Exclusive selection: The top 20 music shops of Newark

My son started Newark Music Makers with Ms. Liz when he was just three months, and I now credit his interest in music and dancing to her and her program. The musical program is specifically suited to kids of all ages, even the littlest ones, and it provided my son with great enrichment for future learning. Whether the kids are singing, dancing, clapping or keeping a beat, everyone is having fun and learning something about the importance of music and the arts. We continue the lessons he learned in class at home, and it has made a difference in his development. Thanks Ms. Liz!!

We attended Newark Music Makers with Miss Liz for a year, and will be going back once my baby’s nap time moves a little later. For a while, my oldest daughter had very little interest in singing or dancing. Now she loves to sing and dance, and asks me to sing to her and then chimes in and sings along. The music class introduced her to basic instruments and rhythms as well. I find the class to be pleasurable, engaging, and interesting, and look forward to it every week. Miss Liz has given me many great ideas on how to incorporate music and movement into our every day activities.

My child & I have been attending classes at Newark Music Makers since 9 months of age. Two years later my child still loves the class. Ms. Liz is great, she really understands how to present musical concepts in an age-appropriate manner.Not only does it foster an appreciation for music but it is also a great opportunity to work on social skills as well. In addition, from a parent’s practical stand point it seems like a reasonable price.

Excellent selection, when I can find it ….I go to Wonderland …staff is the best and knowledgeable…Thank God for Wonderland …Thanks You Guys

The best records store ever! Love going there and hanging out. The owner is the best!

Just call me Alice.

Lots of old albums to choose from.

Decent selection of used. Not a bad selection of new and modern.

This place is a landmark and has a good selection of used and new music. Dimitri is the man. Great conversations and service.

I’m prefacing this by saying the people there seemed really nice but – the record selection is abysmal and it kind of looks like a bomb went off in there. I assume they sold more in the past and specialize in just glass nowadays but if they cleaned up their record selection and updated their back catalog, I could see things changing. They should also try advertising their recording studio.

While I was there, the person behind the counter didn’t even aknowldge my existence.

This review is strictly for the recording studio, not the storefront.

The owner assured me he has experience with mixing and mastering and has had many artists come into his store to record. Taking his word on good faith, I followed suit.

The entire time he was trying to figure out his system while we were recording and it was clear he had no idea what he was doing. He also claimed that he was very good in particular at recording the drums, but used only 2 SM57 overhead mic’s to do the job.

The recordings not only sounded amateur and disorganized, but it took weeks to finish. Not only that but I had to assist him throughout the entire process. I would NEVER go to him for recording again.

Rainbow is my go-to local music store. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable. I wanted to get my boyfriend some new music to check out for Christmas last year, but I wasn’t sure what to get. I spoke with Todd about his likes and dislikes, and he recommended three records. My boyfriend loved all three. That kind of service and experience is rare, and one of the many reasons why they continue to get my business!

Great record shop

What a treat,couldn’t remember the last time I was in a place that made me feel 18again,a treat if your into music and vinyl,must see

Awesome little hole in the wall record store that caters to college students!

Great selection of used CDs and vinyl.

Owners are extremely friendly and welcoming. Will go above and beyond for the customers. Supportive of local artists, record stores in the area, etc.

I was passing through town and decided to stop in and see what the store had, having heard great things about the selection. Asked about a few titles specifically, and the owner was very terse. “We don’t have that” he said. When asked if there was anywhere else in town that might have it, he claimed they were the only record store in town. A quick google search proved that this was not the case, and despite the guy claiming that they were terrible, Wonderland Records had the titles in question, AND they were amazingly friendly and helpful!

Probably won’t shop here again. A staff member who I believe is the owner was pretty unhelpful and borderline rude. Made me feel brushed off and unwelcome. There are better record stores in the area so I would recommend saving your time and just skipping this shop.

Not pleased with service or stock,

Rad vibe

As an avid listener of world music, this place is a goldmine. So many well-known treasures in stock, and even more hidden gems to stumble upon. 10/10, will come back

IGR is definitely one of the coolest shops around. As their name states, they specialize in international music and take getting you into something new and unique very seriously. Todd is super knowledgable and will help you find something you’ll love. Whether you’re new to record collecting or have been an avid collector for years, this is a must hit spot.

I am so thrilled and delighted with my recent flute repair by Mike Hammer. I have a 1987 Muramatsu professional flute, that now looks and plays like a brand new instrument thanks to Mike’s excellent handiwork. He has a vast array of precision tools which enable him to be attentive to every detail. I also appreciate the time he spent in instructing me in proper care of the instrument to preserve its condition. Many thanks Mike and best of luck with your business!

Fantastic

The best craftsman in the states. Thanks Mike!

Dave is a very knowledgeable stand up guy. I dropped off two guitars, les paul, and a peavey evh. Both came back better then ever. The quality of work and attention to detail is second to none. Bring your gear here. You will be glad you did.

Amazing at repairing guitars. I had my Les Paul break at the neck/head joint. He repaired it so well the break was literally invisible and then set the guitar up to play like butter. I strongly recommend him and his services.

Wonderful local music shop. Quick and quality repairs. Wonderful teachers that are talented as well as patient and work well with teens. Dave and Stevie are awesome!

Good but the prices where a little high on some stuff . Overall it was a good experience.

Had 2 of my guitars worked on here, around 4 years ago. (i know its been awhile but i just started doing these google reviews) A BC rich with a Floyd rose trem which just got a normal setup plus had a pickup changed out in a Gibson Flying V. First off the price seemed way too steep for the BC rich which was around $125 for a simple setup. The Gibson had way too much hum after he installed the Seymour Duncan. The worst part was the guy stole my stock Gibson pup that he replaced after i specifically said to put it in the case when it was done. I will never go here again for guitar work and this experience is one of the reasons i learned how to do these things on my own. Just go to guitar center or dean sapp for instrument work

I recorded my whole album here and I couldn’t have asked for a better place to record at. Studio makes me feel right at home, and they’re willing to work with you until you’re satisfied with your product. 5/5 stars for sure ⭐️

Nick the sound manager was professional, helpful, and most of all a cool dude. Never felt uncomfortable in the studio and he kept things moving well.

Nick, Kyle and Chris are great fun guys to work with who have an awesome space for creativity and productivity. The crew uses their knowledge and skills to have your final mix sounding exactly how you want it every time. The best part of it all is that the sessions are appropriately priced so I would recommend to local musicians who are trying to get a jump start on their musical careers to check out Occupy Studio.

Knowledgable, skilled, and accommodating. The recording process went smoothly, sound quality was great!

Shop for piano for music or jazz song

I have been taking lessons from Katy for almost seven years. She is a phenomenal teacher and one of the most humble and inspirational people I’ve ever met! Unfortunately, I am leaving for college at the end of the summer, so I will be unable to continue with her, but I know that I would not be the person that I am today without the confidence and abilities I’ve gained from Katy’s wonderful teaching. It was such a blessing to have found her and I could not imagine a better path for me. If you or your child are on the edge of whether to take lessons or not, don’t be: Katy will be able to imbue a love of piano and music in your life!

We love our piano teacher! Its our second year and Alex really enjoys the lessons!

I found Katy’s website while looking for a piano teacher for my children, but her studio was full and her waiting list was also full. When an opening became available with her daughter, who was just starting out teaching, we jumped at the opportunity. Madeline proved to be an excellent teacher, and Katy worked closely with Madeline throughout the time that my children took lessons from her. I was very impressed with both the teaching style and the emphasis on technique, even with younger children. I’m so sad that we had to move out of the area because I truly believe that Katy is one of the finest piano teachers I have ever known. It is rare to find a teacher that can both teach piano with excellence AND inspire her students.

Staff is knowledgeable and friendly. Have used Accent 2 years in a row to rent band instruments. They are reasonable and have quality products.

Good selection of instruments and sheet music.

Always have great service when stopping here. Been coming here for years. Clean, organized store, and the employees know their products

Staff is awsome !

Played several acoustic by Guild and Takamine. Enjoyed myself.

I’ve had good service at this store. The staff is polite, knowledgeable, and helpful.

They tend to charge list price, but will usually come down to comparable prices if you argue with them. They frequently don’t have what I’m looking for, but they get 2 stars for a total lack of other options in Delaware. Better off driving to the larger competitors in Cherry Hill, NJ.

Selection is pretty low for almost everything. If you need a starter instrument, lessons, or basic supplies then look no further.

The staff at Accent Music on 202 has little concern with customers needs. I was given every excuse in the book why my item was not ordered from the manufacturer when I could have ordered it myself and gotten it days ago. No tracking #? No ETA? No resemblance of customer service. I’m sure they like to sell things but just not to me.

Loved it. Friendly people. Wonderful place to practice.

Good

Best place to rehearse! The prices are reasonable and Tom the owner is such an awesome dude!

Great location and parking. Excellent customer service.

Very helpful and kind

Nice store

Super friendly and my daughter loves going to her piano lessons.

Friendly staff , good service

My oldest came here for lessons and we purchased an intermediate trumpet back in 2019 that we were very happy with. Fast forward to 2022-23. First we bought a Yamaha intermediate trombone but the mouth piece was missing so they gave us a replacement “in kind”. This fall he dropped it on the ground and ovaled the shaft. This is where the fun begins. I drive the 30 min to the store and ask for a replacement, but they can’t find the sale in their system. I remembered the issue with the missing mouthpiece and the replacement. Unfortunately the clerk couldn’t get the internet to work to verify the size and sold us the large shank. Wrong! So now I have to spend another hour there and back just to return it. Amazon was more helpful but a search revealed that the “in kind” replacement from a year ago was a cheap version and the wrong size. They got me twice. Thankfully this is the last kid so I won’t have to go there again.

Wonderful store

This low rating is not a reflection of the Kirkwood Highway store personnel but rather Music & Arts Corporate and their “customer service”. We have been a customer of the store for years including lessons, instrument purchases and instrument service and repair. Everyone we’ve ever dealt with IN THE STORE has been lovely, helpful and knowledgeable. At the beginning of the summer we signed up for weekly lessons for half of June plus July and August in preparation for marching band season. I cancelled, in store, (on August 13th)our weekly lesson effective end of August and specifically requested that the auto debit be cancelled effective immediately as we had already paid for August. In spite of that we were charged for lessons for the month of September. I called the store immediately and was told they had cancelled the lessons on their end but were experiencing issues with a new company-wide system. They put through a request for a refund that day. After a week I called the store again and told them the money had not been refunded. They assured me it had been reported to corporate and that was all they could do from their end. Today I called the corporate number and experienced the worst possible customer service. The woman was cranky and short with me right off the bat and would only tell me that a refund would take 4 weeks. When I asked why she said, “that’s our policy”. She had not bothered to ask my name, my location or any dates. When I requested confirmation that the refund was in process she reluctantly took my information and treated me like I had interrupted her lunch break. And then, she told me she couldn’t tell me anything, had no idea if my refund request had been made, told me to wait 4 weeks and call back. When I said that wasn’t a good enough answer she told me I’d have to call the store. So, total waste of time, including the 15 minute wait on hold. I did call the store back and though they were apologetic they could not do much as they have no control over the refund process. Kevin, the store manager, took all my info again and said he would email the lesson coordinator and his district manager and would let me know if he had any further information. I understand this has happened to a number of customers which is outrageous. In this day and age how can a large corporation not be able to timely cancel an auto deduction or at least have a system to log refund requests and be able to tell you if the request has been received? Further, why the hell would it take 4 weeks to refund my money? Absolutely unacceptable. I can’t imagine we would deal with Music & Arts again and certainly would not recommend the company which is a shame because the employees and teachers are great. Seriously, who wants to deal with illegitimate automatic deductions from your bank account???For that matter who wants to loan M & A’s $150. (interest free) for a month at a time??? Imagine if you had 2 or 3 students and were out $300-400 for that amount of time?!? Ridiculous!

They keep charging me after I made the payment over a month ago by phone. Their main office doesn’t communicate efficiently with their stores and vice versa. They claim they can’t see a transaction history of my payment even though it’s RIGHT on my bank account and cleared. I offered to bring a copy of my bank statement and they always say they’ll follow up and don’t. It is incredibly annoying and frustrating to have to deal with something so menial in such a poor manner. They keep sending me collection letters for something I PAID! If this hits my credit because they can’t communicate effectively I will be sure to make a HUGE deal.

Upon my arrival, at the Wilmington DE location, I was greeted with the clerk pulling out rubber gloves. At first, I thought they required a rectal exam of their patrons. I was then told I needed to wear gloves to peruse their books. I walked out and went down the road to Accent Music and purchased what I needed. I’ll never spend another dime at M&A. Let’s support the rational.