute as she gets better. The staff are friendly. This is a small, but friendly music store.

As a music store, it is average. They have a variety of instruments, classical and contemporary. They have some parts and supplies. If you are looking for top quality or grade instruments, you should look elsewhere. However, where Lee’s Music shines is in other services. They have a pretty good selection of music books for students of a variety of instruments. They help coordinate and host a number of music instructors who provide lessons in the rooms behind the main building. And they are also able to help work out instrument repairs if needed.

Ms. Lee is a great piano teacher. She’s very patient with my two daughters.

Great place to get music supplies

My review is based mostly on my customer service experience. I went in and told the young lady behind the desk that I was looking to rent a cello for lessons. She asked what size and I told her I did not know, that this was all new to me but it would be for me (an adult). She then told me the cost. I asked if I could hear the different cellos. In reading up on renting a cello, one article recommended that you hear the cello so that you could judge by the sound which one you prefer. It also indicated that the cost and quality of the cello is often reflected in the sound. The young lady looked at me as if I was crazy and asked what I meant by could I hear them. I explained to her that I wanted to judge the sound of the different cellos and she told me that for student cellos there is just one. I then asked her if the rental came with the bow and rosin and if there was anything else I would need. She then told me the rental came with the bow but she didn’t know what else I needed because she didn’t play. Hmmm…. not really helpful I thought. So I again leaned on the information I had read up on and asked to purchase the rosin and a beginners book. The young lady went and got the cello and book. I then asked her if the instrument would be tuned or if that was extra. She looked a little surprised and then told me it would be tuned. Then she proceeded to turn the knobs on the cello and pick at the strings. I thought to myself, just two seconds ago you told me you don’t know anything about the cello, you don’t play and don’t know what i need to begin lessons but now I’m supposed to trust you are tuning the instrument? She then handed it back to me and said, “it’s tuned”. We filled out the paperwork and she ran my card. I repeatedly looked her in the face and smiled, first because it is polite, second because I am depending on her for assistance and third, I was hoping to evoke some professional courtesy from here. It didn’t work. She handed me my rental agreement and looked back down at what she was doing. There was no attempt to educate me or provide me with any helpful information in any way. Most specialty services will offer a little bit of advice or recommendations when assisting a first time shopper or novice in the field the service is being offered. Not here. Not the warmest or most customer friendly experience. Hopefully, my lessons (which will be taken elsewhere) will be more enjoyable.

Rude! I went to buy a book for violin and they yelled at me and my sister because my sister just told her the total of money she was giving them. NEVER GO THERE!!!!!

Beautifully performed music from the Golden Years…truly nostalgic and unforgettable.

My kids have been taking music lessons here for a few years now, my daughter takes piano lessons and my son take guitars lessons. They both love it and enjoy playing, the instructors are kind and great non-pressured environment.
I would recommend it highly, they are flexible to different instructors because every child is different to who they are compatible with.

Wonderful teachers with accommodating schedules and excellent individual instruction. The staff is welcoming and polite. My daughters are quite happy with their teachers and enjoy learning about music as a result. Quite pleased we found Neighborhood Music School!

A wonderful local music shop that has it all! I found them after coming across their YouTube channel and was impressed with how much more they do than just teach music. They put on a ton of performances and recitals in the community and even have their own student rock band! Passionate people, you can tell they love what they do. Great place to get music supplies and they have Mandarin lessons too!

I recently signed my daughter up for violin lessons with an instructor at Neighborhood Music School in August. Upon signing her up, I filled out all of the requisite paperwork and was given the name of an instructor who would be responsible for teaching my daughter. I did not get to meet the instructor that day, which was not a problem. The following day, I went back in to confirm the name of the instructor and get his contact information so that I could book my daughter’s first lesson. The staff had a difficult time locating my paperwork so that the registration fee and lesson fee could be paid for (which was inconvenient, but not a major problem). The staff member was able to locate my paperwork and then schedule my daughter for a lesson. That week I was contacted by the instructor, Albert Romero. He confirmed our appointment for Sunday, September 2nd at 1:00 p.m. On Sunday, Mr. Romero canceled my daughter’s lesson at 9:40 a.m. via text message stating that he needed to cancel the lesson due to the Labor Day holiday. I responded and informed him that I needed at least a twenty-four hour notice from him if a lesson needed to be canceled to accommodate my schedule. I also asked him when we could reschedule my daughter’s first lesson. Mr. Romero did not respond to that message until today (I do not recall him contacting me since our exchange on Sunday, September, 2nd). Mr. Romero informed me today that he would no longer be teaching for Neighborhood Music School and that I should look into possibly retaining another instructor for my daughter. I informed Mr. Romero that I had canceled my daughter’s lessons with Neighborhood Music School. I also let him know that in the future it would behoove him to keep in better contact with his clients. He responded by saying he did not need my advice and thank you. I responded in return by telling him that due to his erratic communication pattern, he actually did need my advice. His next text said, “I hope you find what you are looking for.” I texted him back and told him I hope he treats his clients better in the future. As I mentioned before, I went and canceled my daughter’s lesson with Neighborhood Music School this past week before my unfortunate exchange with Mr. Romero. I do not know the name of the gentleman who assisted me with the cancellation of my daughter’s lessons, but both times I had dealings with him, he was very pleasant and did his utmost to make my experiences positive. During the cancellation process, he sincerely apologized for Mr. Romero’s erratic and irresponsible behavior, and offered me the opportunity to look into another instructor for my daughter. I declined his offer (because Mr. Romero’s behavior did not particularly reflect well on this business, so I will look elsewhere). He immediately refunded my payments for the registration and lesson fees and e-mailed me a receipt of the transaction with an additional apology. He apologized for the inconvenience and Mr. Romero’s behavior once again before I left the store and thanked me for my business. While I was not pleased with the overall result of my experience at Neighborhood Music School, I was very appreciative of the service that I received from this gentleman. He was very professional and concerned about my experience and did his best rectify the situation. I do not want this review to unnecessarily sour anyone’s opinion of this establishment. Up until I had to deal with Mr. Romero’s casual attitude about cancelling my daughter’s lesson and then not contacting me until several days later, my experiences here were very routine and pleasant. I would hope in the future that Neighborhood Music School will be a little more proactive in the way they monitor how reliable their instructors are and how serious they are in meeting the needs of their clientele.

Great prices, great service, great atmosphere; everything you could ask for in a record shop. It’s an amazing source of all things music.

this app is great

Sad to see it go, it’s closed